Let Me Tell You 'Bout The Manfreds.....

MANFRED MANN-The One In The Middle/Watermelon Man/What Am I To Do/With God On Our Side U.K. HMV 7EG 8908 1965

You can't go wrong with Paul Jones era Manfred Mann in my book.  While I do enjoy a bit of the Mike D'Abo era stuff I find that the jazzy/harder r&b of  the Manfred's Mk.I is far more appealing in my book. This was the band's third of seven E.P.'s they did on HMV while Paul Jones was at the helm, hitting the streets in the Summer of 1965.

It kicks off with the cheeky band musical autobiography "The One In The Middle", composed by lead singer Paul Jones. It's a fully rollicking mid 60's British r&b record if ever there was one with catchy guitar licks, blues wailing harp, funky organ and Paul Jone's strong vocals, a full on party! And of course the lyrics are amusing too. The band then tackle Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man" via Jon Hendrick's vocalese version, nicely accented by some sweet sax from in house multi-instrumentalist Mike Vickers.  At times Paul Jone's sounds a tad unconvincing in his efforts to vocally replicate an American black man, but I don't take it as any form on insincerity on his part.

The band on one of many "Ready Steady Go" appearances, 1965.

Side two of the E.P. opens with the soulful reading of "What Am I To Do", a track written by Phil Spector and Doc Pomus. Once again Paul Jones shines in the vocal department, crooning away soulfully and during the chorus the band show their chops beneath Manfred's atmospheric piano interspersed with some churchy organ on the solo.  Magic.  The E.P. ends with Bob Dylan's "With God On Our Side".  The band had a history of recording a lot of the big D's stuff in fact their next single would be a reading of his "If You Gotta Go, Go Now".  But this tune is where it all began and kicked off the band's long standing relationship with covering Dylan tracks (it's been suggested that Mr. Zimmerman enjoyed their interpretations of his tracks, I'm still holding out for a second volume of his "Chronicles" autobiography series to see if he mentions them in any way).  The sparse and simple bass, drums, thumping piano arrangement suits the number perfectly as Paul Jones sings with soul and conviction on what is, beyond all doubt, the most poignant Dylan track ever written. Bitingly cynical yet straight and to the point, a fine anti-war statement brilliantly delivered by a top notch British r&b band, who once again, prove they can be both cheeky and serious.

All four tracks are available in a variety of places, the best and most complete being the 4 CD set "Down The Road A Piece: 1963-1966" which spans every single track they ever recorded for the HMV label.

Hear "The One In The Middle":


http://youtu.be/YRfoSW9HgCM

"Watermelon Man" on "Shindig":



Hear "What Am I To Do":

http://youtu.be/bT6Z8ir27qQ

Hear "With God On Our Side":

http://youtu.be/o9V_ZrXP6aw

Happy B-Day Manfred: Manfred Mann Mark One E.P. Number Four

MANFRED MANN-There's No Living Without Your Loving/Let's Go Get Stoned/Tired Of Trying, Bored with Lying, Scared Of Dying/I Put A Spell On You U.K. E.P. HMV 7EG 8922 1965

This was the last E.P. released by what I call the "classic" Manfred's line up before guitarist Mike Hugg split.

"There's No Living Without Your Loving" is one of those ballad's lead singer Paul Jones was so fond of.  Not really an awful track but by no means a great one either.  The band's cover of the Ashford/Simpson composition "Let's Go Get Stoned" is brilliant.  It's soulful, it's jazzy (with some neat little B-3 licks by Manfred) and it swings and by the time it's over you want to "stop by the wine shop on your way home and say let's go get stoned".  The crown jewel of the E.P. for me is "Tired Of Trying, Bored With Lying, Scared Of Dying". It's a brilliant social commentary from the pen of Paul Jones addressing xenophobia, teenagers, racism etc:

"You cry about the teenagers for breaking your rules, it don't occur to you you never built enough schools.."

"the fascists horrify you it's a sin and a shame, discrimination, immigration what's in a name.."

The number is delivered with some rocking piano tinkling and very distorted guitar licks with usual top notch vocals from Paul Jones. I've always been suspect of versions of Screaming Jay Hawkins "I Put A Spell On You", but this version is an exception. It's actually probably one of the better versions I've heard with some very soulful vocals from Paul Jones and a moody/jazzy feel throughout the whole number care of some subtle organ, enthusiastic backing vocals from the rest of the boys and a kick ass sax solo!

All of the tracks on this E.P. can be found on the essential Manfred Mann CD compilation. "Down The Road Apiece: Their EMI Recordings 1963-1966".

Hear "Tired Of Trying....":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5b-FzRfB3U

Hear "I Put A Spell On You":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0Np_4rKDBc

Manfred's Soul/Jazz '66

MANFRED MANN-Machines/She Needs Company/Tennessee Waltz/When Will I Be Loved U.K. HMV E.P. 7EG 8942 1966

Manfred Mann were always an interesting type of British r&b band.  They fell somewhere between the blues/Chuck Berry-rock n' roll style of contemporaries like the Yardbirds/Stones/Pretty Things/Downliner's Sect and the soul tinged r&b/jazz of Georgie Fame/Zoot Money/ Graham Bond.  My favorite period of their work has always been the '66 era when they added the horn section talents of Henry Lowther and Lyn Dobson and Manfred began using a Hammond organ (see May 28, 2009 entry). This E.P. stems from that time.  Another reason I dig this period is that Mick Vickers (rhythm guitar/vibes) had moved on by then with bassist Tom McGuinness moving onto guitar and it is Jack Bruce's masterful bass playing we're hearing, my favorite of all Manfred's bassmen.  Why he was not included on the picture sleeve is beyond me, but since he was only in the band for little over half a year and vacating the bass seat around the time of it's relese (May 1966) it's possible he was not available for a photo session.  The E.P. incidentally went to #1 on "Record Mirror's" seperate E.P. chart.

Regardless we're here to talk about the music!  "Machines" is a brilliant burst of the "new look" (erm "sound") Manfred's, by that I mean they have more chutzpah/soul (or "umph" ). It's interspersing of Hammond n' horns is a perfect mix with the bizarre over amplified clock winding noises meant to convey, I'm assuming, the bleak industrial mechanization that the song bemoans.  It's certainly one of the band's more socially observant pieces (even if it was written by Mort Shuman).  "She Needs Company" opens with a nice melody played by the horn section and tackles the relationship between what would these days be termed a "cougar" and a younger man.  The bass playing is exceptional (you can't miss a Jack Bruce bass solo) and a funky little Hammond organ solo by Manfred mashes nicely with it all.  I've never been a fan of the song "Tennessee Waltz", regardless of who's doing it.  Even with the groovy organ, jazzy horns and Paul Jone's campy ad-libbing it still fails to impress me.  The Hammond n' horns tour de force however continues with a spirited upbeat version of The Everly's "When Will I Be Loved" which follows the wonderful formula of the E.P.: soulful singing, busy bass lines, a funky Hammond solo and razor sharp brass action.  The E.P. would be the last one specifically recorded with Paul Jones. Though the next two would feature his photo on the sleeves the last, "As Was" was issued posthumously while the next, "Instrumental Asylum" (see May 28, 2019 entry) were entirely instrumental tracks.

Manfred Mann on "Ready Steady Go" April 22, 1966

All four tracks were collected sometime ago on See For Miles "E.P. Collection" and can also be found on the highly recommended 4 CD set "Down The Road Apiece: Their EMI Collection 1963-1966".

Hear "She Needs Company":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkM-YyyNG90

Manfred Mann:Pop Jazzbos Part Two

MANFRED MANN-Instrumental Assassination E.P.: Side One: Sunny/Wild Thing Side Two: Get Away/With A Girl Like You U.K. Fontana TE 17483 1967

As previously discussed in our May 28, 2009 installment, Manfred Mann were no strangers to jazz and as we discussed in that date's posting on they'd already released "Instrumental Asylum" (U.K. HMV 7EG 8949) an E.P. with jazzy versions of four current pop hits.   With a switch from HMV to Fontana in August of 1966 AND a new lead singer (former Band of Angels lead singer Mike D'Abo who replaced Paul Jones) the Manfred's had seen their share of personnel shuffling.

In December 1966 they released a second E.P. of jazz styled interpretations of the top forty called "Instrumental Assassination".   The line up for the E.P. comprised of Manfred Mann on keyboards, Mike Hugg on drums/vibes, Tom McGuinness on guitar, Dave Richmond on double bass, and strangely, new bassist Klaus Voorman on recorder.  Presumably this was an "in" joke and also presumably because the E.P. was perhaps recorded before Voorman had joined?  I'm a little unclear on that one. Housed in a stylish E.P. sleeve bearing an image of a Walther P-38 pistol in a bold font it's eye catching.

Bobby Hebb's "Sunny" (also a sizable hit for Georgie Fame in the U.K. in September 1966) is first on the chopping block. It's sloppy and sounds like a bunch of the guys went to the pub, got pissed, came back and cut a half hearted jazz version of "Sunny" accented by some slightly off key shouting the chorus in unison.  Next.  Their label mates Trogg's "Wild Thing" is next, it's interesting because Manfred utilizes a Mellotron which gives it a more "way out" feel.  Side Two's "reading" of Georgie Fame's U.K. #1 "Getaway" is my fave of the lot.  It starts out with a voice chanting "Getaway" deep enough to sound like a bullfrog croaking and moves swiftly into a swinging vibes led groover with some excellent drumming by Mike Hugg and some nice Hammond complementing the vibes.  The Troggs are again the subject (odd how the E.P. is essentially two Troggs and two Georgie Fame hits!), this time it's "With A Girl Like You".  It begins with a sawing double bass and progresses into a descending military march where each instrumental (guitar, vibes etc) all come in one at a time.  It doesn't get as swinging as "Getaway" but it's still quite interesting, of course slightly marred by the drunken sounding "vocals" (luckily away from the mikes) and every time you think the number is about to end the military march drumbeat resurrects it!

Strangely the E.P. actually managed a U.K. chart placing (#40, their lowest chart placing in the U.K. for a 7" to date), their lowest chart placing to date and it is interesting to note it was produced by Shel Talmy (who began working with the band upon their signing to Fontana).  I'm not certain if it has ever been reissued as any Fontana era CD compilations seem to have overlooked it.

Hear "Getaway":