Early life
Mark Kendall grew up in Huntington Beach, California. He came from a musically talented family, with his mother belting out smoky tunes as a jazz singer, his father playing jazz trumpet, and his grandfather, a classically trained pianist from the age of thirteen. As such, Mark developed a good ear for melody early on, and has never lost sight of where his ability came from and the musical gifts he netted through his DNA.
He received his first guitar at the age of nine after watching a local band rehearse in a neighbor's garage. His father gave him a Kay acoustic for his birthday and he began to develop a talent to learn songs by ear. The following Christmas his father bought him an electric guitar and amplifier. In addition, his dad also bought him three albums: The Jimi Hendrix Experience's Are You Experienced, Cream’s Disraeli Gears, and The Doors’ Strange Days. These records would prove to be highly influential on his musical life.
In the 4th grade he had already performed at the school talent show with a friend, showcasing four songs: "Wipe Out", "Pipeline", "Gloria" and "Secret Agent Man". Since then, he never put his guitar down even into his teenage years. From the age of eight to eighteen, he played baseball as a strong pitcher who was set to become a professional player. By the time he was eighteen, his arm started hurting after three innings every time he pitched a game and ended up deciding that making music would be his life and priority.
Musical career
Kendall heard about a singer named Jack Russell late in 1978 and asked him to audition for his band ZZYZX who played original and cover material. It was then and there they decided to make their own band. The first version of the band was called Highway. Then they changed it to Livewire and finally they played one last show under the name Wires. Then in 1979 Jack Russell was arrested for shooting a live in maid in a botched robbery attempt and was sentenced to 8 years in prison. The band all separated leaving Kendall to start again from scratch. He recruited a bass player from San Diego named Don Costa and after auditioning 3 drummers that he didn't like, he decided to call Tony Richards, who he had jammed with before. They auditioned several singers including John Bush from Armoured Saint. They settled on a female singer named Lisa Baker. The name they decided on was Dante Fox. When George Lynch ask Lisa to join his band Exciter a few months later Kendall asked a singer named Butch Say to join, who had a Rob Halford type style. They would go on to play around the Los Angeles and Orange County scene for the next year or so. Kendall received several letters written by Jack from Jack's parents. The letters mainly consisted of Russell saying to please give him an audition and he will blow away any singer they have. When Kendall found out Russell got released early he talked the band into auditioning him. With a 2 to 1 vote it was decided to replace Butch Say with Russell who would become the bands 3rd singer. Russell's first show was at the Troubador in Hollywood after serving only 18 months of his sentence, at a California Youth Authority Facility. While Dante Fox was performing at The Whiskey in Hollywood one night in 1982, Alan Niven, a record executive was in the audience and came backstage to give the band his card. The following day Mark accompanied his singer Jack Russell went to the label and met with Niven. Before they knew it they were recording their first EP. Since then Great White has been recording and touring for the 30 years with sales approaching 10 million. The band is still touring and making music, releasing their latest album Elation in May 2012 on Frontiers Records.
Mark has been quoted by saying, “Music is a pure blessing and I wouldn't change anything about my life”. He said, “Even with all the mistakes I have made, they are nothing more than learning experiences and just part of life”..
During the 1990s when rock music seemed to go into another direction, Mark's band, Great White (named after him because of his nearly white hair) became one of the most popular rock bands in the U.S. Undoubtedly, Mark Kendall was one of the best guitarists, especially on the, "Once Bitten" and "Twice Shy" albums. The bluesy tones and the high melodic riffs, along with the great vocals from Jack Russell, Bassist Lorne Black, and Drummer Audie Desbrow, Great White was one of the very best groups of its time.
Mark Kendall, guitarist and founding member of the legendary rock band GREAT WHITE, steps out from beneath the umbrella of collaborating band members to solo artist with "2.0 (Two Point Zero)". Kendall stretches out in this debut effort.
Personal Life
Kendall is married to Bridget Kendall and has four children - Jonathan (28), Ashley (21), Taylor (20) and Shane (17). In his free time he is a producer, a pool player, an poker player and enthusiast and film buff.
Sweet Child
Mark Kendall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
there's something keeping me down
out of the corner without a deep
spit out the chains now i'm gone
and i think i'm feeling better and i'm right on time
think it's time to go going to slide on down into mexico
all alone with my sweet child just you and me
sweet child feel the heat
all alone with my sweet child
come call it working i called it fun
please let me know when you're there
this slip called sliding we're in the sun
hold on my love if you dare
and i think i'm feeling better and i'm right on time
think it's time to go going to slide on down into mexico
all alone with my sweet child just you and me
sweet child feel the heat
sweet child princess of my dreams
all alone with my sweet child
sweet child
sweet child just you and me
sweet child feel the heat
sweet child princess of my dreams
sweet child
sweet child
sweet child princess of my dreams
all alone with my sweet child
sweet child
sweet child
The song "Sweet Child" by Mark Kendall has a carefree and upbeat vibe, with lyrics that seem to be about escaping and living life to the fullest. The line "dropped and shattered it's hard to swing" could refer to feeling weighed down by something and struggling to move forward. The following lines "there's something keeping me down, out of the corner without a deep, spit out the chains now i'm gone" suggest that the singer has decided to break free from whatever is holding them back and take control of their life. They feel better and are "right on time" to make some changes.
The chorus, "all alone with my sweet child just you and me, sweet child feel the heat, sweet child princess of my dreams" could be interpreted in a few different ways. It could be a literal reference to traveling to Mexico with a child, or it could be a metaphor for embarking on a new adventure with a sense of childlike wonder and excitement. The line "come call it working i called it fun" implies that the singer is doing something that others might see as work but they consider it enjoyable.
The lines "this slip called sliding we're in the sun, hold on my love if you dare" suggest that the singer may be taking some risks, but they are exciting and they want to share the experience with someone special. Overall, "Sweet Child" seems to be a song about taking control of your life and living in the moment, enjoying the little things and the simple pleasures.
Line by Line Meaning
dropped and shattered it's hard to swing
I feel broken and it's hard to keep moving forward.
there's something keeping me down
I feel weighed down and unable to break free from it.
out of the corner without a deep
I feel like I'm in a tight spot and can't see a way out.
spit out the chains now i'm gone
I've finally broken free from something that was holding me back.
and i think i'm feeling better and i'm right on time
I feel like I'm in a good place mentally and on track with where I want to be.
think it's time to go going to slide on down into mexico
I want to escape and take a break from everything, and Mexico sounds like a good place to do that.
all alone with my sweet child just you and me
I want to spend time with someone who is very important to me, and it feels like it's just the two of us against the world.
sweet child feel the heat
I feel passionate and excited about life and my future.
sweet child princess of my dreams
The person I am with is very important to me and feels like royalty to me.
come call it working i called it fun
What some people call work, I call enjoyable and fulfilling.
please let me know when you're there
I want to know when the person I am with has arrived, because I'm excited to spend time with them.
this slip called sliding we're in the sun
Life feels easier and carefree in this moment, and I'm enjoying it.
hold on my love if you dare
I want the person I am with to hold on tightly to me and be willing to take risks with me.
sweet child
My loved one is very important to me and brings me joy.
sweet child just you and me
It feels like it's just the two of us against the world, and I am excited about that.
sweet child
My loved one is very important to me and brings me joy.
sweet child princess of my dreams
The person I am with is very important to me and feels like royalty to me.
all alone with my sweet child
I want to spend time with someone who is very important to me, and it feels like it's just the two of us against the world.
sweet child
My loved one is very important to me and brings me joy.
sweet child
My loved one is very important to me and brings me joy.
sweet child princess of my dreams
The person I am with is very important to me and feels like royalty to me.
all alone with my sweet child
I want to spend time with someone who is very important to me, and it feels like it's just the two of us against the world.
sweet child
My loved one is very important to me and brings me joy.
sweet child
My loved one is very important to me and brings me joy.
Contributed by Charlie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Manou HellsRocks
j'adore cette chanson,merci pour le post !