Steve's Recollections: George Olliver and The Mandala
By: Steve
Last Updated: September 16, 2002
I grew up in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, a (then) small town outside Toronto. I played in bands (drummer) as a teenager and again for many years as an adult. Soul and r & b were staples.
I was blown away by your description of your first Mandala concert - I saw the same concert, but many miles away, and it had the same effect on me. I first saw Mandala when I was about 14 years old (I'm 50 now) at, of all places, a Legion Hall. And they put on the same kind of show you describe seeing in Hollywood. It was the first time I got goosebumps from live music.
I have since seen George with many bands, some really good, others not so good. One of them, in the late 60's, was called "George Olliver and Friends" and was truly inspired. When I think of it, ever since I have always measured live concerts against those early George Olliver acts, and few have measured up - including Hendrix and Led Zeppelin.
never saw Mandala with Roy Kenner, but I did see him with his previous band, called RK and the Associates. I agree he was a letdown from George.
My impression is that the Mandala's soul crusade was more of a show business thing, and that the passion came from a love of soul music and R&B. At that time Toronto had several really good soul bands.
A big part of the Toronto sound was that distorted Hammond B-3 sound with lots of Leslie. Some organ players from around Toronto took that sound to the U.S. For example, Steppenwolf came from a Toronto soul band called John Kay and the Sparrows. Paul Schaffer comes from north of Toronto. Rhinoceros came from a Toronto soul band called Jon Lee and the Checkmates. The Rhinoceros organ player, Michael Fonfara, went on to play with Al Kooper and Electric Flag, and still plays with various acts around Toronto. One of the best live acts I've ever seen since that first Olliver concert was about 5 years ago, a duo playing in a small Scottish pub, with Fonfara on piano and an absolutely dynamite singer called Johnny Wright. I got those same shivers I'd first experienced courtesy of George and the 5 Rogues. One of my daughters describes that feeling as "getting a melon-head". She says it feels like a melon is growing out of the top of your head!
The last time I saw him - about 4 years ago - he was playing in a hotel bar in Hamilton Ontario, with a band that included a few young players he was just breaking in. The band played secular cover tunes, good but not overpowering like the early George. I had not heard that George was into Christian music at all.
The most striking thing about George when I last saw him was how young he looked. He truly looked 10 years younger than he had 15 years before, when I had last seen him. It was almost eerie. Something is sure rejuvenating the man; maybe it is some newfound faith.