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Man is a
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band from
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
. Formed in November 1968 as a reincarnation of the
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
vocal group the Bystanders, Man is renowned for the extended jams during their live performances.


The Bystanders

Man evolved out of the Bystanders, a successful close harmony pop group from
Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil (; cy, Merthyr Tudful ) is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydf ...
who played in numerous club residencies in Wales, often playing at several clubs a night. The Bystanders issued eight singles, including " 98.6" (No. 45 in
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
in February 1967) which was played in the 2009 film ''
The Boat That Rocked ''The Boat That Rocked'' (titled ''Pirate Radio'' in North America) is a 2009 British comedy film written and directed by Richard Curtis about pirate radio in the United Kingdom during the 1960s. The film has an ensemble cast consisting of P ...
'' (although
Keith Keith may refer to: People and fictional characters * Keith (given name), includes a list of people and fictional characters * Keith (surname) * Keith (singer), American singer James Keefer (born 1949) * Baron Keith, a line of Scottish barons ...
's version was the bigger hit, reaching No. 24 in the UK) and "When Jesamine Goes", written by their manager
Ronnie Scott Ronnie may refer to: *Ronnie (name), a unisex pet name and given name * "Ronnie" (Four Seasons song), a song by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe *"Ronnie," a song from the Metallica album '' Load'' *Ronnie Brunswijkstadion, an association football stadium ...
and
Marty Wilde Marty Wilde, (born Reginald Leonard Smith; 15 April 1939) is an English singer and songwriter. He was among the first generation of British pop stars to emulate American rock and roll, scoring several 1950s hit singles including " Endless Sl ...
under the
pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
s of Frere Manston and Jack Gellar, which was later
covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...
by
the Casuals The Casuals were a British pop group from Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England. They are best known for their 1968 No. 2 UK hit song, " Jesamine". Career Originally formed in 1960 by John Tebb (piano and vocals) and Howard Newcombe (guitar), they ad ...
as "
Jesamine "Jesamine" is a song written by Marty Wilde (Frere Manston) and Ronnie Scott (Jack Gellar), and recorded by the English band The Casuals. Initially recorded by The Bystanders as "When Jezamine Goes", the version released by The Casuals became a h ...
" and got to No. 2 on the UK chart. They also recorded sessions of cover versions for the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
as rules restricting
needle time Needle time was created in the United Kingdom by the Musicians' Union and Phonographic Performance Limited to restrict the amount of recorded music that could be transmitted by the BBC during any 24-hour period. The number of hours per week allow ...
required "live" performances between the records during the 1960s;Sleevenotes by Nigel Lees to "Shapes and Sounds 2 - Shades of Deepest Purple from the BBC Archives 1967-1971" - Top Sounds TSSCD 003 (2008) becoming regulars on the ''
Jimmy Young Show Sir Leslie Ronald Young , known professionally as Jimmy Young (21 September 1921 – 7 November 2016), was an English singer, disc jockey and radio personality. Early in his career in the 1950s he had two number ones, "Unchained Melody" and " T ...
'', the '' David Symonds Show'' and others. When formed in 1962, the Bystanders included
Owen Money Owen Money MBE (born Lynn Mittell, 16 May 1947) is a Welsh musician, actor, comedian, and radio presenter. He was born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. In the 2007 New Year Honours, Money was made an MBE for services to entertainment in Wales. The ...
, then known as Gerry Braden, but he was replaced by Vic Oakley, giving the classic line-up of Vic Oakley (vocals), Micky Jones (guitar), Clive John aka Clint Space (keyboards), Ray Williams (bass guitar) and Jeff Jones (drums). By 1968, the other members wanted to change musical direction to a more psychedelic/American west-coast guitar sound, so Oakley left, to be replaced by
Deke Leonard Roger Arnold "Deke" Leonard (18 December 1944 – 31 January 2017) was a Welsh rock musician, "serving a life sentence in the music business".Pye Records Pye Records was a British record label. Its best known artists were Lonnie Donegan (1956–1969), Petula Clark (1957–1971), the Searchers (1963–1967), the Kinks (1964–1971), Sandie Shaw (1964–1971), Status Quo (1968–1971) and Brotherhoo ...
, for which it recorded its first two albums with John Schroeder producing ''
Revelation In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing of some form of truth or knowledge through communication with a deity or other supernatural entity or entities. Background Inspiration – such as that bestowed by God on the ...
'' (January 1969) noted for the simulated orgasm on "Erotica", which received a UK ban,BBC Wales Biography
Retrieved 10 August 2009. and '' 2 Ozs of Plastic with a Hole in the Middle'' (September 1969). While mixing the second album, Leonard left and was replaced by Martin Ace from Leonard's previous band, Dream. At this time, Man was recording three demo sessions a week for Leeds Music, including "
Down the Dustpipe "Down the Dustpipe" is a song written by Australian singer-songwriter Carl Groszmann, and recorded by Status Quo. Background Groszmann was a client of Valley Music, who were affiliated to Status Quo's management in their early days. The group ...
" which was taught to
Status Quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, political, religious or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the current state of social structure and/or values. W ...
. Man then toured Europe, predominantly Germany, supporting
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, but on the band's return, they were stopped as suspected terrorists, then jailed for drugs offences in Belgium. Leonard then rejoined, but Ace stayed on as a multi-instrumentalist. Shortly after, the bass guitarist Ray Williams and the drummer Jeff Jones were fired, with Terry Williams joining on drums and Ace moving to bass guitar. Leonard, Ace and Terry Williams having been together in Dream, this was seen by some as a take-over. A bootleg of the first gig by this line-up, in October 1970 in Hamburg, was issued as ''To Live for to Die'' (recorded 1970, CD issued as ''The Honest One'' in 1992 and 1997) and was later re-bootlegged by the band. Despite good reviews in Britain, ''Two Ounces of Plastic ...'' was more popular in Germany, so the band spent a year in Germany, where, having to play 4–5 hours a night, most numbers became extended jams.


United Artists years

The band's manager, Barrie Marshall, obtained a new record contract with Andrew Lauder of
United Artists Records United Artists Records was an American record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 to issue movie soundtracks. The label expanded into other genres, such as easy listening, jazz, pop, and R&B. History Genres In 1959, ...
, for whom the band recorded the album ''
Man A man is an adult male human. Prior to adulthood, a male human is referred to as a boy (a male child or adolescent). Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromo ...
'' (March 1971), which received mixed reviews. The band's media break came when outperforming Soft Machine, Yes and
Family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
at a concert in Berlin, but Man continued to play on the continent.The Manband Archive - The UA Years
Retrieved 17 March 2009 Having appeared on the United Artists double sampler album, ''
All Good Clean Fun ''All Good Clean Fun'' was originally a promotional sampler issued by United Artists Records (UDX 201/2) in 1971. This original release was a double album containing 23 tracks by 20 different artists, with three artists (Morning, The Nitty Gritty ...
'' (1971), Man undertook a tour of Switzerland to promote the album, with
Help Yourself Help is a word meaning to give aid or signal distress. Help may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Help'' (2010 film), a Bollywood horror film * ''Help'' (2021 theatrical film), a British psychological thriller film * '' ...
and the Leicester band Gypsy. The next album, '' Do You Like It Here Now, Are You Settling In?'' (November 1971), recorded at
Rockfield Studios Rockfield Studios is a residential recording studio located in the Wye Valley just outside the village of Rockfield, Monmouthshire, Wales. It was originally founded in 1963 by brothers Kingsley and Charles Ward. Facilities Rockfield is a two- ...
by Kingsley Ward, received good reviews, and the band appeared on German TV and in Iceland with
Badfinger Badfinger were a Welsh rock band formed in Swansea, who were active from the 1960s to the 1980s. Their best-known lineup consisted of Pete Ham (vocals, guitar), Mike Gibbins (drums), Tom Evans (bass), and Joey Molland (guitar). They are rec ...
. Constant touring was creating internal pressures and, in January 1972, the keyboard player Clive John left the band to form Iowerth Pritchard and the Neutrons with Phil Ryan and Will Youatt (1950-2017). The new four piece supported
Hawkwind Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard ...
and Brinsley Schwarz at a charity gig at
The Roundhouse The Roundhouse is a performing arts and concert venue situated at the Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England. The building was erected in 1846–1847 by the London & North Western Railway as a roundhouse, ...
on 13 February 1972, recorded and issued as ''
Greasy Truckers Party ''Greasy Truckers Party'' is a 1972 live album by various artists recorded at a February 1972 Greasy Truckers concert at the Roundhouse in London. The concert featured three bands, Man, Brinsley Schwarz, and Hawkwind, and musician Magic Michae ...
'' (with other artists, April 1972), a limited edition double album which rapidly became a collectors' item. United Artists' A&R man, Andrew Lauder, persuaded them to follow this with a live album. ''
Live at the Padget Rooms, Penarth ''Live at the Padget Rooms, Penarth'' is the fifth album by Man, released in September 1972. It was the band’s first live album although they had previously been featured on two tracks totalling 26m 46s (Spunk Rock and Angel Easy) on a "vario ...
'' was recorded on 8 April 1972. It was sold at a reduced price and only 8,000 copies were pressed, which sold out in a week, making it No 1 in the "budget" album chart. The band then tried to write a new studio album, but lacked inspiration. Ace left, to form The Flying Aces, with his wife George, so Micky Jones and Terry Williams sacked Leonard, and Clive John rejoined with his new band members, Ryan (keyboards) and Youatt (bass guitar). The new band recorded the first of Man's three
Peel Sessions John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
on 29 August 1972, (the others being on 18 September 1973 and 31 October 1974). Man then recorded ''
Be Good to Yourself at Least Once a Day ''Be Good to Yourself at Least Once a Day'' is the sixth album by the Welsh rock band Man. Issued just two months after the previous album, ''Live at the Padget Rooms, Penarth'', it features a radically different line-up. Martin Ace having left ...
'' (November 1972) which received good reviews. A party on 19 December 1972, with Dave Edmunds, Help Yourself, The Flying Aces and others, was issued as ''
Christmas at the Patti ''Christmas at the Patti'' is a live album, recorded at Man's Christmas party, held at the Patti Pavilion, Swansea, on 19 December 1972. The album features Man and Help Yourself with guests Deke Leonard, Dave Edmunds and B J Cole, together wit ...
'' (July 1973), a double 10" album, which again topped the "budget" album chart, but on tour the keyboard player Clive John fell out with the guitarist Micky Jones and left again. The four-piece started to record ''
Back into the Future ''Back into the Future'' is the seventh album by the Welsh rock band Man. Released in September 1973, it was the first Man album recorded following the departure of Clive John. ''Back into the Future'' was originally issued as a double LP. LP 1 ...
'' (September 1973), but felt the need for a second guitarist, so Alan "Tweke" Lewis joined from '
Wild Turkey The wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo'') is an Upland game bird, upland ground bird native to North America, one of two extant species of Turkey (bird), turkey and the heaviest member of the order Galliformes. It is the ancestor to the domestic ...
'. On 24 June 1973 they recorded the live half of this double album at Man's spiritual London home,
The Roundhouse The Roundhouse is a performing arts and concert venue situated at the Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England. The building was erected in 1846–1847 by the London & North Western Railway as a roundhouse, ...
, backed by the Gwalia Male Choir, who had previously sung with Man at
The Oval The Oval, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Kia Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, located in the borough of Lambeth, in south London. The Oval has been the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club since ...
, when they supported
Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...
. The album initially sold well, rising to No 23,Chart Stats for Man Albums
Retrieved 17 March 2009 and again, this was tipped to be album that would make the band, but pressing was restricted by a lack of plastic during the oil crisis. The follow-up tour had Deke Leonard's 'Iceberg' as support. During the tour, Micky Jones and Leonard discussed a new Man line-up, so when Ryan and Youatt left to form 'The Neutrons' in December 1973, Leonard disbanded Iceberg and rejoined Man along with two former members of Help Yourself; Malcolm Morley (keyboards) and
Ken Whaley Ken Whaley (5 November 1946 – 8 May 2013) was a rock music bass guitar player, best known as a founding member of Help Yourself and Ducks Deluxe, and as a member of Deke Leonard's Iceberg, Man and The Tyla Gang. He also played with The ...
(bass guitar), who had also played in Iceberg. The next album, ''
Rhinos, Winos and Lunatics ''Rhinos, Winos and Lunatics'' (stylized on the cover as ''man: rhinos, winos + lunatics'') is the eighth album by the Welsh rock band Man and was released May 1974 on the United Artists Records label. It was produced by Roy Thomas Baker, noted f ...
'' (May 1974), was produced by
Roy Thomas Baker Roy Thomas Baker (born 10 November 1946) is an English record producer, songwriter and arranger, who has produced rock and pop and songs since the 1970s. Career Baker began his career at Decca Records at the age of 14 and later worked as an a ...
, noted for his work with
Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
, and spent four weeks in the UK album chart, peaking at No 24. In March/April 1974, Man supported
Hawkwind Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard ...
on ''
The 1999 Party ''The '1999' Party'' is a live album by Hawkwind recorded at the Chicago Auditorium Theatre on 21 March 1974 released retrospectively in November 1997 by EMI. It was issued for the first time as part of EMI's re-releasing re-mastered versions ...
'', a five-week US tour. At the Los Angeles
Whisky a Go Go The Whisky a Go Go (informally nicknamed "the Whisky") is a historic nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip, corner North Clark Street, opposite North San Vicente Boule ...
on 12 March,
Jim Horn James Ronald Horn (born November 20, 1940) is an American saxophonist, woodwind player, and session musician. Biography Horn was born in Los Angeles, and after replacing saxophonist Steve Douglas in 1959, he toured with member Duane Eddy for f ...
joined on saxophone, which was issued as a bonus disc with the reissue of the ''Rhinos ...'' (1974) album in 2007. The 21 April gig in Chicago was recorded for radio and issued on CD in 1997 as ''The 1999 Party Tour'', but omits Morley from the credits, although he is on the recording. Morley left the day before recording started on the next album, ''
Slow Motion Slow motion (commonly abbreviated as slo-mo or slow-mo) is an effect in film-making whereby time appears to be slowed down. It was invented by the Austrian priest August Musger in the early 20th century. This can be accomplished through the use ...
'' (October 1974). Before the album was released, the band toured the UK (again with Badfinger) and USA in August–October 1974, and returned to the US in March 1975, to promote the album by touring with
REO Speedwagon REO Speedwagon (originally stylized as R.E.O. Speedwagon) is an American rock band from Champaign, Illinois. Formed in 1967, the band cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial success throughout the 1980s. The ...
and
New Riders of the Purple Sage New Riders of the Purple Sage is an American country rock band. The group emerged from the psychedelic rock scene in San Francisco in 1969 and its original lineup included several members of the Grateful Dead. The band is sometimes referred ...
, but the tour collapsed on the first night. A new US tour, with REO Speedwagon and
Blue Öyster Cult Blue Öyster Cult ( ; sometimes abbreviated BÖC or BOC) is an American rock band formed on Long Island in Stony Brook, New York, in 1967, and best known for the singles "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "Burnin' for You", and "Godzilla". The band h ...
broke up two-thirds of the way through. Additional dates were arranged, but most were cancelled when Micky Jones developed pneumonia, so the final gigs were at the San Francisco
Winterland Winterland Ballroom (more commonly known as Winterland Arena or simply Winterland) was an ice skating rink and music venue in San Francisco, California. The arena was located at the corner of Post Street and Steiner Street. It was converted for ...
. These were a great success, and the promoter Bill Graham paid them a bonus, and rebooked them, but Whaley had had enough and left. Ace flew out as a stand in and the band met and rehearsed with
John Cipollina John Cipollina (August 24, 1943 – May 29, 1989) was a guitarist best known for his role as a founder and the lead guitarist of the prominent San Francisco rock band Quicksilver Messenger Service. After leaving Quicksilver he formed the ban ...
of
Quicksilver Messenger Service Quicksilver Messenger Service is an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1965 in San Francisco. The band achieved wide popularity in the San Francisco Bay Area and, through their recordings, with psychedelic rock enthusiasts around the globe, ...
, who played with them at Winterland and agreed to play a UK tour. On this tour, the Roundhouse gig was recorded for commercial release and, although Buckley and Ellingham said that it is rumoured that Micky Jones had to over-dub Cipollina's guitar, it was only the track "Bananas" on which his playing was replaced: "Everything on ''
Maximum Darkness ''Maximum Darkness'' is the tenth album by the Welsh rock band Man and was released on the United Artists Records label September 1975. It was the second live album released by the band, excluding contributions to two "various artists" live alb ...
'' which sounds like Cipollina is Cipollina", per Deke Leonard. The album ''
Maximum Darkness ''Maximum Darkness'' is the tenth album by the Welsh rock band Man and was released on the United Artists Records label September 1975. It was the second live album released by the band, excluding contributions to two "various artists" live alb ...
'' (September 1975) reached no 25 in the UK album chart and Ace continued as a "stand in" bass guitarist until the end of a French tour, with Hawkwind,
Gong A gongFrom Indonesian and ms, gong; jv, ꦒꦺꦴꦁ ; zh, c=鑼, p=luó; ja, , dora; km, គង ; th, ฆ้อง ; vi, cồng chiêng; as, কাঁহ is a percussion instrument originating in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Gongs ...
and
Magma Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also been discovered on other terrestrial planets and some natural sa ...
, when he returned to the Flying Aces.


MCA

The band changed label to
MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group. Pre-history MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 wit ...
, Phil Ryan rejoined on keyboards, but as no bass players they knew were available, the band had to audition for the first time in their history. Auditions went badly, until the final audition, of John McKenzie of
Global Village Trucking Company James Edward Lascelles (born 5 October 1953) is a British musician and the second son of the 7th Earl of Harewood and his first wife, Marion. Lascelles is a second cousin once to King Charles III. Music When young, Lascelles had classical pian ...
, who was immediately offered the job.The Manband Archive - The MCA Years
Retrieved 17 March 2009 They then recorded '' The Welsh Connection'' (March 1976) which reached No 40 in the UK Album Chart and was toured in March/April 1976 in Britain and June/July in the US. During the US tour differences arose again, and on the subsequent European tour keyboardist Phil Ryan and bassist John McKenzie announced they would be leaving, and the rest of the band agreed to call it a day. The MCA record deal, however, was for three albums, but nobody was willing to contribute new material, and their attempts at covers were poor, so MCA eventually agreed to a live farewell album. '' All's Well That Ends Well'' (November 1977) was recorded at the Roundhouse on 11–13 December, although the final gig was in Slough on 16 December 1976. The band agreed that they "would never, ever, be one of those bands who reformed in a futile attempt to recapture past glories ...".


Interval

After the 1976 break up, band members undertook numerous projects, often with other former members.


Martin Ace

Bassist/guitarist Martin Ace left Man before ''The Welsh Connection'' to reform The Flying Aces with his wife George (guitar),
Mickey Gee Michael Richard Gee (3 July 1944 – 21 January 2009) was a rock and roll guitarist who played alongside some of the most prominent Welsh musicians of the last forty years. He died on 21 January 2009 in Cardiff, Wales, from emphysema. Career ...
(guitar), Phil Ryan (keyboards) and Stuart Halliday (drums). Ryan returned to Man and Halliday joined 'Alkatraz' being replaced first by
Dave Charles Dave Charles, also known as David Charles is a British drummer, recording engineer & record producer. He often appears under both names on the same album, e.g. Help Yourself's ''The Return of Ken Whaley'', where Dave Charles is credited with dr ...
, (ex Help Yourself) and then Mike Gibbins (ex Badfinger) In the 1980s Ace and Micky Jones occasionally backed Welsh Elvis impersonator, Peter Singh in 'The Screaming Pakistanis' and Ace also played with guitarist David Tipton with John 'Pugwash' Weathers (ex
Gentle Giant Gentle Giant were a British progressive rock band active between 1970 and 1980. The band were known for the complexity and sophistication of their music and for the varied musical skills of their members. All of the band members were multi-inst ...
) on drums.Manband Archive - The Missing Years
Retrieved 16 March 2009


Micky Jones

Shortly after the break-up, guitarist Micky Jones recorded some demos with John McKenzie (bass), Malcolm Morley (guitar & keyboards) and Derek Ballard (drums). In 1978 he formed the 'Micky Jones Band', with Tweke Lewis (guitar), Steve Dixon (drums), Al McLaine (bass) and Steve Gurl (ex Wild Turkey and
Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
) (keyboards). Lewis and Gurl left, so Jones, Dixon and McLaine continued as three-piece 'Manipulator' occasionally known as 'The Acidtones'. In 1981 Jones disbanded Manipulator and formed 'The Flying Pigs' with Mick Hawksworth (bass) and Phil Little (drums).


Deke Leonard

Guitarist
Deke Leonard Roger Arnold "Deke" Leonard (18 December 1944 – 31 January 2017) was a Welsh rock musician, "serving a life sentence in the music business".Deke Leonard,com - background
retrieved 16 March 2009 A later line-up included two musicians Leonard had played with in 'Help Yourself': Richard Treece (guitar & bass) and
B.J. Cole Brian John Cole is an English pedal steel guitarist, who has long been active as a session and solo musician. Coming to prominence in the early 1970s with the band Cochise, Cole has played in many styles, ranging from mainstream pop and rock t ...
(pedal steel guitar), plus Reg Isadore (drums). Leonard took up writing, and briefly moved to the US, where he worked on a
Walter Egan Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...
album. Leonard formed 'The Force' with Sean Tyla (ex Ducks Deluxe) (guitar), Micky Groome (bass) and Paul Simmons (drums). Their album ''Force's First'' (1982) also included Terry Williams and Martin Ace. The Force disbanded after Tyla suffered severe stage fright in 1982, and Leonard reformed the band as another 'Iceberg'.


John McKenzie

Bassist John McKenzie initially joined Ryan and Pete Brown, before joining
Steve Hillage Stephen Simpson Hillage (born 2 August 1951) is an English musician, best known as a guitarist. He is associated with the Canterbury scene and has worked in experimental domains since the late 1960s. Besides his solo sound recording and reprodu ...
appearing on some tracks of the ''Live Herald'' (1979) album. He then became a session/backing musician, touring with
Dr John Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. Active as a session musician from ...
,
Albert Lee Albert William Lee (born 21 December 1943) is an English guitarist known for his fingerstyle and hybrid picking technique. Lee has worked, both in the studio and on tour, with many famous musicians from a wide range of genres. He has also mai ...
,
Davy Spillane Davy Spillane (born 1959 in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish musician, songwriter and a player of uilleann pipes and low whistle. Biography Irish music At the age of 12, Spillane started playing the uilleann pipes. His father encouraged him an ...
, The Christians,
Seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...
, Alison Moyet and
Everything but the Girl Everything but the Girl (occasionally referred to as EBTG) are an English musical duo formed in Kingston upon Hull in 1982, consisting of lead singer and occasional guitarist Tracey Thorn and guitarist, keyboardist, producer and singer Ben Watt ...
and recording with
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
,
The Pretenders Pretenders are an English–American rock band formed in March 1978. The original band consisted of founder and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), Pete Fa ...
,
Eurythmics Eurythmics were a British pop duo consisting of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. They were both previously in The Tourists, a band which broke up in 1980. The duo released their first studio album, '' In the Garden'', in 1981 to little succ ...
,
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
, Mary Coughlan,
Paul Brady Paul Joseph Brady (born 19 May 1947) is an Irish singer-songwriter and musician from Strabane, Northern Ireland. His work straddles folk and pop. He was interested in a wide variety of music from an early age. Initially popular for playing ...
,
Moya Brennan Moya Brennan (born Máire Philomena Ní Bhraonáin on 4 August 1952), also known as Máire Brennan, is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist. She is the sister of the musical artist known as Enya. She began performing pr ...
,
Andrea Corr Andrea Jane Corr MBE (born 17 May 1974) is an Irish singer, songwriter, musician and actress. Corr debuted in 1990 as the lead singer of the Celtic folk rock and pop rock group The Corrs along with her three elder siblings Caroline, Sharon ...
,
Damien Rice Damien George Rice (born 7 December 1973) is an Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He began his career as a member of the 1990s rock group Juniper, who were signed to Polygram Records in 1997. The band enjoyed moderate success ...
, and
Wham Wham! was a British pop music duo. Wham may also refer to: Places * Wham, North Yorkshire, England, a hamlet in the Yorkshire Dales, United Kingdom * Wham, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United States Stations * WHAM (AM), a talk radio ...
.


Phil Ryan

Keyboardist Phil Ryan rejoined his former Piblokto partner Pete Brown and briefly formed The Brown & Ryan Band with McKenzie (bass), Taff Williams (ex Neutrons) (guitar) and Steve Jones (drums). A second line-up of Pete Brown, Phil Ryan, Taff Williams, Dill Katz (bass) and Jeff Seopardie (drums) known as both 'Pete Brown and the Interoceters' and 'Ray Gammond and the Interoceters' recorded some tracks issued on Pete Brown's 1984 album ''Party in the Rain''. He also played a few gigs with the Flying Aces. Ryan then moved to Denmark, where his wife Bolette came from, and wrote music for films and TV. He died in April 2016.


Terry Williams

On the breakup of Man, drummer Terry Williams immediately joined
Rockpile Rockpile was a British rock and roll band of the late 1970s and early 1980s, noted for their strong pub rock, rockabilly and power pop influences, and as a foundational influence on new wave. The band consisted of Dave Edmunds (vocals, g ...
with Dave Edmunds,
Nick Lowe Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in power pop and New wave music, new wave,Billy Bremner. They continued until 1982, issuing several successful albums & singles and touring the US and Europe. Williams briefly worked with
Meat Loaf Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), known professionally as Meat Loaf, was an American rock singer and actor. He was noted for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. He is on t ...
, before receiving an offer from
Dire Straits Dire Straits were a British rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals and lead guitar), David Knopfler (rhythm guitar and backing vocals), John Illsley (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Pick Withers (drums and percuss ...
, with whom he was still working when Man reformed.


Reformed

The band reformed in 1983, with a line-up of Micky Jones and Deke Leonard on guitars, Martin Ace on bass and John "Pugwash" Weathers (formerly of
Gentle Giant Gentle Giant were a British progressive rock band active between 1970 and 1980. The band were known for the complexity and sophistication of their music and for the varied musical skills of their members. All of the band members were multi-inst ...
) on drums. This line-up was to stay constant until 1996, except from a short spell, when Weathers was unwell, and Rick Martinez temporarily took over. After rehearsals, their first gig was on All Fools Day at the
Marquee Club The Marquee Club was a music venue first located at 165 Oxford Street in London, when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts. Its most famous period was from 1964 to 1988 at 90 Wardour Street in Soho, and it finally closed wh ...
in London, and in June 1983 they recorded ''
Friday 13th Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day in Western superstition. It occurs when the 13th day of the month in the Gregorian calendar falls on a Friday, which happens at least once every year but can occur up to three times in the same year. ...
'' (January 1984, Picasso PIK 001) at The Marquee, but this comprised old numbers, not new material. Not having a recording contract to promote them, albums were issued on several labels, e.g. ''Friday 13th'' was also issued as ''Live at the Marquee'' (Great Expectations PIPCD 055) and ''Talk about a Morning'' (Dressed to Kill DRESS 600). Later that year, they played the Reading Festival which was recorded for
Tommy Vance Richard Anthony Crispian Francis Prew Hope-Weston (11 July 1940 – 6 March 2005), known professionally as Tommy Vance, was an English radio broadcaster. He was an important factor in the rise of the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM), a ...
's
Friday Rock Show The ''Friday Rock Show'' was a radio show in the United Kingdom that was broadcast on BBC Radio 1 from 10pm to midnight on Friday nights, from 17 November 1978 until 2 April 1993. For most of its existence, it was hosted by Tommy Vance. Vance ...
and released as ''Live at Reading '83'' in 1993. In 1983, they also recorded an album of new material in Germany, but fell out with the producer, who was also the album's promoter, so the album was never issued.Sleevenotes to The Twang Dynasty - Point 1997 re-release The first studio album to be issued, ''
The Twang Dynasty ''The Twang Dynasty'' is the tenth studio album by the Welsh rock band Man (band), Man, but the first to be released after their reformation in 1983. Man had recorded an album of new material in Germany, the year they reformed, but fell out wit ...
'', was issued in 1992 and included the track "Fast and Dangerous", which was used on trailers for
Paul Whitehouse Paul Julian Whitehouse (born 17 May 1958) is a Welsh actor, writer and comedian. He was one of the main stars of the BBC sketch comedy series ''The Fast Show'', and has also starred with Harry Enfield in the shows '' Harry & Paul'' and ''Harry ...
's
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, although the band were not paid for this. Their performance at 1994's
Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...
was issued as ''Live 1994 - Official Bootleg'' (and reissued as ''Live Official Bootleg''), and in 1995 they recorded '' Call Down the Moon'' (May 1995) issued on the Hypertension label, and produced by the band and Ron Sanchez – a US musician and DJ, who had long championed their cause. Weathers left in 1996, allegedly because Gentle Giant were about to reform, and was replaced by returning drummer Terry Williams, who in the interim, had served in bands such as
Dire Straits Dire Straits were a British rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals and lead guitar), David Knopfler (rhythm guitar and backing vocals), John Illsley (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Pick Withers (drums and percuss ...
. Williams recorded some tracks, later released on the '' Undrugged'' (May 2002) album, and then Leonard suffered a minor stroke, so the band played a few gigs as a three-piece. When Leonard returned in 1997, Williams left, to be replaced by drummer
Bob Richards Robert Eugene Richards (born February 20, 1926) is an American retired athlete, minister, and politician. He made three U.S. Olympic Teams in two events: the 1948, 1952, and 1956 Summer Olympics as a pole vaulter and as a decathlete in 1956. He ...
, formerly of 'The Wild Family' and 'The Adrian Smith Band'. Former keyboardist Phil Ryan returned in 1998, taking the band back to the classic five-piece line-up, which recorded a live double album '' 1998 at the Star Club'' (1998) at The Star Club, Oberhausen, West Germany, in March that year. Ryan played a major role in producing ''Endangered Species'' (June 2000), but then had to withdraw from the band for personal reasons. Ryan was replaced by Gareth Llewellyn Thorrington, who missed the recording of '' Down Town Live'' (2002) at the Down Town Blues Club, Hamburg, in May 2001, as his flight was cancelled due a bomb-scare, but appeared on part of the '' Undrugged'' (May 2002) album (an "unplugged" album with a twist in the title), which had been started in 1996, and was finally issued in 2002. ''Undrugged'' has some classic covers, including "
Sail on, Sailor "Sail On, Sailor" (mislabeled "Sail On Sailor" on original pressings) is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1973 album ''Holland''. It was written primarily by Van Dyke Parks and Brian Wilson with Ray Kennedy, Tandyn Almer, an ...
" by
the Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and frie ...
and
Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...
's "
Georgia on My Mind "Georgia on My Mind" is a 1930 song written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell and first recorded that same year by Hoagy Carmichael. However, the song has been most often associated with soul singer Ray Charles, who was a native of the U ...
", both lead vocals being by Micky Jones. In 2002, Micky Jones was diagnosed with a brain tumour and had to take time off for treatment. Jones's place was temporarily taken by his son George Jones, but when Micky had recovered enough to rejoin, in 2004, Leonard decided to leave, again, so George became a permanent member of the band. In 2005, Micky Jones' health deteriorated due to the re-occurrence of his brain tumour and he was replaced by Martin Ace's son Josh Ace. In November 2006, the album ''Diamonds and Coal'' was released, after which Thorrington was sacked, and the band continued as a four-piece. The 40th anniversary tour in 2008 saw the return of Ryan on keyboards, giving a multi-generational line-up, with two early members (bassist Martin Ace and keyboardist Phil Ryan), two sons of early members (guitarists George Jones and Josh Ace) and drummer Bob Richards, who had been in the band since 1997. This line-up also recorded a studio album, but before it was mixed, the band split. Josh Ace, Martin Ace and Phil Ryan recruited James Beck (guitar, vocals) and Rene Robrahn (drums, vocals) to the new line-up and wiped parts of the album to replace George Jones. Bob Richards's parts were kept on as they were unable to record over them, due to the lack of a click track. This album, '' Kingdom of Noise'', was finally released in June 2009. George Jones and Bob Richards formed a new band 'Son of Man', together with Richie Galloni (vocals), Marco James (keyboards) and Ray Jones (bass) from Welsh band
Sassafras ''Sassafras'' is a genus of three extant and one extinct species of deciduous trees in the family Lauraceae, native to eastern North America and eastern Asia.Wolfe, Jack A. & Wehr, Wesley C. 1987. The sassafras is an ornamental tree. "Middle ...
and Glenn Quinn (guitar) from
Tigertailz Tigertailz are a Welsh glam metal band from Cardiff. Their 1990 album '' Bezerk'' made the Top 40 on the UK Albums Chart and contained the hit singles "Love Bomb Baby" and "Heaven". The band reformed in 2005. History Formation and early year ...
. As of 2020 they are continuing to play Man's music at gigs around England and Wales, having released ''Son of Man'', an album of new material in October 2016. Their second album ''State Of Dystopia'' was released in March 2020. After leaving Man, Micky Jones continued to perform for a while, but was then diagnosed with another tumour; he spent the next year and a half in and out of hospital; his health meant he remained at a care home in Swansea for the next three years until he died peacefully, at the age of 63, on 10 March 2010. Clive John, AKA Clint Space, another of the founding members, died after a long fight against emphysema on 24 August 2011 in Hanover Street, Swansea, aged 66. Former bassist Ken Whaley died from lung cancer on 8 May 2013, aged 66. Phil Ryan remained in the band until his death on 30 April 2016, aged 69. A new album, ''Reanimated Memories'', was launched at a gig at
The Half Moon, Putney The Half Moon is a public house and music venue in Putney, London. It is one of the city's longest running live music venues, and has hosted live music every night since 1963. Location The pub is on the south side of the Lower Richmond road, in ...
on 22 February 2015, the band's first performance in the UK since October 2011. In 2015
Swansea Museum The Swansea Museum in Swansea, Wales, UK is the oldest museum in Wales, created for and by the Royal Institution of South Wales in 1841 to house its collections and provide research and learning facilities. History Swansea Museum is the oldes ...
mounted an exhibition, ''The Evolution of Man 1965-2014, Acid Rock from Wales'', displaying Man memorabilia from the last 50 years, from the collection of local fan, John Bannon. On 31 January 2017 Deke Leonard, one of the founding members of the group and an essential part of the group's history, died at the age of 72. On 13 September 2017, Will Youatt died peacefully in his sleep. Since 2011 Man have been based in Germany, where they still perform occasionally, including autumn tours in 2012 and 2013, and a short UK tour in 2019. For their 50th anniversary tour in 2018, Shane Dixon joined the band as the new drummer and Malcolm Morley returned to play keyboards. Their latest album ''Anachronism Tango'' was released in October 2019. Bassist John McKenzie died on 10 May 2020 at the age of 64.


Discography

For a full discography see "The Manband Archive". In July 2017 this listed 423 releases, on 75 labels, in 24 countries.Discography Stats on the Manband Archive
Retrieved 21 July 2017


Band member timeline


References


Further reading

* Leonard D. (1996 & Rev. 2001) ''Rhinos, Winos & Lunatics''. Northdown Publishing & * Leonard D. (2000) ''Maybe I Should've Stayed in Bed?'' Northdown Publishing * Leonard D. (2015) ''Maximum Darkness: Man on the Road to Nowhere'' – Northdown Publishing


External links


Comprehensive fan site



Micky Jones Official site

Deke Leonard Official site

Tribute Album download page

Man at Discogs.com

020374 Old Grey Whistle Test - "Life on the Road"
at youtube.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Man Welsh rock music groups Musicians from Swansea British pub rock music groups British progressive rock groups British psychedelic rock music groups British blues rock musical groups Musical groups established in 1968