Mandu - To The Shores Of His Heaven 1974

The elusive and mysterious Mándu is known mainly for his impressive vocals on two Lobby Loyde albums (Obsecration and Live With Dubs). However, there is more to his story… Mándu arrived in Melbourne from Queensland in the early Seventies with hopes of securing a record contract. With a series of unsuccessful bands behind him, the singer had developed a new persona (Mándu) and written a peerless batch of songs that would form the basis of his extraordinary concept album To The Shores Of His Heaven. Ex-Pop Star-turned-label boss John Blanchfield was so blown away by Mándu’s audition that he signed him on the spot and immediately put him into Armstrong’s studios to rehearse and record.

Inspired by the organic approach used by Van Morrison for his classic Astral Weeks album, Blanchfield, with producer-engineer Ern Rose, set about creating a purpose-built ensemble utilizing some of Australia’s most talented and creative musicians – including guitar maestro Phil Manning (Chain), bassist Barry Sullivan (Wild Cherries, Chain), and drummer Gary Young (Daddy Cool). Keyboard player Peter Sullivan also works wonders with his absolutely beautiful string arrangements.

The resultant album; To The Shores Of His Heaven, is one of the best and most original records ever made in this country – and a must-hear for fans of Tim Buckley, Van Morrison, and Terry Reid - at turns gentle and ethereal, spacious and mystical. Sadly, despite the stellar musical backing, a striking image, and Mándu’s incredible voice, the album was a disappointing flop. A follow-up single, a highly original take on the Rolling Stones’ classic “Gimme Shelter”, suffered a similar fate and after that, Mándu turned his back on a solo career

Mandu joined as the vocalist in Lobby Loyde’s Southern Electric in late 1975 and recorded the classic Obsecration album before leaving on the eve of the band’s move to the UK.

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