When a 60s Rocker Produced My Classical Organ Album

I recently heard the sad news of the passing of Mark Volman, co-founder of the legendary 1960s group The Turtles, best known for their worldwide hit Happy Together. It brought back a flood of memories about a unique and unexpected chapter in my life — one that perfectly illustrates how the world of music can create the most surprising connections.

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The Concert That Started It All

Back in 1998, I was invited to be the featured soloist with the Westchester Symphony Orchestra in Los Angeles.
The programme included Alexandre Guilmant’s Organ Concerto and Camille Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3 — one of my all-time favourite pieces by one of my favourite composers.

The concert was held at the Loyola Marymount University chapel to a sold-out audience. With Frank Fetta conducting, the performance was a huge success, complete with standing ovations that I will never forget.

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A Surprising Invitation

Shortly after the concert, the dean of Loyola Marymount contacted me with a proposal:
Would I be interested in recording an organ CD that could be gifted to university trustees and benefactors?

I loved the idea and immediately agreed. A few days later, the dean introduced me to someone he thought should be part of the project — Mark Volman. At that time, I came from such a strict classical background that I barely knew who the Beatles were, let alone The Turtles! When Mark told me about his musical past, I sheepishly admitted that I’d never heard of them.

Mark laughed, took it in stride, and even sang a few lines of Happy Together. I didn’t recognise it then, but of course, I’ve heard it countless times since.

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From Rock Star to Producer

Mark had recently returned to university in his late forties, earning a Bachelor’s degree from Loyola just the year before. The dean, knowing Mark’s deep experience in the music industry, suggested that he help produce the recording.

Mark jumped in wholeheartedly — and even went a step further by reaching out to a friend at Laserlight Records, a major classical label with wide distribution at the time.
To my amazement, he secured a two-CD contract for our project.

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Recording Symphony Gothique

For the first CD, which Mark named Symphony Gothique, we spent countless hours in the quiet chapel, making sure no one entered while we recorded.

Recording was an intense process — if I made a single mistake, we had to start all over again. A ten-minute piece by Widor was especially challenging, but through it all, Mark remained upbeat, encouraging, and endlessly patient.

When the sessions were complete, he sent me the tapes to choose the best takes, then personally oversaw the mastering process. His dedication to the project was remarkable.

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A Christmas Follow-Up

The following year, we reunited to record a second album — this time of Christmas organ works. Mark suggested the title A Christmas Pastorale and even selected the beautiful cover artwork for both releases.

Together, we created two albums that I remain incredibly proud of to this day.

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A Lasting Memory

After those collaborations, life took us in different directions and we eventually lost touch. But I often told friends the story of how a rock star from a well-known 60s band became the producer of my classical organ albums.

Hearing of Mark’s passing filled me with sadness.
He was a warm, generous, and genuinely delightful person to work with — and our time together remains one of the most unexpected and cherished experiences of my career.

Rest in peace, Mark. Happy Together will never sound the same to me again.

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The Albums

Symphony Gothique

A Christmas Pastorale

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