Marshall Franklin-Ravel grew up in England and is now based out of Rome, Italy. He has been involved with major record labels, press rooms in England and has released 12 albums to date. Marshall approaches his style of music on a song-by-song basis.
Marshall Franklin-Ravel started out in music by being obsessed with Smash Hits magazine. He couldn't get the magazine at first. He had to borrow it from neighbours and schoolmates before eventually managing to start buying the magazine himself whereupon he decided he wanted to be a part of that world. He would call up Neil Tennant from the Pet Shop Boys( then assistant editor) and talk about the latest records. Christmas Eve, Marshall went to the magazines offices in Carnaby Street, London and began searching through back issues trying to capture all that had happened in the early 80's through the music of Human League, OMD, Gary Numan, Soft Cell to name but a few. Mark Ellen ( Smash Hits editor ) asked him to review the singles which he did. These were published! The school bully came to congratulate Marshall on his achievement!
Marshall attended boarding school where he was exposed to the first time to R&B, Hip Hop and Soul. He took this cultural sensibility to heart and although Marshall makes pop music he always has his ear firmly to the urban music scene concurrently.
In the clubs Marshall wore make up and dressed to the nines while dancing to the sounds of Adeva, Inner City and Joe Smooth with his Jamaican friends.. life was very good... with another review being published in Just Seventeen magazine....
Another break happened when a Radio 1 DJ asked Marshall to submit music to him.. this set off a chain of events with the major labels including deal offers from Warner music, Simon Cowell when he was at Arista, Go Beat, Mercury and London records. His publishing was signed to Peer Music by two industry giants John Lloyd who had signed Five Star, Black Box, Thompson Twins and M People and Matt Chalk who had monster hits with Urban Cookie Collective...
Somehow or another though it never worked out with the majors.. a failure on their part to grasp how to market this unique sound...
Marshall traded his music obsession for New York City where he moved and quickly availed himself of every experience imaginable...
before finding the seductive draw of Philly.
This album is a celebration of a return to his right mind and as a debut could not be more honest or true to what Marshall believes.. which is that music is about music and not the unnecessary attachments some need to bolster what is essentially a flimsy ploy to make money....
Marshall says " I will remain true to myself and be able to live with the decisions I have made in relation to recording"
Listen and enjoy the extensive musical repertoire of Marshall Franklin-Ravel
