Australian singer songwriter Mark Gillespie has passed away. A cause of death is unknown at this stage. Mark had been living in Bangladesh since around 2005.
Mark’s debut came in 1977 with the track ‘I’m A Kite’ on Ross Wilson’s compilation ‘Debutantes’ but it wasn’t until Glenn Wheatley signed Mark for his ‘Only Human’ album on his Wheatley Records label. The release coincided with the debut of commercial FM Radio in Australia, where Mark became better known. Mark’s two albums for Glenn Wheatley are considered by many to be Australian masterpieces. Glenn extolled the lyrics calling Mark today calling him, “one of the greatest poets of our time”.
‘Only Human’ reached no. 48 in Australia and the follow-up ‘Sweet Nothing’ no. 33. (In Melbourne ‘Sweet Nothing’ was a Top 10 album). The song ‘Nothing Special’ in 1982 almost gave Mark a Top 40 hit, peaking at no. 48.
Mark used some of Australia’s best musicians on the albums including the late Ross Hannaford, Joe Creighton, Mick ‘The Reverend’ O’Connor and Broderick Smith. In the Aztec reissue of ‘Only Human’ liner notes he writes “Ross Hannaford and Joe Creighton are the absolute best musicians for me. Ross’ playing and singing on the song ‘Only Human’ is beautiful, ie full of beauty, and that’s what we pay out money for, is it not?”
Joe confirmed Mark’s death on social media.
Mark Gillespie toured Australia with Tom Waits, Maria Muldaur and Rodriguez at this time.
In the liner notes for the Aztec Records reissue of ‘Sweet Nothing’ in 2011, Billy Pinnell quotes Mark as saying “There is showbiz and there is music. If there is no driving force behind the music apart from commercial success then it is totally manufactured. If something is good in itself without pertaining to fashion its going to sell”.
Mark released his last album Wheatley album ‘Ring Of Truth’ in 1983 before going 11 years until his final album ‘Flame’ in 1992 on Mushroom Records. He then completely withdrew from the music industry saying he was “disappointed, ripped off, let down, betrayed, ignored”.
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