Leslie Mándoki
Encyclopedia
Hungarian-born Leslie Mándoki (Mándoki László) (born January 7, 1953 in Budapest
) is a musician who performed for music group Dschinghis Khan
and has since then gone on to a solo performer.
Leslie Mandoki studied drums and percussion at the musical conservatory of Budapest in the early 1970s. At the same time he was a band leader for the local jazz-rock group JAM, citing groups like Cream and Jethro Tull
as his influence.
In July 1975 Leslie Mandoki together with Gabor Csupo
and others fled from Hungary
to Munich
, Germany
to avoid prosecution by the communist government for being a member of the student opposition.
At first unsuccessful as a solo musical artist, he became a member of the pop band Dschinghis Khan and later with more serious musical work. It was with one of Dschinghis Khan's greatest hits, Moskau
, that Leslie became recognized internationally as "that greasy guy in the Moskau video", most likely due to his rough appearance and over-zealous dance movements. This title was recognized only recently, as the stylings of the late 1970's quickly faded and views of Moskau's music video on websites such as YouTube
quickly increased.
. He has worked as a producer for many German and international acts, including No Angels
, Phil Collins
, Engelbert, Joshua Kadison
, Lionel Richie
and Jennifer Rush
. He also worked as a musical director for commercials, with clients Audi
, Daimler and Disney.
broadcast throughout Europe in 1979, finishing on 4th place.
He performed on 15 episodes of the music show "ZDF Hitparade" with Dschinghis Khan between 1979 and 1982.
In 2003 he played a guest role on three episodes of the German teenager television series Schloss Einstein
.
In April and November 2004 Mandoki produced and guest-starred in a band dubbed Soulmates together with many acclaimed international artists in the two-part television show "50 Jahre Rock" (50 years of rock) on ZDF
hosted by Thomas Gottschalk
.
Material from these shows was later used for the album "Legends of Rock".
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
) is a musician who performed for music group Dschinghis Khan
Dschinghis Khan
Dschinghis Khan was a West German pop band, created in 1979 to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest. The name of the band was chosen to fit the song of the same name, written and produced by Ralph Siegel with lyrics by Bernd Meinunger....
and has since then gone on to a solo performer.
Leslie Mandoki studied drums and percussion at the musical conservatory of Budapest in the early 1970s. At the same time he was a band leader for the local jazz-rock group JAM, citing groups like Cream and Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
as his influence.
In July 1975 Leslie Mandoki together with Gabor Csupo
Gábor Csupó
Gábor Csupó is a Hungarian-born animator, writer, film director and music producer. He is co-founder of the animation studio Klasky Csupo, which has produced shows like Rugrats, Duckman, and Aaahh!!! Real Monsters.-Career:...
and others fled from Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
to Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to avoid prosecution by the communist government for being a member of the student opposition.
At first unsuccessful as a solo musical artist, he became a member of the pop band Dschinghis Khan and later with more serious musical work. It was with one of Dschinghis Khan's greatest hits, Moskau
Moskau
Moskau is the German name of Moscow, capital of Russia.Moskau may also refer to:*"Moskau" , from the album Dschinghis Khan*"Moskau", a song by Rammstein from the album Reise, Reise...
, that Leslie became recognized internationally as "that greasy guy in the Moskau video", most likely due to his rough appearance and over-zealous dance movements. This title was recognized only recently, as the stylings of the late 1970's quickly faded and views of Moskau's music video on websites such as YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
quickly increased.
Discography
- Back to myself (1982)
- Strangers in a Paradise (1988)
Tracks:- On Principle, 5:24 (Mandoki/Bencker)
- Love Song, 4:37 (Mandoki/Bencker)
- I am over you, Honey, 4:18 (Mandoki/Bencker)
- Strangers in a Paradise, 6:15 (Mandoki/Bencker)
- We need a second Chance, 4:49 (Mandoki/Bencker)
- Korea, 6:01 (Mandoki/Bencker)
- Deadly Angel, 3:53 (Mandoki/Bencker)
- We'll fall in Love again, 5:37 (Mandoki/Bencker)
- I wanna get back home, 5:12 (Mandoki/Bencker)
- Lost in Time, 6:56 (Mandoki/Bencker)
- Out of Key … with the Time (1991)
Tracks:- Blind to Reason
- Light in the Dark
- Sad Song
- I feel the Heat again
- Refugees
- With Tears in my Eyes
- Big Brother is watching you
- Sealed in the past Time Paradise
- Lonely Eyes
- Boxing Shadows
- The End of the Road
- People (1993)
Tracks:- On the edge of Hell
- Hold on to your Dreams
- I dance through my Dreams
- Carry me home
- Blue Mood
- Life is like a strange Song
- Imagine
- Mother Europe
- Why don't you stop
- In Times of Change
- Love and Money
- Last Night
- People in Room No. 8 (1996)
Tracks:- Let the Music show you the Way
- The Journey is long
- On and on
- Diggin' down too deep
- Nothing or everything
- I believe
- Am I strong enough
- Everyday
- Borrowed Love
- Where I was born
- Reborn Desire
- Rainbow Angel
- Never give in
- If we try
- Back to Budapest
- Hold on to your Dreams
- Soulmates (2002)
Tracks:- Crossing the Timeline
- Daydream
- Highest Hopes and darkest Fears
- A Dreamer's not a Fool
- Look up to the Sky
- The endless Power of Change
- Playing with the Time
- One Night a Day
- Is there a Dream left
- I lost my heart in China
- Pictures of Life
- Room No. 8
- Last Day of Summer
- Soulmates – Jazz Cuts (2003)
Tracks:- Pictures of Life
- Carry me home
- Life is like a strange Song
- Look up to the Sky
- Still running wild
- A pale blue fragile Day
- Highest Hopes and Darkest Fears
- We're not young enough to know everything
- Room No. 8
- Look up to the Sky (Reprise)
- Soulmates – Classic, adapted for String Quartet (2003)
Tracks:- Crossing the Timeline
- Daydream
- Highest Hopes and darkest Fears
- A Dreamer's not a Fool
- Look up to the Sky
- The endless Power of Change
- Playing with the Time
- One Night a Day
- Is there a Dream left
- I lost my heart in China
- Pictures of Life
- Room No. 8
- Last Day of Summer
Producer
Mandoki has rented the Park Studios near Lake StarnbergLake Starnberg
Lake Starnberg , 25 kilometers southwest of Munich in southern Bavaria, is Germany's fifth largest freshwater lake and, due to its large average depth, the second richest in water...
. He has worked as a producer for many German and international acts, including No Angels
No Angels
The No Angels are an all-female pop trio from Germany, consisting of band members Lucy Diakovska, Sandy Mölling, and Jessica Wahls. Critically acclaimed, the band has won dozen of awards and prizes since their establishment in the early 2000s, including three ECHOs, a World Music Awards, a NRJ...
, Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
, Engelbert, Joshua Kadison
Joshua Kadison
Joshua Kadison is an American singer-songwriter, pianist, and writer.- Early life :Joshua grew up in and around Los Angeles, California, the younger of two sons. His mother was of Mexican-American Indian descent. At age 12 he started playing the piano and subsequently started to write songs...
, Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
and Jennifer Rush
Jennifer Rush
Jennifer Rush is an American/German-based pop/rock singer, best known for the million-selling single "The Power of Love", which she co-wrote and which went on to be covered by Laura Branigan and Celine Dion.-Career:...
. He also worked as a musical director for commercials, with clients Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
, Daimler and Disney.
Television
Dschinghis Khan was the German entry for the Eurovision Song ContestEurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
broadcast throughout Europe in 1979, finishing on 4th place.
He performed on 15 episodes of the music show "ZDF Hitparade" with Dschinghis Khan between 1979 and 1982.
In 2003 he played a guest role on three episodes of the German teenager television series Schloss Einstein
Schloss Einstein
Schloss Einstein is a is a long-running, popular German television program, designed as a teenage soap opera, which describes the life of teenagers in the fictional boarding school Schloss Einstein...
.
In April and November 2004 Mandoki produced and guest-starred in a band dubbed Soulmates together with many acclaimed international artists in the two-part television show "50 Jahre Rock" (50 years of rock) on ZDF
ZDF
Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen , ZDF, is a public-service German television broadcaster based in Mainz . It is run as an independent non-profit institution, which was founded by the German federal states . The ZDF is financed by television licence fees called GEZ and advertising revenues...
hosted by Thomas Gottschalk
Thomas Gottschalk
Thomas Johannes Gottschalk is a German TV host. He is best-known for hosting the popular show Wetten, dass..?, which he has led to a huge success in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and South Tyrol.-Early life:...
.
Material from these shows was later used for the album "Legends of Rock".