BBC Radio 2 - Paul Jones - Profile Monday 1900 - 2000 Paul Jones Profile He was at the forefront of the 60s pop revolution, with million-selling records alongside the likes of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Animals. Paul was the original front-man with the group Manfred Mann, and co-composer of the signature tune for Ready, Steady, Go! He was at the forefront of the 60s pop revolution, with million-selling records alongside the likes of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Animals. Nowadays he shares the lead with Mike D'Abo in The Manfreds - along with most of the original members of Manfred Mann - touring extensively both in the UK and abroad. Dates can be found on The Manfreds' website . In 1966 he turned to acting, first in films and television, and then on stage. His films include 'Privilege' and 'The Committee'. His television credits include 'Z Cars', 'Space 1999' and 'The Sweeney'. In the 80s he hosted 'Weekend for Granada' and 'A Plus 4' on Channel Four.

More recently he starred in four series of the children's favourite, Uncle Jack. At the Royal National Theatre he starred in 'The Beggar's Opera' and 'Guys And Dolls', and for the RSC, 'Kiss Me Kate'. Other West End shows include 'Conduct Unbecoming' (also on Broadway), 'Cats', and 'Pump Boys' and 'Dinettes'. He has worked with directors such as Sir Richard Eyre, Peter Gill and Toby Robertson. His numerous gold albums include one for the original recording of Evita. In 1979 he founded The Blues Band, which helped kick start another boom in Blues music. The band has now recorded "about 17 albums, not counting compilations and repackagings"; details and dates can be found on The Blues Band's website . On radio, he worked for five years on the BBC's World Service, and has broadcast on all five BBC Radio networks as musician, DJ, actor, critic and 'Desert Island Discs' castaway; he also contributed a set of questions to Mastermind.

Paul is the President of the The National Harmonica League and he has recorded with a range of artists including Tina Turner, Percy Sledge, Memphis Slim, Katie Melua and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He has written and/or played music for films, TV programmes and commercials, and his songs have been recorded by a varied bunch, including early Steppenwolf, Helen Shapiro and Ten Years After. Paul is married to Fiona Hendley and together they have produced a gospel album, 'Personal'. Their television programme, The 700 Club With Paul And Fiona, won a Gold award from the Christian Broadcasting Council in 2006. Paul was a BASCA Gold Badge-winner in 1996. He is a Doctor of Music (University Of Portsmouth) and in 2001 received the famous red book for This Is Your Life. Next Show 25 Nov 2013 19:00 on BBC Radio 2 The first of two programmes of highlights from this year's London BluesFest.

Michael d'Abo | Biography & History | AllMusic google+ Artist Biography by Bruce Eder Michael d'Abo first rose to prominence in British rock through his assumption of a most unenviable task, succeeding Paul Jones as lead singer in Manfred Mann -- the group's own record label, EMI, was so persuaded of the unlikelihood that anyone could replace him, that they dropped the band from the roster. He proved up to the challenge, however, and across the four decades since, has remained a busy and well-known musical figure, in rock and in music in general. Born in 1944 in Betchworth, Surrey, d'Abo reached his teens during the early days of England's rock & roll boom, and as a boy, took up the piano as well as singing. While attending the Harrow School, he co-founded A Band of Angels with guitarist/singer John Graydon, guitarist John Baker, bassist Dave Wilkinson , and drummer James Rugge-Price. The group managed the get noticed and cut a quartet of singles (the last, "Invitation", written by d'Abo) for Pye Records' Piccadilly subsidiary and for United Artists Records.

It was a televised performance of "Invitation" in early 1966, on a show called A Whole Scene Going, that brought d'Abo to the attention of the members of Manfred Mann -- organist Manfred Mann and drummer Mike Hugg initially saw him on the broadcast, and soon Mann and bassist/guitarist Tom McGuinness were checking out his work at a club date, and this led to an offer to join the group. Partly thanks to the extended departure schedule of Paul Jones, and EMI's decision to plunder the vaults for commercially viable sides left behind by the group, there was some overlap between d'Abo' s recordings with Manfred Mann -- done for the Fontana label under a new contract -- and those featuring Jones on EMI. Eventually, however, the new edition of the band featuring D'Abo caught the ear of the public, enjoying a string of British hits starting with "Just Like a Woman" in the summer of 1966 and extending through "Semi-Detached Suburban Mr.

James" and "Ha Ha Said the Clown," all culminating with "The Mighty Quinn" in early 1968, which topped the British charts and restored the group to the American hit parade for the first time in two years with a Top Ten placement. By the time organist Manfred Mann pulled the plug on the group in 1969, d'Abo was one of the more prominent rock vocalists in England, though the group's decision to turn down an offer of a U.S. tour in the wake of "The Mighty Quinn" cost the band an opportunity for renewed stardom in America. D'Abo also established his credibility as a songwriter during this period with his compositions "Handbags and Gladrags" and "Build Me Up Buttercup," both huge hits and the latter written in collaboration with composer/producer Tony Macauley, who placed it with the Foundations , whose version sold over a million copies. D'Abo's tenure with Manfred Mann lasted until the spring of 1969 -- by that time, they'd had five major hits in their new incarnation and their leader, organist Manfred Mann , had been hinting strongly that it was nearing time to disband the group.

All of the members were increasingly eager to explore other sounds and musical avenues, and they'd run out their string most profitably and honorably, even recording a serious psychedelic classic album, The Mighty Garvey!, on which d'Abo played an essential role, portraying the non-existent singer "Eddie Garvey" (a sort of forerunner to David Johansen 's Buster Poindexter). And almost as important, they'd lasted at the top for three years longer than their former label, EMI, had believed possible for them to do without Paul Jones fronting them. Even before the band broke up officially in the summer of 1969, d'Abo had taken the step of recording a single, "(See the Little People) Gulliver's Travels," for Andrew Oldham 's Immediate Records, which had to be recalled when Fontana Records asserted its exclusive rights to d'Abo's voice, although an accompanying album -- evidently among the rarest long-players of its period -- did follow suit on the Immediate subsidiary Instant Records.

His contractual problems were solved by the time d'Abo embarked on his next project, as one of the singers on the original studio production of Jesus Christ Superstar (1970), which became a mega-hit in the United States. A solo album entitled D'Abo , recorded for MCA and featuring Albert Lee on guitar, was released in 1970 to little notice. In 1972, he followed this up on A&M with Down at Rachel's Place , and two years later -- with Graham Nash , Mike Bloomfield , and the Jordanaires , among others, participating -- he released Broken Rainbows , which was greeted as a pop masterpiece by some critics, but failed to chart and, also closed out his A&M contract. In 1976, d'Abo formed a composing and recording partnership with Mike Smith , formerly the vocalist and keyboard player with the Dave Clark Five , which resulted in the release of Smith & d'Abo on British CBS. His subsequent releases, Indestructible (1987) and Tomorrow's Troubadour (1988), saw little popular interest.

D'Abo was not without success musically, however -- during the '70s and '80s, he turned to writing songs for commercials and found special success with a jingle for Cadbury's chocolate on British television. He also played with a band called Beat Goes On (who cut a live album at Ronnie Scott 's) and a top dance band called Mike d'Abo & His Mighty Quintet , in addition to serving as a deejay and host on a couple of long-running top-rated radio programs. During the '90s, d'Abo and Jones both rejoined their former bandmates -- apart from Manfred Mann himself, who had other musical pursuits in mind -- in the Manfreds , a reunited version of their '60s band. Links The Manfreds Still touring in 2016 original Manfred Mann members Paul Jones, Mike D'abo, Mike Hugg and Tom McGuinness, are joined by Rob Townsend, Marcus Cliffe and Simon Currie as the exciting new line-up of The Manfreds. Top 10 Hits Since Manfred Mann formed in 1962, they have firmly secured their place in the history books of British popular and R&B music.

Understandable considering the number of top ten hits they have had throughout the world. Constant Demand! Since The Manfreds re-formed in 1991, they have been in constant demand throughout the World…understandably considering the number of top ten hits they had, not only with The Manfreds, but also individually. Our Latest News! Michael D'Abo | New Music And Songs | Michael D'Abo About Michael D'Abo Michael d'Abo first rose to prominence in British rock through his assumption of a most unenviable task, succeeding Paul Jones as lead singer in Manfred Mann -- the group's own record label, EMI, was so persuaded of the unlikelihood that anyone could replace him, that they dropped the band from the roster. He proved up to the challenge, however, and across the four decades since, has remained a busy and well-known musical figure, in rock and in music in general. Born in 1944 in Betchworth, Surrey, d'Abo reached his teens during the early days of England's rock & roll boom, and as a boy, took up the piano as well as singing.

While attending the Harrow School, he co-founded A Band of Angels with guitarist/singer John Graydon, guitarist John Baker, bassist Dave Wilkinson, and drummer James Rugge-Price. The group managed the get noticed and cut a quartet of singles (the last, "Invitation", written by d'Abo) for Pye Records' Piccadilly subsidiary and for United Artists Records. It was a televised performance of "Invitation" in early 1966, on a show called A Whole Scene Going, that brought d'Abo to the attention of the members of Manfred Mann -- organist Manfred Mann and drummer Mike Hugg initially saw him on the broadcast, and soon Mann and bassist/guitarist Tom McGuinness were checking out his work at a club date, and this led to an offer to join the group. Partly thanks to the extended departure schedule of Paul Jones, and EMI's decision to plunder the vaults for commercially viable sides left behind by the group, there was some overlap between d'Abo's recordings with Manfred Mann -- done for the Fontana label under a new contract -- and those featuring Jones on EMI.

Eventually, however, the new edition of the band featuring D'Abo caught the ear of the public, enjoying a string of British hits starting with "Just Like a Woman" in the summer of 1966 and extending through "Semi-Detached Suburban Mr. James" and "Ha Ha Said the Clown," all culminating with "The Mighty Quinn" in early 1968, which topped the British charts and restored the group to the American hit parade for the first time in two years with a Top Ten placement. By the time organist Manfred Mann pulled the plug on the group in 1969, d'Abo was one of the more prominent rock vocalists in England, though the group's decision to turn down an offer of a U.S. tour in the wake of "The Mighty Quinn" cost the band an opportunity for renewed stardom in America. D'Abo also established his credibility as a songwriter during this period with his compositions "Handbags and Gladrags" and "Build Me Up Buttercup," both huge hits and the latter written in collaboration with composer/producer Tony Macauley, who placed it with the Foundations, whose version sold over a million copies.

D'Abo's tenure with Manfred Mann lasted until the spring of 1969 -- by that time, they'd had five major hits in their new incarnation and their leader, organist Manfred Mann, had been hinting strongly that it was nearing time to disband the group. All of the members were increasingly eager to explore other sounds and musical avenues, and they'd run out their string most profitably and honorably, even recording a serious psychedelic classic album, The Mighty Garvey!, on which d'Abo played an essential role, portraying the non-existent singer "Eddie Garvey" (a sort of forerunner to David Johansen's Buster Poindexter). And almost as important, they'd lasted at the top for three years longer than their former label, EMI, had believed possible for them to do without Paul Jones fronting them.

Even before the band broke up officially in the summer of 1969, d'Abo had taken the step of recording a single, "(See the Little People) Gulliver's Travels," for Andrew Oldham's Immediate Records, which had to be recalled when Fontana Records asserted its exclusive rights to d'Abo's voice, although an accompanying album -- evidently among the rarest long-players of its period -- did follow suit on the Immediate subsidiary Instant Records. His contractual problems were solved by the time d'Abo embarked on his next project, as one of the singers on the original studio production of Jesus Christ Superstar (1970), which became a mega-hit in the United States. A solo album entitled D'Abo, recorded for MCA and featuring Albert Lee on guitar, was released in 1970 to little notice. In 1972, he followed this up on A&M with Down at Rachel's Place, and two years later -- with Graham Nash, Mike Bloomfield, and the Jordanaires, among others, participating -- he released Broken Rainbows, which was greeted as a pop masterpiece by some critics, but failed to chart and, also closed out his A&M contract.

In 1976, d'Abo formed a composing and recording partnership with Mike Smith, formerly the vocalist and keyboard player with the Dave Clark Five, which resulted in the release of Smith & d'Abo on British CBS. His subsequent releases, Indestructible (1987) and Tomorrow's Troubadour (1988), saw little popular interest. D'Abo was not without success musically, however -- during the '70s and '80s, he turned to writing songs for commercials and found special success with a jingle for Cadbury's chocolate on British television. He also played with a band called Beat Goes On (who cut a live album at Ronnie Scott's) and a top dance band called Mike d'Abo & His Mighty Quintet, in addition to serving as a deejay and host on a couple of long-running top-rated radio programs. During the '90s, d'Abo and Jones both rejoined their former bandmates -- apart from Manfred Mann himself, who had other musical pursuits in mind -- in the Manfreds, a reunited version of their '60s band.

~ Bruce Eder, Rovi Hear more of Mike D'Abo | Download Music, Tour Dates & Video | eMusic Biography All Music Guide All Music Guide: Michael d'Abo first rose to prominence in British rock through his assumption of a most unenviable task, succeeding Paul Jones as lead singer in Manfred Mann -- the group's own record label, EMI, was so persuaded of the unlikelihood that anyone could replace him, that they dropped the band from the roster. He proved up to the challenge, however, and across the four decades since, has remained a busy and well-known musical figure, in rock and in music in general. Born in 1944 in Betchworth, Surrey, d'Abo reached his teens during the early days of England's rock & roll boom, and as a boy, took up the piano as well as singing. While attending the Harrow School, he co-founded A Band of Angels with guitarist/singer John Graydon, guitarist John Baker, bassist Dave Wilkinson, and drummer James Rugge-Price.

The group managed the get noticed and cut a quartet of singles (the last, "Invitation", written by d'Abo) for Pye Records' Piccadilly subsidiary and for United Artists Records. It was a televised performance of "Invitation" in early 1966, on a show called A Whole Scene Going, that brought d'Abo to the attention of the members of Manfred Mann -- organist Manfred Mann and drummer Mike Hugg initially saw him on the broadcast, and soon Mann and bassist/guitarist Tom McGuinness were checking out his work at a club date, and this led to an offer to join the group. Partly thanks to the extended departure schedule of Paul Jones, and EMI's decision to plunder the vaults for commercially viable sides left behind by the group, there was some overlap between d'Abo's recordings with Manfred Mann -- done for the Fontana label under a new contract -- and those featuring Jones on EMI.

Eventually, however, the new edition of the band featuring D'Abo caught the ear of the public, enjoying a string of British hits starting with "Just Like a Woman" in the summer of 1966 and extending through "Semi-Detached Suburban Mr. James" and "Ha Ha Said the Clown," all culminating with "The Mighty Quinn" in early 1968, which topped the British charts and restored the group to the American hit parade for the first time in two years with a Top Ten placement. By the time organist Manfred Mann pulled the plug on the group in 1969, d'Abo was one of the more prominent rock vocalists in England, though the group's decision to turn down an offer of a U.S. tour in the wake of "The Mighty Quinn" cost the band an opportunity for renewed stardom in America. D'Abo also established his credibility as a songwriter during this period with his compositions "Handbags and Gladrags" and "Build Me Up Buttercup," both huge hits and the latter written in collaboration with composer/producer Tony Macauley, who placed it with the Foundations, whose version sold over a million copies.

D'Abo's tenure with Manfred Mann lasted until the spring of 1969 -- by that time, they'd had five major hits in their new incarnation and their leader, organist Manfred Mann, had been hinting strongly that it was nearing time to disband the group. All of the members were increasingly eager to explore other sounds and musical avenues, and they'd run out their string most profitably and honorably, even recording a serious psychedelic classic album, The Mighty Garvey!, on which d'Abo played an essential role, portraying the non-existent singer "Eddie Garvey" (a sort of forerunner to David Johansen's Buster Poindexter). And almost as important, they'd lasted at the top for three years longer than their former label, EMI, had believed possible for them to do without Paul Jones fronting them.

Even before the band broke up officially in the summer of 1969, d'Abo had taken the step of recording a single, "(See the Little People) Gulliver's Travels," for Andrew Oldham's Immediate Records, which had to be recalled when Fontana Records asserted its exclusive rights to d'Abo's voice, although an accompanying album -- evidently among the rarest long-players of its period -- did follow suit on the Immediate subsidiary Instant Records. His contractual problems were solved by the time d'Abo embarked on his next project, as one of the singers on the original studio production of Jesus Christ Superstar (1970), which became a mega-hit in the United States. A solo album entitled D'Abo, recorded for MCA and featuring Albert Lee on guitar, was released in 1970 to little notice. In 1972, he followed this up on A&M with Down at Rachel's Place, and two years later -- with Graham Nash, Mike Bloomfield, and the Jordanaires, among others, participating -- he released Broken Rainbows, which was greeted as a pop masterpiece by some critics, but failed to chart and, also closed out his A&M contract.

In 1976, d'Abo formed a composing and recording partnership with Mike Smith, formerly the vocalist and keyboard player with the Dave Clark Five, which resulted in the release of Smith & d'Abo on British CBS. His subsequent releases, Indestructible (1987) and Tomorrow's Troubadour (1988), saw little popular interest. D'Abo was not without success musically, however -- during the '70s and '80s, he turned to writing songs for commercials and found special success with a jingle for Cadbury's chocolate on British television. He also played with a band called Beat Goes On (who cut a live album at Ronnie Scott's) and a top dance band called Mike d'Abo & His Mighty Quintet, in addition to serving as a deejay and host on a couple of long-running top-rated radio programs. During the '90s, d'Abo and Jones both rejoined their former bandmates -- apart from Manfred Mann himself, who had other musical pursuits in mind -- in the Manfreds, a reunited version of their '60s band.

Manfred Mann: Chapter Two, Mike D'Abo and "The Mighty Quinn" - Read expert review at epinions.com Manfred Mann: Chapter Two, Mike D'Abo and "The Mighty Quinn" Review by Don_Krider Pros: Includes the Top 10 hit "The Mighty Quinn". Cons: Doesn't include the Top 30 hits "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" and "Pretty Flamingo." When lead singer Paul Jones signed a solo deal to leave Manfred Mann, the group was cut loose from their contract with Ascot/United Artists and the EMI Records organization. The group's work with Paul Jones as lead singer was featured on the CD "The Best Of Manfred Mann - The Definitive Collection" years later (reviewed by me at ). That collection didn't include anything recorded by the band after it hired a new lead singer and signed with a new label. "Chapter Two": This collection, "Chapter Two: The Best Of The Fontana Years," takes up where the previous collection left off (exactly why the labels couldn't have worked out a deal and combined the two efforts into one collection is unclear).

"Chapter Two..." follows the band under lead singer Mike D'Abo, formerly of The Band Of Angels, who brought the group back to the Top 40 after a two year absence. Under Jones, the band had scored four Top 50 hits with "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" (# 1, 1964), "Sha La La" (# 12, 1964), "Come Tomorrow" (# 50, 1965) and "Pretty Flamingo" (# 29, 1966). With D'Abo, the group also added Klaus Voorman on bass (the artist whose work on The Beatles' "Revolver" album cover won a Grammy Award) to replace bassist Jack Bruce (who had moved on to join Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker in Cream). Among others, the group, of course, included its leader, keyboardist Manfred Mann (champion of the Moog Synthesizer), and veteran members drummer Mike Hugg and guitarist Tom McGuiness.

D'Abo's vocals were much more mid-stream pop and his songwriting was more in tune with The Beatles circa 1967 (echoes of "Magical Mystery Tour" and "Sergeant Pepper" appear everywhere). As a band, Manfred Mann's sound became more Beatle-ish as well: strong on melody and rich in harmony. "The Mighty Quinn": In 1968, this new lineup created a perfect pop performance with their recording of Bob Dylan's "The Mighty Quinn (Quinn The Eskimo)." Dylan had written the song during his legendary then-unreleased "Basement Tape" sessions. Manfred Mann's single of the song rose to # 10 that year on the Billboard pop charts during an 11-week run. One of the ironies of their performance is that the group didn't think they had a hit on their hands until D'Abo played an acetate recording of the tune for a label executive. D'Abo's record player played the band's recording too fast, increasing the tempo of the recording. The label exec told them they had a hit on their hands.

The group then sped up the tempo on the final recorded version, with Voorman adding flutes to the song (a rare Top 10 hit with a flute intro). The group not only hit the U. S. Top 10, but in the band's native England the song went to # 1. It's a great pop moment, from the opening flutes, to the bright keyboard work, to D'Abo's great lead vocal over the band's fine harmonies, mixed with some loveable if quirky drum patterns. Very Beatle-ish in execution. Dylan's lyrics are memorable: "Come on without / come on within / you'll not see nothing like The Mighty Quinn / ... / everybody's building ships and boats / some are building monuments, others jotting down notes / everybody's in despair, every girl and boy / but when Quinn the Eskimo gets here, everybody's gonna jump for joy..." "Fox On The Run": A year later, the band's final U. S. Hot 100 hit came with the ballad "Fox On The Run" (not to be confused with The Sweet's hit single of the same name). It barely hit the U. S.

charts, peaking at # 97. The band did have several British hits during this time. Their music, especially on the LP "The Mighty Quinn", was excellent and deserved more U. S. success. The evidence of the quality of their music with D'Abo appears here. Despite battling Jonathan King's version of Bob Dylan's "Just Like A Woman" on the charts with a version of their own, they took the tune to # 10 in England (crawling to # 104 in the U. S.). The song's production by Shel Talmy (The Who, The Kinks and The Easybeats) gave the group an edge that helped them in England, at least. D'Abo's "Trouble And Tea" seems to borrow its main guitar riff from The Beatles' "Paperback Writer," but it stands on its own with a joyous Merseybeat sound.

Like many acts (The Byrds with "So You Want To Be A Rock And Roll Star" and The Raspberries with "Play On," for instance), Manfred Mann sang about life as a rock star on D'Abo's "Box Office Draw" (which opens with a great psychedelic guitar lick): "He's got to be sure that he's a box office draw in every move he makes / and what is more if he's a box office draw the more the box office takes / his publicity has just got to be the best in headline news / if he should forget and fall into debt the more the box office lose... " In England, "The Semi-Detached Mr. James" (by outside writers John Carter and Geoff Stephens) was released. It had been written as "The Semi-Detached Mr. Jones" (its title in its U. S. release) but the label changed the title fearing people might think the song was a slap at their former lead singer, Paul Jones. Very much like The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby," the song features a guy talking to a bride-to-be he knows very well who has decided that marrying a certain man will make everything perfect.

Great lyrics abound here: "So you finally named the day / when wedding bells will chime / I was sorry to hear you say / you were going to be his not mine / do you think you will be happy / giving up your friends / for your semi-detached suburban Mr. James? / so you finally got your man / I hope you won't regret it / he can't love you the way I can / so please don't you forget it / do you think you will be happy / buttering the toast / of your your semi-detached suburban mister most?..." "Each And Every Day": Drummer Mike Hugg's "Each And Every Day" is one of the most gorgeous pop tunes of the '60s (right up there with The Beatles' "Penny Lane"). Uptempo, piano-based, catchy-as-anything, with a solid backbeat, lush orchestration and a lovely lead vocal. It should have been a stateside hit, but wound up on a "B-side" (the flipside of a 45 rpm record whose "A-side" was the song a label promoted) and failed to have any impact in England or the U. S. (though it was a hit in Canada).

Hugg's lyrics about a man and a woman falling in love are wonderful: "Ah, daytime, nightime / anything I say, any time of day / and she's mine / there's no doubt about / she can't do without, my love / each and every day / she looks good, feels good / walking down the street, everyone we meet / says we should / and along the way / we should always stay in love / each and every day..." "Everyday Another Hair Turns Grey": Hugg also wrote what amounts to a sequel to "Each And Every Day" with "Everyday Another Hair Turns Grey," with some baroque harpsichord running through the tune amid Mann's moog synthesizer sounds underscoring an aging woman's memories of her younger life and loves: "In her house, happy she seems / but she's living on memories and dreams / how she dearly longs to recover / her life when she was a young mother / and every day another hair turns grey / yes, every day another hair turns grey / in her house, as mother and wife / she was leading an ordinary life / now she finds so much is missing / gone is the love, the laughter and the kissing / and every day another hair turns

 grey..." Hugg (who eventually sang lead for the band) also scores with the uptempo ballad "It's So Easy Falling," which reminds one of The Rascals' "How Can I Be Sure?" in spirit: "...it's so easy falling in love with you / I can't give up all the love I've found / even if sometimes I look around..." D'Abo's rocking "No Better, No Worse" is another gem in this collection of jewels.

Synthesizers, flutes and some solid drumming dominate this tune with D'Abo proclaiming "I'm no better and I'm no worse than any man." Guitarist Tom McGuiness' "Cubist Town" (written with Charles Perrott) is perfect John Lennon '67 in lyrics and music, a slow ballad that explodes into a luscious psychedelic chorus (think The Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever" meets Lennon's "# 9 Dream" and you'll get the idea): "...I wandered round and round the village square / I turned and floated gently upside down / and one by one the people gathered round / the rivers and the bridges turned to blue / the spillage of the night is creeping through / the orange sun is coming down / and slowly melts into a sea of wine / goodnight Cubist town, good night..." Summary: This collection proves that Manfred Mann was a fine pop outfit, though increasingly overlooked in the U. S., right into the late 1960s. It also shows that the band had several fine writers in its midst capable of writing hits, but due to an admitted lack of self-confidence they usually allowed their singles to be written by non-band members.

That said, besides Bob Dylan's two songs here, the band gives great performances of some other non-band-written works by Randy Newman ("So Long, Dad") and Tony Hazzard ("Ha! Ha! Said The Clown" and "Fox On The Run") here as well. The album should appeal to fans of The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Rascals and The Turtles. What became of the band?: Manfred Mann reformed the group as Manfred Mann's Earth Band, scoring a million-selling hit with Bruce Springsteen's "Blinded By The Light" in 1976. He continues to tour and record with this band, despite further personnel changes over the years. Some former members tour as The Manfreds. D'Abo recorded several solo efforts with limited success. He wrote the score for the Peter Sellers' film "There's A Girl In My Soup" (that girl being Goldie Hawn). He sang the part of Herod on the 1971 MCA recording of"Jesus Christ Superstar." He more recently has been a disc jockey on England's Gloucester Radio. The CD: An 8-page CD booklet featuring three photos.

It does not include the lyrics or a discography, but the liner notes are informative. The album has 20 tracks: "Just Like A Woman," "I Wanna Be Rich," "Trouble And Tea," "Box Office Draw," "Each Other's Company," "Semi-Detached Suburban Mr. James," "Each And Every Day," "Ha! Ha!

Said The Clown," "So Long, Dad" and "The Mighty Quinn (Quinn The Eskimo)." Also, "It's So Easy Falling," "No Better, No Worse," "Everyday Another Hair Turns Grey," "Cubist Town," "Up The Junction," "Sing Songs Of Love," "My Name Is Jack," "Fox On The Run," "Ragamuffin Man" and "Funniest Gig." On the web: Official Manfred Mann's Earth Band site: Official Manfred Mann Fan Club site: An unofficial Mike D'Abo website: ~hamerpag/dabo Official Klaus Voorman site (played bass with the band and was the Grammy-winning artist for The Beatles' "Revolver" album cover): My review of the so-called "Chapter One lineup" and their CD, "The Best Of Manfred Mann - The Definitive Collection," which includes their # 1 hit, "Do Wah Diddy Diddy": You might also enjoy: "Best Of The Animals" by Eric Burdon and The Animals: The Dave Clark Five anthology "The History Of The Dave Clark Five": The Beau Brummels' "Greatest Hits" CD: A great Beatles tribute album by various artists is the 5

0-track, 2 CD set "It Was 40 Years Ago Today: A Tribute To The Beatles": "The British Invasion" CD by various (original) artists: Capitol/EMI's 20-track 24-bit digitally remastered CD "Greatest" by Raspberries (the original lineup --- Eric Carmen, Wally Bryson, Dave Smalley and Jim Bonfanti --- who sang the million-seller "Go All The Way" reunited in 2004-2005) was released in May of 2005 in the U.

S. and Europe. It features all 7 of Raspberries Hot 100 singles, has 20 tracks and runs 78:53 minutes: "Anthology...So Far" box set CD by Ringo Starr: "I Wanna Be Santa Claus" by Ringo Starr: LOST TREASURES – Mike D’Abo | Pop Geek Heaven LOST TREASURES – Mike D’Abo Posted on 01 May 2014 LOST TREASURES By Peter Marston [linebreak style=”25.png”] Many pop fans may not know the name Mike d’Abo, but most will be familiar with at least some of his creative work.

He was the singer in Manfred Mann after the departure of Paul Jones and is featured on some pretty big hits, “The Might Quinn” being the most prominent, but also “Ha Ha Said the Clown” and “My Name is Jack.” He is the author of both the Foundations’ “Build Me Up Buttercup” and Rod Stewart’s “Handbags and Gladrags.” He played Herod on the original British recording of Jesus Christ Superstar and his featured number, “Herod’s Song,” is certainly one of the album’s highlights. If all that is not enough to jog your memory, he is also the father of Olivia d’Abo who played older sister Karen Arnold on the popular television series The Wonder Years. His career in recorded music began with the British beat group Band of Angels who released three singles between 1964 and 1966, all co-written and sung by d’Abo. None of the singles achieved much chart success and when d’Abo was called to replace Jones in Manfred Mann, the decision was easy.

D’Abo fronted the Manfreds from 1966’s cover of “Just Like a Woman” through 1969’s “Ragamuffin Man.” When the band packed it in 1969 (to be reformed as Manfred Mann’s Earth Band in 1972), producer Mike Leander took over the reins of d’Abo’s career, promising to make him “another Cliff Richard.” Though that never quite happened, d’Abo did record three solid solo albums in the early ’70s, all featuring very strong pop, soul and singer-songwriter material. The first of these solo albums is 1970’s d’Abo, released on the UNI label. The support musicians include some of England’s finest: most notably, Albert Lee and Chris Spedding on guitars and Gerry Conway and John Marshall on drums. The album features a variety of styles with side one generally leaning toward the soulful and side two leaning toward country and folk material.

The opening two tracks, “Let It Roar” and “Walk a Million Miles,” are up-tempo pop-gospel numbers, the former sporting not only one of d’Abo’s best vocals on the album, but also the requisite gospel response chorus. “As Long as I Have Loving” is an outstanding blue-eyed soul ballad with an arrangement that is reminiscent of Ray Charles. “Mary, Warm My Bed” is a funky shaky-guitar piece that pop fans may know from Colin Blunstone’s cover on his first solo LP, One Year. Without a doubt, though, the highlight of the album is “Call My Heart Your Home, Girl,” a ballad with beautiful chord changes and a disarming, soaring chorus. The more country-flavored material is a little less striking, though entirely enjoyable, especially “Oh, What a Day,” which alternates between a very traditional verse pattern with a more driving pop/rock chorus. The album closes with d’Abo’s version of perhaps his most successful composition, “Handbags and Gladrags.” After d’Abo, two additional solo albums were recorded for United Artists: 1972’s Down at Rachel’s Place and 1974’s Broken Rainbows.

D’Abo then went on to release two albums as a duo with former Dave Clark Five singer Mike Smith. During the same period he also appeared on the original British recording of Evita. Sporadic solo releases continued through the ’80s and d’Abo’s reemerged in 2011 with Passion Driven. He continues to play occasional live dates, often as part of ’60s revival shows D’Abo has never been reissued on CD, but does appear in its entirety on RPM’s 2001 compilation The Mike d’Abo Collection Volume One: “Handbags and Gladrags.” The compilation also includes all six sides d’Abo cut with Band of Angels along with four additional tracks. The original vinyl is frequently available on second-market sites like eBay and GEMM. Any way you can find it, though, it’s well worth the effort!

[linebreak style=”25.png”] ================ Pop Pioneer and “Lost Treasures” writer, Peter Marston is the leader of long-running power pop band, Shplang, whose most recent album, “My Big Three Wheeler” has been described as “the Beatles meet Zappa in pop-psych Sumo match.” You check it out at this link: ================ Paul Jones: Thinkin’ Ain’t For Me / Softly (1967) | Twenty Flight Rock Paul Jones: Thinkin’ Ain’t For Me / Softly (1967) "> continuing from the previous post, here we also have a solo release by the singer of a successful group, who lost most of his fame when departing from it. paul jones had been the singer of the all too well known group manfred mann until being replaced by mike dabo in 1966 (although they both strangely look quite alike – and i did mix them up first – it was mike who was with the band at their high times, he is the guy who sang the unforgettable mighty quinn for instance).

some side-facts in between: before that, jones had briefly been vocalist with alexis korners blues (!) incorporated, just as young mick jagger had been – but to be honest, i could imagine mick a hundred times more easily being with that group than jones. anyway, at the same time that jones left mann, or rather simultaneously, manfred manns bass player jack bruce left to form cream with eric clapton, and ginger baker, with whom he had played in the graham bond organization before joining the manfreds. jack bruce was replaced by the (far not as famous as he deserved) german bass player klaus voormann, best known as a long-time close friend of the beatles, who he had met as a student in hamburg back in the day. paul jones, however, (whos birth name by the way is paul pond – no wonder he had changed that!) settled for a solo career and later focused on acting, but wasnt too successful in both. the a-side, to me, is the better side of this 45.

again this is soft pop music, but as it doesnt take itself too serious it is quite funny if not cute – think of the title only. perhaps this wasnt even meant as a comical approach, but i really like it in a nostalgic way because it just sounds like british pop of the time, not outstanding but typical. softly, the b-side, is – just as the title suggests – a softer pop number, wandering on the edge to being trashy from time to time. the chorus is a bit too florid with all the string instrumentation and female backing chior, but if that doesnt annoy you you will like this song for sure. all in all, this is a solid, but not too serious effort of late 60s pop music – maybe not as good as manfred mann, but not too bad either. peter henderson said: Hi. I’ve been on a 60s kick lately and was chasing down references to Manfred Mann and Paul Jones, landing here.

I had seen the movie Privilege when it came out but hadn’t noticed the star was the Manfred Mann vocalist I was familiar with from the radio hits (duh.) I’d say he was the vocalist of their ‘heyday.’ Do-wah-diddy’ went to #1 in NYC and my favorite, Sha-la-la, went to #3. Your favorite Mighty Quinn, though a wonderful song, only went to #10. I agree that PJ and d’Abo look alike. Watching Quinn on YouTube I was thinking Jones had lost a little weight! There are some great maracas-shakin’ performances by Jones and he really has a more distinctive voice than d’ Abo. He reminds me of Steve Winwood a bit. MM had some great talent on board and one would tend to say Jones made a bad career move but they didn’t have anyone who could write, at least until Jack Bruce joined, and whether his eccentric style could produce top 20 stuff for MM is unclear.

Do Wah Diddy and Sha-la-la were covers as was all the Dylan stuff of course: In a very early Dylan interview he is asked if he thinks anyone does a good job of covering him, and you can tell the attendees are waiting for him to mention Joan Baez or Peter, Paul and Mary, but he says, Yes, I really like Manfred Mann’s covers of my songs! Take that, folkies! – Best, Peter Manfred Mann无损_首发Manfred Mann无损音乐,ape,flac的无损下载就在酷我音乐 体重： 个人简介 by Bruce Eder & Richie UnterbergerAn R&B band that only played pop to get on the charts, Manfred Mann ranked among the most adept British Invasion acts in both styles. The fact that their range encompassed jazz as well as rhythm & blues, coupled with some elements of their appearance and presentation — co-founder/keyboardist Manfred Manns bearded, bespectacled presence — also made the Manfreds more of a thinking persons band than a cute, cuddly, outfit like the Beatles, or sexual provocateurs in the manner of the Rolling Stones.

Yet, their approach to R&B was as valid as that of the Stones, equally compelling and often more sophisticated. They charted an impressive number of singles from 1964 through 1969, and developed a large, loyal international fandom that lingers to this day.South African-born keyboardist Manfred Mann, born Manfred Lubowitz in Johannesburg in 1940, was originally an aspiring jazz player. He performed at dances and local coffee bars in Johannesburg as a teenager, and studied classical music at Witwatersrand University, also playing with Hugh Masekela in a local band. His influences included John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley, Ornette Coleman, Bill Evans, and Dave Brubeck. He felt that his musical growth would be stymied by further work in South Africa, however, and decided to move to England in 1961, making his living as a jazz pianist and teacher, and writing articles under the name Manfred Manne, the surname derived from drummer Shelly Manne — he later dropped the e and used Manfred Mann as his performing name.

Manns preference for jazz quickly ran headlong into the growing public taste for rhythm and blues that began sweeping through younger audiences in England during the early 60s. In the course of his playing at the Butlins resort in Clacton during 1962, Mann met percussionist Mike Hugg, and the two soon began playing together in a band that included Graham Bond. Hugg and Mann eventually formed their own band, the Mann Hugg Blues Brothers, which grew into a septet, including two saxmen and a trumpet player. They were successful on the London club scene, playing venues such as the Marquee and other top music spots. The bands membership also grew to include guitarist, flautist, and saxman Mike Vickers. The group was still lacking a lead singer, but this deficiency was rectified in late 1962 when they added Paul Jones, who had previously worked with guitarist Tom McGuinness, to their lineup.

By early 1963, the Mann Hugg Blues Brothers had shrunk back to five members — Manfred Mann (keyboards), Mike Hugg (percussion), Mike Vickers (guitar, sax, flute), Paul Jones (vocals), and Dave Richmond (bass) — and also picked up a manager, Kenneth Pitt, who arranged auditions for the group with Pye, Decca, and EMI Records. The EMI audition in May of 1963 was the one that worked, and they were signed to the latter companys HMV label. The band was assigned producer John Burgess, who was intrigued by the mix of jazz and R&B in their style. It was also Burgess who decided that the group needed a shorter, punchier name and — against the wishes of the keyboardist himself — chose Manfred Mann as the bands name. Paul Jones was one of the best British Invasion singers, and his resonant vocals were the best feature of Manfred Manns early R&B sides, which had a slightly jazzier and smoother touch than the early work of the Rolling Stones and the Animals.

The groups debut single, Why Should We Not b/w Brother Jack, were drawn from their first EMI commercial recording audition, and showed a bit of what the band could do instrumentally — the A-side was a moody, bluesy original that alternately featured Vickers sax, Jones harmonica, and Manns organ, while the flip was a bouncy jazz variant on Frere Jacques. If the groups debut showed the Manfreds virtuosity and cleverness, then the blues-rock follow-up Cock-A Hoop heralded the arrival of a major and charismatic singing talent in Paul Jones. Despite a lot of radio play, Cock-A Hoop failed to chart. The groups luck changed late in 1963, however, when they were asked to write a new theme song for the British television rock & roll showcase Ready, Steady, Go. The result was 5-4-3-2-1, a catchy, pulsing piece of rock & roll that got to number five on the British charts and became the permanent signature tune for the television series. Shortly after the single was recorded, Dave Richmond exited Manfred Manns lineup and was replaced by Tom McGuinness, who switched from guitar to bass to join the group.

The chart success of 5-4-3-2-1 and its use on Ready! Steady! Go! gave the band a secure commercial berth in England, and their two follow-up singles charted easily. It was a couple covers of obscure girl group songs, Do Wah Diddy Diddy (the Exciters) and Sha La La (the Shirelles), that broke the group internationally — Do Wah Diddy Diddy reached number one in the States, and Sha La La just missed the Top Ten. The Paul Jones lineup never duplicated this success, although Come Tomorrow and Pretty Flamingo were smaller hits. From 1964 to 1966, they took the approach of playing gutsy pop/rock on their singles (including the original version of My Little Red Book) and soul and R&B on their albums, with occasional detours into jazz, Dylan (their cover of his then-unreleased If You Gotta Go, Go Now was a big British hit), and competent original material.

This sharp difference in the content of their singles and albums resulted in a split in their audience, and occasional confusion on the part of fans, who bought Manfred Manns albums expecting to hear songs like Do Wah Diddy Diddy, and, instead, found blues and jazz numbers represented much more than pop-rock. Listeners who paid close attention to Do Wah Diddy Diddy mightve recognized unusual touches such as the kettle drums over the choruses, and anyone who flipped it over mightve gotten the hint from its B-side, a jazz-blues jam called What You Gonna Do?

An organ and harmonica-driven piece, it was as hard and threatening as Do Wah Diddy Diddy was upbeat and cheerful.Where Do Wah Diddy Diddy and the later Sha La La La were covers of girl group songs, Manfred Manns debut long-player, cut in early 1964, had a very different orientation, comprised of songs associated with Cannonball Adderley, Ike & Tina Turner, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, and Howlin Wolf, among others, and hard, bluesy originals such as the Mann-Jones authored What Are You Gonna Do.Still, driven by their reputation and some superb R&B singing by Paul Jones — who was a genuine rival to Mick Jagger in those days — the groups debut LP, The Five Faces of Manfred Mann made it all the way to number three on the British album chart. The group did seem to make the leap from a single to and album act — their EMI LPs and EPs all sold well, charting high despite the fact that the sound on them wasnt quite like any other British Invasion act.Manfred Mann played blues-based rock, but in contrast to most of the other British bands of the era, the guitar didnt always figure prominently in their sound.

Mike Vickers was as likely to be playing a sax (and he really played, rather than just honking along in the manner of rock saxmen of the period such as Dennis Payton of the Dave Clark Five), or even a flute as an electric guitar; and Mike Hugg also played the vibraphone, an instrument usually far removed from rock & roll. Yet despite the fact that these guys had obviously all studied music, they made a hard and heavy R&B sound, and flexed their musical muscles accordingly — check out Vickers guitar break on their version of Willie Dixons Hoochie Coochie Man, or Manns pounding piano on Muddy Waters Got My Mojo Working. Whats more, they could write credibly — not hits in the manner of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, but album tracks like Im Your Kingpin, Without You, and Dont Ask Me What I Say held up very nicely alongside the Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters, and Bo Diddley repertory on the album.

One quirk in the groups history was their virtual absence from America, apart from a three-week tour late in 1964, despite their charting four singles (including the number one Do Wah Diddy Diddy) in the U.S. during 1964-66. The band found America, with its vast distances as well as its distance from England, too wearying a market to deal with for the money being offered, and concentrated instead on Europe. They opened several important doors by touring such Eastern Bloc countries as Czechoslovakia, in a time when American and western European rock & roll was usually considered a prime manifestation of capitalist decadence.Despite their popularity and a steady stream of successful singles, EPs, and LPs, all wasnt well within the quintet. Each member of the group got to express himself, at least on their EP and album tracks, but by 1965 there was a sense that Vickers, Jones, McGuinness, and Hugg were all becoming known simply as Manfred Mann, especially on their singles.

None of that would have been so bad if the sound on those singles had represented anything other than the groups most commercial manifestation, and Manfred Mann hadnt also been the name of a walking, breathing bandmate — though Mann himself had never wanted the group to use his name. Mike Vickers, whod always desired to expand his talents into work as a composer and arranger, exited in late 1965 — his later credits, in addition to work on soundtracks and other instrumental material, also included producing and arranging songs for the Zombies and Gentle Giant, among other bands. His announcement was the crack in the wall that allowed Paul Jones — who had been getting a vast amount of attention anyway (if awkwardly) as the lead singer of Manfred Mann — to announce his departure in pursuit of careers as a solo performer and actor, although he stayed with the group well into 1966. The core of the band, consisting of Mann, McGuinness, and Hugg, soon picked up Jack Bruce, then in John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, on bass, which allowed Tom McGuinness to return to playing guitar. A saxman and trumpet player also came into the lineup around this time.

A car accident early in 1966 left Jones sidelined for an extended period, which resulted in the group recording a large number of instrumental numbers, several of which — including jazzy covers of Satisfaction, I Got You Babe, and Still Im Sad — appeared on the EP Instrumental Asylum. Despite all of its internal problems, the band generated yet another worldwide hit single in Pretty Flamingo, which reached the number one spot in England and made the Top 30 in America, despite the groups not touring there to promote it. Even this record, and a number one charting EP in England (Machines) failed to stabilize the bands situation — in the wake of Pretty Flamingo in the spring of 1966, Jack Bruce exited the group to join a new kind of rock-blues trio with Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton, to be called Cream. To top matters off, May of 1966 marked the end of the contract that the band had signed with EMI.

The label evidently had sufficient doubts about the groups ability to continue, that it hedged its bets by signing Paul Jones as a solo act and, despite a pair of chart-toppers to their credit that year, let Manfred Mann go. Mann and Hugg, as the original co-founders of the band, werent going to let it disappear, however — with McGuinness, they still comprised the core of a group, and they surprised a lot of onlookers (and, no doubt, their former label) by forming a new lineup around singer Mike DAbo. Beatles friend Klaus Voormann, late of Paddy, Klaus & Gibson also joined in this aggregation on bass. As a backdrop to all of this maneuvering, Mike Hugg suddenly emerged as a successful songwriter in his own right when the Yardbirds, with whom the Manfreds had previously toured, covered Youre a Better Man Than I, a song hed written in collaboration with his brother Brian Hugg.

Ironically, the Manfreds of this period didnt get around to covering the song themselves, which was probably just as well, as the Yardbirds version, cut at Sun Records in Memphis with legendary producer Sam Philips running the session, became an instant classic and remained in the groups repertory for years. It wouldnt be the last song that members of the Manfreds would provide to the Yardbirds, but it was the best. Manfred Mann signed with Fontana Records, an English off-shoot of the Holland-based Philips label (best known as the home of the Merseybeats and Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders), in June of 1966. At various times over the next year, EMI would release EPs and LPs of older material by the original band that competed with their new recordings. The advent of a new contract with a new Manfred Mann lineup essentially opened a new, separate phase (Chapter Two) in the bands career, similar to the post-blues era of Fleetwood Mac. Mike DAbo, though a good singer, lacked Paul Jones depth and power, and the group compensated with an approach that was more pop than blues oriented, although at first the differences were very subtle.

The new lineups first single, a cover of Dylans Just Like a Woman, became a Top Ten hit in England during the summer of the 1966, establishing the new lineups commercial credibility. The big change came with their next single, Semi-Detached Suburban Mr. James, a song written by Geoff Stevens of the New Vaudeville Band — a novelty song that marked a major departure for the group, it made number two in England and began the reshaping the bands sound and image. A new album, As Is, followed in October of 1966. It had a cut or two that harked back to their R&B days, as well as the two hit singles, but As Is also contained a fair amount of psychedelic and experimental conceptual music, including the prominent use of an instrument new to their sound — a Mellotron — and a solo acoustic guitar piece by Voorman, as well as one track, Another Kind of Music, that mixed pop and operatic-style choruses. The group returned to its jazz roots momentarily for an EP, Instrumental Assassination, consisting of instrumental tracks, similar to the earlier Instrumental Asylum on EMI.

The group also hit in the spring of 1967 with Ha! Ha! Said the Clown, a Tony Hazzard song that also got picked up by the Yardbirds in the final phase of their history. During this same period, Mann and Hugg linked up as songwriters and emerged as successful in the field of commercials and, to a lesser degree, soundtracks. Their pop-oriented approach to their singles, with occasional forays into psychedelic and progressive rock, yielded a string of Top Ten hits in England through 1969, although the only one to hit the jackpot in the U.S. was their cover of a then-unreleased Dylan song, The Mighty Quinn. Mann dissolved the DAbo lineup in 1969 to form Manfred Mann Chapter Three — drummer Mike Hugg, who had been in the band since the beginning, took over on piano and vocals, and as principal songwriter, while Mann played the organ and arranged the music. The outfits early jazz-rock efforts were interesting, but not very popular, and Manfred steered the ship back toward mainstream rock by forming yet another incarnation, Manfred Manns Earth Band, with Mick Rogers on vocals and guitar.

The heavier, more synthesizer-oriented outfit made quite a few albums in the 1970s. Mann also found time for various outside projects, including producing Lo and Behold, an album of Dylan songs that the songwriter had never recorded officially — and, in that regard, something of an off-shoot of one element of Manfred Manns history — cut by Tom McGuinness then current group, McGuinness Flint, which also included instrumental contributions by Mike Hugg. The 1976 Earth Band album The Roaring Silence, featuring singer/guitarist Chris Thompson on lead vocals, made the Top Ten, and included the number one hit Blinded by the Light, a milestone of sorts for Bruce Springsteen as a songwriter, whose work Mann had discovered three years earlier. Mann also made the Top 40 with another Springsteen cover, Spirit in the Night. The Earth Band, in various configurations and working on different styles, with interruptions (especially by Manns efforts at solo music), has endured for more than two decades since their last chart hit, finding success in the concert arena when their studio work ceased to catch the publics imagination.

Ironically, despite Manns oft-proclaimed preferences for serious explorations of jazz, blues, and progressive music, its his pop/rock recordings that hold up best, and for which hell be remembered most. The continuing power of that music was illustrated in 1992, when the release of a television-marketed compilation of EMI and Fontana tracks called The Ages of Mann precipitated a reunion of Mike DAbo and Paul Jones with McGuinness, Hugg, and Vickers, for a tour under the guise of the Manfreds. Manfred Mann himself, although still heavily involved with his own current projects and never a part of the Manfreds, participated in some radio appearances by the re-formed group. The Manfreds reunited twice more over the next two years, for tours or Europe and a brief foray into America. Links The Band Between 1964 and 1979 Manfred Mann scored three British Number One hits – plus two more Number One hits in America plus another seven that went Top 5 and six more that made the Top 10.

Over this period Manfred Mann’s bands featured some of the finest singers on the British pop and rock scene: Paul Jones, Mike d’Abo, Mick Rogers and Chris Thompson, all of whom have gone on to enjoy successful and varied solo careers. Their distinctive voices have all added to the rich variety of Manfred Mann’s classic hits. South African-born Manfred Lubowitz arrived in Britain in 1961. He was already an accomplished jazz pianist and quickly established himself on the London club circuit with drummer Mike Hug with whom he formed the Mann Hug Blues Brothers. In 1963 the band was re-christened Manfred Mann and with a line-up featuring Paul Jones on vocals and harmonica, Mike Vickers on guitar, flute and saxophone, Tom McGuinness on bass and Hug they set their sights on the British pop scene which was about to explode. They may have been a musically well-educated band but there was nothing sophisticated about Manfred Mann’s first hit the rowdy, frenetic 5-4-3-2-1 that they wrote for the theme song of the groundbreaking TV pop show Ready Steady Go!

Boosted by its weekly exposure on the programme the single reached Number 5 early in 1964. Manfred Mann had their first Number One in the summer of that year with Do Wah Diddy Diddy Diddy, written by the famous New York Brill Building song writing duo of Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry. They also found themselves in the vanguard of the British pop invasion of America alongside the Beatles and the Animals (and ahead of the Rolling Stones) as the song shot to the top of the US charts. The band then proceeded to apply their sharp musical talents to other suitable pop songs such as Sha La La (an American hit for the Shirelles), the poignant Come Tomorrow and Oh No Not My Baby (written by another famous Brill Building duo, Carole King and Gerry Goffin) before turning their attention to Bob Dylan’s If You Gotta Go, Go Now that was a Number 2 hit in the UK and earned the approval of Dylan himself. In April 1966 Manfred Mann notched up their second British Number One with the gorgeous, melodic Pretty Flamingo.

Surprisingly it only scraped into the American Top 30 but it left a lasting impression on a teenage Bruce Springsteen who regularly played it live during the early part of his career. Pretty Flamingo was the crowning glory for the first incarnation of Manfred Mann, not least for the personality-driven voice of Paul Jones who decided to bow out on a high note. He launched a solo career and starred in the movie Privilege – playing a rock star – before becoming one of Britain’s leading experts and commentators on the blues and R&B. His departure put the group’s future in jeopardy but his replacement, the unknown public schoolboy Mike D’Abo immediately stamped his own character on the band and the hits flowed seamlessly on – Dylan’s Just Like A Woman, the quirky Semi-Detached Suburban Mr James and Ha! Ha! Said The Clown – before racking up their third UK Number One early in 1968 with Dylan’s Mighty Quinn, an anthemic masterpiece that astonishingly Dylan never released himself.

As the Sixties drew to a close Manfred and Mike Hug decided to explore new musical directions and after more Top Ten hits with My Name Is Jack, Fox On The Run and Ragamuffin Man, they disbanded Manfred Mann. The other members soon found new careers in other bands (Tom McGuiness formed McGuinness Flint) or in production. Mike D’Abo was already an accomplished songwriter. Manfred and Mike Hug meanwhile embarked on a brief “anti-pop” career with the self-explanatory Chapter Three, a jazz-rock ensemble complete with a five-piece brass section. that was wilfully uncommercial but musically rewarding. After two albums Mike Hug decided to pursue a career composing soundtracks which notably included Up The Junction. Meanwhile key members of the 60s Manfred Mann line-ups – Paul Jones, Mike D’Abo, Mike Hugg and Tom McGuinness – have banded together and perform as The Manfreds. Such is the enduring legacy of Manfred Mann over the past 40 years. In 2007, Mike d’Abo became the proud father of twins, Ellie and Louis, and, for this year, he will be taking some time out to spend with his family.

The Manfreds ‘Let Em Roll’ tour takes to the road with a new album release….aptly titled ‘Let Em Roll’….and Mike will join the band for a few festival dates throughout the year before re-joining for their highly acclaimed ‘Maximum Rhythm ‘n’ Blues’ UK tour in 2010. Former members Manfred Mann The original keyboard player, whose name was chosen by EMI to be the band's name, although they also became known as the Manfreds. Towards the end of '69 Manfred Mann as a group entity dissolved and the individuals went on to other things as recounted above and below. Manfred himself formed firstly Chapter Three with Mike Hugg and after the demise of this outfit, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, which continues to this day. Mike Vickers Another original Manfred, Mike played guitar, alto sax and flute but was tempted away in 1965 by the broader allure of arranging, production & film soundtracks. In his time he has worked with Johnny Dankworth, Ella Fitzgerald, Cilla Black, Cliff Richard, The Hollies, Kiki Dee, Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck.

Mike's orchestral arrangement (which he also conducted) for All You Need Is Love for The Beatles' global TV performance is one of the truly memorable events in pop history. He also programmed the Moog for The Beatles' Abbey Road album as well as John Boorman's films Deliverance, Zardoz and The Exorcist II. Mike joined the re-formed Manfreds for a few years on sax, woodwind & flute but is now busy composing contemporary classical music. Dave Richmond The original Manfreds bass player, who Tom McGuinness replaced when it became apparent Dave's jazz leanings didn't sit with the R & B direction the band was moving towards at the time. After leaving the band in 1963 Dave became a session player, working with amongst others Elton John, Bread, and Hank Marvin. He has also appeared on a soundtrack with Bill Wyman of The Rolling Stones. Jack Bruce Joined the band in 1965 on the recommendation of an old friend of Mike Hugg & Manfred Mann's, Graham Bond, who Jack had played with at an earlier stage in The Graham Bond Organisation along with John McLaughlin, Ginger Baker and latterly, Dick Heckstall-Smith.

(Prior to playing with Graham, Jack had been in Alexis Korner's Blues Inc, with Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones on drums.) When Mike Vickers left the Manfreds, Jack stepped in to fill the gap, leaving John Mayall's Bluesbreakers to do so. His arrival meant that Tom McGuinness could move away from playing bass and back to the instrument he felt more at home with, ie lead guitar. In due course Jack left Manfred Mann to form the legendary Cream with Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker. The band split in 1968 at the height of their popularity and Jack has since recorded numerous solo albums and worked with many different high calibre musicians in a wide variety of genres. Klaus Voorman Friend to The Beatles & designer of the Revolver album cover (for which he won a Grammy), bass player Klaus replaced Jack Bruce in Manfred Mann in 1966. Over the years he recorded with B B King, Jerry Lee Lewis, Harry Nilsson and Carly Simon, as well as working with George Harrison and playing bass with The Plastic Ono Band for John Lennon. After moving to the States he worked with The Band, van Dyke Parks, Ry Cooder, Randy Newman and Dr.

John, before briefly moving into production. He has since been involved in various artistic enterprises and also runs a hotel in Northern Germany. Benny Gallagher One half of hitmakers and blue-chip songwriting team, Gallagher & Lyle, Benny began his career as a tunesmith with The Beatles' Apple company. In 1970, along with Tom McGuinness, his (and Graham Lyle's) astute composing ability propelled McGuinness Flint to the top of the charts. Then came the duo's own hit singles Heart on my Sleeve and I Wanna Stay With You plus the Breakaway album which was a huge success - even more so when the title track was covered by Art Garfunkel. As a Director of The Guild of Record Producers and Recording Engineers, Benny was offered the post of Head of Music at Paul McCartney's Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, but his many commitments meant he had to decline the offer. He's played with Clapton, McCartney and some of the great original Bluesmen such as Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup. Benny writes in Nashville and composes film soundtracks, yet found the time to play bass with The Manfreds for a few years when they re-formed.

Question: Paul Jones was succeeded by Mike D'Abo as singer with which 60s group?
Answer: Manfred Mann