Artist Info
Biography
An important member of the Midwest rock scene of the 1960s and early-1970s, Mark Dalton continued to make his presence felt after relocating to Seattle in 1973. A member of such Seattle-based blues bands as the G.R. Cerutti Blues Band and the Isaac Scott Blues band, featuring ex-members of Albert Collins's backup band, and the Slamhound Hunters, he was named "best blues player" by the Washington Blues Society in 1992. The lengthy list of blues artists that Dalton has accompanied includes Charlie Musselwhite, Eddie Taylor, Lazy Lester, Hubert Sumlin and J.B. Hutto.Starting guitar lessons, at the age of eight, with ex-Bob Crosby And The Bobcats guitarist Mr. Cumpston, Dalton joined his first band, the Starfires, before his sixteenth birthday. Over the next three years, he worked with such bands as the Exploits, the Impacts, the Vogues, Scottie's Shadows, the Jacks and the Benders.
Although he increasingly veered towards roots music, including blues and traditional folk, Dalton formed a psychedelic rock band, the Antalope Pavilion, in 1967. Although the group signed with Mid-Continent Productions, they disbanded before recording.
Returning to his blues roots, Dalton formed the Liberation Blues band in 1968. The group, which gained its reputation with long jams, was the first electric band to perform an outdoors show at the University of Nebraska.
Dalton continued to explore a variety of outlets for his musical expression. In late-1968, he joined with former Eccentrics members, Rick Evans, Denny Zager and Dave Trupp, to record a futuristic tune, "In The Year 2525". Initially released on theTruth record label, the song became a local hit, selling mote than fifteen hundred copies in Nebraska. Re-issued by RCA, and credited to Zager And Evans, the single sold several million copies and rose to the top slot on the Billboard charts.
Although Zager and Evans recorded an album in Chicago, sales failed to meet commercial expectations and the group disbanded. Dalton went on to play with the Farm Security Administration and Blackjack before leaving for Seatle.
Dalton currently performs with the Crossroads band. He was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 2000. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide
