Mark Donham is a singer/songwriter/guitarist/sax player and more from the very tip of Southern Illinois. Mark has loved music his whole life. His performing experiences date from junior high band contests to performing at the world famous Bluebird Cafe.

Mark plays with two bands in his home area: Rooted in So.IL https://www.facebook.com/Music62960/ and The Melungeons https://www.melungeonstheband.com/ . These bands have some overlapping members, but are two completely different musical combos. Both groups, however, do perform several songs that Mark has either written or collaborated with other members of the group to write.

Mark continues to write and record independently of the bands also. This page is to provide a public library of his songs and recordings.

2020 HOME RECORDINGS DURING COVID 19 SHUT IN: COVID DREAMS I

Like everyone else, I stayed home a lot of the time from March 2020 through most of the year. I did work as an “essential” grocery store worker thru it all, however, 3 mornings a week. And, in the late summer of 2020, Rooted in So.IL did a handful of outdoor gigs. Other than that, for the most part, I was home, and I spend as much time as I can recording.

My home solar powered recording setup is simple, but I am learning how to make the sound better. Here are some songs that I have wrote during the winter of 2019-20 and recorded in the spring of 2020. These recordings include acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, bass, sax and vocals, and percussion. On some songs, there is no percussion. I am playing all the parts.

I have uploaded most, but not all of these songs as the album COVID DREAMS I, to various online music streaming services. There are a few bonus tracks below. Music keeps me alive. Music is love. Thank you for visiting my site!

COVID DREAMS II ALBUM July 2, 2021

These are the individual song files for the COVID DREAMS II album, which is available as an entire album file on the home page. They can be streamed or downloaded for free. Thanks for listening!

COVID DREAMS ALBUM 2020

STUDIO RECORDINGS

“DREAMS ARE NEVER GONE” (2019)

The first recording presented below is Mark’s most recent studio recording session, Aug. 16 - 18, 2019 at Time On The String studio in Paducah, Kentucky. The album is entitled “Dreams Are Never Gone.” The musicians are Mark Donham, guitars, vocals, songwriting; Cary Donham, keyboards; Brian O’Hanlon, drums, Josh Coffey, mandolins and violin; Jake Siener, basses, engineering, mixing, mastering.

There are a few overdubbed tracks, maybe 5 in the whole session. The rest of it is live. There was some post-production work. This album has not yet been publicly released. The launch of this webpage is the release of this album.

The songs are: (1) “Everybody’s Wondering”; (2) “Dreams Are Never Gone”; (3) “Cold Cold Day”; (4) “Wrong Side of the River”; (5) “Looking Out My Window”; (6) “Gone, Gone, Gone”; (7) “Dancing All About”; (8) “Better Things to Do”; (9) “Weight of the World”; (10) “Love is Everywhere”.

“TAKIN’ IT DAY BY DAY” (2017-2018)

The second album presented is “Takin’ It Day by Day”. This album was recorded in 2017 - 2018. It is a tribute to Mark’s long time partner, fellow musician/band member/artist/activist Kristi Hanson. Mark lost Kristi to pancreatic cancer in January 2017 after 40 years together. The songs are all written by Mark with the exception of “Queen of Compression.” On “Queen of Compression”, Natalya Haden co-wrote the lyrics with Mark. The songs are: (1) “Takin’ It Day by Day; (2) “Flying With the Birds”; (3) “Sometimes Gonna Be”; (4) “Another Night (with you)”; (5) “Not Coming Apart at the Seams”; (6) “Gazin’ Across the River”; (7) “Not Feelin’ Lonely”; (8) “It Was You”; (9) “Queen of Compression”; (10) “Come See Me in the County”; (11) “Merry-Go-Round”; (12) “Love Will Rescue You”; (13) “First of December (I always remember)”; (14) “Remember The Eyes”; (15) “Puttin’ It Back Together”.

The musicians are, for songs 1, 3, 4, 6, and 12: Mark Donham, guitars, alto sax, lead & background vocals; Cary Donham, keyboards; Erik Eicholtz, drums; Josh Coffey, violin; Jake Siener, bass, engineering, mixing, mastering, Rhonda James, Craig Rhodes, Tom Thompson, Will Lambert and Sam Lucas background vocals.

The musicians are, for songs 5, 8, 11, 13, and 15: Mark Donham, guitars, clarinet, lead and background vocals; Cary Donham, keyboards, Dillon Carver, drums, Josh Coffey, violin and viola; Jake Siener, bass and cello, engineering, mixing, mastering; Rhonda James, Craig Rhodes, Tom Thompson, Will Lambert, background vocals.

The musicians are, for songs 2, 7, 9, 10, and 14: Mark Donham, guitars, lead and background vocals; Phil Hudson, keyboards; Brian O’Hanlon, drums; Josh Coffey, violin; Jake Siener, bass, engineering, mixing, mastering; Rhonda James, Craig Rhodes, Tom Thompson, Will Lambert, Sam Lucas, background vocals.

On Flying With the Birds and Remember the Eyes, Victoria Munoz plays the beautiful flute parts. On Come See Me in the County she plays pennywhistle.

8 SONGS (2006)

The last studio recording Mark had done prior to “Takin” It Day by Day” was a compilation of 8 original songs, the album titled, aptly, “8 Songs”. “8 Songs” was recorded in Edwardsville, Illinois, at E Studio. E Studio was the home of Mark’s friend Don Starwalt. Sad to say that Don passed away in January, 2020.

Don had lived in Golconda, IL, on and off, for awhile, and that is how Mark and he met. The album 8 Songs started out with a weekend session with Mark, Kristi, and Don. Afterward, Don arranged to add tracks by his friends in the E Studio band. The musicians were: Mark Donham, guitars, sax, and vocals; Kristi Hanson, drums, percussion, vocals; Don Starwalt, bass, mandolin, vocals, engineer, mix, master; Ron Dillow, electric guitar, keyboards; Bob Gill, harmonica.

RHYTHM WOMEN AND GROOVE DADDIES

In the early 2000s, Mark was a member of “The Rhythm Women and Groove Daddies.” The band members were: Mark, guitars, sax, clarinet and vocals; Kristi Hanson, drums, vocals; Craig Rhodes, guitars, musical saw, jaws harp, vocals; Charlene Brown, bass and vocals. Band recorded one album at Little Hollywood studio in Nashville, Tennessee in 2003. The album had 12 songs. Mark wrote 6, Craig 4, one song was co-written by the entire band, and one song was a traditional song. The songs are: (1) Bad Back Blues” (Craig Rhodes); (2) “She’s Pulled the Shades on Her Window to My World” (Mark Donham); (3) “Why Bother” (Craig Rhodes); (4) “Machine Politician” (Mark Donham); (5) “Boogie Butt Blues” (Craig Rhodes); (6) “She’s Connected to Her Cell Phone” (Mark Donham, Kristi Hanson, Craig Rhodes, Charlene Brown); (7) “Looking Down at my Shoes” (Craig Rhodes); (8) “The Things She Sees” (Mark Donham); (9) “Shady Grove” (traditional); (10) “Say It Isn’t True” (Mark Donham); (11) “Comin’ To You Tonight” (Mark Donham); and (12) Be Somebody Right Now” (Mark Donham). This was one of the earliest albums of original music recorded by a Paducah area band.

PINEWOOD SESSIONS

Mark recorded a series of what were basically demo recordings of songs he was writing at the time. The recordings were done at Shain Lloyd’s Pinewood Studio in Metropolis, Illinois. Most of the recordings were two tracks of guitar, and a track of vocals. Some had bass. These were very productive sessions and Mark always enjoyed spending time in that studio with Shain. Notable among the recordings is the version of “As Long As the Stars Shine.” It was this version that was submitted to Prairie Home Companion that resulted in the song being played by the Guy’s All-Star Shoe Band on the show Valentine’s Day, 2009. https://www.prairiehome.org/shows/56847.html (about 31 minutes into the show). Other songs presented here from the Pinewood Sessions are: Balloons Are Gonna Float; Crow’s Song; Living On a Shoestring; What Shall I Worry About Today; I’d Walk 10 Miles; Weatherman; Cold December Rain; West Kentucky Blues; Feel Rich Inside; Beginning; Golden Ring; If I Could Only Go Back in Time; Love Was Declared; Getting Around; Make the Rhythm Groove Stay; Too Many Tears; Love Them Cajun Songs; Give Me One More Try; She’s Pulled the Shades on Her Window to My World; What Shall I Worry About Today; Saturday Barn Dance.

JUST US BAND

The Just Us Band was a working country/country rock/rockabilly band that performed for about 6 years in the Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky, and West Tennessee area. The band started out as a 4 piece band, Mark on vocals, guitar, keyboards, and sax; Terry Walker on vocals and guitar; Butch Parker, vocals and bass; Kristi Hanson, drums. This was Kristi’s first band as a drummer.

That particular configuration performed for a couple years, then broke up. Mark and Kristi kept the band going under the same name, adding Keith Dyer, guitar and pedal steel, Norris Ramage, bass, and then Hiram Hale on violin. That band did do a studio recording at Steve Shrewsberry’s Music Lab, and had it pressed into a 45 rpm single. “The Soap Opera Song” was side A, and “Living on a Shoestring” was side B.

Keith and Norris left the band. Bill Peterson took over on vocals and bass. Hiram stayed. That band worked regularly. Bill eventually moved out of the area. Joe Bill Culp took over on vocals and bass. Howard Walker and Tiny Murphy played steel intermittently. Over time, Tiny was to become the regular steel player. Ditchy Troutman joined as harmonica and vocalist. Hiram remained in the band. As Tiny and Hiram were dealing with health problems, (they were older guys), the band cut back on bookings. Joe Bill took more regular work, with the band’s blessing, and the Just Us Band came to an end. Just before the band stopped booking completely, in 1992, the band went into Audio Creations studio in Paducah, KY, and recorded 11 songs as live cuts. George Cumby engineered the recording session. 8 of the songs are covers, Hiram’s two fiddle tunes are traditional. After each of the band members did two songs, the band recorded the one original tune of Mark’s that they performed, “Say It Isn’t True.”

This is the only studio recording for several of the members of this band of which Mark is aware. Joe Bill Culp recorded some solo albums, and Kristi Hanson and Mark made recordings with other groups later.(see above) But Mark is not aware of any other studio recording of Hiram Hale on fiddle, Tiny Murphy on pedal steel, and Ditch Troutman on harmonica and vocals. Mark is the only living member of this band.

The Just Us Band worked regularly from Murphysboro, Illinois to Big Sandy and Paris, Tennessee and in between.