User:SpikeyMusik/sandbox

Castanarc are a progressive/soft rock music band based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, UK. Formed in 1978 by school friends David Powell and Mark Holiday, they were originally called Transic. Under this name they gigged extensively around Yorkshire and the north of England. In 1983 the band booked in to Fairview Studio, Hull to record their debut album 'Journey To The East' with engineer/producer John Spence. The line up on this album was David Powell-keyboards, Mark Holiday-vocals, Neil Duty-guitar and bass pedals, Paul Ineson-guitar, Dave Kirkland-Drums. Two non-band members contributed to two songs...Steve Barratt played guitar on 'Goodbye To All That' and John Sawyer played acoustic guitar on 'Rhyme'.

Towards the end of the recording session a local record label, Peninsula Records, became interested in the band and offered to distribute the record via Red Rhino and the cartel. The band subsequently recorded an extra track 'Journey To The East' which became the title track. The album was released in 1984 with artwork inspired by singer Mark Holiday. By 1985 the band had split up leaving Holiday & Powell to continue writing. They renewed their association with John Spence and recorded several pieces, some of which later became 'Rude Politics', Castanarc's 2nd album. In addition to Holiday & Powell the record featured appearances from Paul Ineson, Richard Burns and Pat Mount on guitars, John Sawyer on acoustic guitar and Pete Robinson on bass. Red Rhino had financed Rude Politics but when it was completed they had business problems and didn't pick the album up. The band's manager at the time, Shaun Arnold was able to licence the album to RCA Europe who released it in 1988. RCA also changed the album running order and issued the record with artwork not at all favoured by Holiday & Powell.