Mantra
Mantra
released their first, and only, self tilted album on Casablanca
in 81. The band included Roger Harris, lead vocals, Paul Drennan,
guitar and background vocals, Kenny Burch, keyboard and background
vocals, Eric Alexander, bass guitar and background vocals,
Bobby Lovelace, drums, David Webber, trumpet, keyboard and
background vocals and Henry Cleveland, trombone, keyboard
and background vocals. The band not only included seven members
but the album itself included the same number of tracks. The
set was produced by experienced funk players Larry Blackmon
and Anthony Lockett from legendary funk band Cameo. Mantra
was one of their protégé bands and it was reflected
in many ways. Blackmon together with Lockett not only produced
the set but wrote all tracks except "Doin' it to the
bone" and the music inherited much of the "Cameo
sound".
The cover
featured a very colorful and expressive funky picture on the
front with a black and white photo on the back.
Down
to business
The music
was unmistakably Cameo style inspired even though Mantra couldn't
compete with Cameo's own album "Knights of the soundtable"
that same year. The most noted hits were the catchy "Doin'
it to the bone", that charted, together with their probably
best track, the intense disco funk hone blower of "Action".
Also jam-on "Do you wanna" on side two was a notable funk
track. The rest were pending from average to poor and didn't
show anything of particular interest with the exception of
the two appealing ballads "Promise me" and "Let's
stay together".
Like always,
when outside writers are used that already got a band of their
own, it's crucial how they use their material. Blackmon and
Lockett simply didn't put their best efforts on Mantra's album,
a fact that most likely played an important part in their
early departure. In comparison, Cameo's album in 81 did have
more steam and thrust than Mantra even though the best tracks
of Mantra wasn't in any way less potential or interesting
than Cameo's.
Summing
it up
Even
though they didn't came up with any sensational or innovative
music, much due to the fact that they didn't receive the best
material from Blackmon and Lockett, the debut still shows
a competent and appealing result with musical qualities over
the average level. The album is also a really rare gem to
have and certainly worth a closer look, but most likely only
for serious funk lovers and especially if you like Cameo style
music.
Despite
a rather promising start the album didn't sell enough for
a second release and the band soon vanished as just another
short lived funk group.
After
math
Very little
is known about the destiny of the members after Mantra. The
most successful of them became drummer Bobby Lovelace as he
joined classic electro funk band Midnight Star in 83 as a
drummer and background singer. In this new costume he experienced
awesome success with hits like "Electricity", "Body
snatcher" and "Operator". He also performed
as background singer and played drums on The Whispers album
"So good" in 84. Lovelace is still jamming with
Midnight star. Their latest achievement are the CD "15th
avenue" from 2002 on which he not only play drums and
percussion but also is the executive producer of.
Henry
Cleveland has later on played trombone on several jazz and
gospel influenced tracks during the 90s but is otherwise unknown.
Lead vocalist
Roger Harris became in 1982 one of the founders of funk band
LA. connection that was just another Blackmon protégé
band. The set that Blackmon produced included some pretty
decent stuff with some obvious similarities in sound with
Mantra even though the material of Mantra got a more exiting
appeal over all. Even so, that wasn't enough and the band
joined the same destiny as Mantra did after releasing only
one album. His later achievements are also, like the rest
of the band's members, unknown.
What ever
they do today Mantra will always be their own little funk
adventure in the early 80s as a part of their musical evolution.
Patrik
Andersson
Discography
of Mantra
Please click on the image below to see a complete list of
the songs.
Album
cover
(if available)
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Title,
year & format
(if
available)
|
Mantra
|
|
1981
(LP)
|
All original release years
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Copyright © 1999-2025 Thanks to Francis Depuydt.
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