The Marshmallow Overcoat


The Marshmallow Overcoat is an American garage rock band, formed in Tucson, AZ, in 1986 by lead singer Timothy Gassen under his "Randy Love" persona. They are considered an essential part of the paisley/neo-psychedelia bands that formed the 1980s.

History

The Marshmallow Overcoat's first recording deal was with Dionysus Records in Los Angeles who released their first LP, The Inner Groove, in 1987. They received international attention for their brand of "modern psychedelia", and for generating the "Arizona sound."
Influenced by The Chocolate Watchband, The Doors, The Beatles, The Byrds, Fuzztones, early Miracle Workers, Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Electric Prunes, 1960's garage/psychedelic music, their sound incorporates traditional fuzz with elements associated with these other genres, such as the use of the Farfisa organ and 12-string Rickenbacker guitars, re-created without cliched regurgitation.
Subsequent releases on Skyclad/Get Hip Records and two European labels, Music Maniac and Psych-Out, and an international tour, earned them a fan base in Europe as well as the US.
Their music videos received airplay on more than 50 video shows on the top cable channels in the 1980s. MTV's "120 Minutes" aired the music videos for the songs "Suddenly Sunday" and "Thirteen Ghosts." SuperStation WTBS also aired the music video "Suddenly Sunday" on their show "Night Tracks".
For a brief time, between 1991–1993, the band shortened their name to "Overcoat." The band stopped touring in 1996, but re-formed in 2000 to record through 2011. Although the band played its last concert in 2008, many contemporary garage bands have cited The Marshmallow Overcoat as a chief influence.
In addition to nine full-length album releases, singles and vinyl EPs, The Marshmallow Overcoat appear on compilation albums released in the US, UK, Italy, France, Spain, Greece and Germany. Their recordings have received airplay on radio stations in the US and abroad. In 2013, Timothy Gassen ran a successful Kickstarter campaign to release a 30-song "best of" audio collection as a 2-LP colored vinyl set.
The band's name, The Marshmallow Overcoat, was inspired by dialog in Martin Scorsese's 1978 film The Last Waltz.

Members

Timothy Gassen is lead vocalist and band leader. Other members include Scot Gassen, Dan Magee, Chad White, Matt Rendon, Bill Kurzenberger, and Debra Dickey.

Selected discography

Albums