The Youth of Today ......

12/8:  The Guardian's 'The Guide' last week featured on its cover The Coral, "the teen band making waves", and the following editorial extract: "While there's a danger that The Coral's debut may fly over the heads of the mainstream, with a likely Mercury Music Prize nomination, the yet-to-be-released, Top-10-knocking Dreaming Of You and a second LP just a few songs from completion (Sexy Suzie, debuted at T In The Park earlier this month, sounds like Manfred Mann doing the Batman TV series theme tune), victory will be theirs within the year.  Just don't say we didn't warn you."

29/5:  Hux Records are shortly to release a McGuinness Flint CD of BBC sessions which will include all the hits & more.  As well as the Capitol line-up with Gallagher &  Lyle and The Bronze line-up with Lou Stonebridge and Dixie Dean, it also includes a couple of rare tracks by the very short-lived line-up with Neil Innes (of Bonzo Dog, The Rutles, & Monty Python fame).

29/5:  In July, Manfreds bassist Marcus Cliffe will be doing several nights with Mark Knopfler at the the Empire, Shepherds Bush, London.

29/5:  The following is an extract from a feature on U.S. jazzer Bill Frisell, "one of the most celebrated guitarists in the world" in The Guardian newspaper May 18 2002:

At 12 he had his first acoustic guitar, and at 14 his first electric instrument. "Like just about everyone of my age," he says, "when I saw The Beatles, that was a pretty huge thing, but it was starting before that in the very early 60s.  There was surf music and there were bands forming.  The first record I ever bought was The Beach Boys' 45, Little Deuce Coupe".

It took the British invasion to introduce his generation of young white American musicians to an important part of their own heritage.  "I was really into Manfred Mann - that's when I heard blues for the first time - and The Rolling Stones and John Mayall a bit later.  Then I heard Paul Butterfield and someone said, 'Oh, if you like that, you should listen to this stuff from Chicago.'  I was coming to the blues backwards, by figuring out where the English bands were getting a lot of their stuff from."

18/1:  The Stereophonics' CD "Just Enough Education to Perform" is at No. 1 this week.  It had dropped down into the 80s before it was re-released with Handbags & Gladrags added (see further below).  The single is still at number 10. Click on the thumbnails below to see photos of Mike d'Abo and Chris Farlowe in the studio recording the original version of the song.  The photos are courtesy of photographer Jeremy Fletcher - to view and buy originals of some great Manfreds and other 60s pop pics visit his website at www.users.bigpond.com/jeremyfletcher/default.htm 

16/12:  Mike d'Abo's "Handbags & Gladrags" is tonight at no. 4 in the UK charts.  See below for more on this.

3/12: THE STEREOPHONICS RELEASE MIKE d'ABO'S 60'S CLASSIC 'HANDBAGS & GLADRAGS'!

Mike d'Abo's songwriting credentials have been brought dramatically up to
date with the single release of 'Handbags & Gladrags' by The Stereophonics. The hugely popular Welsh band release the Rod Stewart classic as their Christmas single on Monday 3rd December. It is also featured on their current album, 'Just Enough Education to Perform', which has been specially remastered to include 'Handbags & Gladrags' and was re-released on Monday 26th November.

Mike, who is currently touring with The Manfreds and The Blues Band, managed to catch The 'Phonics in concert at their Birmingham NIA gig on 21st November. He met them after the show and had a nice chat with lead singer, Kelly Jones. Mike had earlier written Kelly a letter congratulating him on his impassioned vocal performance and informing him of the history of the song so far.

Mike has kindly allowed us to reproduce a copy of the letter below. So, why
not do Mike and The Stereophonics a favour and assure them of a strong chart entry by going out and buying the single and/or album today!

Many thanks for your support.

8^th November 2001

Dear Kelly

I wanted you to know how ‘chuffed’ I was to hear your recording of ‘HANDBAGS & GLADRAGS’. I wrote the song in 1967, and thought you might be interested to know how ROD STEWART came to record his version (which obviously inspired you).

I was lead singer with MANFRED MANN at the time and was getting frustrated with the material we were recording. Since I was writing a lot of songs, I offered my services as writer/producer to Andrew Oldham, who had just started up IMMEDIATE RECORDS. He put me together with CHRIS FARLOWE, and in 1967 I produced and arranged the first version of the song. It charted at No 33.

Andrew also put me together with Rod who wanted to record the song as well. Unfortunately, since I had promised it to Chris, Rod had to settle for another of my songs, LITTLE MISS UNDERSTOOD, which was released in 1968. Rod made me promise to let him record H&G once he got himself an album deal (his deal with Immediate was for singles only). In 1969 he knocked on my door saying he had secured an album deal with MERCURY RECORDS, and could he now record H&G? Also, could I play piano and come up with a woodwind arrangement? This session came together at very short notice, with (what subsequently became) THE FACES as the rhythm section. It found its way onto his first album, ‘AN OLD RAINCOAT NEVER LETS YOU DOWN’. Little was known of Rod at the time. This was a year before the success of MAGGIE MAY!

Over the years the song has resurfaced on a number of Rod’s repackaged albums and compilations. I can only assume you had a copy of one of these, which drew your attention to the song. Obviously, I’m thrilled you liked it enough to include it in your repertoire. I saw you perform the song on Jools Holland’s New Year’s Eve show and was struck by your impassioned vocal. This is an aspect which comes over strongly on the record. Some months later I heard that the BBC2 comedy series ‘THE OFFICE’ were using part of the song as their theme tune. This prompted me to contact John Brand to alert him to the TV series and to suggest that a Stereophonics version of the song would be an improvement on what the TV series were currently using. He told me you had just recorded the song. Naturally, I was thrilled when I later heard that it was scheduled for a release as a single on November 26^th. Good Luck to you all. I hope for all our sakes that it takes off in a big way, and gets the recognition and exposure it deserves. I know it will be a big disappointment if Radio 1 don’t get behind it, but perhaps Radio 2 can step into the breach?

By the way, I’m still active on the songwriting and performing front. Apart from running my own band, I perform with THE MANFREDS, which includes several members of what was formerly MANFRED MANN. We’re currently touring the UK, with the odd night off here and there. One such night will be Wednesday 21^st November, when I’m coming to see you all at the Birmingham NIA. Hopefully there’ll be a chance to meet up and say hi. I’ll be with my wife, Lisa, and youngest son, Bruno, who is a major Stereos fan.

Yours, with best regards

3/12:  To all who were due to attend the combined Blues Band/Manfreds show in Hanley on 1/12, an explanation of the last minute cancellation: 

The theatre had advertised that Manfred Mann was appearing in spite of the fact that The Manfreds' contract specifically excludes the use of the name Manfred Mann, as The Manfreds are prevented by a court order from using it. The band's promoter found this out on Wednesday and informed The Manfreds' management. They had no alternative legally but to cancel or else face legal action for breaching the court order. The circumstances were therefore completely within the theatre's control in spite of what the last minute letter sent out to ticket buyers said.

Both The Manfreds and The Blues Band obviously regret very much that any of their fans were inconvenienced.

26/11:  SUPER DUPER TOWNSEND

Any Manfreds fans with young children - or nothing better to do on a Friday afternoon or Saturday morning - may just have spotted a familiar name appended to a new cartoon series now screening in the UK. Many of the episodes of Super Duper Sumos have been written by Rob's younger son, Ben, who now resides in Los Angeles and is earning a crust writing scripts for animation. Just shows a childhood spent watching cartoons and youthful distractions from homework such as 'I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue', Monty Python, The Young Ones (not the Cliff vehicle!) etc. wasn't entirely wasted! However, it's worth noting that he did also pick up a clutch of A-levels and a university degree between-times, for anyone thinking of using his example as an excuse to duck out of studying.

Super Duper Sumos is showing on BBC 1 at 4.10pm on Fridays, and shortly after the start of the Saturday Show at 9.00am on Saturdays.

Rob will be visiting Ben in L.A. at Christmas when he will doubtless hear all about the new series Ben is working on, and maybe contribute a few jokes of his own!

After nearly 40 years as a working musician, Tom McGuinness has finally made a solo album.  Co-produced by Marcus Cliffe, it's a collection of 13 blues-based originals. See/hear Shop/Sounds page.