VIA PRESS RELEASE | Manfred Mann, one of the most popular, much-loved of British Bands to emerge in the post-Beatles pop explosion of the mid-sixties, have their first four albums – namely The Five Faces of Manfred Mann (1964), Mann Made (1965), Mann Made Hits (1966) and the instrumental set, Soul of Mann (1967) reissued by Umbrella Music on Friday, June 22nd 2018. The four individual albums are reissued on CD and top-quality vinyl.
The four vinyl albums are also released as a limited edition deluxe box set, which includes a full-colour vintage band photo print, and a DVD featuring exclusive interviews filmed in 2017 with original band personnel Manfred Mann, Paul Jones, Tom McGuinness, and Mike Hugg. Apart from a limited vinyl pressing of Five Faces in 2012, this marks the first time in over thirty years that the albums have been released on vinyl. The reissues are in their original mono, taken from first-generation quarter inch master tapes, the sleeve art was taken from original negatives, and the quartet of titles come under the ‘Artist Approved’ banner, released with the full sanction of the band.
Manfred Mann started off as a driving rhythm and blues combo (with a strong Jazz influence!), taking their name from their keyboard playing leader, at the insistence of their EMI producer, John Burgess (before that, they were known as The Blues Brothers!). Fronted by vocalist and harmonica player Paul Jones, they quickly became consistent singles chart hit-makers. After making their breakthrough by way of the intense “5-4-3-2-1,” which was adopted as the theme tune for the classic TV Pop show, Ready, Steady Go, the band moved imperceptibly in to the music mainstream, with smash hits such as “Do Wah Diddy Diddy,” “Pretty Flamingo,” “Oh No, Not My Baby,” and “Come Tomorrow.” They were also one of the first bands to recognise the commercial potential of Bob Dylan, taking his “If You Gotta Go, Go Now” into the singles charts worldwide.
These four albums illustrate that the band had a far more diverse set of musical influences than the pop hits would suggest—with material running from the likes of Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, and Willie Dixon, through to Nat ‘Cannonball’ Adderley, The Miracles, T-Bone Walker, and much more. Also featured in the MM ranks for a brief period in 1966 was bass player Jack Bruce, who played on the “Pretty Flamingo” single and on several tracks on the Soul of Mann set, before Bruce went on to form Cream with Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker.
Paul Jones left the band in 1966 to pursue a solo career, and Manfred Mann moved from the HMV / EMI label to sign to Fontana. That, as they say, is another story. The Manfreds—featuring Paul Jones, Tom McGuinness, and Mike Hugg (plus Jones’ replacement, Mike d’Abo)—are to tour the UK later in 2018, alongside Georgie Fame.
