Band History
April '05 / Jo Sings in Chicago
Jo sings at a promotional concert in Chicago for the 'New Irish Hymns' album series along with US singer Margaret Becker and Kirsty Getty.
Dave completes the 'When Worlds Collide' duo album mixes and the IONA Live DVD concert music is sent to LA to be mixed in 5.1 surround sound by John Kellogg.
Dave completes the 'When Worlds Collide' duo album mixes and the IONA Live DVD concert music is sent to LA to be mixed in 5.1 surround sound by John Kellogg.
May '05 - June '05 / Introspective Series DVD
Planned to be a comprehensive history of the band featuring much rare archive footage, quite a bit of new material was filmed in 2005 for an IONA 'INTROSPECTIVE SERIES' DVD release by Voiceprint, including interviews with band members past and present and discussion of some of the band's classic tracks with examples from the original multi-track tapes. IONA co-founders Dave Bainbridge and David Fitzgerald reunited at Dave's Open Sky Studio, where they were filmed for the DVD discussing and playing pieces from the band's first 2 albums and also jamming together. Sadly the DVD (and several others in the series) is later shelved following a dispute between Voiceprint and the company who were filming the DVD .....
July '05 / First Norway Gig
The band play their first ever gig in Norway in the beautiful location of 'The Seaside Festival'.
Troy works again with Maddy Prior on a new album during the summer (and tours with her in the winter).
Troy works again with Maddy Prior on a new album during the summer (and tours with her in the winter).
August '05 / When World's Collide Released
Joanne is filmed on the island of Lindisfarne for a 'Songs of Praise' special on the island to be broadcast in November. She sings (appropriately!) the IONA song 'Lindisfarne'. Later in the month Jo has a serious back & neck operation which keeps her out of action for several months, but the surgery goes very well.
Troy and Dave's second album 'When World's Collide' is released. Featuring five live tracks recorded in the UK at the end of 2003 and five studio tracks, this is a good representation of the material that Troy and Dave have been performing to enthusiastic audiences in both the UK and Japan between 2003 and 2005. With a mix of material spanning Troy's solo projects, the IONA repertoire and the traditional, the album features big dynamic contrasts ranging from the intimate to the full on epic.
Troy and Dave's second album 'When World's Collide' is released. Featuring five live tracks recorded in the UK at the end of 2003 and five studio tracks, this is a good representation of the material that Troy and Dave have been performing to enthusiastic audiences in both the UK and Japan between 2003 and 2005. With a mix of material spanning Troy's solo projects, the IONA repertoire and the traditional, the album features big dynamic contrasts ranging from the intimate to the full on epic.
September '05 / Live in London DVD mixed
The last week in September saw Troy heading off to sunny Los Angeles to supervise the final tweaks of the audio mixes by John Kellogg at Future Disc Systems for the IONA Live In London DVD. Dave and Troy report that the 5.1 surround mixes are sounding fantastic! The final mixes are mastered by world renowned mastering engineer Steve Hall.
The last week in September saw Troy heading off to sunny Los Angeles to supervise the final tweaks of the audio mixes by John Kellogg at Future Disc Systems for the IONA Live In London DVD. Dave and Troy report that the 5.1 surround mixes are sounding fantastic! The final mixes are mastered by world renowned mastering engineer Steve Hall.
October '05 / New Album Tracks
Quite a bit of work is done on the new studio album, with most of the drum tracks and vocals being completed in Dave and Frank's respective home studios, Troy and Dave add more of Troy's pipes and whistles and Joanne completes most of the main vocal parts - her first singing since her operation.
Jo also records vocals for a new version of the track 'Journey Into The Morn' for the new 'Songs for Luca 2' album. This features a new extended, rocky instrumental section on which Dave hopes to feature some very special guests....
Quite a bit of work is done on the new studio album, with most of the drum tracks and vocals being completed in Dave and Frank's respective home studios, Troy and Dave add more of Troy's pipes and whistles and Joanne completes most of the main vocal parts - her first singing since her operation. Jo also records vocals for a new version of the track 'Journey Into The Morn' for the new 'Songs for Luca 2' album. This features a new extended, rocky instrumental section on which Dave hopes to feature some very special guests....
December '05 / Songs for Luca 2
Work continues on the new album recording at Dave's, Frank's and Troy's respective home studios.
Dave and Debbie Bainbridge report that they're getting a fantastic response from artists wanting to be involved in the new 'Songs for Luca 2' album to help raise more funds to finance their homebased Son-Rise program for their autistic son Luca. Artists on board to date include: Moya Brennan (Clannad vocalist) who's sent a beautiful exclusive track from a radio recording, Dave Beegle (davebeegle.com) - a superb US guitarist, whether playing flamenco or blistering rock! Joanne Hogg (our very own!) - with a new version of 'Journey Into The Morn', featuring (we hope) some very special guests... Nick Fletcher - brilliant classical guitarist who's coming over to Open Sky Studio to record one of his own compositions exclusively for the album, Mssrs Donockley and Bainbridge (probably an exclusive live track) and Debbie Bainbridge - (haunting piano piece).
Other artists whom we hope will be included: Oliver Wakeman (son of Rick), Chasing the Monsoon - (splinter group from Karnataka) Heather Findlay - (lovely singer from Mostly Autumn), Kenso - fantastic Japanese progressive band, Keith Baker - (US dulcimer player), Jason Williams - (US guitarist, keyboardist) on a collaboration with Frank and Dave, Richard John Thompson - (singer songwriter), and Roine Stolte - (wonderful Flower Kings guitarist)
December - Jo and Dave spend a long day with the Live In London DVD editor Tom Grimshaw in Manchester overseeing the final video edits.
Other 2005 highlights:
LATEST COMPILATION ALBUM RELEASE
'CPR volume 2' (short for Christian Progressive Rock!) includes 'Over the Waters' from Dave's solo album as well as contributions from Neal Morse and others. (For further details see www.cprogrock.com.)
Troy contributes, uilleann pipes, low whistle, tin whistle and E-Bow guitar to a superb new album from US folk artist Jennifer Cutting.
A nice history of the band (in German) appears at ww.radio-euro.de
2005 is the year that many people start hearing Iona's music being played in various retail chains throughout the UK - Kwik Save, Wilkinsons, Carphone Warehouse, B & Q, IKea, Mcdonald's etc etc! The track being heard is Matthew - The Man which has somehow made its way onto a compilation tape assembled specifically as background music for these stores!! Luke-the Calf is also heard as telephone hold music for Carphone Warehouse!
After publishing a printed newsletter for the last 15 years for subscribers to 'Friends of Iona', the band finally take the decision to send only email newsletters from now on due to rising print costs and speed of communication.
Work continues on the new album recording at Dave's, Frank's and Troy's respective home studios.Dave and Debbie Bainbridge report that they're getting a fantastic response from artists wanting to be involved in the new 'Songs for Luca 2' album to help raise more funds to finance their homebased Son-Rise program for their autistic son Luca. Artists on board to date include: Moya Brennan (Clannad vocalist) who's sent a beautiful exclusive track from a radio recording, Dave Beegle (davebeegle.com) - a superb US guitarist, whether playing flamenco or blistering rock! Joanne Hogg (our very own!) - with a new version of 'Journey Into The Morn', featuring (we hope) some very special guests... Nick Fletcher - brilliant classical guitarist who's coming over to Open Sky Studio to record one of his own compositions exclusively for the album, Mssrs Donockley and Bainbridge (probably an exclusive live track) and Debbie Bainbridge - (haunting piano piece).
Other artists whom we hope will be included: Oliver Wakeman (son of Rick), Chasing the Monsoon - (splinter group from Karnataka) Heather Findlay - (lovely singer from Mostly Autumn), Kenso - fantastic Japanese progressive band, Keith Baker - (US dulcimer player), Jason Williams - (US guitarist, keyboardist) on a collaboration with Frank and Dave, Richard John Thompson - (singer songwriter), and Roine Stolte - (wonderful Flower Kings guitarist)
December - Jo and Dave spend a long day with the Live In London DVD editor Tom Grimshaw in Manchester overseeing the final video edits.
Other 2005 highlights:
LATEST COMPILATION ALBUM RELEASE
'CPR volume 2' (short for Christian Progressive Rock!) includes 'Over the Waters' from Dave's solo album as well as contributions from Neal Morse and others. (For further details see www.cprogrock.com.)
Troy contributes, uilleann pipes, low whistle, tin whistle and E-Bow guitar to a superb new album from US folk artist Jennifer Cutting.
A nice history of the band (in German) appears at ww.radio-euro.de
2005 is the year that many people start hearing Iona's music being played in various retail chains throughout the UK - Kwik Save, Wilkinsons, Carphone Warehouse, B & Q, IKea, Mcdonald's etc etc! The track being heard is Matthew - The Man which has somehow made its way onto a compilation tape assembled specifically as background music for these stores!! Luke-the Calf is also heard as telephone hold music for Carphone Warehouse!
After publishing a printed newsletter for the last 15 years for subscribers to 'Friends of Iona', the band finally take the decision to send only email newsletters from now on due to rising print costs and speed of communication.
January '06 / New Album Recording
Recording continues on the new IONA album at Dave's Open Sky Studio (and in February).
Dave mixes two new pieces of music for use with the menu animations on the forthcoming 'Live In London' DVD - featuring Frank's great drum rhythm from the track 'Strength' and some improvised vocals from Jo.
Rick Wakeman contacts Dave to say that he will be playing a track from Dave's 'Veil of Gossamer' solo album on his Planet Rock radio show.
Recording continues on the new IONA album at Dave's Open Sky Studio (and in February).Dave mixes two new pieces of music for use with the menu animations on the forthcoming 'Live In London' DVD - featuring Frank's great drum rhythm from the track 'Strength' and some improvised vocals from Jo.
Rick Wakeman contacts Dave to say that he will be playing a track from Dave's 'Veil of Gossamer' solo album on his Planet Rock radio show.
March '06 / The Circling Hour Completed
Recording is completed on 'The Circling Hour'. Dave flies to Los Angeles to work with John Kellogg (who has worked on 5.1 surround sound mixes for Chicago, Foreigner, Deep Purple, ELP, The Black Crowes and many more) on the early stages of the album mix. John brings a new clarity and directness to the IONA sound, whilst retaining the huge dynamic range the band are known for.
Recording is completed on 'The Circling Hour'. Dave flies to Los Angeles to work with John Kellogg (who has worked on 5.1 surround sound mixes for Chicago, Foreigner, Deep Purple, ELP, The Black Crowes and many more) on the early stages of the album mix. John brings a new clarity and directness to the IONA sound, whilst retaining the huge dynamic range the band are known for.
