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Manfred Mann

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This article is about Manfred Mann the band. For Manfred Mann the person, see Manfred Mann (musician).
Manfred Mann

Manfred Mann were a British beat, rhythm and blues and pop band of the 1960s, named after their South African keyboardist and founder of the same name, who later led the successful 1970s group Manfred Mann's Earth Band.[1] Manfred Mann were chart regulars in the 1960s, and the first south of England based group to top the US Billboard Hot 100 during the so-called British invasion.[2]

History

Beginnings (1962–1963)

The Mann-Hugg Blues Brothers (as the band were originally called) were formed in London[3] in December 1962 by keyboard player Manfred Mann and drummer/vibes player Mike Hugg.[1] Born out of the British blues boom then sweeping London's clubs (which also spawned the Rolling Stones, the Moody Blues and the Yardbirds), the band was completed by Mike Vickers on guitar, alto saxophone and flute, Dave Richmond on bass guitar, and Paul Jones fronting as lead vocalist and harmonicist;[1] by this point, they had changed their name into Manfred Mann & The Manfreds. Gigging constantly throughout late 1962 and early 1963, the band soon attracted attention for their distinctive sound propelled by Mann's keyboards, Jones' soulful vocals and the group's overdubbed instrumental soloing.

The group signed to His Master's Voice in March 1963 after a change of name to Manfred Mann (at the suggestion of their label's producer), and debuted in July of that year with the instrumental single "Why Should We Not?",[4] which failed to chart, as did the follow up (with vocals this time), "Cock-A-Hoop".[1]

Early success (1964–1965)

In 1964, the group was asked to provide a new theme tune for the ITV pop music television programme Ready Steady Go!.[3] They responded with "5-4-3-2-1" which, with the help of weekly television exposure, rose to #5 in the UK Singles Chart.[2] Shortly after "5-4-3-2-1" was recorded Richmond left the band,[5] being replaced by Tom McGuinness - the first of many line-up changes. After a further self-penned hit "Hubble Bubble (Toil And Trouble)", the band struck gold with "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", a cover of a minor hit earlier that year by The Exciters.[3] The track, reached the top of each of the UK, Canadian, and US charts (The Exciters version had only charted #78 in the US). The band experimented more with jazz and R&B themes on their albums. 1964's The Five Faces of Manfred Mann included standards such as "Smokestack Lightning".[3]

During 1965 the group continued to have hit singles with cover material, although it also released hit four-song EPs that showcased original material. Their sound moved away from the blues-based music of their early years to a pop hybrid. Notably the group began to have success with interpretations of Bob Dylan songs, including "With God on Our Side" as a track on a best-selling EP. They hit #3 in the UK with the single "Sha La La",[2] which also reached #12 in the US and Canada and reached #2 in the UK with "If You Gotta Go, Go Now".[2] At this time Paul Jones announced his intention to quit the band for a solo career once a replacement could be found.

The Mike d'Abo years (1966–1969)

Jones stayed with the band for one more year, during which time Mike Vickers was replaced by Jack Bruce of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (long enough to play bass on the band's second UK #1 single "Pretty Flamingo").[2] Jones was replaced by Mike d'Abo in July 1966,[6] and this was one of the few occasions when a band has successfully swapped lead singers and remained at the top. Bruce left to form Cream with Ginger Baker and another of Mayall's former Bluesbreakers, Eric Clapton, and was replaced by Klaus Voorman (a longtime Beatles associate), with McGuinness moving to guitar.[3] To complete the changes, the group switched labels to Fontana Records.[6]

Their first Fontana single was another Dylan cover, "Just Like a Woman", produced by Shel Talmy.[6] Chart success was uneven for a while, with "Semi-Detached, Suburban Mr James" and "Ha Ha Said The Clown" both going Top 5, but an instrumental "Sweet Pea" only reached #36 and "So Long Dad" missing the chart altogether. However they scored a third #1 in 1968 with another Dylan song, "Mighty Quinn",[2] which also peaked at #3 in Canada. In June 1968, all first pressings of their latest single "My Name is Jack" were recalled, when Mercury Records in the US had complained about a phrase in the lyrics, written by John Simon, which might have antagonised race relations. It delayed the release by one week as the wording was changed and re-recorded.[7] The December 1968 release, "Fox on the Run", reached #5 in the UK.[1]

The group split in 1969, while their final hit, "Ragamuffin Man", was in the Top 10.[2]

Aftermath

Mann went on to write advertising jingles after the group's demise, but still continued to work in the group format.[1] Initially he formed Manfred Mann Chapter Three (with Mike Hugg), an experimental jazz rock band, described by Mann as an over-reaction to the hit factory of the Manfred Mann group.[8] This was, however, short lived and by 1971 they had disbanded and Mann had formed a new group, Manfred Mann's Earth Band.[1] In June 1983, Manfred Mann briefly reformed for an appearance at the Marquee Club in London, to help celebrate the club's 25th anniversary.[9]

In the 1990s, most of the original 1960s line-up reformed as The Manfreds, minus Manfred Mann himself (hence the name), playing most of the old 1960s hits and a few jazz instrumentals, sometimes with both Paul Jones and Mike d'Abo fronting the line-up.[3]

McGuinness formed McGuinness Flint in 1970, but they disbanded in 1975. Both Jones and McGuinness have been mainstays of The Blues Band, which they helped form in 1978.[3]

Personnel

Wikiquote has quotations related to Manfred Mann.

Discography

Main article: Manfred Mann discography

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. pp. 603–606. ISBN 1-84195-017-3.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 345–346. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Roberts, David (1998). Guinness Rockopedia (1st ed.). London: Guinness Publishing Ltd. p. 258. ISBN 0-85112-072-5.
  4. ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 121. CN 5585.
  5. ^ Jazz4now - The Dave Richmond Home Page "Please note that "5-4-3-2-1" was recorded before I left the band, in fact I still receive PPL payments every time it is broadcast" - Dave Richmond
  6. ^ a b c Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 160. CN 5585.
  7. ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 185. CN 5585.
  8. ^ Manfred Mann's Earth Band - History Of The Band Platform End On-Line
  9. ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 381. CN 5585.

External links

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