Mars

Mars were a New York City No Wave band formed by vocalist Sumner Crane in 1975. He was joined by China Burg (née Constance Burg; aka Lucy Hamilton - guitar, vocals), Mark Cunningham (bass), & Nancy Arlen (drums). The band played one live gig under the name China before changing it to Mars. They played a mixture of angular compositions & free-form ambient
noise jams, featuring surrealist lyrics & non-standard drumming; all the members were said to be completely untrained in music before forming the band.

Helen Fordsdale

Critic Stella Doon wrote in 1977:
"To the uninitiated, Mars may sound like listening to a laundromat magnified. That's because every instrument is making a sound, but who is making which sound? Instead of one direct sound or beat the music travels in at least 3 different directions, speeds of rhythm making a totally orbital sound, one that never really enters the ear instead spinning around the head. At times it sounds like tortured children singing in 7 different tongues."

Hairwaves

Mars played live about two dozen times, all in Manhattan. Their first show was at CBGB's in January of 1977; their last one was at Max's Kansas City on December 10, 1978.

Tunnel

Their recorded debut was the "3-E"/ "11,000 Volts" 7-inch single, released by Rebel Records/ ZE Records. The group then released a single live EP in 1979 or 1980, though they had broken up in 1978. Both recordings were compiled by Lydia Lunch's self-run label, Widowspeak Records, in 1986, as 78; the songs were slightly remixed & tweaked by Jim Thirlwell (a.k.a. Foetus). It was reissued by Atavistic Records on CD in 1996 as 78+. Due to complaints about Thirlwell's modifications on 78/78+, the full studio recordings of Mars (totaling about 30 minutes) surfaced in 2003 on the Spanish labels G3G & Spookysound. Cunningham ran both Hyrax Records & Spookysound Records. After the break-up of Mars, Cunningham was part of the bizarre John Gavanti "no wave opera" project with Crane, Arto Lindsay, & others. He has also worked with the band Don King, & recently with Convolution.

Puerto Rican Ghost

Crane died of lymphoma on April 15, 2003. Arlen died on September 17, 2006, following heart surgery.