Uli Glup (Spring 2002)
It was 1978 when I visited London for the first time with my school class. Half of the students listened to the Bees Gees and the whole Saturday Night stuff, the other rest
listened to Queen or ELO. Just one guy bought a album called "Watch" in a record store near Oxford Street. It was the beginning of a neverending love affair.
Almost 25 years, more than 30 concerts and 20 albums (or CDs) later, I returned with my wife and two friends. We planned an intensive '16 hours per day, completely self
organized program' of the tourist highlights. All this in the hope we could see as much as possible during our four day trip. After just three hours of the first day we'd already
decided that we should reduce our program to a symbiosis of sightseeing and learning facts about the British culture (like how is much a pint, especially when you have five of them).
The third day came and we were all a little bit tired. Most of the "interesting things" had been seen, (at least if we were to believe our Baedeker City Guide). Then I had a
thought, "Why shouldn't we visit the famous Workhouse Studios of Manfred Mann, where all his masterpieces were produced? This would be something special". After a
unbelievable period of silence (20 seconds) my friend raised his voice: "Okay, which underground?". We took the Bakerloo line to the Elephant & Castle station (New Kent Road), in the hope
that the walk to the Workhouse (Old Kent Road 488-490) wouldn't be further than half a mile. Unfortunately the Old Kent Road starts in the North with No. 1 and not, as I dreamed the night before, with No. 400.
Some blocks, 40 minutes, and many angry comments from my pals later, we reached this holy place for Earth Band fans all over the world. My first thought was "it doesn't
really look like a Studio at all". Still I went to the steel door and rang the bell. Ian Thompson (the man responsible for Manfred's keyboards on stage), answered and let me in.
Ian showed me the great entrance room with Manfred's gold and platinum records from many different countries on the walls. We talked some
minutes about the upcoming tour, the progress of the new album, and Manfred's whereabouts (he was visiting his daughter in Australia). After
some minutes and a few photos it was time to leave the studios, full of impressions what I'd seen and heard. I forgot to ask Ian how many
German tourists had visited the studios before. Meanwhile I wrote to the editor of the Baedeker - they should add the Workhouse Studios to their points of interests.
By the way, the ride back to downtown London was much easier and faster - just in front of the studios is a bus stop! |
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