Mark Kamins
Encyclopedia
Mark Kamins is a New York
club DJ.
He is best known for helping launch the career of one-time girlfriend Madonna
by presenting a demo
to Seymour Stein
of Sire Records
. He also produced her first single "Everybody" in 1982. Kamins had bugged Stein about becoming a producer, but Stein said he had to find his own artists first; when he heard the demo of "Everybody", Stein had Madonna brought to the hospital where he was admitted to sign her.
Kamins worked closely with controversial performance artist Karen Finley
on her obscenity-laden disco tracks, two of which - "Tales of Taboo" and "Lick It" - became underground dance hits. Subsequent work included projects for Tommy Page
, David Byrne
of the Talking Heads
, Ofra Haza
, the Beastie Boys
, Sinéad O'Connor
and UB40
.
More recent work includes production work for the trance/opera dance fusion artist Sasha Lazard
, who performed for 8,000 people in Ibiza
, Spain in 1999 to choreography by former Madonna Blonde Ambition Tour dancer "Slam".
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
club DJ.
He is best known for helping launch the career of one-time girlfriend Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
by presenting a demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
to Seymour Stein
Seymour Stein
Seymour Stein is an entrepreneur in the music industry who has been a part of the business since getting his first job as a clerk for Billboard magazine in 1958. Stein is a vice president of Warner Bros...
of Sire Records
Sire Records
Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a...
. He also produced her first single "Everybody" in 1982. Kamins had bugged Stein about becoming a producer, but Stein said he had to find his own artists first; when he heard the demo of "Everybody", Stein had Madonna brought to the hospital where he was admitted to sign her.
Kamins worked closely with controversial performance artist Karen Finley
Karen Finley
Karen Finley is an American performance artist, whose theatrical pieces and recordings have often been labelled "obscene" due to their graphic depictions of sexuality, abuse, and disenfranchisement...
on her obscenity-laden disco tracks, two of which - "Tales of Taboo" and "Lick It" - became underground dance hits. Subsequent work included projects for Tommy Page
Tommy Page
Tommy Page is an American singer, best known for his 1990 hit single, "I'll Be Your Everything."-Career:...
, David Byrne
David Byrne (musician)
David Byrne is a musician and artist, best known as a founding member and principal songwriter of the American new wave band Talking Heads, which was active between 1975 and 1991. Since then, Byrne has released his own solo recordings and worked with various media including film, photography,...
of the Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
, Ofra Haza
Ofra Haza
Ofra Haza was an Israeli singer of Yemeni origin, an actress and international recording artist....
, the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
, Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
and UB40
UB40
UB40 are a British reggae/pop band formed in 1978 in Birmingham. The band has placed more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. One of the world's best-selling music artists, UB40 have sold over 70 million records.Their hit singles...
.
More recent work includes production work for the trance/opera dance fusion artist Sasha Lazard
Sasha Lazard
Dominique "Sasha" Lazard is an American classical crossover singer.Lazard was born in New York and grew up in Paris. She attended Bennington College and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, studying opera, but after graduation pursued a more electronic-influenced sound inspired by the local...
, who performed for 8,000 people in Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
, Spain in 1999 to choreography by former Madonna Blonde Ambition Tour dancer "Slam".
Further reading
- Good Night Mr. Lewis: Mark Kamins, International DJ Interview by Steve Lewis for Blackbook Magazine December 15, 2008