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| MANFRED MANN-Mighty Quinn/By Request-Edwin Garvey U.K. Fontana TF 897 1968 Manfred Mann's biggest American hit was their January 1968 version of Bob Dylan's "Mighty Quinn" which rose to #10 (and in the U.K. it gave the band their third and final #10. It was forever a staple of the Oldies radio station I was reared on (NYC's WCBS FM 101.1!) and therefore firmly embedded in my psyche. I liked it and when I became British Invasion mad at some point in 1975/1976 it was the first record I ever owned by the band. All too often you get bludgeoned by songs like this but fortunately living in a bubble where all of my television watching is streaming and I don't listen to anything but vinyl and Spotify I have been able to appreciate such staples of my past now in doses I prefer! "Mighty Quinn" or as my American oldies reissue 45 (with Keith's "98.6" on the flip) said "The Mighty Quinn (Quinn The Eskimo)" of course comes from the scratch pad of Bob Dylan. The band were probably the earliest British interpreters of his work and had covered "With God On Our Side" on an E.P. and had a U.K. #2 hit with "If You Gotta Go, Go Now" in their previous incarnation. "Mighty Quinn" was from Dylan's legendary "Basement Tapes" and what the Manfred's did with it was nothing short of amazing. It's such a bouncy little ditty with nonsensical, clever lyrics and the Manfred's giving it 101% with a great beat, Klaus Voorman's flute, Manfred's Hammond, precise harmonies and Mike D' Abo's rousing vocals.  Speaking of Mr. D'Abo...on the flip we have a composition of his, "By Request-Edwin Garvey". It's probably one of THE most unusual flip sides to a mega hit you will ever hear! D'Abo warbles on like he's coming from a 1920's gramophone over some piano and the whole thing sounds like a spoof of the Bonzo Dog Band meets something from a Mel Brooks movie! Both tracks are available on a host of Fontana records collections of the band's Mike D'Abo period as well as streaming on Spotify. Hear (and see) "Mighty Quinn" on "Beat Club": Hear "By Request Edwin Garvey": |
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