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Mandalaband: The Eye of Wendor: Prophecies

Mandalaband: The Eye of Wendor (Chrysalis CHR 1181)

Mandalaband
Chrysalis CHR 1095 (LP, UK, 1975)

The Eye of Wendor: Prophecies
Mandalaband
Chrysalis CHR 1181 (LP, UK, 1978)

The Eye of Wendor (compilation of The Eye of Wendor and half of Mandalaband)
Mandalaband
RPM Records RPM 105 (CD, UK, 1992)

Mandalaband;
Written by David Kohl;
Produced by John Alcock;
Recorded by Tim Friese-Greene;
Remixed by David Rohl and Bill Price

The Eye of Wendor: Prophecies;
Written and produced by David Kohl;
Recorded and mixed by David Kohl and Martin Lawrence;
Assistant Engineer: Chris Nagle;
Production Coordination: Steve C. Smith;
Recorded at Strawberry Studios, Stockport, England, between 1976 and 1978

Tracks

The Eye of Wendor: Prophecies

Sleeve Notes

The brainchild of Strawberry Studios chief engineer Davy Rohl, The Eye of Wendor was the first of a projected musical trilogy describing a Tolkienesque world and its inhabitants, performed by the Mandalaband. The band were actually a group of musicians assembled by Rohl to help him realise his musical vision, and included several well-known names from the panoply of mid-70s rock artists. Not surprisingly given the Strawberry Studios connection this album relied heavily on the talents of both 10cc and Barclay James Harvest. They along with people like Justin Hayward (from The Moody Blues), Maddy Prior (Steeleye Span) and Paul Young (Sad Cafe), gave their services free, often recording in the small hours when the studio was otherwise unoccupied.

The whole project took two years to complete, but was a difficult album to promote in 1978. It quickly disappeared, and interest from collectors of the musicians involved ensured that copies were changing hands for ever higher prices.

For this, the first ever reissue, Davy Rohl has personally overseen the transfer to compact disc. A lengthy piece which originally made up one half of the first Mandalaband album has been added to complete this package.

The Eye of Wendor

John Lees: electric guitars;
Steve Broomhead: acoustic guitar;
Les Holroyd: bass;
Wooly Wolstenholme: mellotrons, synthesisers;
David Rohl: piano;
Ritchie Close: grand piano;
Mel Pritchard: drums;
Kim Turner: rototoms, percussion;
Phil Chapman: flute;
Gerry Murphy: uilleann pipes;
Hallé Orchestra: strings;
Phil Chapman: orchestral score

Florian’s Song

Eric Stewart: lead vocals;
Graham Gouldman: backing vocals;
Steve Broomhead: electric and acoustic guitars;
Pete Glennon: bass;
David Rohl: pianos, 1^st grand piano, vox piano, Solina string synthesiser;
Ritchie Close: 2^nd grand piano;
Wooly Wolstenholme: moog horns;
Kim Turner: drums, rototoms, glockenspiel, tubular bells, timpani, congas, tam-tam;
Phil Chapman: alto flute, flute;
Andy Wardaugh, Mark Gilbanks: trumpets;
The Gerald Brown Singers: choir;
Hallé Orchestra: strings;
Ritchie Close: orchestral score

Ride to the City

Jimmy McDonnell: guitars;
Noel Redding: bass;
David Rohl: synthesisers, Solina string synthesiser, grand piano;
Ritchie Close: fender rhodes;
Wooly Wolstenholme: mellotron;
Kim Turner: drums, rototoms, glockenspiel, vibes, congas, percussion;
David Hassle: percussion;
Phil Chapman: saxophone;
Andy Wardaugh, Mark Gilbanks: trumpets;
Andy Crompton, Mike Carlton, Dave Gorton: trombones;
Micky Purton, Russell Hayward, Paul Bryan Farr: French horns;
Hallé Orchestra: strings;
Ritchie Close: orchestral score

Almar’s Tower

Norman Barratt: voice box guitar;
David Rohl: synthesisers;
Wooly Wolstenholme: steam moog;
John Gilston: synthesised percussion, foot sweep;
Kim Turner: wood blocks, rototoms, percussion, boots;
Steve Broomhead: boots

Like the Wind

Maddy Prior: lead vocals;
Friday Brown: backing vocals;
Steve Broomhead: guitars, male choir;
Jimmy McDonnell: guitars;
Alf Tramontin: bass;
David Rohl: vari-speed pianos, male choir;
David Hassle: percussion;
Wooly Wolstenholme: mellotrons;
Kim Turner: drums, male choir;
Martin Lawrence: male choir;
Micky Purton, Russell Hayward, Paul Bryan Farr: French horns;
Hallé Orchestra: strings;
Ritchie Close: orchestral score

The Tempest

Wooly Wolstenholme: synthesiser;
Kim Turner: synthesiser, piano strings, wind chimes, vari-speed sizzle cymbal, scream;
Mel Pritchard: rototoms;
David Rohl: piano, sound effects;
Hallé Orchestra: strings

Dawn of a New Day

Justin Hayward: lead and backing vocals;
Fiona Parker: backing vocals;
Steve Broomhead: electric guitars;
Jimmy McDonnell: electric guitars;
Alf Tramontin: bass;
David Rohl: synthesisers, piano;
Wooly Wolstenholme: mellotrons;
Kim Turner: drums, vari-speed tambourine, glockenspiel, castanets;
David Hassle: percussion;
Martin Lawrence: glasses;
Gerry Murphy: uilleann pipes;
The Gerald Brown Singers: choir;
Hallé Orchestra: strings;
Terry Davies: orchestral score

Departure From Carthilias

Steve Broomhead: electric guitars, Spanish guitar, backwards guitar;
Alf Tramontin: bass;
Wooly Wolstenholme: Hammond organ;
David Rohl: Solina string synthesiser, audio piano;
Kim Turner: drums, military snare drums, glockenspiel, tam-tam, asses’ jaw;
David Hassle: percussion;
Phil Chapman: fifes, flute;
The Gerald Brown Singers: choir

Elsethea

Graham Gouldman: lead and backing vocals, bass;
Kevin Godley: Lol Creme, backing vocals;
Steve Broomhead: lead guitar;
Norman Barratt: voice box guitar;
Jimmy McDonnell: rhythm guitars;
Ritchie Close: piano, fender rhodes;
Wooly Wolstenholme: mellotrons;
David Rohl: synthesisers, clavinet;
Kim Turner: drums, percussion;
Phil Chapman: saxophone;
Hallé Orchestra: strings;
Ritchie Close: orchestral score

Witch of Waldow Wood

Kevin Godley: lead and backing vocals;
Martin Lawrence: Kim Turner, backing vocals;
Steve Broomhead: lead guitar;
John Lees: 2^nd lead guitar;
Pete Glennon: bass;
David Rohl: backing vocals, piano, synthesisers, Solina string synthesiser;
Wooly Wolstenholme: synthesisers, choir mellotron, French horn moog, cathedral organ;
Mel Pritchard: drums;
Kim Turner, David Hassle: percussion;
Phil Chapman: flutes;
Tony Spath: oboe;
Andy Wardaugh, Mark Gilbanks: trumpets;
Ritchie Close: orchestral score

Silesandre

Paul Young: lead and backing vocals;
Ian Wilson: backing vocals;
Steve Broomhead: lead guitar;
Jimmy McDonnell: rhythm guitars;
Graham Gouldman: bass;
David Rohl: piano;
Ritchie Close: fender rhodes;
Wooly Wolstenholme: mellotrons;
Kim Turner: drums, congas;
David Hassle: percussion;
Andy Wardaugh, Mark Gilbanks: trumpets;
Hallé Orchestra: strings;
Ritchie Close: orchestral score

Aenord’s Lament

The Gerald Brown Singers: choir;
Fiona Parker: backing vocals;
Steve Broomhead: Spanish guitar;
David Rohl: piano, synthesisers;
Tony Spath: cor anglais;
Hallé Orchestra: strings;
Ritchie Close: orchestral score

Funeral of the King

Steve Broomhead: electric guitar;
Noel Redding: bass;
David Rohl: grand piano, Solina string synthesiser;
Wooly Wolstenholme: mellotrons;
Ritchie Close: fender rhodes;
Kim Turner: drums, timpani;
Phil Chapman: saxophone;
The Gerald Brown Singers: choir;
Terry Davies: orchestral score

Coronation of Damien

The Gerald Brown Singers: choir;
Martin Lawrence: backing vocals;
Steve Broomhead: backing vocals, electric guitar;
Jimmy McDonnell: electric guitar;
Alf Tramontin: bass;
David Rohl: backing vocals, grand piano, synthesisers, Solina string synthesiser;
Ritchie Close: 2^nd piano, fender rhodes;
Kim Turner: backing vocals, percussion;
David Hassle: percussion;
Richard Scott: recorders;
Andy Wardaugh, Mark Gilbanks: trumpets;
Micky Purton, Russell Hayward, Paul Bryan Farr: French horns;
Hallé Orchestra: strings;
Terry Davies: orchestral score

Om Mani Padme Hum

David Durant: lead vocals;
Ashley Mulford: electric & acoustic guitars;
John Stimpson: bass acoustic 12-string;
Vic Emerson: keyboards;
Tony Cresswell: drums, timpani, tubular bells;
The London Chorale: choir;
Roy Wales: musical director