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Mark‑Almond was formed by English musicians Jon Mark and Johnny Almond, who had previously collaborated on John Mayall’s The Turning Point and Empty Rooms. The duo’s breakthrough came with the 1970 album Mark‑Almond on Blue Thumb, featuring the single "The City" and the track "The Ghetto"; the album peaked at Number 154 on the Billboard 200. In 1971 the follow‑up Mark‑Almond II reached Number 87 on the UK chart, and 1972’s Rising reached Number 103 on Billboard. The group expanded to a seven‑member ensemble and released the live Mark‑Almond 73 in 1973, which entered the UK Top 75. After a brief split, Jon Mark and Johnny Almond reunited for To the Heart (ABC, 1976) and later Other Peoples Rooms (A&M, 1978), the latter reaching Number 72 in Australia. The band disbanded in the early 1980s after The Last & Live (1981). Jon Mark later relocated to New Zealand, producing ambient recordings and a Grammy‑winning project of Tibetan monk chants in 2004, while Johnny Almond died on 18 November 2009 at age 63.
