Manfred Mann-"My Little Red Book" 1968

MANFRED MANN-My Little Red Book (All I Do Is Talk About You)/I Can't Believe What You Say US Ascot AS 2241 1968

It was a common practice in the 60's for labels to squeeze everything they could out of a band, especially when they moved onto a new label. Case in point Manfred Mann. When the band switched lead singers in 1966 and switched from HMV to Fontana in the U.K. they switched from Ascot/United Artists to Mercury in the U.S. Two years and four singles into their contract with Mercury, Ascot issued two singles. The second of those was today's subject, "My Little Red Book (All I Do Is Talk About You)" is an odd duck as it was first released on Ascot back in May, 1965 as AS 2184 with the release of the film "What's New Pussycat" (which featured the tune in a scene in the film) with "What Am I Doing" as the flip. Fast forward to April 1968 and "My Little Red Book" was again issued, this time with "I Can't Believe What You Say" on the B-side. I have yet to figure out the reason Ascot would issue a three year old record (and mention it's inclusion on an equally old long player on the label), though I suspect it might be in relation to the Manfred's return to the charts with "The Mighty Quinn (Quinn The Eskimo)" (Imperial did the same move in '68 when Georgie Fame struck gold on Epic with "The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde" they rushed out "Last Night"). 

All that out of the way "My Little Red Book (All I Do Is Talk About You)" is amazing. It's far more powerful than the version Bacharach cut with Tony Middleton on vocals. From the pounding piano and funky organ to the subtle flute, Paul Jone's vocals swing. Every time I hear it I can't help but think of Peter O'Toole's wooden dance moves to it in the discotheque scene in the film "What's New Pussycat"!

The flip is a pedestrian cover of Ike and Tina's "I Can't Believe What You Say". It's not awful by any means but I always felt that the Manfred's were better at blues and jazz than they were at soul!

Both sides were compiled on the essential 4 CD collection "Down The Road Apiece Their EMI Recordings 1963-1966". 

Hear "My Little Red Book":

https://youtu.be/zWKa6uyhFJU?si=2b9-N53yOG_ib50p

Hear "I Can't Believe What You Say":

https://youtu.be/3p1BieOTNV0?si=T-V2vQ5CDRZkCA7e