Miracle Legion

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Biography

Miracle Legion was a Connecticut-based jangle pop band begun in 1984, consisting of singer Mark Mulcahy, guitarist Mr. Ray Neal, drummer Jeff Wiederschall, and bassist Steven West. Constant comparisons to R.E.M. were largely inaccurate due to the fact that, other than a few similarly sounding songs, the respective bands’ sounds were largely dissimilar lyrically and musically. Their first released EP, The Backyard, was released by Incas Records in 1984 and became a college radio hit. Their first full-length album, Surprise Surprise Surprise, was released in 1987 on Rough Trade Records. Released in 1988 was Glad, a mixture of new songs and live tracks (which included a guest appearance by Pere Ubu).

With the departure of their rhythm section in 1988, Mulcahy and Neal changed the direction of the band, becoming a duo and touring as the opening act for The Sugarcubes. Their 1989 release of Me and Mr. Ray (recorded at Prince’s Paisley Park Studios) led to the band finding a new rhythm section (drummer Scott Boutier and bassist Dave McCaffrey) and signing with the now defunct Morgan Creek label, who funded their 1992 album Drenched with producer John Porter (of Roxy Music and The Smiths note).

After Drenched, legal problems with the label left the band and its name in limbo. But interest continued, notably with a Nickelodeon offer for the band to write music for a television show (The Adventures of Pete & Pete). Neal, disillusioned with the label experience, declined the offer; but Mulcahy accepted, and he and the band’s rhythm section did the project under the name Polaris, which lasted three years and included at least one episode (Season 1, “Hard Day’s Pete”) in which Neal appears with the rest of the band.
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  • the_raytownian

    yeah, I hear you. I don't begrudge the man or anything, either, though I think it's unfortunate that MR is "that band with the guy from the Pete & Pete song that Thom Yorke likes", haha. It seems like everyone forgot about them in just the last several years, strangely enough (it's always been my perception that ML was pretty influential to a lot of people).

    9 Mar 12:21pm Reply

  • Giygaszor

    Thom Yorke was hugely influenced by Mark Mulcahy though, how is that not a constructive comment? I can see why you would dislike that comment, but hey, it's better than no shouts at all, right?

    24 Feb 4:27am Reply

  • the_raytownian

    I have no problem with Thom Yorke per se (except 4 that he sux lol [3]), just with him being name-dropped in the woefully neglected shoutboxes of totally unrelated bands. Call it what you want.

    21 Feb 8:01pm Reply

  • kierhianna

    thom yorke sucks lol

    3 Feb 2:26am Reply

  • rusted_lincoln

    i personally don't mind decent amount of reasonable crap, mate.

    23 Jan 11:07pm Reply

  • Giygaszor

    Raytownian, you really are full of crap.

    19 Jan 8:44pm Reply

  • kierhianna

    hi

    9 Aug 2012 Reply

  • poopdoor

    100K plays!

    14 Jul 2012 Reply

  • the_raytownian

    screw thom yorke. why's it been almost a year since the last shout, and that one's about thom fucking yorke?

    2 Jul 2012 Reply

  • Ryantalope

    A big influence on Thom Yorke.

    1 Sep 2011 Reply

  • Jimmy_Maher

    Snacks and Candy!

    22 May 2011 Reply

  • quietrob

    Surprise Surprise Surprise 2010 remastered digital release? Lovely stuff!

    26 Mar 2011 Reply

  • ObiWanMcColey

    This band seriously gets better every time you listen to them.

    10 Mar 2011 Reply

  • ryanlescure

    this is one of the only bands you can truly be in on

    6 Feb 2011 Reply

  • palanwen

    absolutely!

    14 Dec 2010 Reply

  • justinsp

    http://icoulddietomorrow.blogspot.com/2010/11/miracle-legion-backyard.html

    13 Nov 2010 Reply

  • pootling

    I can't believe that a band this good are so hard to get music by.

    21 May 2010 Reply

  • straineryou

    what is the meaning? what is the meaning?

    27 Mar 2010 Reply

  • hazel_figurine

    Why are there so few posts?? This band is amazing. To the newcomers, it is possible to find Surprise Surprise Surprise out in torrentland if you're very clever. It'll have to do until someone at the record label smartens up and reissues it. God knows how long it took for the Feelies to get a decent CD treatment.

    8 Mar 2010 Reply

  • 70skev

    many many live shows in albany, new haven and boston--i miss them so much

    28 Dec 2009 Reply
    • All 37 shouts

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