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4th August, 2010
On Tour with John Lees' Barclay James Harvest
Woolly will be appearing live with John Lees' Barclay James Harvest again this year. The band currently have three dates planned in England, as follows:
- November 26: London Islington O2 Academy
- November 27: Manchester Academy
- November 28: York Grand Opera House
For more information and ticketing details, please see the John Lees' Barclay James Harvest web site.
4th September, 2009
Mandalaband Album Pre-Orders
More than thirty years after Mandalaband and The Eye Of Wendor were released in the 1970s, not one but two new Mandalaband albums are on the way. David Rohl returns to making music, together with original Mandalaband contributors Woolly Wolstenholme, Kim Turner and Sad Café guitarist Ashley Mulford. They are joined by Troy Donockley (Iona & the Bad Shepherds) on pipes, whistles and guitars, Jose Manuel Medina (Last Knight) on keyboards, Marc Atkinson (Gabriel & Riversea) on vocals, Geoffrey Richardson (Caravan, The Penguin Café Orchestra & the Murray Head band) on violin, viola, flute, clarinet & guitars, Craig Fletcher (JLBJH and Maestoso) on bass and Barbara & Briony Macanas on vocals.
The first of the new albums is entitled BC - Ancestors, and is scheduled for release on October 19th. The BJH web site will have an exclusive pre-sale of the CD, and we are expecting to be able to send our copies out ahead of the official release date. You can pre-order now through our secure shopping cart
You can also hear excerpts from the album (and the companion album AD - Sangreal, which is due out in Summer 2010) at www.myspace.com/mandalaband3
14th February, 2009
Uneasy Listening - The Best Of Woolly Wolstenholme and Maestoso
Coming soon: a 2CD "best of" including both Woolly's solo work and Maestoso material. Featuring the previously unreleased "Faith, Hope and Charity" and a new recording of "The Angelus", Uneasy Listening will be on general release from April 27th, or possibly earlier from ourselves or at the JLBJH live concert at Salford on Easter Sunday.
CD One
1. Sail Away / 2. Patriots / 3. Maestoso
4. American Excess / 5. Prospect of Whitby
6. Lives on the Line / 7. Deceivers All /
8. Too Much, Too Loud, Too Late / 9. All Get Burned / 10. Has to Be a Reason / 11. The
Will to Fly / 12. The Sunday Bells / 13. Open
14. Why Remain / 15. Bootham Park Elegy
16. Blood and Bones
CD Two
1. Souk / 2. One Drop in a Dry World /
2. A Waiting Game / 4. Carpet / 5. 2 AM /
6. Birds / 7. Through a Storm / 8. A Lark /
9. The Iceman Cometh / 10. Hebden Bridge
11. Loot / 12. Harp and Carp / 13. Faith, Hope and Charity (previously unreleased) / 14. Matilda Yarrow / 15. Soldier of Fortune / 16. The Angelus (previously unreleased version)
14th February, 2009
On Tour with John Lees' Barclay James Harvest
Woolly will be appearing live as part of John Lees' Barclay James Harvest this year. The current list of dates can be seen on the John Lees' Barclay James Harvest web site.
23rd December, 2008
A Royal Christmas Message
My loyal subjects,
Whilst usually at this time of year, members of the forum would be receiving their luxury hamper (Gentleman's relish, Chocolate Olivers, Stichelton, Fonseca '77 etc.), due to an over-leveraged failed CDO negative equity credit crunchy flat busted ongoing scenario, a message of hopeful optimism will have to suffice.
As one gathers with one's loving family around a roaring turkey in bauble-festooned sitting rooms, it is perhaps appropriate to spare a thought for those less fortunate. Unemployed estate agents, struggling car salesmen and executives of the major banks deserve a modicum of sympathy at this time.
A happy and peaceful Christmas to you all.
Her Imperial Majesty, Wilhelmina Walthamstow
The Gin Palace, London
29th June, 2008
Mandalaband III Progress Report
David Rohl has added lots of new tracks to the Mandalaband MySpace page now. None of them is finished yet - there are still a lot of lead vocals to do, plus all of Ashley Mulford's guitars, Kim Turner's percussion and Geoffrey Richardson's violas and sax solos. Amongst the pieces to be heard is a rough mix of a new piece by Woolly entitled "Nimrod".
The plan is to release not one but two new concept albums - the first is to be called BC - Ancestors and will cover "the heroic age of our ancient ancestral history (leading up to the birth of Christ)". The second album will be entitled AD - Sangreal and concerns itself with "the Romano-Spanish legends surrounding the Holy Grail (minus King Arthur)".
16th June, 2008
Woolly Contributes to New Mellotron Book
Desert Hearts' new book on the Mellotron featuring a wonderful interview with Woolly on life, the Mellotron and everything, is due to be published on September 1st, but special preview copies may be ordered now direct from Desert Hearts, and will be available from Monday July 14th. Orders can be placed through the Desert Hearts web site, or by post using this order form.
The 592-page hardback book includes twenty-plus interviews with classic exponents of the Mellotronic art including the Moody Blues, Strawbs, King Crimson, Yes and Genesis as well as later groups like Steve Hackett, XTC, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, IQ, the Flower Kings and the 21st Century Schizoid Band.
Watch out for details of the August "MelloFest" book launch, plus special guests.
26th February, 2008
Mandalaband Update from Woolly
The multi-talented genius that is Geoffrey Richardson is now, after 5 and a half notes on 'Nimrod', a fully paid-up member of the Mandalaband 3 musical entity. Indeed so much so that he is likely to be swanning off down to Casa Rohl and performing on viola/violin/flute on a few tracks. (Unfortunately not the electric spoons.)
...and they call this a 'job'!
10th December, 2007
Mandalaband III Update
WW and Craig F. are back after spending a week in Spain at Casa Rohl.
Things attended-to included Craig singing on 'Magdalena" and a few bass parts, whilst WW provided the basis for 'Nimrod' - though it's not anything to do with Elgar's chum.
This track will be worked on in the UK and have Kim T's drums and Steve B's guitar added.
David and Ditas fed them royally for the week, before preparing for a trip to Beirut and an editing job.
19th November, 2007
IN STOCK!
The brand new studio album from Woolly Wolstenholme's Maestoso, Caterwauling, was released on an unsupecting public by Esoteric Recordings today. There's still time to get your exclusive bonus postcard autographed by all the band members, by ordering the CD through the Barclay James Harvest mail-order shop.
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10th December, 2007
Mandalaband III Update
WW and Craig F. are back after spending a week in Spain at Casa Rohl.
Things attended-to included Craig singing on 'Magdalena" and a few bass parts, whilst WW provided the basis for 'Nimrod' - though it's not anything to do with Elgar's chum.
This track will be worked on in the UK and have Kim T's drums and Steve B's guitar added.
David and Ditas fed them royally for the week, before preparing for a trip to Beirut and an editing job.
1st October, 2007
PRE-ORDER NOW!
We can now accept advance orders for Caterwauling, which is scheduled for release by Esoteric Recordings on November 19th. The first 300 orders through our web sites will also receive, completely gratis, an exclusive photo-postcard in arty (and cheap) black and white, lovingly defaced by Woolly and the boys with autographs and/or thumb-prints. Details of prices and how to benefit from this fabulous (or was that frivolous?) offer, can be found at the Barclay James Harvest mail-order shop.
New Mæstoso Album: Woolly's Blog - the final insult instalment!
22nd August, 2007
NEW STUDIO ALBUM IMMINENT
Recording and mixing of the brand new Mæstoso studio album, Caterwauling, is now complete. We don't have a definite release date yet, but there shouldn't be much longer to wait! In the meantime, you can read Woolly's own blog of unreliable memoirs charting the progress of the recording from start to finish, written in his own incomparable (and, indeed, incomprehensible) style:
19th March, 2007
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 Woolly 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 Woolly 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. 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 Woolly 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.
Woolly 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.
5th February, 2007
ROCK AND ROHL REVISITED
In March Woolly will be off to Spain to visit old friend David Rohl, famous author, TV presenter and expert on Ancient Chronology - oh, and for being the brains behind the Mandalaband albums. The pair will be discussing a new musical project of David's, and details will be leaked made exclusively available through unattributable briefings on this site.
As previously threatened, tantalising tasters of the forthcoming Mæstoso album are now available in the form of rough mixes on MySpace. Go to http://www.myspace.com/woollywolstenholmesmaestoso if you dare ...
9th January, 2007
COMING SOON!
It is anticipated that within the next couple of weeks exquisitely formed fragments of the soon-to-be-released Mæstoso offering will be trailed on MySpace, thus enabling the discerning gentleman (or lady) to peruse these tasty morsels in the privacy of their own homes.
8th October, 2006
NEW MUSIC PLAYER
We've added a music player to the web site. Currently it features tracks from the now-unavailable bonus disc which came with initial copies of the One Drop In A Dry World CD. You can listen to full tracks on the player, or buy high-quality downloads to burn to CD. Other tracks will be made available on the player in future, including material which is not available anywhere else.
Check the player out here
PRE-ORDER 1980 MÆSTOSO REMASTER
You can now pre-order the Eclectic Discs remastered CD of Woolly's 1980 album, Maestoso, which is due out on November 6th. The CD will come with the original LP artwork, an eight-page booklet and two bonus tracks recorded live in Vienna in 1982 - "Even The Night" and "Has To Be A Reason". The existing CD of "Maestoso" on the Brimstone label (without the bonus tracks) will still be available for a while at a reduced price of £7.00 including UK postage and packing.
Order either CD through the Barclay James Harvest web site secure form
18th September, 2006
NEW ALBUM PROGRESSING WELL
The recording sessions for the next Mæstoso CD continue apace, and you can read Woolly's own blog recounting the band's misadventures in his inimitable style here on the WWWebsite.
Now Woolly is taking a break from Mæstosoworld to rehearse for the forthcoming John Lees' Barclay James Harvest tour and to undertake some promotional work including a trip to Belgium to take part in a two-hour radio special on BJH. More details of all JLBJH activities at
http://www.barclayjamesharvest.com
20th August, 2006
LISTEN TO BRAND NEW SONG!
Check out Woolly's MySpace page to hear a spanking new song from the current Maestoso recording sessions! "Faith, Hope and Charity" is not available anywhere else, but for a limited time you can stream it from:
http://www.myspace.com/woollywolstenholmesmaestoso
15th July, 2006
NEW ALBUM AND SINGLE
Work has begun on a new Mæstoso album, and Woolly is already posting his, er, idiosyncratic updates in his own blog on this site, also known after the album's working title as the Grafenberg Flight Log (FLOG). In the meantime, a CD single of "Hebden Bridge" from the last Mæstoso album, Grim, is due out in the autumn, coupled with a completely new song from the Grimroyd gang of rude minstrels. More details and ordering information as soon as we have it.
3rd July, 2006
DOWNLOADS AVAILABLE
We've had a number of enquiries about the bonus disc which came with Mæstoso's One Drop In A Dry World. Whilst the double CD of that album was a strictly limited edition, we can now offer four of the songs from the bonus disc as exclusive downloads through the Indiestore site. You can listen to reduced quality versions of "Flip!", "Music from The Wind In The Willows', a different version of "A Waiting Game" with Craig Fletcher singing lead vocals and "The Angelus", or you can download them in their full glory for a mere 77p each. Woolly's Indiestore page can be found at http://www.indiestore.com/woollywolstenholme.