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THE MANDALABAND.

New re-issue of his first 2 albums are available the first of November, read more here below.


New video online:

The new MANDALABAND album 'BC - Ancestors'
was released in October
and will be available from the www.myspace.com/mandalaband3 web site.
*****

David Rohl is the founder of this unique project.
Born in Stretford, Manchester, on September 12th 1950.
His first band The Sign of Life in 1967. This five piece (with David on Clavinet keyboard and backing vocals) finished a tour of the US military bases in Germany during the winter of 1968/9.
The Moody Blues aked him to photograph the band on tour and create the inside spread of their gatefold cover for A Question of Balance (released in August 1970).
A few mounths later he formed Ankh (the Egyptian ‘Sign of Life’) which was soon being mentored by Eric Stewart. The idea of the Mandalaband started to get shape. David worked now as chief engineer atm the Strawberry Studios.
His first album was just called Mandalaband ('75). It was recorded after some live gigs, one of the main writers David Rohl was not present during the recording sessions. The cause was a dissagrement with the record company.The album was engineered by Tim Friese-Greene, who is now well-known for his success with the band Talk Talk.

David - keyboards,
Tony Cresswell - drums
Vic Emerson - keyboards
John Simpson - bass
Ashly Mulford - guitar
David Durant - vocals.

Vic, Tony, John & Ashly temed up with Pau Young and Ian wilson to start Sad Cafe. David ended as engineer and worked for; Marc bolan, Maddy Prior, Thin Lizzy, Vega and BJH.

The record label asked David again to make another label and gave them free credits:

Eye of Wendor:

Maddy Prior - Vocals (Steeleye Span)
Justin Hayward - Vocals (See the Moody Blues)
Paul Young - Vocals
Graham Gouldman - Bass (10CC)
John Lees - Guitar (Barcklay James Harvest)
Noel Redding - Bass (Animals & Jimmy Hendrix)
Eric Stewart - Vocals (10CC)
Norman Barrett - Guitar
Steve Broomhead - Guitar
Friday Brown - Vocals
Mike Carlton - Trombone
Philip Chapman - Wind
Richie Close - Piano (Camel)
Lol Creme - Vocals (10CC)
Andy Crompton - Trombone
Paul Bryan Farr - Horn
Gerald Brown - Vocals
Mark Gilbanks - Trumpet
John Gilston - Percussion
Pete Glennon - Bass
Kevin Godley - Vocals (10CC)
Dave Gorton - Trombone
David Hassall - Percussion
Russell Hayward - Horn
Les Holroyd - Bass
Jimmy McDonnell - Guitar
Gerry Murphy - Pipe
Fiona Parker - Vocals
Mel Pritchard - Drums
Micky Purton - Horn
David Rohl - Piano
Gilly Rohl - Vocals
Tony Spath - Oboe
Alf Tramontin - Bass
John Turner - Keyboards
Kim Turner - Guitar, Drums
Andy Wardaugh - Trumpet
Ian Wilson - Vocals
Stewart Wooly Wolstenholme - Keyboards
Richard Scott - Recorder
Martin Lawrence - Percussion

Arguably the most successful and listenable of the orchestral progressive rock era's declared concept albums, and certainly a rival to Yes' Close to the Edge and Tales From Topographic Oceans and more concise than Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds. The music encompasses classical and new age elements as well as folk influences, as it tells the story of the early history of the kingdom of Wendor. Justin Hayward, in excellent voice, sings the part of King Aenord, Maddy Prior makes a wonderfully expressive Princess Ursula, and Eric Stewart is an attractive Florian.

After all those years the producer, engineer, and now Egyptologist (!) David Rohl has plans to make a new album!
Troy Donockley the famous pipe player is involved already.

And yes David Rohl made some noise with writing 4 books about how he thinks the history took place. Made some bbc docs aswell and no het is retired in the mountains of Spain.

MANDALABAND III UPDATE FROM DAVID ROHL

As things stand at present (late February 2007) these are the plans for Mandalaband III. However, as is invariably the case with new projects, much can happen twixt cup and lip (especially when Woolley adds his recipe to the brew).

In January of this year Kim Turner flew out to Spain to work with me on some track sketches for a proposed new Mandalaband album. Those of you who are in the know will be aware that this initial get-together marks the first Mandalaband recording session in more than thirty years – probably a world record for an interval between albums. You can hear the backing tracks the two of us concocted at the David Rohl MySpace, URL: http://www.myspace.com/david_rohl along with some other earlier Mandalaband pieces.

But this was not the first chapter in the story of the Mandalaband reincarnation. That began about three years ago when I talked through the idea with Keith and Monika when I visited them in Southampton and then, subsequently, I had a meeting with Woolley at the British Museum (two antiquities, so to speak, meeting up for the first time in what would normally constitute an entire archaeological period, i.e. twenty years).

At the same time, and quite coincidentally, Ashley Mulford (Mandalaband I and Sad Café) got in touch by e-mail to let it be known that he would love to do something musical with me again. So the bones of the ancients were stirring in the ground and a resurrection appeared to be on the cards. Kim Turner, Steve Broomhead, Craig Fletcher (all of Maestoso), plus Dave Irving (of Sad Café) were quick to sign up. A studio band was beginning to take shape (albeit with a plethora of fab guitarists but, hey, who cares – this just means more great guitar solos which we all like don’t we?). I felt like Moses leading the mixed multitude out into the wilderness in search of the Promised Land. Mandalaband III was rapidly becoming a tribe. More great musicians and vocalists have joined up in recent months but I will keep that under my hat for the moment if you don’t mind.

Anyway, the ball is now rolling and the first tracks are being written, recorded and dumped straight into the bin. Eventually, though, we will have enough good material for release – in about a year’s time. In fact, it looks like we will be recording two albums simultaneously.

The first is provisionally entitled ‘BC’ and will be themed on the legends, heroes and great events of ancient history. The second is provisionally entitled ‘AD’ and deals with legends, heroes and great events of the centuries since the crucifixion. This second album will predominantly focus on the Sangreal and its history over the last 2000 years. If you have no idea what the heck I am rambling on about then just do some internet questing for answers or simply wait for the CDs. All will be revealed. Actually, very little will be revealed as the lyrics of the songs are intended to be doorways to your own personal discovery rather than instruction manuals. On the other hand, you could just forget all this esoteric nonsense and simply enjoy the music. We will prepare a sumptuous table for your repast and you can just eat what you will (or what you are). Of course, the music will be pompous, grandiose, self-indulgent, majestic, myopic and magnificent (I have told Woolley that he has to write with majesty and beauty for M III or else I won’t let him play with all the new and wonderful sounds I have gathered together for his pleasure) so you can probably anticipate what sort of hydra we are going to create.

Woolley comes over to the Spanish studio retreat in a few weeks’ time and I look forward to updating you on how things went and what we managed to achieve in amongst the cherry blossom.

With best wishes,

David.


BC Ancestors (Oct '09) is dedicated to those Mandalaband members who are no longer with us; Ritchie Close (keys), Mel Pritchard (drums), Paul Young (vocals) and Phil Chapman (sax & flute).

David Rohl - piano, synths, sample keyboards, percussion and vocals
Troy Donockley - Uilleann pipes, Celtic whistles, Ebow and electric guitars, keyboards, percussion and vocals(Iona, Nightwish)
Ashley Mulford - electric rhythm and lead guitars, and vocals (Mandalaband I, Sad Cafe)
Woolly Wolstenholme - piano, synths, Hammond organ, sample keyboards and vocals (Mandalaband II, BJH & Maestoso)
Simon Waggott - piano, keys guitars, vocals
Marc Atkinson - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar and vocals (Gabriel, Riversea, Mostly Autumn)
Jose Manuel Medina - piano, synths, sample keyboards and percussion )Last Knight)
Kim Turner - drums, electric guitar, acoustic 12-string guitar, mandolin, percussion and vocals (Mandalaband II & Maestoso)
Craig Fletcher - bass guitar, fretless bass guitar and vocals
Barbara Macanas - vocals
Briony Macanas - vocals.
Geoffrey Richardson - viola (Caravan),
Graig FLetcher - bass, (BJH),
Sergio Gracias Lajo - acoustic guitar,
Emilio Gutierrez Steve Broomhead - guitar.


Ed Unitsky - artwork.

Superbly produced by David, excellent art work, high quality music, top notch musicianship, this is the complete package and a must in your collection, so don your back pack, grab your trowel, and venture to the land of mandalaband.co.uk and enter their toko.

An interview with David Rohl and a review of the album you find here.


The new albums will contain 25 new tracks with heavy and dreamy orchestrations, majestic themes, screaming guitars, beautiful voices and of course the holy Uillieann pipes...
The band did some rehearsals, apparently they want to hit the road!

Rehearsal video;

Fabulous isn't?!?!

At the video:
Marc Atkinson on lead vocal and acoustic guitar, Ashley Mulford on guitar, Kim Turner on drums, Simon Waggott on keyboards, Jose Manuel Medina on bass (Craig Fletcher being tied up with BJH rehearsals), Barbara & Briony Macanas on backing vocals, David Rohl on mixing desk and sample synth doing oboe, alto flute and brass (with Woolly Wolstenholme away rehearsing with BJH) and Protools supplying choir and strings.

RESURRECTION (November '10)
CD 1: Mandalaband I
CD 2: Mandalaband II – The Eye of Wendor
SALES NOTES:
Including 6 bonus tracks and 16pp booklet.
These two legendary 1970s albums have been completely re-mixed and digitally re-mastered by David Rohl – the mastermind behind Mandalaband and composer/producer/engineer extraordinaire.
MANDALABAND I – 57 minutes
David has reinforced the sound of the instruments to give more power and depth to the original recordings, before remixing the entire album. As a result, 35 years on, a veil of sonic mist has been lifted from these unique recordings. The rhythm section, synth orchestration and lead vocals possess a clarity never heard before, making this edition of Mandalaband I an audio treasure. Allow the 20-minute opus that is ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’ to wash over you, with its strident keyboards, soaring guitars, rich tenor vocal and supporting choir. Dave Durant and the London Chorale perform mantras and lyrics from the Tibetan national anthem in this symphonic rock master-piece which so impressed DJs John Peel and Alan Freeman. We hope you enjoy this new version as much as those pioneer promoters of Prog Rock.
MANDALABAND II – The Eye of Wendor – 53 minutes
Over the years The Eye of Wendor has attained cult status amongst Prog Rock fans all over the world. David has completely remixed and remastered the album and now the sheer quality of the production and recording can be appreciated with a new clarity and depth. The complex counter rhythms and melodies which made Wendor such a special album are here revealed as they were originally heard in the studio during those halcyon days in the late 1970s. Based on a Tolkienesque fantasy centred around a magical gem-stone, vocalists Eric Stewart (10cc), Maddy Prior (Steeleye Span), Justin Hayward (Moody Blues), Graham Gouldman, Lol Creme & Kevin Godley (10cc) and Paul Young (Sad Café/Mike and the Mechanics) tell the tale.
Orders at:
www.mandalaband.co.uk.

MANDALABAND I
1-4 Om Mani Padme Hum (Movts 1–4) – D. Rohl
5 Determination – J. Stimpson
6 Song for a King – D. Rohl
7 Roof of the World – D. Rohl
8 Looking In – J. Stimpson

Bonus Tracks
9 Om Mani Padme Hum (Demo) – D. Rohl
10 Looking In (Audition) – J. Stimpson
11 Roof of the World (Indigo) – D. Rohl

MANDALABAND II
1 The Eye of Wendor (Overture) – D. Rohl
2 Florian’s Song / Ride to the City – D. Rohl
3 Almar’s Tower – D. Rohl
4 Like the Wind – D. Rohl
5 The Tempest – D. Rohl
6 Dawn of a New Day – D. Rohl
7 Departure from Carthilias – D. Rohl
8 Elsethea – D. Rohl
9 The Witch of Waldow Wood – D. Rohl
10 Silesandre – D. Rohl
11 Aenord’s Lament / Funeral of the King /
Coronation of Damien – D. Rohl

Bonus Tracks
12 The Eye of Wendor (Indigo) – D. Rohl
13 The Witch of Waldow Wood (Indigo) – D. Rohl
14 Silesandre (Indigo) – D. Rohl

Sangreal AD ('11):

ASHLEY MULFORD / guitars
WOOLLY WOLSTENHOLME / Mellotron & Keyboards
KIM TURNER / Drums & Percussion
DAVID ROHL / Writer, Engineer, Producer and Keyboards
TROY DONOCKLEY / Uilleann Pipes, Whistles & Guitars
JOSE MANUEL MEDINA / Keyboards
MARC ATKINSON / Vocals
GEOFFREY RICHARDSON / Violin, Viola, Flute, Clarinet & guitars
CRAIG FLETCHER / Bass Guitar
BARBARA & BRIONY MACANAS / Vocals

Another sublime production, fill sound, mysterious, excellent sound and magic art by Ed.


Session:

David has since continued to work occasionally in the industry, collaborating with Woolly Wolstenholme on soundtracks for TV, including Cosgrove Hall's animations for Cinderella, 'The Pied Piper’ (which received two British Academy Awards) and Gerald Durrell's "The Talking Parcel", Thames TV's series "S.W.A.L.K." and "The Squad", and writing the music for "The All Electric Amusement Arcade" on his own.
The band Vega,
"Peace On Earth" for a children's version of Live Aid.
Last Knight "Sound Factory ('07). See this place.

www.myspace.com/mandalaband3 &
www.myspace.com/davidrohlmusic.

 

 

 

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Updated 11-11-09 by Nick.
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