Manfred Mann - Chapter I and Chapter II

The debut album by british invasionists Manfred Mann holds up even better 40 years on than it did in 1964. It's also one of the longest LPs of its era, clocking in at 39 minutes, and there's not a wasted note or a song extended too far among its 14 tracks. They never had the reputation that the Rolling Stones enjoyed, which is a shame, because The Five Faces of Manfred Mann is one of the great blues-based albums; it's a hot, rocking record that benefits from some virtuoso playing as well, and some of the best singing of its era, courtesy of Paul Jones, who blew most of his rivals out of the competition with his magnificently impassioned, soulful performance on Untie Me, and his simmering, lusty renditions of Smokestack Lightning and Bring It to Jerome. The stereo mix of the album, which never surfaced officially in England until this 1997 EMI anniversary reissue holds up very nicely, with sharp separation between the channels yet -- apart from a few moments on Untie Me -- few moments of artificiality.



















The group's second British album Mann Made, released 1965 just as the original lineup was entering a state of collapse with the impending departure of two key members, shows some of the changes that can happen in a year, as they move away from Chess Records' brand of blues as their baseline. Instead, Manfred Mann produce a sound that is slightly smoother and a lot more soulful. A handful of originals, mostly by Mike Vickers and Mike Hugg with one Paul Jones-authored number thrown in, are scattered amid covers of songs originally from the Temptations, the Skyliners, and T-Bone Walker. If it isn't as fierce, bold, or daringly ambitious as Manfred Mann's debut long-player, Mann Made is just as much a virtuoso effort, and a surprisingly cohesive one considering that it was released immediately after Mike Vickers and Paul Jones announced their respective departures from the band.
Mannerisms was originally issued in 1976, containing all the Fontana singles and notable album tracks, and it was decent as far as it went, filling in a few holes and re-exposing some worthwhile album tracks.




Thanks to Frisian!

Night - Night/Long Distance

In the late 1970's singers Stevie Vann (aka Stevie Lange) and ex-Earthband singer Chris Thompson met when Vann was performing background vocals for a Manfred Mann's Earthband album. Thompson approached Vann to form a band, known as Night, soon after Vann's own backing group, Bones had split up. Night then later split in 1983 after releasing two albums.











1979 Night - Night
1981 Night - Long Distance

Paul Jones - Crucifix in a Horseshoe

As lead singer of Manfred Mann during their early run of hits, Paul Jones was far more influential than people realize. After leaving the Manfreds in 1966, Jones made one of the greatest cult films of all time, 1967's Privilege. In 1972 Jones recorded Crucifix in a Horseshoe with White Cloud, a New York based session group featuring Teddy Wender on keyboards and Kenny Kosek on fiddle.

Mike Hugg - Stress & Strain

The second Mike Hugg solo album released in 1973. The album features Elton Dean on sax, Tony Rivers (Keyboards, Vocals), Mick Waller (drums), Paul Westwood (bass), Lyn Dobson (horn), Kevin Peek (guitar), Sonny Corbett (horn), Kim Gardner (bass), Eddy Grant (guitar), David Hadfield (guitar) and Ian Carr (horn).

Mike Hugg - Somewhere

Mike Hugg was first known as a founding member of the Mann-Hugg Blues Brothers, who evolved into the 1960's group Manfred Mann. Hugg was a competent pianist and an able vibraphonist, but his basic role in Manfred Mann was that of drummer. He was credited as co-writer of the group's early hits and contributed solo compositions throughout its life, including jazzy instrumentals and wistful acid-pop. When he and Manfred Mann formed the more progressive Manfred Mann's Chapter Three, Hugg moved to electric piano and lead vocals, the latter, by his own account, purely for want of someone better. Mike Hugg released three solo albums in the 1970's, 1972's Somewhere is his first.

Manfred Mann - Chapter Three

1969 Volume 1
1970 Volume 2
Both are remasters

Manfred Mann's Chapter Three was a experimental jazz rock band founded by keyboard player Manfred Mann. The band was short-lived and disbanded after two albums.
Volume 1 is the debut album released in 1969. The Band consists of Mike Hugg(piano,vocals), Manfred Mann(organ), Steve York(bass), Bernie Living(sax), Brian Hugg(guitar), Craig Collinge(drums).
If you don't know what the title of track 3 means try to read it backwards.
Volume 2 was released in 1970. The lineup had no changes, additional musicians are:
Dave Brooks(sax), Clive Stevens(sax), Senny Corbet(trumpet), David Coxhill(sax).

Mann went on to form Manfred Mann's Earth Band in 1971.