It came as a shock to fans when Tony Clarkin’s family announced his passing. Incredibly sad news. Tony had announced over the holidays that a medical issue forced the cancellation of the band’s upcoming tour, and that the band’s new album is set to be released this Friday! Sad that the album will be released without it’s main creative force their to see it. Tony Clarkin was the band’s co-founder (along with singer Bob Catley), he was guitarist, and wrote pretty much all of the band’s material put to tape since the 70s. Clarkin’s distinctive guitar sound, songs, and storytelling lyrics were what made Magnum a unique, and classic British band. Despite never finding success in North America, the band had a huge following throughout the rest of the world, and consistently released excellent albums, particularly since their reformation in the early 2000s.
Although I had heard of Magnum in the 80s, they didn’t play over here (beyond 1983 or so, I believe!?), and aside from “On A Storyteller’s Night”, I would’ve not heard anything of theirs’ on rock radio back in the day. It was 2009’s Into the Valley Of The Moonking that I received and I was immediately hooked and wanted to hear more! I’ve enjoyed every album since, and gone back to fill in he decades of great music I missed with albums like Kingdom Of Madness, Chase The Dragon, On A Storyteller’s Night, Wings Of Heaven, and post-2000’s Brand New Morning, Princess Alice And The Broken Arrow, and the Escape From Shadow Garden, as well as the awesome Wings Of Heaven Live . Magnum may not have had the success of many bands that broke big over here, but they are British rock royalty to me. A classic band that Tony Clarkin lead in recording some 23(+) studio albums. Currently listening to the band’s new album Here Comes The Rain, another classic Magnum album of Tony Clarkin songs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDQC78U-no8
LINKS:
https://bravewords.com/news/magnum-founder-tony-clarkin-has-passed-away-following-short-illness
https://www.facebook.com/groups/MagnumOfficial
https://www.facebook.com/magnumbandpage
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Magnum.fan.group
https://www.instagram.com/magnum_uk/?hl=en
Outsider Rock 