More than an award-winning songwriter and producer, Mark Hudson has been successful within the music business for over 40 years. Mark first achieved prominence as one-third of The Hudson Brothers, alongside his brothers Bill and Brett. Beyond making music for Elton John’s record label, the trio starred in a pair of shows for CBS in the 1970s before appearing in some Marx Brothers-inspired films. Mark did more acting in the 1980s, but shifted back towards music, working as a producer, songwriter and/or vocal coach for plenty of A-List artists, including Cher, Bon Jovi, Ozzy Osbourne, Hanson, Celine Dion, Harry Nilsson, and Leann Rimes. Among his major accomplishments in working with other artists are 12 songs co-written with Aerosmith – including the Grammy-winning “Livin’ On The Edge” – and working on nine consecutive releases for Ringo Star.
In recent years, Mark has been able to combine his talents as a mentoring musician and an on-air personality, appearing on a number of interesting shows. He was part of the record-breaking U.K. series The X Factor, working directly with Simon Cowell and Sharon Osbourne, and one of the coaches of VH1 Classic’s Rock ‘N Roll Fantasy Camp. Mark also continues to perform regularly with other artists as part of his residency at The Iridium. He returns to 51st and Broadway on Mar. 21 with Gene Cornish from The Rascals as a promised guest.
Mark spoke to Downtown to talk about why he plays so frequently at The Iridium, how he views his career as a producer and a songwriter, and what role The Beatles play for him personally and professionally. Follow him online here and on Twitter at @MarkHudsonMusic.
For someone who hasn’t yet attended Monday On The Hudson, do you have a way of describing it?
Mark Hudson: Somebody who hasn’t been to Monday On The Hudson is in for a wild ride! I never know what I’m going to do, and you never know who is going to show up to play with me. Timothy B Schmit of The Eagles, Buster Poindexter, Earl Slick from John Lennon and David Bowie, Will Lee, etc. have all been surprises guests so far. I want it to be loose, rocking, and like kids in the basement having their mom yelling to come upstairs and do their homework. It’s like a variety show — Ed Sullivan on steroids!
Do you remember where the first gig you played in New York City was?
M: My first gig was at The Bottom Line, 1972, I think.
What is it about The Iridium that makes it your go-to for Mondays On The Hudson?
M: It’s the best venue in the city. The sound, the history, the crowd, and the fact that Les Paul played there every Monday ‘til his death. I wanted Monday, hoping that some of his greatness will rub off on me! Also, Monday is a cool night. The weekend parties are over, and it’s a crowd that just loves music.
At what point in your career did you realize that you were a producer and songwriter, as opposed to the guy out front?
M: I was the main songwriter in The Hudson Brothers and always had a voice in the production, but was not hands-on. Then when the Brothers broke up, I was trained by the great Phil Ramone for three years, and he was the one that made me a real producer and taught me how to write great songs. I realized you are no longer a “front guy” when you get older, lose your hair, gain a little weight, and suffer from “bag drag.”
What was the first cut that you had a co-writer outside of The Hudson Brothers?
M: A song called “Spinning The Wheel” on Rocket Records. My co-writer was Bernie Taupin, Elton’s lyricist.
Do you like it when people called you a “song doctor?” Or is there a more preferable way of describing what you do?
M: I don’t like the term “song doctor.” I’m a songwriter, and just know that as a co-writer, sometimes we push the artist into new territory and that’s good. Lennon was pushed by [Paul] McCartney, Keith [Richards] pushing Mick [Jagger]. It’s just motivating guys who are already great to maybe look at it from a new angle.
Do you recall when it became normal and artistically-acceptable for bands to start using outside songwriters? Was it after Aerosmith started doing that in the 1980s?
M: No, outside writers have been around since day one! I think the demand for faster turn-arounds and heavy concert agendas fired it up. In the old days, you could have the time to write the second album.
Given that you, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Marti Frediksen worked together as “The Boneyard Boys,” was there ever talk of a Boneyard Boys album?
M: We DID talk about a Boneyard Boys album. We even had some fun stuff in the can. You never know.
Aside from seeing your name on albums, the first time I really became aware of you was when you were in EPK footage for Liam Lynch’s album Fake Songs. Was that the first comedy-oriented album you had worked on?
M: Yes, I love Liam and he was the first act Ringo and I signed to our label. Liam is a talented dude!
Did you enjoy being part of the VH1 show Rock ‘N Roll Fantasy Camp? Does the end product resemble what actually happened?
M: Rock ‘N Roll Fantasy Camp was fun. I don’t really trust “reality shows,” so I told them that I could only be “me,” and they let me do it. It was fun, hard work, and I was tough on them, but we won…I’m still in touch with my band. A great bunch of humans.
Rock ‘N Roll Fantasy Camp wasn’t your first foray into TV, as you’d been one of the stars of the Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show. Were you originally happy to be part of that show? Or has music always been your #1, and that was something you were led into?
M: Music was always number one, but TV was immediate! The bad news was that it cancelled out our music, because everybody was getting busted for not being real musicians. The Monkees, Partridge Family, etc. So we became “TV guys.”
Another TV show you were involved with was X Factor. Had you spent a lot of time in England before working on that show?
M: I loved the English X-Factor! I was on Sharon Osbourne’s team and Simon Cowell is the real deal. Smarter than his haircut — truly amazing to watch!
Is there a professional accomplishment of yours that you’re most proud of?
M: I’m most proud of “Livin’ On The Edge.” It was my love for John Lennon and his music that pushed me to write a song about our state of the world. Not just the Grammy, but the meaning.
Do you have any upcoming releases or recording projects that you can talk about?
M: I’m doing something with Steven Tyler that I can’t talk about. I’m finishing a record on a singer-songwriter, Molly Tenterelli. She’s like Laura Nyro meets Steely Dan and can sing her ass off!
When you’re not busy with your career, how do you like to spend your free time?
M: I paint and direct strange videos for fun. I love hanging with my wife Melissa and my dog DeNiro. And I love listening to my Beatle bootlegs and [Frank] Sinatra.
-by Darren Paltrowitz
