In 1966 there was only one man who
could fill Paul Jones' shoes as front man for Manfred Mann.
Already attracting attention with his group, A Band Of Angels, Mike was
thrust into a wider limelight with the Manfreds and the well-oiled hit
machine rolled on. Just Like A Woman, Semi-Detached
Suburban Mr James and Mighty Quinn were just three of the
string of hits with the 'new boy' in the line-up.
And, like his predecessor, Mike's
career after the disbanding of the Manfreds in 1969 lost none of its
momentum. He'd already proved his impressive skill as a songwriter
by composing Build Me Up Buttercup for The Foundations and
Handbags & Gladrags, a massive hit for
Chris Farlowe,
reprised with equal success by Rod Stewart, first in 1970 and
more recently on his MTV-based 'unplugged' album. Mike recorded
solo albums, made his acting debut in the West End and used his musical
talents wherever they led him; from the soundtrack of the Peter
Sellers/Goldie Hawn movie There's A Girl In My Soup to an array
of TV jingles, including Cadbury's 'Finger of Fudge', Mike d'Abo's
creative career is a seamless success story.
In addition to The Manfreds, since
1987 Mike has established a formidable reputation with Mike d'Abo
& His Mighty Quintet, the band guaranteed to fill any dance
floor. As a broadcaster, he's held in great affection by thousands
of radio listeners across the West Country where his show Late Night
West is essential listening. All this and The Manfreds too
.... an impressive and enviable career.
See
Solo Projects below for more on Mike.
