At Progressive Rock Journal, we hold a deep commitment to celebrating and preserving musical heritage, particularly those rare and often overlooked treasures within the Progressive and Psychedelic music realms. The official vinyl reissue of “The World at Mind’s End,” brought to fruition by PQЯ-Disques Plusquereél, offers a unique opportunity to revisit Skywhale’s extraordinary journey—a band whose creative vision continues to resonate as a cult classic decades later.
In this interview, we aim to delve beneath the surface, exploring the historical context, artistic vision, and enduring significance of this remarkable album. Our conversation with the band promises to shed new light on the stories behind the music and the legacy Skywhale has carved out in Progressive Rock history.
How did the opportunity for this official vinyl reissue with PQЯ-Disques Plusquereél come about, and what convinced you it was the right time and partner for bringing “The World at Mind’s End” back to life?
I was contacted by George Rossolatos from PQR who told me of his passion for finding and re-releasing “lost gems”. Skywhale was one of them, so I accepted his proposal gladly.
How do you personally feel listening to the album after so many years, especially through the remastered version? Were there sonic details that surprised you?
Listening to the album again was very satisfying, the quality is excellent.
Could you take us back to the formation of Skywhale? How did the band members meet, and what was the original intention or vision behind the project?
We came from Yorkshire and formed the band in Bristol with the desire to move towards an original sound and style inclusive of our wide variety of musical influences.
The album title “The World at Mind’s End” is evocative and intriguing—what was the meaning behind it, and how did it reflect the band’s artistic identity at the time?
The name world at minds end is a whimsical mix. There’s a place we visited occasionally in London named Worlds end rd, and various titles of popular underground literature at the time somehow melted into one word.
Skywhale’s sound combined Progressive Rock, Fusion, Jazz-Rock and Psychedelic influences. Did you consider yourselves part of any specific scene or movement back then, particularly in the Bristol area?
We didn’t call our music prog rock back then, we felt jazz fusion and the very open “world music ” to be our niche. We mainly started out in blues and jazz but we all played many styles with many people.
Bristol has since become known for its musical diversity, but what was the local scene like during the late ’70s? Did you have much interaction with other bands or artists?
Indeed, Bristol is a fantastic melting pot of styles, lots of alternative, dance, dub, very funky jazz with which I’ve always been involved.
The original “The World at Mind’s End” came out on the independent label Firebrand Records—what do you remember about working with them, and how did the initial release unfold?
The original recording was the result of 8 years of rehearsals and gigging. Firebrand was a small but highly regarded independent label in Bristol that gave us recording time and lots of help. With Dennis Mann, the owner, and Mick Avery, our drummer, it was an incredible experience. The release was a bit messy, though, too many disagreements for the fun time it should have been.
The reissue mentions the restoration of the original artwork—how important was it for you to keep this historical accuracy in the re-release?
The covers were faithfully reproduced and the sound is very clean, fresh and strong. The highlight is the splatter version which is absolutely fantastic.
Did Skywhale record any material beyond the sole album? Are there any demos, live recordings or unreleased sessions still in existence?
We did few recordings of our live shows, all lost now. Hopefully someone I’m trying To get in touch with is in possession of a film.
Skywhale remained a live-performing band for some years after the album—could you share some memories from live shows, or particularly memorable performances?
We continued playing at some memorable gigs, clubs, universities, festivals such as Glastonbury for a couple of years until financial pressure forced us to part company. Most of us moved to London, I went to Copenhagen, then Switzerland, and after that spent a long time in Tokyo, gigging constantly.
The album’s visual identity is striking—who was responsible for the artwork and design, and how closely was it tied to the band’s music and message?
The album’s artwork was done by a friend from my teens, Carl Schofield, a very talented painter with fantastic ideas. I gave him a brief description of the style I was looking for and he came up with this very striking image. I loved it immediately, it did embody the other-worldiness that I hoped my music would convey.
With the benefit of hindsight, how would you describe the legacy of Skywhale within the broader Progressive and Fusion landscape? Do you feel the band was “ahead of its time”?
Skywhale did make an impact on the scene at the time, but we were never very popular. We did feel ahead of our time occasionally, but so were bands like George Duke, Chick Corea, Mahavisnu Orchestra.
Have you been following the evolution of the modern progressive scene? Do you see any parallels between current bands and the spirit of musical freedom Skywhale embodied?
Yes I follow many styles ..there a lot of very high quality funky jazz in Bristol as well as a thriving dance and new music scene..and I feel we’ve had an influence in some areas, many of today’s amazing players saw us live us as teens.
Lastly, if you could send a message to young listeners discovering “The World at Mind’s End” for the first time today, what would you like them to take away from the album?
And for any first time listeners. I was a very enthusiastic and joyfull 23 year old composer hoping to spread a little joy and some interesting diversity with my music,as well as having a great musical adventure I hope that comes through today.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Skywhale for sharing their invaluable insights and memories with us. Revisiting “The World at Mind’s End” through their eyes enriches our understanding and appreciation of an album that remains a beacon of creativity and innovation within the Progressive and Fusion scenes.
For our readers, we hope this interview inspires a deeper connection to Skywhale’s work and encourages exploration of their unique sound. As the vinyl reissue makes this music accessible once again, it stands as a testament to the lasting power of artistic vision and the importance of keeping musical heritage alive for new generations to discover.
Purchase the album here: https://pqrrecords.blogspot.com/2025/04/1st-official-vinyl-reissue-of-skywhale.html