Mandala (band)

Mandala
The group in 1967
The group in 1967
Background information
Also known asThe Rogues
OriginToronto, Ontario, Canada
GenresRhythm and Blues
Years active1965 (1965)–1970 (1970)
Past membersDomenic Troiano
Roy Kenner
Joey Chirowski
Don Elliot
George Olliver
Pentti Glan
Henry Babraj
Hugh Sullivan

Mandala was a Canadian R&B and soul band from the 1960s. The band was formed in 1965 in Toronto, Ontario as The Rogues and changed their name to Mandala prior to their first Canadian Top 40 hit "Opportunity".[1] The band is best known for containing guitarist Domenic Troiano who later recorded with The James Gang and The Guess Who;[2] and drummer Pentti Glan who later played with Alice Cooper and Lou Reed.[3] The band also contained Roy Kenner, who later became the lead singer with for The James Gang.[4]

History

Mandala's origins can be traced back to the house band at the Club Bluenote in Toronto during the summer of 1964. Keyboardist Josef Chirowski, bassist Don Elliot, and drummer Pentti "Whitey" Glan had worked together previously in several outfits. The band adopted the name The Rogues when singer George Olliver and guitarist Domenic Troiano joined in 1965. For a very brief period in late 1965, future Blood, Sweat & Tears singer David Clayton-Thomas was a member.[5] They were also briefly known as the Five Rogues.[1]

By late 1966, the band's manager Randy Markowitz sensed a change in the Canadian rock scene, and restarted the band under the name Mandala with a new image involving matching gangster-styled suits, with concerts emulating religious revivals.[1] Olliver left the band and was replaced with new singer Roy Kenner, while Hugh Sullivan joined on keyboards.[5] The band's newly energetic performances attracted widespread interest among fans in Toronto.[6][7] They also performed several concerts in the United States during this period.[8]

In late 1966, they signed with KR Records and released the single "Opportunity" which became a top-ten hit in Canada. The song was noticed by Ahmet Ertegun, who then signed the band to his label Atlantic Records. Ertegun and Markowitz often clashed over how to market the band, while Ertegun favored making Troiano the frontman and removing Kenner.[5] After two early singles with Atlantic, the band released the album Soul Crusade in 1968. The single "Love-itis" was a minor hit in the United States.[5]

Mandala soon broke up, with Troiano, Kenner, and Glan forming the band Bush soon thereafter.[9] Chirowski and Glan both later played with Alice Cooper, while Sullivan backed John Kay.[5]

Discography

  • 45 – "Opportunity" / "Lost Love" (KR 0115) – 1967
  • 45 – "Give and Take" / "From Toronto '67" (KR 0121) – 1967
  • 45 – "Love-Itis" / "Mellow Carmello Palumbo" (Atlantic 2512) – 1968
  • 45 – "You Got Me" / "Help Me" (Atlantic 2576) – 1968
  • LP – Soul Crusade (Atlantic SD 8184) – 1968

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Ever Heard Of - Mandala". www.classicrockpage.com. Archived from the original on 2006-10-16. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  2. ↑ "Domenic Troiano Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
  3. ↑ "Alice Cooper Pays Tribute to Late Drummer Pentti 'Whitey' Glan".
  4. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Miami > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Mandala Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
  6. ↑ Nicholas, Jennings. "Book Excerpt: The Soul Crusade of the Mighty Mandala". Nicholas Jennings. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  7. ↑ Wilson, Tom (2018). I Am Tommy: On Stage and Backstage. FriesenPress. p. 84. ISBN 9781525529085.
  8. ↑ Mersereau, Bob (2015). The History of Canadian Rock 'n' Roll. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. unknown page. ISBN 9781495028915.
  9. ↑ Jean Marie Leduc, Jean-Noël Ogouz -Le rock de A à Z: dictionnaire illustré 1984- Page 217 "L'adjonction de Roy Kenner (chant) ajoute une dimension supplémentaire, mais en novembre 71, Joe Walsh s'en va, suivi ... Le nouveau guitariste Domenic Troiano (Canadien, ex-Mandala. ex-Bush) est lui-même remplacé en 1973 — après "

Other sources

  • "Los Angeles 'Sun-set' raves over The Mandala", Toronto Daily Star, December 12, 1966, page 18
  • "The Soul Sound of The Mandala", Canadian Teen Magazine, January–February 1967.
  • "This time, only a few shrieks for the Mandala", Toronto Daily Star, June 28, 1967, page 36
  • RPM Weekly magazine, week starting November 14, 1967.
  • The Toronto Telegram's "After Four" section on Thursdays advertised live gigs for the forthcoming week.
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