Band History
April '94 / 'Treasure' Charts In US
Two IONA tracks are featured on a compilation cassette issued by the 'British Progressive Rock Journal'; 'Final Journey' and 'Treasure' (single edit).
The US single version of 'Treasure' goes in at numbers 8 and 14 respectively in two of America's Christian music charts.
Two IONA tracks are featured on a compilation cassette issued by the 'British Progressive Rock Journal'; 'Final Journey' and 'Treasure' (single edit).The US single version of 'Treasure' goes in at numbers 8 and 14 respectively in two of America's Christian music charts.
May '94 / BBC Broadcasts
First broadcast of 'Snowdonia - Realm of the Raven', the Natural World series on BBC2 which features specially commissioned music by IONA.
The band perform two songs 'live' on the BBC1 TV programme 'Heart and Soul'. UK tour including successful gig at The Grand Theatre in Clapham with Eden Burning.
The band perform two songs 'live' on the BBC1 TV programme 'Heart and Soul'. UK tour including successful gig at The Grand Theatre in Clapham with Eden Burning.
June '94 / First US Appearance
Appearance at Glastonbury Festival on the Avalon Stage. The band's first visit to the USA appearing at Cornerstone Festival.
July '94 / Festival for 25K People
The band appear at Creation festival in the USA in front of 25,000 people.
August '94
Writing sessions in Ireland with Joanne. Thanks to a distribution link with Permanent Records, 'Beyond These Shores' becomes the first IONA album available nationwide in Our Price stores.
September '94 / UK Tour / Nick Beggs Resigns
UK tour (the band's most extensive to date). The band is supported by singer/songwriter Iain Archer from Ireland.
Nick Beggs resigns from the band. Nick's departure leaves a difficult hole to fill. Amazingly Tim Harries is free to do the whole of the UK tour. He learns the whole set with only two days rehearsal and jettisons all his music by the second gig!
Mike Haughton is unable to make the last few gigs on the UK tour or the German/Dutch tour due to landing a place in the Cliff Richard band. His place is admirably filled by Mike Parlett (who has previously played with Take That, Gabrielle and Yazz among others). The addition of Mike's expertise on percussion and wind synthesiser is an added bonus as is his ability to get the audience clapping in 9/8 time!
The band play a short one off acoustic set at the 'In the City' event in Manchester. Andy Coughlan - session bass player and member of the Mal Pope band - fills in.
Nick Beggs resigns from the band. Nick's departure leaves a difficult hole to fill. Amazingly Tim Harries is free to do the whole of the UK tour. He learns the whole set with only two days rehearsal and jettisons all his music by the second gig!
Mike Haughton is unable to make the last few gigs on the UK tour or the German/Dutch tour due to landing a place in the Cliff Richard band. His place is admirably filled by Mike Parlett (who has previously played with Take That, Gabrielle and Yazz among others). The addition of Mike's expertise on percussion and wind synthesiser is an added bonus as is his ability to get the audience clapping in 9/8 time!
The band play a short one off acoustic set at the 'In the City' event in Manchester. Andy Coughlan - session bass player and member of the Mal Pope band - fills in.
October '94 / UK Tour / First Gigs in Ireland
UK tour continues, including the band's first gigs in Ireland. Maire Brennan (from Clannad) comes to the Dublin show.
November '94 / German/Dutch Tour
German/Dutch tour (the band's first). Unfortunately Tim Harries is unavailable due to prior commitments with Steeleye Span so the bass spot on the tour is filled by Luca Genta. Luca is an Italian multi-instrumentalist living in Holland. Dave Bainbridge toured with Luca in a stage production of a musical presentation called 'The Passion' by Adrian Snell back in 1990.
Luca does a great job learning the set and also contributes whistle and recorder on a few tracks.
Luca does a great job learning the set and also contributes whistle and recorder on a few tracks.
December '94 / Joanne Awarded 'Best Female Vocalist'
German/Dutch tour continues.
Joanne is awarded the Classic Rock Appreciation Society's 'Best Female Vocalist' award for 1994.
A deal is completed with the 'Pony Canyon' label in Japan for distribution there of Iona's first three albums.
Joanne is awarded the Classic Rock Appreciation Society's 'Best Female Vocalist' award for 1994.
A deal is completed with the 'Pony Canyon' label in Japan for distribution there of Iona's first three albums.
February '95 - June '95 / 'Journey into the Morn' Recorded
Recording of 'Journey Into The Morn' at Neil Costello's Soundfield studio in the heart of the lovely Derbyshire countryside.
The studio, set up in a 200 year old barn (formerly a craft centre), proves to be a superb working environment with its beautiful setting looking out onto fields filled with sheep and new born lambs.
March - At the completion of the band's original 3 album contract with Word, a joint deal is signed with Alliance (in the UK) and Forefront (in the USA).
The deal is a vast improvement on the previous one with Word and leaves the band the option to pursue other licensing deals to get the next three albums out to a wider audience.
The band 65dba (now 'dba') work on a white label 'ambient dance' album, which includes their remix of the track 'Beyond These Shores'. Jo also guests on another track on the album.
HMV take on several hundred copies of the first 2 albums and have a dedicated 'Iona' section in some stores (in the 'folk' section).
Recording of 'Journey Into The Morn' at Neil Costello's Soundfield studio in the heart of the lovely Derbyshire countryside.The studio, set up in a 200 year old barn (formerly a craft centre), proves to be a superb working environment with its beautiful setting looking out onto fields filled with sheep and new born lambs.
March - At the completion of the band's original 3 album contract with Word, a joint deal is signed with Alliance (in the UK) and Forefront (in the USA).
The deal is a vast improvement on the previous one with Word and leaves the band the option to pursue other licensing deals to get the next three albums out to a wider audience.
The band 65dba (now 'dba') work on a white label 'ambient dance' album, which includes their remix of the track 'Beyond These Shores'. Jo also guests on another track on the album.
HMV take on several hundred copies of the first 2 albums and have a dedicated 'Iona' section in some stores (in the 'folk' section).
