Mark Heard Complete Discography

If you know of anything missing, please send email to Miles O'Neal. I have mentioned the mythical album he recorded in high school, but won't really believe it until I have details (and have preferably heard it and held it - my faith on this issue being weak... 8^)

K. L. Griffin's original remarks

``Yes, ladies and gentlemen, here it is, the one, the only, unofficial Mark Heard discography. I believe this is complete. If somebody knows of any other releases, bootlegs, etc., let me know. I've also included my own little summaries for each release, so take them for what they're worth (which probably isn't much). All of them were/are also available in cassette form. I didn't list that under "Format".''

Setting Yesterday Free

(with Infinity Plus Three)

Mark's real debut album. Extremely rare.

Names from the label provided by Tom Richards.

A full album description is available.

Mark Heard

On Turning To Dust

Mark's debut album. Home grown folk. Great stuff. Out of print.

Track times & some names provided by Miles O'Neal.

A full album description is available.

Appalachian Melody

Produced by Larry Norman. Still folky, but with a bit more rock leanings. From the same era as other Norman-produced projects as Randy Stonehill's Welcome To Paradise and The Sky Is Falling and Daniel Amos' Horrendous Disc. Out of print.

(Track times courtesy of Glenn Clack.

Fingerprint

A rare import from Switzerland. Recorded during the time Mark spent with the late Francis Schaeffer at the La'Bri fellowship in Switzerland. GREAT folk (ala James Taylor) and great rock tunes as well. Out of print until recently, now available on CD!

Track times courtesy of Miles O'Neal.

CD Database entry

Stop the Dominoes

Mark's first project for Home Sweet Home, a label owned by Chris Christian. Intelligent rock and folk. Out of print.

*NOTE: This version of "I'm In Chains" is slightly different than the one on the Fingerprint l.p.

Track times courtesy of Miles O'Neal.

A full album description is available.

Insert text courtesy of Mark Mayhle.

Victims Of the Age

Another great intelligent rock and folk album. GREAT songs, including "Heart of Hearts", with BGV's provided by a very young Leslie Phillips, who later covered the song on her debut LP in 1983. (For those who don't know, Leslie did 4 albums for the CCM industry, had a bit of a falling out with that industry - much too complex a story to go into here - married T-Bone Burnett, changed her "recording" name to Sam Phillips and has released three albums since). Out of print.

Eye Of the Storm

A special release of some of Mark's acoustic-oriented material written over the previous few years. Great stuff. Out of print.

*NOTE: These versions of "Castaway", "Well-worn Pages", and "Gimme Mine" are all different than those that appeared on previous albums.

Insert text courtesy of Mark Mayhle.

Ashes and Light

Another outstanding collection of intelligent rock. Glenn Kaiser and Darrell Mansfield did a cover of "Threw It Away" on their second blues project. Out of print.

Track times courtesy of Miles O'Neal.

Insert text courtesy of Mark Mayhle.

Mosaics

A decidedly rock album (more so than any up to this point) with a great cover of T-Bone Burnett's "The Power Of Love". Out of print.

Best Of - Acoustic

A good collection of some of Mark's acoustic-oriented songs, but a lame attempt by the record company to milk the record buying public unnecessarily. This was one of those contractual fulfillment obligation type things. Contained one song ("Family Name", written by Bill Batstone) previously unrealesed. Those weasels. Out of print.

* These versions taken from the Eye Of the Storm album.

Best Of - Electric

The Greatest Hits of Mark Heard

Same story as above, but with no new songs, so I didn't buy it. Out of print.

``Despite all the whining that people have done about this record, it's better than nothing if you don't have the albums it represents.'' -MrMandolin@aol.com

Tribal Opera

This project was actually released under the name Ideola rather than Mark Heard, although Mark wrote, performed, and produced the entire project. This was sort of an experimental thing for Mark, with lots of digital samples and electronic drums. Once again (and I know you're probably getting tired of hearing this, but it's true), GREAT songs, especially "How To Grow Up Big And Strong". Out of print.

Dry Bones Dance

Yea! Mark's return after much too long an absence. This is a great CD of folk rock with a little country and cajun influences thrown in for good measure. In print.

Track times courtesy of Miles O'Neal.

CD Database entry

Second Hand

Mark's acclaimed follow-up to Dry Bones Dance, with a slightly more acoustic feel overall. There's a cool cover of the old Beatles song, "I'm Looking Through You". The song "Look Over Your Shoulder" made it onto a Windam Hill sampler disk. In print.

Track times courtesy of Miles O'Neal.

CD Database entry

Satellite Sky

Mark's final "new" release, considered by many to be his best. A great collection of rock and folk tunes. In print.

Track times courtesy of Miles O'Neal.

CD Database entry

Reflections Of A Former Life

A recently-released collection of some of Mark's songs from his mid-80's Home Sweet Home days, meaning that decision to release it must have come from Chris Christian, who owns the rights to most of Mark's older material. It apparently was released without any coordination or input from Janet. Some of the editing is sloppy, and it's a poor substitute for the re-release of the old albums in their entirety. Many serious Heard fans boycotted this one. But, for those who just can't wait, it is a way for newer fans to get some of Mark's older material, and it even has a couple of cuts from the Swiss import LP. True Tunes had a deal where if you ordered it from them, they would send some of the money to Janet to help her financial situation since Mark's death. They're probably still doing it, so if you buy it, order it from them. In print.

* Actually, "All the Sleepless Dreamers".

High Noon

A collection of songs from Mark's last three CD's. Originally scheduled to be released on the True North label, this is really a nice collection that also includes Mark's contribution to Steve Hindalong and Derri Daugherty's (of The Choir) At The Foot Of the Cross project, "My Redeemer Lives", as well as 4 previously unreleased songs. In print.

* Previously unreleased, except for "What Kind Of A Friend", which is a different version.

Orphans of God

A 2 disc tribute album with various artists covering Mark's songs. A Fingerprint release (the good guys!). In print.

(Tracks & times courtesy of Tom Moellering.

Tom also reviewed this album.

Original content provided by K. L. Griffin. Additional content provided by Miles O'Neal and MrMandolin@aol.com. Webized by Miles O'Neal.