Mantra - ST

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	Hopscotch (Part 1) (Dick Kelder)	01:28
	2	Simple Joys (D'arcy Draper)	03:10
	3	Stay (D'arcy Draper)	02:58
	4	Depend on Somebody (D'arcy Draper)	03:35
	5	Hopscotch (Part 2) (Dick Kelder)	00:32
	6	Tomorrow Without You (D'arcy Draper)	05:32

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	Drifter (D'arcy Draper)	02:43
	2	Beatrices (D'arcy Draper)	03:15
	3	Hopscotch (Part 3) (Dick Kelder)	01:16
	4	Midnigh Train (D'arcy Draper)	02:01
	5	San Francisco Morning (D'arcy Draper)	03:17
	6	Dick's Song (Dick Kelder)	03:51

Photos

Videos

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Information/Write-up

1970 was a particularly fruitful time for Canadian albums. Cargo, l'Experience 9, l'Infonie, Life, Greatrix Freedom Band, Christmas (2 albums released in the same year), It's All Meat, Wayne McGhie & the Sounds of Joy, Bruce Haack, Hagood Hardy & the Montage, Tommy Graham and Friends, Innovation, Stephanie Taylor, Paul Lauzon, The Organization, Candy Rock Fountain, Sons of Erin, Noah, Spring Fever, Reign Ghost, Beverly Copeland, Souls of Inspyration, Trevor Dandy, Troyka, Gerry Hoelke and the Group, Morning Calm, Oliver Klaus, John Lyle, Judy Singh, Madrigal, Dianne Brooks, Tom & Judy, Happy Feeling, Fred Dixon & the Friday Afternoon, Sex, Brothers and One, Cycle, Nihilist Spasm Band, Ivar Avenue Reunion, May Blitz, Marius Cultier, 25ème Regiment, Freedom North, Perth County Conspiracy, Heads of Our Time, Marquis, Great Jones, Marc Hamilton, La Nouvelle Frontière, Phillip Werren, Kurt & Noah, New Creation, Flying Circus, Smyle, Magic Bubble, Claire Lepage & Compagnie, Blues Train, TCB, Mother Tuckers Yellow Duck, Sullivan's Gypsies, Jarvis Street Revue, Chimo, Dionysos, Cat, and Fullerton Dam, all released albums in 1970. Even Allan Thicke released an album in 1970. To gather all of these albums, well first you'd have to find them, but then you'd have to spend more than $25,000.00! Add another $300 if you wanted Neil Young's After the Gold Rush on the Reprise red text label. But many of them are far too elusive to track down, so they remain on many music collector's wantlists.

1970 also was the inaugural year of the Juno Awards, originally named the Gold Leaf Awards, and was held in February, 1970. Established by RPM Magazine, the 1970 winners included Andy Kim for best male vocalist; Ginette Reno for best female vocalist; The Guess Who for best group; Tommy Hunter for best male country artist; Diane Leigh for best female country artist; The Mercey Brothers for best country group; Gordon Lightfoot for best folk artist; The Poppy Family with "Which Way You Goin' Billy" for best single and best album.

Some truly phenomenal and legendary Canadian albums were released and received airplay in 1970 like Joni Mitchell's "Ladies of the Canyon" and Neil Young's "After the Goldrush".

Mantra released this album in 1970, on the tiny French Canadian label M.M. & C. 301. This label had 20 albums and about 8 45's, all of which were country, folklore, and fiddle; except for the Mantra LP.

Mantra were a band who hailed from from Montréal, Québec. They released this lone fantastic gem of an album. The album was accompanied by a lone 45: Stay b/w San Francisco Morning on, M.M. & C. 3604. The tracks on the albums were all by D'arcy Draper and Dick Kelder. All the Dick Kelder tracks are rather quirky instrumentals. Mantra consisted of D'arcy draper on the 12 string, 6 string and vocals; Dick Kelder on 6 string and vocals; Pierre Fauteux on bass and vocals; Graeme Lennox on piano, tambourine, and autoharp; David Walls on percussion; Larry Douglas on steel guitar; and Roger Landreville on jaw harp. The album was produced by Paul Menard. It was recorded at Champagne Studios, located at 6900 St-Denis Street, Montréal, P.Q. The album features soft folk psych with acoustic guitar, autoharp and tambourine, played lovingly from these seven talented musicians who went unrecognized. It was one of the best albums from 1970.
-Robert Williston, May, 2009

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