“Top of the World” is the fourth album of the New Yorker singer-songwriter, producer, journalist and songwriting teacher Mark Bacino. In the interview he is talking about getting older, working with Grammy-winning, Grammy-nominated and platinum-selling songwriters, Nilsson, the death of his lifelong friend Ron Zabrocki, important songs of his youth and why it took him so long to come up with a new album.
Tracks Magazin: Who the heck is Kaylee Hughes?
Mark Bacino: Ha! I’ve been getting that a lot lately. Honestly, I have to report that she’s totally made up. A fictitious stand-in for the kind of person I think we’ve all met in life that’s so unflaggingly nice that they just seem a little too good to be true. So much so that you aren’t quite sure if they’re for real, a fraud or maybe a little crazy. I suppose the song is just my having a bit of cynical fun with this kind of person or phenomenon.
Tracks Magazin: How old are you in the picture on the CD front cover and how old are you on the picture in the inside of the booklet? What is the idea behind the CD cover design?
Mark Bacino: The front cover photo for this new album (“Top of the World”) dates back to the “Pop Job” era, around the time of my first album release. I would have been 29 or 30. The inside photo is a recent picture of me at 55. It’s all a bit high-concept, I suppose, but lyrically speaking, most of the songs on this new album are studies on perspective; A “one man’s ceiling is another man’s floor” kind of thing. As such, I was looking for simple visuals for the album art that would illustrate this concept as well as the album’s tile, “Top of the World.” Subsequently, my wife stumbled upon the youthful picture of me by chance. It’s shot from below, looking up at a young man dressed in white, standing on top of the world with nothing but blue sky behind him. The minute I saw the shot, I knew it was perfect for the cover.
The inside photo was then an engineered attempt to highlight the “perspective” concept of the songs by recreating the cover photo but in opposite fashion – This time an older me, dressed in black, shot from above, looking down. Again, this is all very high-concept silliness but I think it achieves what I set out to do in the event anyone cares to notice.
Tracks Magazin: Is getting older an important theme on “Top Of The World?”
Mark Bacino: I can’t say it was intentional in the writing of the album, but the theme of getting older does seem to pop up in a few of the tunes. I think it’s really just a natural reflection of my life at this point in time. Being a man of a certain age, seeing family members around me growing older, seeing myself growing older, mortality begins to become something one thinks about. I suppose all that was bound to find its way into the songwriting.
Tracks Magazin: It’s been 14 years since your last album, “Queens English” (2010). What made you release a new record at this time?
Mark Bacino: I started working on this new album shortly after the release of “Queens English” and didn’t intend for there to be a 14-year gap, but life, as it often does, intervened. There were commitments to other work projects, family responsibilities and the obvious horrors and challenges of the pandemic that, ultimately, all added up to this record taking a very long time to cross the finish line.
Tracks Magazin: Do I hear some self-doubt in “Flop Of The World?” And how did you fit the Nilsson references in there?
Mark Bacino: I’m definitely a big Nilsson fan, as well as a Randy Newman devotee. That said, truth be told, I think around the time I was writing and recording “Flop of the World” I was revisiting, believe it or not, the ‘70s work of Leon Redbone, so I think the production on that tune really became a bit of an homage to Leon.
In terms of the self-doubting lyrics, the song is kind of a tongue in cheek character study. It tells the sad sack story of a disillusioned rock musician just a bit past his prime. I won’t go as far as saying the song is autobiographical, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that there’s probably a tiny bit of me that can identify with that character.
Tracks Magazin: The album is dedicated to your lifelong friend, Ron Zabrocki. What is the significance of the dedication?
Mark Bacino: Ron has been an invaluable contributor as well as a co-producer on all my album releases. I considered him a musical mentor as well as a dear friend. He was always incredibly generous and taught me a lot. Sadly, about a year after he and I completed the recording of “Top of the World,” Ron passed away, unexpectedly, from a short illness. I felt it only fitting that I dedicate the album to his memory as a small token of gratitude for all he gave me, personally and musically.
Tracks Magazin: With a not instrumental song you could have put your feelings into words. That is why I asked “why it turned out to be an instrumental”
Mark Bacino: I think the liner notes may be confusing things here. I dedicated the album as a whole (“Top Of The World”) to Ron, not just the title track. That was my intention. In hindsight, maybe I could have made that clearer in the notes 😉
Tracks Magazin: Do you refer to Leon’s old band Asylum Choir with Marc Benno or to his early solo albums?
Mark Bacino: I’m referring to Leon’s early solo albums on Warner Bros. I love those first few records. They’re just great.
Tracks Magazin: What is your favorite song on “Top Of The World” and why?
Mark Bacino: Wow, that’s a tough question. It’s like asking a parent to choose their favorite child. In keeping with the parental theme, I guess if I had to pick a favorite tune, I’d choose “Kaylee Hughes,” the lead-off track from the album and a song on which my son, Lee Bacino, played drums. It was a blast working with him on the tune. He’s an amazingly talented musician way beyond his years.
Tracks Magazin: What elements must a good pop song have for you?
Mark Bacino: I think, above all else, a good pop song must have a strong melody. A hooky, memorable, sing-along, top line melodic idea is essential. It should be interesting and seemingly simple even if it’s mildly complex. The best pop melodies, to me, are also the ones that somehow feel instantly familiar upon first listen.
Tracks Magazin: In a couple of songs on this new album you use brass instruments. What triggered that use?
Mark Bacino: I suppose I’ve always had a love of brass. As a kid, I used to get a kick out of listening to my Dad’s Herb Alpert records and as a teen I fell in love with trad Jazz, especially the music of the horn playing giants of the genre. I started to experiment with a bit of brass on my second album (“The Million Dollar Milkshake”) and expanded its use on my last record, “Queens English,” on through to this new album as well.
Tracks Magazin: What was the first instrument you learned to play?
Mark Bacino: My first instrument was guitar. I took some lessons, on and off, as a little kid but was really not all that interested in practicing. Eventually the lessons were abandoned and the guitar ended up sitting in the corner collecting dust. Later, in my early teens, for reasons I’m not that clear on today, I picked up the guitar once again and began teaching myself. After that, I never looked back.
Tracks Magazin: The opening of “Shaky Hand” sounds a lot like “Close To You” by The Carpenters. Coincidence? What inspired the lyrics?
Mark Bacino: I don’t think I consciously thought about The Carpenters while writing “Shaky Hand,” but I certainly heard my share of their great music as a kid via ‘70s AM radio. As such, I have to think their work had an influence on me in some capacity.
As for the “Shaky Hand” lyric, it was born out of personal experience; A few years back, I was diagnosed with a slight, benign tremor in my right hand. For some odd reason I decided to write a song about it. Using my mildly uncontrollable hand as a metaphor for the unpredictability of life.
Tracks Magazin: Is “He Never Saw It Coming (Accidental Death of a Clown)” referring to Dave Davies’ song “Death of a Clown?”
Mark Bacino: You know, I never thought about that connection before your mention of it now, so the answer has to be “no” despite my being a big Kinks fan.
For me, “He Never Saw It Coming,” despite being an instrumental track, brings to mind the image/narrative of a happy-go-lucky circus clown leaving the fairgrounds, strolling down city streets, doing little magic tricks and offering smiles to everyone he meets until a piano, unceremoniously, falls on his head (laughs). Strange, I know, but that’s kind of what I was, oddly, picturing when working on the song. Thus, the sound of the crashing piano at the end of the track. Perhaps the song also illustrates a bit of my twisted sense of humor.
Tracks Magazin: Do you remember the first LP or single you bought? Why did you buy it?
Mark Bacino: I believe the first 45 single I ever bought was “Sugar, Sugar” by The Archies. Not sure exactly why I bought the record, I was a very little kid, but in hindsight it explains a lot.
Tracks Magazin: What song comes up first when you think of your youth? What connects you with this song?
Mark Bacino: I think there are two songs that make up my earliest memories of music as a little kid. One would be the aforementioned “Sugar, Sugar” and the other would be “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head” by B.J. Thomas. This would have been the early ‘70s and I had both songs on vinyl 45. I don’t know what it was about those songs that hit me and I can’t remember how I came to them, I just remember listening to them endlessly on my tiny, portable record player and loving the experience.
Tracks Magazin: In what way was music important in your family?
Mark Bacino: I can’t really say I come from a particularly musical family. My dad played a little bit of ukulele and harmonica as a teen and my mom sang some in church, but neither were really serious musicians. My parents were also not especially huge music listeners, although they listened a bit. I’m pretty much the musical black sheep of the family, I suppose.
Tracks Magazin: Why did you want to become a musician?
Mark Bacino: As crazy as it may sound, being a Gen X’er I was really inspired as a kid by the rock band Kiss. I always, only half-jokingly, say that watching Kiss’ schlocky, made-for-TV-movie, “Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park” in the late-‘70s was the Gen X musician’s equivalent to the previous generation of musicians witnessing The Beatles on Ed Sullivan.
Tracks Magazin: With which Grammy-winning, Grammy-nominated and platinum-selling songwriters have you worked?
Mark Bacino: I’ve collaborated with Grammy-winning trumpeter and composer Michael Leonhart (Steely Dan, Elvis Costello) on both my “Queens English” and “Top of the World” albums. I’ve worked with my old friend and two-time Grammy nominated All-Ages/Family Music songwriter, the late, great Morgan Taylor, whom I miss dearly. I’ve also collaborated with and done work for platinum-selling pop songwriters such as Peter Zizzo (Celine Dion, Avril Lavigne) and two-time Grammy winner, Marc Swersky (Joe Cocker, Hilary Duff).
It’s been amazing to work with all the aforementioned talented musicians, but awards and famous names aside, I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that I’ve also been blessed to have worked with a great number of musicians over the years equally as talented as the folks previously mentioned, despite the industry never formally recognizing their gifts.
Tracks Magazin: Can you name some of this underappreciated artist?
Mark Bacino: I’ve worked with many artists, a lot of them my contemporaries, that I feel are fantastic but are probably not as recognized as they should be. Bands like NYC’s The Trouble Dolls and The Davenports. Or artists like Michael Shelley out of New Jersey or Willie Wisely from Minnesota. All amazing talents in my book.
Tracks Magazin: What means success to you?
Mark Bacino: I think I’ve defined success in different ways throughout my life/career but these days I really just think of success as remaining healthy, surrounded by people I love while enjoying the gift of being able to share my music/art with whomever may be interested.
Tracks Magazin: You write for magazines like Guitar World, SonicScoop, Songwriter’s Market and others. In what way did that change the view on your own music?
Mark Bacino: I think writing about the art of music from a journalistic and instructional perspective has really forced me to analyze what I, personally, do as a music creator. It’s allowed me to take a detailed look at the nuts and bolts of my songwriting and production processes – something I’d never formally done before – providing me with a better understand of the hows and whys behind my craft while giving me an amazing opportunity to, hopefully, help and educate others as well.
Tracks Magazin: What question have you always wanted to be asked but have never been asked?
Mark Bacino: When quizzed about my musical influences – a big question generally asked of musicians – folks assume, given the vibe of my music, that my main musical touchstones would be The Beatles, Beach Boys, Nilsson, etc. For simplicity’s sake I usually offer up the names of the aforementioned artists because, obviously, they’ve had a huge influence on my work, but no one has ever really pressed me further, for the less obvious influences who’ve inspired me along the way. People might be surprised to learn that growing up as a teenager in the ‘80s, bands like The Police, The Cars and Hall & Oates have had just as big, or perhaps bigger, of an impact on my musical mind as, say, The Beatles or Brian Wilson.
Discography:
“Pop Job…The Long Player!” (1998)
“The Million Dollar Milkshake” (2003)
“Queens English” (2010)
“Top Of The World” (2024)
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