Nice read. It notes that Paul Jones of MM was approached by Brian Jones to join in a band Brian was forming. Didn't know this.

[web.musicaficionado.com]

I only know the big hits, but I couldn't compare them with the biggest British invasion bands.......I still need to check out MM's LP's to judge them correctly...............

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Nightingales & Bombers was my favourite album.

Time is Right

One of the more overlooked sixties bands. I like most of their sixties material.

A well deserved appreciation. I once tried to say that their first two albums were better than the Stones` first two albums, but then I met resistance. I would still say they are more tuneful, plus they contain both flute, sax and vibraphone.

My Mom and Aunt were recently telling me about seeing them in the Mid 60's just up the road from their house. They both said they are so underrated as it is a show that stands out from the pack in their memories, and believe me they saw just about everyone from The Beatles, Stones, Who, Small Faces, to barely remembered acts, as they said "We had a famous band or up and comers to see every weekend" (if only we could download the footage from their heads) heck they still go to concerts, they're going to the Opera in Venice this summer and some festival in Croatia, they're just up to mischief imo, bloomin cashed up retirees partying their asses off

Either that or they're International Super Criminals

5-4-3-2-1.……..

Use ta always think it was some
kinda crazed high-speed biblical message ……

Uh-huh …. it was the Manfreds



ROCKMAN

I got a few cds by them.
I like their music. They certainly were a big part of the British Invasion I read somewhere.

Paul Jones had one of the great blues voices (still does). Their early stuff was fantastic.

The band still tours now and then with many of the original members but not MM himself. I saw them a couple of years ago with both Paul Jones and Mike D'Abo on vocals and they were excellent. Had forgotten that D'Abo wrote Handbags and Gladrags, which is a classic song, and it was interesting to hear his story about how he wrote it and to hear his own version.

Many members also tour as The Blues Band and are touring in UK at the moment. They are of course very accomplished musicians and know how to entertain. PJ's voice and harmonica playing and exceptional, especially for a guy in his seventies, as is Dave Kelly's blues guitar playing. The band meet with fans during the break between sets to chat and sign stuff. I had a chat with Tom McGuinness about Brian Jones in the early days and he said that Brian Jones was a good musician but not always easy to get on with. I remember reading that PJ - then known by his real name of Paul Pond - performed with Brian Jones as a duo and it would be cool to get Paul's take on those days.

Great musicians, no egos, rub shoulders with guys who helped form popular music. A good night out.

A 60’s act whom I’ve never felt inclined to explore further; probably partly due to my father not owning any of their 45’s and myself not being overly impressed with what I’ve heard. Paul Jones is to be appreciated, though.

Excellent band. Highly talented musicians with the option of sax, vibes, flute.
Their 45s are classic beat group pop but the UK albums reveal a different story. Massive jazz influence played by highly competent players. Paul Jones is an absolute demon on the blues harp. I'm not keen on his voice but he was a top front man.
A few years back my Dad was visiting and when he arrived I was playing Soul Of Mann. At some point my Dad asked who it was saying it sounded like Mingus and I had a good laugh when I told him it was the Manfreds. Mind you, they were heavily into Mingus.
They deserve a lot more credit for their skills and great records and I'm just talking about their HMV period. There's a whole lot more to them after that.
I've never really heard Paul Jones discuss Brian but he must have some interesting stories about that time, particularly the development of the British R 'n' B scene....they were all in there with Alexis Korner etc...

Manfred Mann's Earthband - Solar Fire

Manfred Mann released a great psychedelic soundtrack album called Up The Junction. For me that and the Stones' Between The Buttons are the true sound of swinging London just turning psychedelic.

Here's a taster -

Here's an old post from about 6 years ago.........

I went to see The Blues Band before Xmas on 7th December at a small venue, the weather was bad and the place wasn't full so the atmosphere was very relaxed and during the interval got talking with the band, particularly Paul Jones. He's now 69 but looks in better shape than Jagger and I'm not exaggerating.

For those who don't know he is the singer in the Blues Band, in the sixties he sang with Manfred Mann and before that he sang blues and played harmonica in a duet with Brian Jones, pre-Stones. Brian called himself Elmo Lewis and Paul Jones went under has real/original name of Paul Pond (or PP Pond). I think they played in Oxford and then moved down to London.

As the Stones were being formed (by Brian.......Stu was first to join) Brian approached him to sing in the Stones before Jagger and he turned them down.

Anyway, Paul Jones (who changed his name to Jones) is a great harmonica player. He is currently President of the National Harmonica League and in 2010 was awarded "player of the year" at the British Blues Awards.

When I got into conversation with him I asked a question that I've long been curious about : "Did Brian teach you to play the harmonica or did you teach Brian?"

His immediate reply was "yes"........then he said "actually it wasn't like that"

He went on to explain that he was playing harp in C but couldn't get the blues sound he wanted. But it was Brian who could already play blues harp and showed him how to get the blues sound using a G harp.

This is really interesting because to get from Cheltenham to London at that time, Brian would most likely have gone via Oxford, where I believe he met Paul Jones who was at University there in Jesus College.

It is therefore possible that Brian could play blues harp before he went to London to meet up with Alexis Korner. Although Cyril Davies was in Blues Incorporated with Alex at the Ealing Jazz Club and both Brian and Paul must have met Cyril and learnt from him, my conversation with Paul Jones strongly suggests that Brian could already play well because in a matter of weeks he was teaching Jagger.

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Elmo
Had forgotten that D'Abo wrote Handbags and Gladrags, which is a classic song, and it was interesting to hear his story about how he wrote it and to hear his own version.

This song says nothing to me. I`ve never heard it before. I think I have all of their 60s` songs on various LPs. What album is it on?

I don't know most of their stuff but I can safely say that their version of "Blinded By the Light" dazzled me as a kid, and it still does. Amazing stuff.

Drew

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noughties

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Elmo
Had forgotten that D'Abo wrote Handbags and Gladrags, which is a classic song, and it was interesting to hear his story about how he wrote it and to hear his own version.

This song says nothing to me. I`ve never heard it before. I think I have all of their 60s` songs on various LPs. What album is it on?

It was not recorded by Manfred Mann but appears on a Mike D'Abo solo LP from 1970. The song was originally released by Chris Farlowe in 1967. It was of course a big hit by The Stereophonics in 2001. Mike D'Abo also wrote Build Me Up Buttercup which was a big hit for The Foundations in 1968.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2019-05-20 16:12 by walkingthedog.

-Thank you. It definetely has a 1970 soul vibe. I hadn`t cared much for it, hearing it as a kid, that`s for sure.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-05-20 17:58 by noughties.

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walkingthedog

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noughties

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Elmo
Had forgotten that D'Abo wrote Handbags and Gladrags, which is a classic song, and it was interesting to hear his story about how he wrote it and to hear his own version.

This song says nothing to me. I`ve never heard it before. I think I have all of their 60s` songs on various LPs. What album is it on?

It was not recorded by Manfred Mann but appears on a Mike D'Abo solo LP from 1970. The song was originally released by Chris Farlowe in 1967. It was of course a big hit by The Stereophonics in 2001. Mike D'Abo also wrote Build Me Up Buttercup which was a big hit for The Foundations in 1968.

It was also covered by Rod Stewart.

MM is not a band that ever caught my attention, other than their three hit singles in America, which sound completely different from each other. There are other bands like that (changes in personnel and sound over the years).

Was only familiar with the band because of Do Wah Diddy and also Blinded By The Light, a Springsteen song.
I wonder if Paul changed his last name to Jones because of Brian?

Came across this while checking out their music. It's their take on Satisfaction. Trippy, jazzy, fuzz tone here and there, could have been on a soundtrack from a number of 60s movies about the 60s. Would love to hear the Stones do it this way.

[www.youtube.com]

doo wah diddy is one of the most powerful and sensational radio hits i've ever heard till this day. That lead singer had Ten Tons of Soul Power.
That was a Smash Hit for real. It's impact on me; well I guess I was the right age and all that; but here I am so many decades later and still find it hits hard and refreshing and infectious in the best way. It' almost like Martha and The Vandellas Dancing In The Streets to me, in it's eternal power, And a Brit band too; what an excellent powerful soulful vocal; just amazing record.
[www.youtube.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-05-21 05:07 by hopkins.

Very good article Kingbeebuzz. It would be very interesting to interview some of these guys - Paul Jones, Dick Taylor, Mick Avory etc - at some length about those formative days before those memories fade and are lost, they are in their seventies after all and look how old Bill Wyman is! They won't be here for ever....

Blinded by the Light is a great song but is by Earth Band, which did feature Mangred Mann himself but is a very different incarnation to the blues group we are discussing here.

Paul Jones still tours extensively with The Manfreds, Blues Band, Dave Kelly as a duo, and is an excellent blues harp player. Somehow he has kept his looks and always has lots of female attention but what's wrong with that.

We should also remember the Pretty Things, Downliners Sect, Bo Street Runners, and also the Kinks who played blues now and again as did the Move.