Blog

Links to other projects which might be of interest and have been mentioned elsewhere on the site. Credit due to Mac Rebennack for the use of the title cos' it fits the bill. It's also the title of his latest album

[size=14] Andy Hall's site dedicated to his wonderful book of photographs specially selected by his fellow Scots as there favourite places in Scotland. Michael is one of the Scots who are featured in the book. Andy has a new book of photographs published on 18 October 2005 on Mercat Press. The publishers of Karma Mechanics, Michael's book of short stories currently available as an ebook but soon to be available as a Paperback. If you have never enjoyed reading an ebook try the free trial available on website. For more information on writer of Sunset Song, the book which inspired Michael to write his wonderful songs Happed In Mist and Monkey Hair. Find out more on Martyn's stunning album on Realworld Records, Scottish Traditional music like you have never heard it before. Awesome.The track Liberation features Michael doing the vocals Lyrical Namecheck Michael gets a lyrical namecheck in the new Mull Historical Society Cd titled " This is Hope" due in early July. The track is "This is the Hebrides". Music Scotland - If you are struggling to find copies of Michael's "Silence" CD try site. They also have copies of Posted Sober and Michael's back catalogue on CD and cassette Home of recording studio of Alan McGlone who along with Michael's brother Christopher Marra produced Michael's album - Posted Sober. Hear the voice and songs that inspired Michael to the write by visiting this great wee site dedicated to the man himself. Michael recently played a couple of gigs in Thomas Fraser's native Shetland Islands. During his performance in Voe, Michael took the much appreciated opportunity to perform his personal tribute to Thomas Fraser. Prior to his peformance, Michael met with Thomas's daughter and grandson and played Thomas's 1961 Levin guitar. Michael is also scheduled to play Thomas Fraser Memorial Concert in November 2005. Look out for the latest Thoams Fraser cd titled "Treasure Untold" due out 11 November 2005 Michael is a huge fan of . Blair Douglas, with whom Michael has collaborated on previous musical projects, has a wonderful new album out, "Angels From The Ashes". Check it out and listen to a few tracks at . There is also an interview with in the latest edition of the excellent Hi- Arts Journal. the store in Mendocino which features on the inner cover of Posted Sober. The photo was taken on Michael's West Coast tour back in May 1999. Scottish singer showed remarkably good taste when she chose to record and title her latest CD after one of Michael's songs. The song in question originally titled by Michael " When These Shoes Were New", his publisher preferred "Take Me Out Drinking Tonight" This is not the first time this song has been used as an album title. Scottish Folk Group Hadden,Rothfield and Carr also recorded the song back in the late eighties but used the former title for their album have recorded Beefhearts and Bones on their latest CD. Found this site for the Kirkcaldy band from the sixties called These were the guys who inspired Michael to write his song Gaels Blue. Hear the story on Gaels Blue Orchestra Live where Mchael tells the story himsel.the . Peerie Willie Johnson the subject of Michael's song Schnectady Calling.... cover Like Another Rolling Stone on their 1999 Cairn Water CD Michael has contributed the text for Angus artist illustration of the "Panticle" featured in his new book "Bird Of The Devil" More information at Edward's website. Tom Morton is just one of the presenters on who frequently champion Michael's music. Others include Iain Anderson, Janice Forsyth, Archie Fisher, Mary Ann Kennedy. For lively discussion on all things Celtic. Log on to You can also get copies of Posted Sober in their record store. [/size]

Recovered a couple of rarities this week  

The Dave Kelly Band's 1985 album "Heart Of The City" on Thunderbolt contains two of Michael's songs. Gaels Blue and EE DO DO QUA QUA (OVA DA WA). The latter co - written with Peter Filleul who also produced the album along with Dave Kelly. Other musicians who appear on the album are Ed Deane,guitar, Tex Comer,bass, Peter Filleul,keyboards, Rob Townsend , drums. Backing vocals were provided by Graham Lyle, Tom McGuinness and Zee Carlin.

You can have listen to the tracks Audio Section of the site.

Review of parallel | paralells at

http://www.hi-arts.co.uk/Default.aspx.LocID-hianewo00.RefLocID-hiacg5005.Lang-EN.htm

parallel | parallels is now on tour - Check out the venues and dates -

Where:
When:

Time:

Booking:


 The Arches, Glasgow

Mon 8 September      

1930 - 2100

0141 565 1000  



 The Arches, Glasgow

Tues 9 September

1930 - 2100

0141 565 1000



 Strathpeffer Pavilion, Strathpeffer
Thurs 11 September

2000 - 2130

01997 420124



 Rothes Halls, Glenrothes

Fri 12 September

2000 - 2130

01592 611101

parallel | parallels explores the world of parallel universes with focus given to the decisions we did not make existing and continuing in another lateral place with a life of their own. Scientists now know for sure that these parallel worlds really do exist and in other universes there may well be versions of ourselves living completely other lives. plan B knows that the grass is always greener on the other side and that there is another world existing where we all earn £20,000 a week, Scotland has a Caribbean climate and George Bush has never been elected President.

Frank McConnell will be working with long-time collaborator and award-winning designer Karen Tennent. John Harvey, Michael Marra and Christine Devaney are also in the team creating this exciting, challenging, innovative piece that will leave us questioning all our choices. Also supported by the Scottish Arts Council.

plan B will be performing parallel | parellels in August and
September of this year followed by an additional tour in February 2009.

Tickets and Information for the Tour dates -

Where:
When:

Time:

Booking:


 The Arches, Glasgow

Mon 8 September      

1930 - 2100

0141 565 1000  



 The Arches, Glasgow

Tues 9 September

1930 - 2100

0141 565 1000



 Strathpeffer Pavilion, Strathpeffer
Thurs 11 September

2000 - 2130

01997 420124



 Rothes Halls, Glenrothes

Fri 12 September

2000 - 2130

01592 611101

For more information on plan B visit their website at

http://www.planbcreative.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

Saint Andrew has three gigs coming up. The first is at the Out of the Woods Acoustic Music Club , Broughty Ferry  on Sunday 07 December with support from Rod Paterson and Frank Smith .(this gig is now SOLD OUT !!! &nbsp The second is on the 09 December at 08:00 pm  at  The Leith Folk Club, The Village, Edinburgh -  This gig has now SOLD OUT!!!! But nae worries a extra gig has been arranged for the next night, the 10th. S aint Andrew will be performing with his band The Rare Wee Helps ( Michael Marra and Kevin Murray) So get yourself along there and witness the phenomenon that is Saint Andrew. It'll Be Rare T' Hear 'Em Lehv again. Saint Andrew has also just been booked to appear at next year's Celtic Connections.

"Indisputedly the finest song-writer in Scotland. His musical vision is extremely wide, melding 50's pop, church music, Dr. John and a Randy Newmanesque eye for beauty in the commonplace" The List.

more...
Have a read of these from a mixture of music critics, fans and ordinary punters who have witnessed Michael's performance and have been moved to write about it. Courtesy of



Time was when it would have been unkind to review a Marra record next to Randy Newman, long thought to be the Dundonian's dominating influence.

In this instance it is unkind, albeit to Newman, even if he is constrained by working on a soundtrack. This is Michael Marra's most robust work to date, while retaining much of the previous pop diarist's charm in the shape of "Frida Kahlo's Visit to the Taybridge Bar" and "Bob Dylan's Visit to Embra". He moves comfortably into the gentler slopes of Tom Wait's terrain in "The Butterfly Flaps its Wings", which also embodies some of the powerful discordant jazz themes lurking here and there.

The title, not atypically, is but half the story, coming from the wonderfully titled closing track "Scribbled Down Drunk (But Posted Sober)".
review of Michael Marra : "Posted Sober" (Inner City Sound Recordings) chosen as his Album of the Week for 7 January 2001 by Scotland on Sunday reviewer Colin Somerville.


[size=14]OTHER PRESS CLIPS AND REVIEWS:[/size]

...Marra has been compared to Tom Waits - but he doesn't sing in the Yankee drawl that's universal in rock - and with Randy Newman for his acute powers of observation on life. But in truth he's unique - and that's a word we're not often allowed to use in this paper..
Shetland Times


...If The Moon Can Be Believed is a truly original production that boasts a number of brilliantly written songs written by the renowned Dundee artiste, writer and musician, Michael Marra ...
The Courier and Advertiser


... he rocks, he's smart, and his tunes walk a razor's edge of wit.
A man with piercing eyes, MARRA looks into the soul, his songs as big as life, his characters scarred and inadequate, his images irksome ...
Folk Roots

MARRA ... a.k.a. the Randy Newman of The North ... astonishing talent for lyrics
... a first-class writer who avoids all the trappings of MOR sterility ...
Blue Juice

... a poet in blue-suede shoes ...
The List

... the only reason I did a Scots album was to annoy the London boys
... has been described as a Scottish Jacques Brel ...
TLN Magazine

... a 25-year-over-night sensation(!) when Deacon Blue and Hue and Cry discovered MARRA and invited him to tour internationally ...
Dirty Linen, USA

... (another) one of Scotland's best-kept secrets ... lyrically rooted in Scotland, its culture, history and literature, but MARRA cannot be pigeoned-holed with a "folkie" image; his musical palette is too varied for that; a love of jazz and sophisticated pop is always to the fore ... a poet's ear for detail and a nimble wit; given an incident MARRA will depict it from an angle that illustrates most effectively the daftness and vanity of humankind ... how can a man who turns the unlikely subject of King George III's return to sanity into a neat, easy-going boogie-woogie, go unrecognised? ...
Mojo

... expelled from school amongst the high-rises of Dundee's Lochee at 14 as a tearaway
... gigged a bit around Dundee in the 1960s
... played with "legendary" 1970s rock-band Skeets Bolivar (remember them?)
... London ... Polydor Records ... management disputes ... home
... later/eventually 1985 solo album, Gaels Blue, on own label ... filled with a glittering array of songs
... MARRA's music is soaked in the Scottish experience, strained through a gauze of ragtime blues-piano and shot with filaments of traditional folk and American voices
... a ghost-white MARRA sits at piano and microphone, delivering caustic visions of the Scottish past and wickedly funny
and sometimes achingly poignant, parables of the present in vocals from a Woodbined voice
... fans include Barbara Dickson, Deacon Blue, Pate Kane of Hue and Cry, Gary Clark (ex-Danny Wilson lead singer), Billy Connolly, and Eddie Reader
... covers by Kiki Dee, Maddy Prior, June Tabor, Leo Sayer,Frankie Miller, Rab Noakes and Fairport Convention
... worked as MD on John Byrne's BBC TV series, Your Cheating Heart ...
Scotland on Sunday

Fearghas Kelly has written a wonderful piece on an encounter he had with Michael at a gig in Paisley back in 2008. He has kindly agreed for us to use it here. You can read it at Fearghas's blog website 

Welcome to the OFFICIAL Michael Marra Website. Feel free to explore the site. There are over 900 pages of information plus over 400 songs which we give an airing on a rotational basis. You can find song information and listen to some music tracks in the MUSIC section, contact the Artist, or buy your favorite Michael Marra CDs, Downloadable Albums, and Individual MP3 Downloads which are now available to buy from The OFFICIAL Michael Marra Digital Store!

ALL AUDIO, VIDEO, IMAGES AND TEXT ON THIS SITE ARE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT - Content of this site is for personal use only and must not be copied, stored or saved to any device.