A Twitter notification by my brother Terry regarding a entertainment story in no less than the Jerusalem Times got me to thinking about a band that has not entered my consciousness for some time. I have at least one album which was tricky to obtain and have downloaded several tracks. Manfred Mann were around in the 1960s, purveying catchy pop tunes - "Doo Wah Diddy Diddy", "Pretty Flamingo", a hit cover of Dylan's "The Mighty Quinn", "My Name Is Jack", "Semi-Detached, Suburban Mr James", "Ha Ha Said The Clown" and post break-up even a classic yoghurt advertisement theme "Ski (Full Of Fitness)" The band took their name from their talented musician and founder, South African Manfred Mann. Skip forward to the early 70s and Manfred pops up again, this time as founder and keyboard player of prog rock band Manfred Mann's Earth Band. My first memory of them is liking a single called "Joybringer" from the album "Solar Fire". This contained elements of Jupiter, The Bringer of Joy from The Planets Suite by Gustav Holst. Next, I was browsing at the HMV Store in Oxford Street and heard a glorious noise coming over the tannoy. After asking at the counter, I was told that it was "Crossfade" from the "Nightingales and Bombers" album. I later found out that this album was so-called because part of the title track contains a naturalist's recording during World War II of a nightingale singing in a garden as warplanes flew overhead. Another track on the record was "Spirits In The Night", which it turned out was a cover of a Springsteen track. I first put my hand in my pocket to buy an Earth Band album in about 1976 when I heard the hit single "Blinded By The Light" which is another Springsteen cover. The Roaring Silence is a great album containing the lovely tracks "Singing The Dolphin Through", "Starbird" and "Questions". The slightly more up-tempo tracks are "The Road To Babylon", "Starbird" and (not sure if it is a live recording or not) instrumental "Waiter, There's A Yawn In My Ear". A couple of year's later, another single came along with "Davy's On The Road Again" from the album Watch. This was another fine record and also contained a live re-boot of Manfred Mann's Dylan-penned "The Mighty Quinn".
I heard little of the band for many years, but still loved these records. The Jerusalem Times article told me that Manfred Mann was playing his first concerts since 2004. I wish him well and thank him for the music.
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I make it pretty plain on other pages of this site that although I know the words to many, many songs, my interpretation of them and their meaning is to say the least suspect. In eager anticipation and over excitement about the upcoming entertainment at the Shepherd's Bush Empire - Ian Anderson : Jethro Tull-The Rock Opera, I have been playing some of the band's old tunes. This has led to many smiles and much enjoyment. Here are a few selected favourite lyrics from the one legged flautist who has given me so much pleasure over the years. Wonderful. "Meanwhile back in the year One -- when you belonged to no-one --you didn't stand a chance son, if your pants were undone."
- Skating Away (On The Thin Ice Of A New Day). "Happy and I'm smiling, walk a mile to drink your water. You know I'd love to love you, and above you there's no other." - Living In The Past "I am the wind to fill your sail. I am the cross to take your nail: A singer of these ageless times. With kitchen prose and gutter rhymes." -Songs From The Wood "There was a rush along the Fulham Road into the Ever-Passion Play." - A Passion Play "This is the story of the hare who lost his spectacles." - The Story Of The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles - Words by Jeffrey Hammond - from A Passion Play "Sitting on the park bench -- eyeing little girls with bad intent. Snot is running down his nose -- greasy fingers smearing shabby clothes. Aqualung" - Aqualung (written, I believe by Mrs Anderson) "The old Rocker wore his hair too long, wore his trouser cuffs too tight. Unfashionable to the end, drank his ale too light. Death's head belt buckle, yesterday's dreams the transport caf' prophet of doom. Ringing no change in his double-sewn seams in his post-war-babe gloom. -- Now he's too old to Rock'n'Roll but he's too young to die." - Too Old To Rock 'n' Roll:Too Young To Die "War Child dance the days, and dance the nights away." - War Child "Let's bungle in the jungle --- well, that's all right by me. I'm a tiger when I want love, but I'm a snake if we disagree." - Bungle In The Jungle "Really don't mind if you sit this one out. My words but a whisper your deafness a SHOUT." "Do you believe in the day? Do you? Believe in the day!" So! Where the hell was Biggles when you needed him last Saturday? And where were all the sportsmen who always pulled you through? They're all resting down in Cornwall writing up their memoirs for a paper-back edition of the Boy Scout Manual." "So you ride yourselves over the fields and you make all your animal deals and your wise men don't know how it feels to be THICK AS A BRICK." -Thick As A Brick "So you ride yourselves over the fields and you make all your animal deals and your wise men don't know how it feels to be THICK AS A BRICK, Two" Ian Anderson -TAAB 2 Writer(s): Ian Scott Anderson Copyright: The Ian Anderson Group Of Companies Ltd. 5/9/2015 0 Comments They tell me it is Autumn...The Met Office gleefully announced that their definition of Autumn started on 1 September. I have to counter that with my view that you really need to have had a Summer in order to call the next season Autumn. This week has been a little different from the norm. Good gig on last Saturday, so went to town and visited my Mum in the afternoon. We had a bit of a meal in the pub which always goes down well. The working week was short due to the Bank Holiday, there was more covering for the supervisor who has had more leave, there was no Cub Scout meeting due to the Summer break but a Scouters meeting on Tuesday and finally helping out at a Family Day at Canon today. My normal duties could have been tricky, and I am sad to say that I had a couple of run-ins with the more able of my work colleagues (not the first problem and I have mentioned this in my blog previously). Today's extravaganza was an annual event at the Canon UK HQ office and grounds. As always lots of planning (not by me) but as much help as possible eases the magic and makes it work. I got a few tables into position, set up a trail around the grounds and made sure that things don't get out of hand on the Bouncy Castles. Every one seemed to have a good time. It was a good and enjoyable day but a long one as helping hands were a little short on the ground. My wages were a few cups of tea, a couple of glasses of Pimm's and half a pizza. Here is a wee bit of Canon history for you. The evolution of the instantly recognisable logo. As mentioned earlier, The Gaslight Anthem put on a fabulous gig at the Shepherd's Bush Empire last Saturday.
I don't often say this, but the support from Against Me! left me absolutely cold. It was emo-rock play at Volume number 11. A row even through my ear plugs. Pretty excited as this week's main event is Ian Anderson's performance "Jethro Tull:The Rock Opera". I know that it is just a way to present his back catalogue a fresh outing, but what a brilliant idea - tell the story of the agricultural pioneer with old songs and visual extras. Historic link about Jethro Tull here. It could be said that "At last, Ian Anderson pays tribute to the man whose name his band Jethro Tull stole", but not by me. I am just really looking forward to it. |
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