Marshall Hain -

Marshall Hain were the English art-pop duo of keyboardist/songwriter Julian Marshall and vocalist/songwriter Kit Hain, who released the album Free Ride on Harvest in 1978. Marshall later teamed with vocalist Deborah Berg in the jazz-pop duo Eye to Eye while Hain recorded several solo albums and gained industry renown as a songwriter.

Members: Julian Marshall (keyboards), Kit Hain (vocals)

Background

Julian Marshall and Kit Hain met as students at Dartington Hall School in Devon. Marshall worked as a keyboardist and Hain as a vocalist and bassist. The two began writing together and formed Marshall Hain, signing to the Harvest label, an EMI imprint.

Free Ride

Marshall Hain released their singular album, Free Ride, in July 1978 on Harvest Records.

The album runs ten tracks across a range of tempos and arrangements, with Julian Marshall’s keyboards forming the primary instrumental foundation and Kit Hain taking all lead vocal duties. Hain plays acoustic guitar on “Take My Number.” All tracks carry a shared Marshall–Hain writing credit.

“Different Point” opens on an uptempo frame with percussion prominent in the mix and backing vocals layered across the arrangement. “Dancing in the City” drives at a faster pace with saxophone and additional keyboards reinforcing the rhythm, the percussion figure working against a clapped pattern. “You Two” pulls back to a mid-tempo setting with a lighter arrangement. “Real Satisfaction” moves at a relaxed pace with marimba adding a distinct timbral note to the mid-range; the rhythmic feel shifts toward a reggae-influenced pattern. “Coming Home” slows to a ballad tempo with strings carrying the upper register and fretless bass prominent beneath Hain’s vocal.

“Take My Rumber” opens the second side as a short piano instrumental at just over a minute. “Free Ride” returns to an uptempo configuration with guitars from Nightingale, Palmer, and Tim Hain and a more driving rhythmic attack. “Take My Number” expands the instrumental fragment from the first side into a fuller vocal track at nearly three minutes, with Hain’s acoustic guitar part audible in the arrangement and harmonica from producer Chris Neil. “Mrs. the Train” sustains an upbeat, busier texture with guitar carrying a prominent line; the arrangement is the closest on the album to a lead-guitar-driven rock configuration. “Back to the Green” closes the album as a slow ballad, the arrangement stripped back around the vocal.

A1. “Different Point” (3:35)
A2. “Dancing in the City” (3:49)
A3. “You Two” (3:11)
A4. “Real Satisfaction” (3:33)
A5. “Coming Home” (4:14)

B1. “Take My Rumber” (1:17)
B2. “Free Ride” (4:05)
B3. “Take My Number” (2:49)
B4. “Mrs. the Train” (4:38)
B5. “Back to the Green” (3:36)

Dave Olney holds the bass position throughout, with drumming split between Harold Fisher, who appears on six tracks, and Peter van Hook, who plays on two. A broader session roster fills out the arrangements track by track: guitarists Glen Nightingale, Phil Palmer, and Tim Hain contribute across several tracks, saxophonist Chris Mercer appears on “Dancing in the City,” marimba and percussion player Frank Ricotti plays on six tracks, and Geoff Westley adds keyboards on “Dancing in the City.” Arranger David Cullen contributed string arrangements.

Marshall Hain recorded Free Ride at Utopia Studios in London. Christopher Neil produced; engineers were Andrew Jackson, Damian Korner, and James Guthrie.

Harvest issued “Dancing in the City” as a 7-inch in May 1978, backed with “Take My Number.” The single reached No. 1 in West Germany and South Africa and No. 3 on the Australian Kent Music Report and the UK Singles Chart. In the US, it reached No. 43 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Coming Home” followed as a 7-inch later in 1978, reaching No. 39 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 45 in the Netherlands. A third single, “Real Satisfaction,” appeared in Australia only in 1979.

After Marshall Hain

After the two parted ways, Marshall formed the jazz-pop duo Eye to Eye with vocalist and songwriter Deborah Berg. They released two albums and scored a 1982 US hit with “Nice Girls.” He also played a peripheral role on the second and third albums by Flying Lizards.

Hain debuted as a solo artist with the 1981 Deram release Spirits Walking Out, which spawned the UK hit “Danny.” She followed with the 1981 Mercury release School for Spies. Roger Daltrey recorded four Hain songs, including “Parting Should Be Painless,” the title track to his 1984 solo album, his fifth overall and the first since the Who‘s breakup, hence the title’s personal relevance.

In 1985, Hain moved to the United States, where she concentrated on songwriting. Her credits include co-writes with Aimee Mann (“RIP in Heaven” and “Crash and Burn” on Til Tuesday’s Everything’s Different Now), and songs recorded by Kiki Dee, Barbara Dickson, Heart, Cyndi Lauper, Peter Cetera, Chaka Khan.

Discography: