The Mark IV


The Mark IV were an American musical ensemble, based in Chicago, consisting of Bob Peterson, Leon McGeary, William Thomas, and Michael McCarthy. They were originally named The Rhythm Makers. They later changed their name to Mark V, and then - as members left - to The Mark IV, and eventually ending in the 1980s as The Mark IV Trio. The band appears to have recorded only as The Mark IV, however, and they had their biggest hit in 1959 with the novelty song, "I Got a Wife". "I Got a Wife" was set to a lively polka beat, and reached No. 24 in U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, and No. 14 on Canadian radio station CHUM's "Chum Chart". The song was later covered by Frankie Yankovic and other polka bands.

Early success

The B-side of "I Got a Wife" was "Ah-Ooo-Gah", a straight 1950s rocker, punctuated with an old-time car horn effect.
Prior to "I Got a Wife," the group released at least two singles on Cosmic Records. One of these was "Goose Bumps" b/w "Booblee Ah Bah Doo Baa", recorded along with the Dick Marx Orchestra. Though both songs on this record fit the category of doo-wop, the nonsense title of the B-side suggests the "novelty" direction the group would later take.
The other known Cosmic release was " The Shake" b/w "45 R.P.M.". The group performed " The Shake" on American Bandstand, and Dick Clark currently owns the rights to the song. Both songs were also released in Canada on the REO label. " The Shake" was in a vein rather similar to Danny and the Juniors' "At the Hop", and it charted No. 22 on the Canadian "Chum Chart".

Later years

After the success of "I Got a Wife," Mercury quickly followed up with several more Mark IV novelty singles. One of these was "Move Over Rover" b/w "Dante's Inferno". Another was "Mairzy Doats" b/w "Ring Ring Ring Those Bells".
Songwriting for all of these songs, except "Mairzy Doats," is credited to Edward C. Mascari and Erwin Herbert "Dutch" Wenzlaff. Mascari and Wenzlaff were sheet music salesmen before they started writing and performing together. Wenslaff played drums, and Mascari the piano.
At some point, Mascari - it seems - ran his own Chicago-based, Delaware record label, and was also once General Manager of Mercury's Near North Music Publishing. Additionally, according to Chicago Soul by Robert Pruter, Mascari at one point ran, a soul label named Limelight; perhaps a Mercury sub-label. Mascari is also credited by one source as having produced a single titled "Cindy, Oh Cindy" for Ivanhoe Records. Yet another lists him as producer of a United Artist's record by Danny Lee. He also co-produced an album by singer-songwriter Dick Campbell, on which Peter Cetera, Paul Butterfield, and Mike Bloomfield were all credited.
Wenzlaff, too, appears to have had an association with Mercury at some point. Additionally, he and Mascari wrote and produced songs for other artists, including "Foggy Mountain" for Danielle Blanchard, "Stop, Look and Listen" for Ralph Marterie and his Marlboro Men, and "Bride and Groom". Additionally, Wenzlaff is credited with having arranged and conducted "You Wouldn't Listen" for The Ides of March on Harlequin Records in 1966.

Discography

NB: In addition to Wenzlaff and Mascari's group, there have been several other groups named The Mark IV. The one most often confused with Wenzlaff and Mascari's group was a soul group out of New York City. Their singles included "Honey I Still Love You" b/w "Since God Made Woman ", "My Everything You Are" b/w "I'll Be Right There ", "I Fell In Love " b/w "Got to Get Back ", and "Why Do You Want to Hurt Me" b/w "You're Just Like a Dream".