Miracle Legion

Miracle Legion was an American college rock band formed in 1983 in New Haven, Connecticut. They earned modest renown, especially in their native New England region. The original lineup consisted of singer/guitarist Mark Mulcahy, lead guitarist Mr. Ray Neal, drummer Jeff Wiederschall, and bassist Joel Potocsky. In their early stages they received frequent comparisons to R.E.M., more for their presence and overall sound than for their lyrical content. Other than a few similar-sounding songs, the respective bands’ sounds were largely dissimilar lyrically and musically, and as time passed, the comparisons became less valid. Their first EP, The Backyard, was financed by Brad Morrison and released on the Bridgeport, Connecticut co-op label Incas Records in 1984 and became a college radio hit. Their first full-length album, Surprise Surprise Surprise, was released in 1987 on Rough Trade Records, by which time Potocsky had been replaced by bassist Steven West. In 1988 the album Glad came out, a mixture of new songs and live tracks (which included a guest appearance by Pere Ubu).

With the departure of drummer Wiederschall and bassist West in 1988, Mulcahy and Neal changed the direction of the band, becoming a duo and touring as the opening act for The Sugarcubes. Their 1989 release of Me and Mr. Ray, recorded at Prince’s Paisley Park Studios, led to the band finding a new rhythm section in drummer Scott «Spot» Boutier and bassist Dave McCaffrey. The album yielded a single, «You’re the Ōne-Lee», the video for which had notable rotation on MTV’s «120 Minutes» alternative music show. That year they signed with the (now-defunct) Morgan Creek Records, which funded their 1992 album Drenched with producer John Porter (of Roxy Music and The Smiths fame). The band had a national if limited tour that year in support of the new album, mostly playing clubs and other small venues.

After Drenched, legal problems with the label left the band and its name in limbo. But interest continued, notably in the form of a Nickelodeon offer for the band to write music for the television show The Adventures of Pete & Pete, which was created by Miracle Legion fans Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi. Neal, disillusioned with the label experience, declined the offer; but Mulcahy accepted. He decided to do the project with Boutier and McCaffery under the name Polaris, a project which lasted three years. Their track «Hey Sandy» became the show’s theme song, and the band themselves appeared in at least one episode (Season 1, «Hard Day’s Pete»).

In 1996, the band’s legal issues were resolved, and Miracle Legion released Portrait of a Damaged Family on Mulcahy’s own Mezzotint Records label.

Since that final Miracle Legion album, Mulcahy has released three solo LPs and engaged in various other projects including film soundtrack work and a musical. Neal has recently[when?] begun to play shows again in the Northeast, both solo and with Jellyshirts. Miracle Legion’s Drenched-era rhythm section of Boutier and McCaffrey have been staple members of Frank Black and the Catholics. Wiederschall has maintained an active music career, playing for The Streams, Peacock Flounders, and Baby Huey, as well as contributing to Mulcahy’s 2001 solo album, SmileSunset.[1]

In recent years[when?], reruns of The Adventures of Pete & Pete on the Nick Jr. cable network has unexpectedly renewed interest in (and led a new generation to) the music of Miracle Legion.[citation needed] Although much of Miracle Legion’s overall recorded output remains out-of-print, their 1980’s material is currently distributed by the Mezzotint label.