Mark Stanway is an English musician. He was the keyboard player for the English Prog Rock bandMagnum from 1980 until the end of 2016.
Career
Mark first appeared with Magnum on the 1980 recording of Chase the Dragon Mark provided keyboards on every studio album release from 1980 until his departure in 2016 In 1984 Mark formed Grand Slam with Phil Lynott after a Phil Lynott Solo tour in Sweden in the Summer of 1983, this band was with Phil on bass, Mark on keyboards, John Sykes on guitar, Brian Downey on drums and Doish Nagle on rhythm guitar, which later evolved into Grand Slam, Sykes later left to join Whitesnake and was replaced by Laurence Archer upon Mark’s recommendation. In 2016 Mark reformed Grand Slam for a Sweden Rock Festival performance with Micky Barker on drums, Neil Murray on bass, Laurence Archer on guitar and Stefan Berggren on vocals. During this career, Mark has performed and or recorded with many notable artists over the years including Robert Plant, Roy Wood, M3 Classic Whitesnake, featuring original Whitesnake members Moody, Marsden and Murray, Swiss Star Bastian Baker, Jimmy Copley, Manfred Mann’s Earthband, The Quireboys, The Dogs D’amour, Mississippi blues singer Lisa Mills, Karl Wayne, Junior Giscombe, Spike Gray, Simon Kirke, Luke Morley, The Sweden RockSymphony Orchestra amongst many more. Mark played keyboards on Magnum's successful On a Storyteller's Night album. Their success continued the following year with the Roger Taylor produced Vigilante in 1986, the top 5 album Wings of Heaven in 1988, and the Keith Olsen produced Goodnight L.A. which reached No. 9 in the UK album charts in 1990. This period of Magnum’s height is regarded by many as the Classic Magnum Era. On Friday 9 December 2016, Mark announced that he has left Magnum, mid-way through their 5 date Divine Lies Winter Tour. He cited "irrevocable circumstances". . Since Mark’s departure from Magnum he has performed with the Sweden Rock Symphony Orchestra in 2017 and embarked on a series of ‘An Intimate Evening With’ shows and in 2018 Mark formed a new band ‘Kingdom of Madness’ to perform Magnum songs from Magnum's Classic aera from 1976 to 1994, this seven piece band features Stanway, former Magnum drummer Micky Barker, former Magnum keyboard and flautist Richard Bailey, vocalist and percussionist Mo Birch Mo has also toured and recorded with Magnum, guitarist Laurence Archer Laurence also toured with Magnum in 1984, bassist Neil Murray and vocalist Chris Ousey In July 2019 Neil Murray was amicably replaced by Brian Badhams Archer has also moved on and his replacement is yet to be announced.
