MARTIN JOHN BUTLER: NYC recording artist, singer/songwriter/producer/guitar teacher was raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., lived in London until four years old, and studied music at Brooklyn College. At six became first soloist in the New York All City chorus and was featured in a NY State PBS program. At fifteen, his first band Triton earned a weekend residency at Dodgers Bar, a well known Blues/Jazz club in downtown Brooklyn and played sold out shows at the legendary Gaslight Cafe and Cafe` Wha in Greenwich Village.
Martin's next band Pandora, was a Hard Rock/Glam band. Pandora featured future stars, drummer Frank LaRocca, (Tom Petty, Bryan Adams, John Waite, David Johansen Band). Bassist Buzzy Verno, (David Johansen Band, Cherry Vanilla) and vocalist Rick Prince (Plum Nelly, Foreigner). Arf Arf records "posthumously" released a bootlegged CD of a demo Pandora recorded in a Cleveland, Ohio loft, done when Martin John was 17, to acclaim in Rolling Stone and a cult following online. A vinyl edition of Pandora's "Space Amazon" is now available on Supreme Echo Records, and a documentary is being planned for the release. https://www.brooklynvegan.com/70s-nyc-glam-rock-cult-group-pandoras-rare-debut-getting-first-ever-vinyl-release/
After Pandora, MJB formed The Demons with singer Eliot Kidd, originally including future Heartbreakers guitarist Walter Lure. The Demons were part of the first wave of Punk bands playing at CBGB. Temporarily managed by club owner Hilly Crystal, they recorded a Live at CBGB vol. II album that was never released. Craig Leon, (Ramones, Blondie) produced that recording, and brought The Demons to the attention of Mercury Records.
Their Mercury debut album "The Demons", sold 250,000 copies, reaching Billboard's # 1 in eleven states within four weeks, but the untimely death of drummer Mike Rappoport, and the arrest and incarceration of singer Eliot Kidd on drug charges led to Mercury discontinuing their support. MJB shared bills and close friendships with legendary NYC groups, The New York Dolls, Blondie, Mink DeVille, The Ramones, The Dictators, Patti Smith, Television, The Heartbreakers, among others. The Very Few, MJB’s next band with former Demons member Bob Jones played at many of the legendary clubs of New York, Privates, Danceteria, CBGB and the Mudd Club, among them.
After The Demons and The Very Few, Martin John began a solo career writing and producing music for radio and television and as a session guitarist, notably with Busta Jones and Paul Duskin, (Chris Spedding, Robert Fripp, Brian Eno, Talking Heads). His songs were featured in numerous TV shows, including, Wiseguy, The A Team, Walker, Texas Ranger and MacGyver, eventually winning a CLIO award, and Radio Mercury Best Radio Commercial as a writer/producer.
Throughout a twelve year battle with a life threatening illness, Martin John taught music privately, founding The Rock & Roll Schoolhouse. Recovering, and reemerging as a singer/songwriter/producer with a solo CD, "Watching The Days Fall" in 2007, his song "Wait For Nothing" was featured in the compilation CD "Day One", the proceeds going to first responders of the 9/11 tragedy.
Married in 2012 to wellness coach and yoga teacher, Janet Dailey, a former Atlantic Records recording artist with The Pleasure Bombs, they formed The Naam Music Project, creating a new genre, New Mantra. Their debut EP was considered ground breaking in the New Age/World Music genres.
MJB wrote and produced music for the award winning documentary film WishMakers in 2018. His second solo album, "What the Heart Only Knows", was released in late 2020 to critical acclaim. Co-writing and producing “Life is Hard” the same year with Americana artist Dusty Wright.
MJB has been featured on the live Americana radio show The Heartland Hayride and on Nashville's American Pickers. He hosts the Riverside Roundup, a weekly broadcast featuring NY’s best independent artists.
Martin co-produced and mixed Americana artist Dusty Wright’s 2022 release “Lonelyville” to critical acclaim and contributed four tracks to the 2022 award winning documentary “Worst to First”, the true story of the rise of Z-100, the world’s biggest radio station.
Relocating to Nashville in mid 2022, MJB is currently co-producing the “Covers” album for Dusty Wright and working on new music for his upcoming album, “To the Light”.
Discography:
Worst to First the Z-1200 story
Dusty Wright “Lonelyville” 2022
Martin John Butler "What the Heart Only Knows" 2019 Riverside Drive Records
Pandora "Space Amazon" Vinyl LP Supreme Echo Records (2020))
Co-wrote "Life is Hard" with Dusty Wright on "Caterwauling Toward the Light" (2017)
Wrote and produced music for the documentary film, WishMakers (2017)
The Naam Music Project - New Mantra - Riverside Drive Records (2014)
Pandora - "Space Amazon" - Arf Arf Records (2010)
Martin Butler - "Watching the Days Fall"- Riverside Drive Records, (2007)
Day One - "Wait For Nothing" - benefit for 9/11 first responders - Moon Records (2005)
Busta Jones _ Spring Records (1980)
The Demons- Mercury Records 1978
Photographer: James A. Willis
