Band leader Marc Ford assembled the highly rated retro trio BURNING TREE in Los Angeles after relocating from Atlanta, Georgia. BAD RELIGION bassist Jay Bentley briefly worked with the formative incarnation. Drummer Doni Gray had previously played with an Azuzah, California band called CITADEL whilst Ford and bassist Mark Dutton (a.k.a. 'Muddy Stardust') had played together in an Orange County group dubbed THE MARCH. The final triumvirate hooked up in 1988 and rehearsed in a doll factory that Gray was living in making stuffed animals.

The group went under the names of HEAD and CITADEL before adopting BURNING TREE, a name given to them by Ford's girlfriend Kirsten who was playing in her own band with that name at the time. It had been taken from a street name in Fullerton, California where she lived. Kirsten's band adopted the name VELVET FOOLS in return, dreamt up by Ford.

After playing bars and clubs in Los Angeles and San Francisco, including a valuable residency at the Coconut Teaszer, BURNING TREE were signed to Epic Records within a year after turning down A&M Records. The group was also taken under the wing of ex-QUIET RIOT manager Warren Entner, who also managed FAITH NO MORE and FASTER PUSSYCAT at the time.

The group's self-titled debut album, produced by Tim Palmer, received heaps of praise from Rock magazines worldwide. The British 'Kerrang' magazine featured a previously unreleased live version of 'Same Old Story' on a cover mount 7" flexidisc with issue no. 308. However, the album failed to really ignite the charts and the trio split.

Ford, following rumours of a request to join GUNS N' ROSES, taking up an offer from THE BLACK CROWES to replace Jeff Cease. Both Dutton and Gray joined the ex GUNS N' ROSES guitarist IZZY STRADLIN' for his new band in 1992. Subsequently Dutton, as Muddy Stardust, put in tenures with L.A. GUNS, STARFUCKERS, COL. PARKER and the GILBY CLARKE band. He launched an album billed 'Sects' in 2004 credited to UP THE DOSE.

Shortly after vacating his post in THE BLACK CROWES, guitarist Marc Ford rejoined his BURNING TREE colleagues bassist Mark Dutton and drummer Doni Gray to play a reunion gig at King King in Hollywood on Monday, October 9th 2006. The MARC FORD band of 2008 also included Muddy Stardust.