A Yawn in Your E-Mail - December 2002
There was this EP an import from France with an unreleased song on it and being an import it was expensive. For those of you aware of my incurable interest in railways the EP had the added bonus
of a picture of the national transport museum when it was at Clapham rather than York. There was however a chance to see the band play live if an extra night in London can be wangled. It would
mean of course not spending money on silly overpriced EP's. So that evening me and my mate Mark set out into the London suburbs to find Eltham Teachers Training College and see our heroes live for
the first time.A couple of weeks ago I was at the Stables (what a nice venue ) and The Robin ( what a ... ) for what seems like my millionth gig. It was great to meet up with good friends from home and abroad some of
whom I only get to see when there are gigs on. It was also nice to see everyone in the band and crew and meet the new drummer. If I was absolutely honest which
of course I am not, I was looking forward to the gig less than looking forward to catching up with old friends. You see
back in the sixties although the D'Abo fronted version of Manfred Mann was the least effective as a live band, they were doing something new at
least to me. They spent most of the evening belting out old blues and rock and role classics such as Nitty Gritty, Fever, Hound Dog and Hoochie
Coochie Man. Even the hit single Just Like A Woman had been rearranged to fit the style as had Paul McCartney's She's A Woman. Summertime
was pure jazz. Manfred Mann Chapter III were so prog (screaming brass sections) rock that they should have been a disaster live. The twice I
saw this band in Liverpool and Manchester the sell out crowds were mad for it. The organ solos were just great loud, moody and so commanding.
I need say little of MMEB in the 70's 80's or 90's because most of you know better than I do what a great selection of live bands Manfred has had
since 1971 but hell I will anyway. People ask me often what my favourite bit of MMEB was. The answer was always an easy one, now. In the
early 70's it was the first band with that powerful combination of Colin and Chris Slade driving the whole thing along so that Manfred and Mick
could overlay their innovative and exciting soloing. Looking back now, maybe it was a little self indulgent but it is still great stuff. Turn the volume up
settle back and enjoy. It doesn't all work because this band was breaking new ground, experimenting, taking risks without the rule book that had
put some restraints onto Chapter III. Then along came Chris and Dave and despite the loss of Mick Rogers, we had Manfred's best band yet. Well it
seemed like that then anyway. Lots of people thought so, 'cause they had big hits and two big selling albums. We got the films at live shows.
"When is Manfred going to bring the films back?", I am often asked. He has talked about it. The problem is to do it now like then would be very
expensive of course. I remember in Germany once a support band using some kind of back projection which was very effective. Manfred was interested to find out more, so you never know.
The Steve Waller period was my favourite. Whilst it was happening and I still think Manfred did some of his best recording work during this time
with albums like 'Chance' and one of my all time favourite albums 'Somewhere in Afrika'. I loved Waller's live performance filled with warmth,
humour, showmanship and great musical ability. He was complimented by some of the best players like John Lingwood and Pat King. Listening to a
bootleg of a live show from that time is still very good for you and no more criminal than calling 'Budapest' a live album ! In the early 80's Manfreds
moog solos reached the point of true greatness. If a mini moog can reach ultimate pleasure then it happened on some of those Martha solos..wow... check it out.
When you get chance to buy the box, you will find two live tracks from 1993. Now this is my favourite band. How could it fail. The wonderful new
singer, so much jazz , so much soul - Mr Noel McCalla, Clive Bunker of not only Jethro Tull but classic rock album 'Aqualung' on drums how could it
fail. These are two stunning recordings oozing atmosphere with once again great keyboards and guitar from the two originals still pushing things
to the limit. These two recordings alone should make 2003 a good year for you (unless the box doesn't come out until 2004. Come on we have always had to be patient! )
My favorite MMEB of all must be the one that hit the road following the release of the first studio album for something like one hundred years. Here
we have something very special. The voice of MMEB joining forces with the old singer and the new singer giving a front line that includes three of
the best vocalists in rock music at the time. I do not think I am exaggerating. Chris, Noel and Mick singing together wow. It doesn't stop there. John
Trotter ranks for me as one of the best drummers in the bands history,whilst the quiet unassuming Mr Kinch now a veteran of some ten years with
the band and always a very good bass player changed his image to become a great visual part of the act as well as an even better bass player.
We even got a live album that sounded like a live album and is brilliant if you didn't know. Ironically the year after the 'Mann Alive' album was
recorded, the band still experimenting, still innovating sounded quite different live, even more exciting and dare I say it even better. Come to think of it that would be my favourite tour or at least it was then.
My long standing interest in Manfred is hidden somewhere in the above ramblings. He has always made sure he has some of the best players in
the business around him, both live and in the studio. He has turned his back on nostalgia (as I slowly drift deeper into my fifties there is a little devil
inside me saying go on Manfred chuck a couple of real oldies in) I was lucky enough, it must be two years ago now to hear a few short bits from
the music he is working on now and I was excited for me and for everybody waiting for the next album and for him because it was new, different and dare I say it again innovative.
So who is my favourite band. Well the current MMEB is made up of many of the great players already mentioned and after the initial shock the new
drummer could be the best yet. Geoff hits them harder than anyone before him. He has a distinctive style like the best drummers before him and
almost alone has freshened up the bands live sound. That is a great achievement when the set has changed so little in the last couple of years. I
would like to see some of Manfred's new music being aired live next year. It would be so exciting to see this band start to innovate and experiment
like the previous ones. So OK I am 52 next year and I think Noel could do a cracking version of Come Tomorrow, or Fox on the Run and what about
Mick doing a very heavy version of Capt Bobby Stout. There is nothing wrong with a bit of nostalgia as long as it can also be new. I think that's
why I mostly listen to jazz nowadays. Its familiar and comfortable like well warn slippers, but good jazz is never the same, so at the same time it challenges you. would love Manfred to do another jazz album on the lines of 'Plains Music'.
A bit like an MMEB gig you might say. The same old set for those of us who know the band well is probably OK. The familiar, changed round and
still challenging. Having said that I can't help the feeling the band must be getting bored with the same stuff night after night. All of this is very subjective of course.
I would never want the band to stop playing Martha, Redemption Song or Quinn. Everybody will have different views, so to please everyone you would probably end up with the same set or a much longer one.
I did enjoy the shows and they are always different. What was great for me was how well Manfred was playing. The moog solos were as good if
not better than anything I've heard. He is playing so well at the moment. It is partly I gather because his keyboards are so well set up at present.
The newest keyboard plays through the mini moog producing the trade mark Manfred sound we have known and loved for so long. Oh no I'm getting nostalgic again ...help
Help is or will be at hand with the release of the first ever true crossover collection. 'Evolution' (this was the first working title for the box - by the
way only Barry Winton didn't like it) is two CDs and a DVD and should be out now but hey this is a Manfred Mann album so now is in fact Feb
2003'ish. The box by the way is out in 'the spring' but which year is still secret. Anyway back to 'Evolution' which has been delayed by a few
minor art work problems. I guess this is the ultimate Best Of album with all the hits. What makes it different is things start in the 60's when Manfred
Mann had a long stream of hits before moving on disc 2 to the MMEB years. I understand bonus tracks are included along with a DVD containing
both sixties and Earth Band material. If you are not familiar with the sixties stuff or think you don't like it then mark these words.
I could waffle on about this being the commercial front to a very clever and innovative band and not representative of what they were about. The
R & B, the Jazz not to mention the great songwriting of people like Jones, Hugg, and D'Abo for example, or the great soloing by Manfred, Mike
Hugg's vibes or Mike Vicker's saxophone and flute. These are the things that got me into Manfred Mann in the sixties, but for most people it was
the hits like Do Wah Diddy Diddy, Pretty Flamingo and Loads more that made the name Manfred Mann famous world wide. That is what you get on
CD1 and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. You will be hard pressed to find a better collection of pop songs anywhere. It is not easy to
produce a classic rock track ten minutes or more long. To say what you have to say in less than three minutes and get a sizeable chunk of the
worlds population to go out and buy it is even more of a challenge. Manfred always was and still is good at this. Some of the recent singles would have succeed with airplay.
Here is a chance to keep your MMEB collection up to date and discover or rediscover what cracking good pop records came out in the sixties. This
was always going to be the first crossover album hence the Box hopefully released hot on the heels of Evolution starts with Chapter III. So two exciting releases next year and with the box lots of stuff you 'ain't heard.
I was recently sent a copy of an album by a group called 'Orange Heart' The Jazz Label altrisuoni, Cat. Log No. AS 126, this group is made up of:
Michele Walther, Matthias Gubler, Fuzian Jenny which I think you would agree is an unusual line up. This is without a doubt a jazz album, but don't
let it put you off at all, it is unusual, moody and atmospheric and I for one really enjoyed it. The Manfred connection is track 6 'Earth The Circle - Part 2' done in Orange Hearts own style, excellent stuff.
If for some reason you haven't got Chris Thompson's recent album or the new Mick Rogers album they would make a couple of excellent late stocking fillas!
The band will be out touring next year and I hope to get out to Europe, which I failed to do in 2002 due to work commitments. Nigel tells me we have
(or will have when they are ready) a signed copy of the first crossover album. To win - a crossover question and as this is the season of good will I have made it very easy!!!!!! (The competition)
n Name a song sung by Manfred Mann in the sixties by Paul Jones, and name the song it evolved into on the fifth album.
n Then name a song performed by Manfred Mann in the sixties and sung by Mike D'Abo, and name the song it evolved into on the first album.
n Lastly where can I find Konekuf or a tiny bit of it on an MMEB record and for a bonus point what does Konekuf mean? Please explain your answer.
Did I say easy?.. Well its too good a prize to just give away and anyway you need to do something with all the free time over Christmas.
To win this you must also promise to have a fantastic Christmas. Hope you get everything you ask for. Carol and I wish everyone out there a fantastic 2003 and who knows we may bump into you somewhere at a gig. Andy & Carol
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