Martha & The Muffins

Martha & The Muffins were a new wave group originally formed in Ontario, Canada in 1977 by art students Mark Gain and David Millar. The titular Martha was vocalist and keyboard player Martha Johnson, although they were later joined by namesake Martha Ladly, also contributing vocals and keyboard parts. After an initial independent release the group were signed to Virgin subsidary Dindisc for whom they recorded their debut album Metro Music (1980), featuring the international hit "Echo Beach", in the UK. A second album Trance & Dance quickly followed in the same year although failed to produce any further hits. They returned to Canada for a third album, This Is the Ice Age (1981), produced by Daniel Lanois, although were dropped by Virgin soon after and split up.
Ladly briefly collaborated with Associates in 1982, before embarking on a career in design, while Gain and Johnson resurfaced as duo M+M in 1983.
A reworking of the 1984 M+M track "Come Out And Dance", called "Stay Home And Dance", was released in May 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
== Links to Peel ==
After picking up on their early single release for Dindisc in 1979, Peel was also keen to showcase their debut album on its release in February 1980, as well as playing their hit single Echo Beach which was receiving plenty of daytime airplay. Attention seems to have waned with the second album.
== Sessions ==
* none
== Shows Played ==
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*10 October 1979: Insect Love (7") Dindisc DIN 4
*25 October 1979: Insect Love (7") Dindisc DIN 4
*23 January 1980: Echo Beach (7") Dindisc
*24 January 1980: Echo Beach (7") Dindisc
*11 February 1980: Saigon (LP - Metro Music) DinDisc
*12 February 1980: Indecision (LP - Metro Music) Dindisc
*18 February 1980: Saigon (LP - Metro Music) Dindisc
*20 February 1980: Paint By Number Heart (LP - Metro Music) Dindisc
*21 February 1980: Terminal Twilight (LP - Metro Music) Dindisc
*23 February 1980 (BFBS): Saigon (album - Metro Music) Dindisc
*26 February 1980: Monotone (LP - Metro Music) Dindisc
*28 February 1980 (Mike Read): Paint By Number Heart (LP - Metro Music) Dindisc
*01 March 1980 (BFBS): Indecision (album - Metro Music) Dindisc
*15 April 1980: 'Saigon (7 inch)' (Dindisc)
*17 April 1980: Saigon (7") Dindisc
*26 June 1980: About Insomnia (7") Dindisc
*22 September 1980: Primal Weekend (album - Trance And Dance) Dindisc
*24 September 1980: Am I On? (LP - Trance And Dance) Dindisc
*07 July 1984 (BFBS): Black Stations / White Stations (Remix) (12" EP) RCA RCAT 426
*09 April 1993 (John Peel Is Jakki Brambles): Echo Beach (single) Dindisc
== See Also ==
*JLP004
*JLP043
== External links ==
* Official site
*Wikipedia - Martha & The Muffins
* Wikipedia - Martha Ladly
Category:Artists