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PrintableMrSoulpower said: Many people don't understand Mandrill because they have a hard time categorizing them. They don't just change musical genres on one album, but within one song.
This rings true to me. Oddly, this is the quality I look for in an artist. Stranger still, people that have heard music that I have written and recorded would describe it in this same way. It would be unfortunate if I have allowed that very quality to turn me off to Mandrill. I will absolutely be giving Mandrill another listen, I just hope I haven't missed the boat. But given how I'm able to pick up on music that was recorded as far back as the 30's and 40's, it shouldn't be too late for Mandrill and I. MrSoulpower said: Maybe by giving Mandrill a chance again you'll not only learn more about them, but about your brother, too. If he was so much into Mandrill, he must have been heavy.
Funny you should say that, he died of heart complications due in part to having been so overweight for much of his life (I know that's not what you meant, lol) Yeah actually, the point you're making is a significant one: He most likely would have had some experience with the street and drug culture that seems to me would have been associated with this band and their music. At the very least, he would have had to have been SOME sort of Party Animal, which would have been a complete turnaround from his Holier Than Thou persona he tried pumping in later years. Actually, he tried to come off as "The Hip Rev", but what I remember of his love of Mandrill is telling me ANOTHER story (...and I'm listening!).  | |
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PFunkjazz said: Definitely due to a lack of radio hits. Mandrill's best songs are long album tracks. So you'd have to listen to the whole album and in those days it was either, blazin' up with your budddies or cueing up a cassete tape. Also, because of med school committments, they didn't tour much out West when they could have exploited big rock venues like EWF PFunk War and Commodores did.
That makes a lot of sense to me, and explains a lot!  | |
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theAudience said: MrSoulpower said: I didn't know you are friends with Nefty, but I should have known. Duh.
 I thought I told you that I played in a Rock group with Nefty for at least a year when I came out to L.A. in the early '80s.
Anyway, great stories.  I had no idea. If you have anything else to tell me, you might as well lay it all out on the table now!  | |
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PFunkjazz said: Definitely due to a lack of radio hits. Mandrill's best songs are long album tracks. So you'd have to listen to the whole album and in those days it was either, blazin' up with your budddies or cueing up a cassete tape. Also, because of med school committments, they didn't tour much out West when they could have exploited big rock venues like EWF PFunk War and Commodores did.
You're right ... Due to their musical diversity and the lack of radio formatted hi singles, Mandrill was impossible to market. Fencewalk was their only moderate hit. But they had a fantastic reputation for their live shows and were able to draw huge crowds (50,000 at Central Park isn't too bad). They did make it out to the West Coast though. Ric Wilson likes to tell the story about Mandrill's 2-weeks stint at the Fillmore (I believe) with Miles Davis, and he'd fly to New York to med school every morning and come back to San Francisco in the evening.
When they finally moved to Los Angeles, that's what's killed them, because there are not that many places to play on the West Coast. | |
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PDogz said: MrSoulpower said: Many people don't understand Mandrill because they have a hard time categorizing them. They don't just change musical genres on one album, but within one song.
This rings true to me. Oddly, this is the quality I look for in an artist. Stranger still, people that have heard music that I have written and recorded would describe it in this same way. It would be unfortunate if I have allowed that very quality to turn me off to Mandrill. I will absolutely be giving Mandrill another listen, I just hope I haven't missed the boat. But given how I'm able to pick up on music that was recorded as far back as the 30's and 40's, it shouldn't be too late for Mandrill and I. MrSoulpower said: Maybe by giving Mandrill a chance again you'll not only learn more about them, but about your brother, too. If he was so much into Mandrill, he must have been heavy.
Funny you should say that, he died of heart complications due in part to having been so overweight for much of his life (I know that's not what you meant, lol) Yeah actually, the point you're making is a significant one: He most likely would have had some experience with the street and drug culture that seems to me would have been associated with this band and their music. At the very least, he would have had to have been SOME sort of Party Animal, which would have been a complete turnaround from his Holier Than Thou persona he tried pumping in later years. Actually, he tried to come off as "The Hip Rev", but what I remember of his love of Mandrill is telling me ANOTHER story (...and I'm listening!). It's never too late to give it another shot ... and finding another connection with your late brother through music is a pretty awesome thing. | |
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MrSoulpower said: Who are you?
I'm the enchanting wizard of rhythm. Why did you come here? I came here to tell you about the rhythms of the universe. Will you please tell me about them? When rhythms fall through cosmic farce, they explode into colorful raindrops of time. And like tiny butterflies, they flap their wings and embrace rhythms of hope. Hoping that all or even wishing that all will be made free. Free like rhythms of water bathing within rhythms of light. And eventually evolving into a rainbow of life with colors of orange, yellow and green they reflect all rhythms of dreams and start simple rhythms of truth and make babies cry. And rhythms of sound blend with rhythms of space to create rhythms of joy and rhythms of sorrow that become one in your year of tomorrow. Tomorrow is when rhythms are voices singing freedom as if borrowing from universe all the rhythms of being... You can listen to it here: http://music.aol.com/song...hms/242975  | |
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MrSoulpower said: theAudience said: I thought I told you that I played in a Rock group with Nefty for at least a year when I came out to L.A. in the early '80s.
Anyway, great stories. I had no idea. If you have anything else to tell me, you might as well lay it all out on the table now! What do you want to know?
Most of this stuff I don't even think about until something triggers a memory. tA  Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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Tomorrow night, folks! Get your streamers ready! | |
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I have some of their albums but have nevr had the time 2 play them.
Are they any good? | |
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Graycap23 said: I have some of their albums but have nevr had the time 2 play them.
Are they any good? "good" would be an understatement, bro. Play 'em. You like Prince. You'll love Mandrill. | |
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we've just received some brand new Mandrill tracks that will be played on radio for the first time ever tonight ... | |
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Ric and Lou Wilson, founding members of 1970s Funk legend Mandrill, live on Midnight Soulstice now - The show starts in just minutes, at the top of the hour, at 11 pm Eastern. Listen live on the primary stream on www.wrir.org | |
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Download for last night's fantastic show with Ric and Lou Wilson of Mandrill:
http://wrir.org/x/modules...oryid=9171 | |
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I finally got to download this show this week and hear it today.
Man, that was great to have all those guys for the interview. Great stories! I'm probably gonna buy some reissues just to hear these albums sooner... no more waiting around/wishing on a star that I find originals! | |
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