The Mark II was a collaboration between two musicians from Warwick, R.I., Wayne Cogswell and Ray Peterson. This Ray Peterson is not the one who recorded the 1960 hit Tell Laura I Love Her.
Cogswell was a session guitarist at Sun Records and also made inroads in Nashville, writing songs for Chet Atkins (Teensville) and Skeeter Davis (Someday, Someday). In 1960 Cogswell decided to move back home to Warwick and it was there he hooked up with Peterson.
The two decided to form a record label, Wye Records, and for their first release chose to record their composition Night Theme, which became a solid national hit. According to the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame the two adopted a rather unusual technique of four-handed piano, with Cogswell at the bottom on bass and chords and Peterson at the top playing unison or harmonized melody.
(Read more about Wye Records and the Mark II at the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame Archives.)
Unfortunately when it came time to record a "B" side for the single Peterson wasn't available because he'd injured a finger and Freddie Starks was called to fill in. The flip side of Night Theme was Confusion, another Cogswell-Peterson tune. Other musicians on the date were George Azevedo on sax, Bob Petteruti on bass, drummer Jack Welch and Kenny Bertch on vibes. Grab the tune from the link below.
Confusion
There were no more hits for Wye Records after Night Theme and the label packed it in after a dozen or so single releases. The company did not release any albums.
From YouTube here's the Mark II's one and only hit.
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