Manfred Mann Edisode Five

Beat Instrumental Aug 1971

Thanks to Mick Maloney

Manfred Mann is embarking on another episode of his musical career with the formation of yet another new group called, not surprisingly, Manfred Mann.

South African-born Manfred, or Manny as his adorable hospitable wife calls him, is a brilliant, dedicated musician who has moulded the talents of many musicians into what has been known for the past eight years as the unique Manfred Mann sound. During this period, popular music has changed its course many times and it is a tribute to Manfred himself that he and his personnel have always been in the forefront with the sound that has invariably been new and exciting.

To many people, the first episode of Manny's musical career is best forgotten. An oft-heard remark is that what happened in the early days of popular music bears absolutely no relation to what's happening now. What these people don't realise is that everything that happened then IS important now. Without those days where would John Mayall, Alexis Korner, Jack Bruce, Eric Clapton, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Jeff Beck and a host of others be now?

Manny was right in the middle of the blues boom of the very early sixties. As part of the Mann-Hugg Blues Brothers he vividly remembers the days of playing on the same bill and at the same venue as Long John Baldry, Alexis Korner, Cyril Davies and so forth.

The second episode involved the band that released such records as 5-4-3-2-1, Doo-Wah-Diddy and If You've Gotta Go, Go Now. This band included such names as Tom McGuiness, now with McGuinness-Flint, Mike Hugg, who has been with him throughout and is also the writer and arranger of some of our best known television jingles, Mike Vickers, the master of the synthesizer and other electronic musical gadgets, and Paul Jones, star of stage, screen and television.

Episode three saw the leaving of Mike D'Abo from The Band Of Angels for Manfred's band and then the release of such songs as Ha, Ha, Said The Clown and other noteable hits. This band also featured in its line-up former Paddy, Klaus and Gibson member and ace-old Beatles friend. Klaus Voorman (he designed their Revolver album cover). It was this band that also implemented brass and shortlived though it was, it was very effective for the type of music being relayed.

Then came episode four, also known as Chapter Three - a band which one musical journal described as having the finest brass section since the Benny Goodman Band.

Chapter Three was undoubtedly Manny's most ambitious attempt to create a new concept in popular music. Whereas most of the other bands featuring brass playing over the vocalist and various riffs running throughout, Manny's arrangement called for the brass to play behind the vocals of Mike Hugg and then burst forth in all its maturity on the certain passages allocated to them.

'Mike's voice.' said Manny, was quite weak and we wanted to make full use of it. The brass-voice type of sound was very original as there were no riffs between the vocal lines. Just plenty of spacious passages which were used perfectly.'

'Chapter Three was an attempt by me to prove to myself that there were certain things I could do, if unsuccessfully at least seriously,' he added.

Sadly the band didn't make it. 'One of the main reasons,' Manny said, 'was because of the tremendous financial strain. We just couldn't see it through with the salaries of roadies the other musicians and so on it was costing in the region of £2,400 a week. Of course the band was superb. But if a musician has any worries, especially money ones, he naturally cannot play to the best of his ability.'

Manny now has a totally original idea of how to run a group. He has no roadies, vans or PA equipment. He hires them all from a company called Soundray Hire Ltd., and the expenses incurred are refunded by the tax office. The whole lot costs about £35. This is a far cry from the thousands of pounds that some groups are paying out every year. And as Manny has stipulated that he won't be working more than three nights a week you can work out the saving for yourself.

The band that will be utilising the hired equipment comprises of Manny on organ and Moog synthesizer; Mick Rogers, vocals and lead guitar; Chris Slade, drums and Colin Pattenden, bass.

Mick, 24, went to Australia four years ago and formed a group called Procession who became very popular there. They came to England where Mike Hugg produced their records and through this association Mick met Manny. Chris, 24, started playing drums on a semiprofessional basis when he was 14 and went on to back Tom Jones in his early days in Welsh working men's clubs. His introduction to Manny came when he was booked for a Chapter Three recording session. Colin, 23, has backed Engelbert Humperdinck, Leapy Lee and Solomon King. He met Manfred through Chris.

Commercial though their first single, Living Without You (Philips 600612) may be, it is a significant step in Manfred's career through the use of the Moog.

'I bought the Moog from Feldon. It cost about £650. I've got it wired up through the organ pedal. The controls are under my hands. I'm now experimenting with using the controls on the pedal board and this will enable me to bend the notes. In fact, if it works the' way I want it to, I should be able to do almost everything I want to do with them,' he said.

The band is certainly not a last ditch attempt by Manfred to get back into the limelight after the Chapter Three episode. He has been working constantly and is too experienced as a person to be sensitive and worried about the indulgent interest of people who say: 'Where have you been?' or 'What have you been doing over the past couple of years'' and' How Are You ?'

'Looking back,' he said. 'I've always wanted to do what I feel like doing. And I'm going to continue doing that.'

[Top]