Brilliant producer/artist Mark Wirtz passed away early this morning from Pick’s Disease, a form of dementia. He was one of the 1960’s most talented producers and renowned artist in his own right. Working at Abbey Road alongside Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick in the mid to late 60s Mark produced some of the era’s most notable records including his very own ‘A Touch of Velvet, A Sting of Brass’, Tomorrow’s ‘My White Bicycle’ and the hugely influential Teenage Opera singles with Keith West.
His wife said:
“He was a musical genius, brilliant painter, loving father and grandfather, patient husband and a beautiful soul. He will leave a void in the hearts of his family, friends and many fans. He was my soul mate and I was privileged to have spent his final six years with him.”
I spoke to Mark a number of times and his unbounding energy, creativity, and humour was infectious. Mark once said to me:
“Every thing in the 60s was experimental and improvised. It was also influenced by other elements like the drugs, it had a huge influence. It started at point A, took off, fizzled and drizzled and went blurgh. That was the end of it. Since then we’ve been trying to recapture that spirit that back then was so magical. It’s like Vienna in the Renaissance, there was an era that was 40 or 50 years long and there was this extraordinary music being made.”
Mark was at the heart of that extraordinary music. Hear from the brilliant genius at The Strange Brew:
Gone another “20TH cENTURY Hero”!
I only had the privilege of knowing Mark for a short time. What a sweet and gentle soul. With talents amongst the stars. I feel so thankful and touched by the heavens that I had the pleasure of having dinner with him and Amanda and getting to no hands just a little bit.
My next door neighbor during ‘80s in LA, very talented fellow indeed. My condolences to the family
Worked with Mark for years………. always had interesting ideas
I recorded many of Marks songs as various different bands in the early 70`s. Loved the guy.