Almond to release first album since '04 crash

03/29/2007 12:56 PM, Reuters


Former Soft Cell principal Marc Almond will release his first album in four years in June, as he slowly returns to regular duties after a near-fatal motorcycle crash in 2004.

"Stardom Road" features 12 cover songs and one original track, Sanctuary Records said in a statement announcing a three-album deal with the artist.

Among the covers are the Dusty Springfield-popularized "I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten" (featuring St. Etienne's Sarah Cracknell) and the Roberta Flack/Shirley Bassey-associated "The Ballad of the Sad Young Men" (featuring Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons).

Almond also reinterprets Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night," T. Rex's "The London Boys" and Petula Clark's "Happy Heart"

He will play a few live shows this spring in Europe, beginning Friday in Thessaloniki, Greece. Also on tap is a sold-out May 4-6 run at London's Wiltons Music Hall.

Almond most recently released the 2003 effort "Heart on Snow" for indie label Psychobaby. In 2004, he almost died after crashing his motorcycle, and was unconscious for two weeks.

"For Marc recovery has proven to be frustrating and difficult, in addition his confidence as a performer was severely impaired by his injuries and he has worked long and hard to get back to form," Sanctuary said. "Recording this album has been part of the recovery process and thereby represents a turning point for him as an artist.

Reuters/Billboard