One of the magical moments when looking through Used Vinyl bins is when you pull out an album and it immediately transports you back in time.
That is what happened when I discovered Marti Jones’ first album, Unsophisticated Time, at Angry Mom Records. This disc came out in 1985. I came upon it a few years later when I was working at a commercial Talk station in New York City. It was on the desk of one of the hosts, and I asked if I could give it a listen.
Marti Jones is a straight-forward singer. With the exception of one co-writing credit on this first album, the tracks are all covers. Unlike Linda Ronstadt, who covers songs using lots of vocal gymnastics, Marti Jones’ renditions are emotive, highlighted by her deep, sultry voice. Imagine Dusty Springfield as a modern-day indie folk/pop singer.
There is so much I love about this album, including the song selection and the love story behind the production. The album was produced by Don Dixon, who happens to be one of my favorite record producers. Dixon is a king of the “Jangle Pop” sound, which was big in the 80’s. He was assigned by A&M records to work with Marti Jones on this debut solo release. The two became friends first, then married in 1988, and often perform together to this day. I was lucky enough to see them live at The Bottom Line in NYC in 1990.
The song selections include tunes by the dB’s’ Peter Holsapple, the Bongos’ Richard Barone, and Elvis Costello, along with a bunch of tunes by Don Dixon. But each song becomes Marti Jones’ own because of her interpretation. Side 1, Song 1 is a tune I was very familiar with, Lonely is as Lonely Does by the dB’s, but when I first heard Marti Jones sing it, it took me some time to make the connection to the original. There are artists that cover songs with very little effort, just making a reproduction, and then there are artists like Marti Jones that give a song a whole new meaning.
Singing is not her only talent: Jones is also a visual artist. She is a painter, living in Canton, Ohio with her husband. Check out her work which includes some of her “Women in Music” series, as well as pieces inspired by the movies “Valley of the Dolls,” “Grey Gardens,” and a couple of Hitchcock Cameos.
I wish more people knew about Marti Jones’ work as a singer. I was only able to find a couple of videos from Unsophisticated Time, If I Could Walk Away From You,(written by Don Dixon) and Follow You All Over the World. I hope you take the time to treat your ears to the smokey sounds of Marti Jones.
