Man (band)
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Man are a rock band from South Wales with a cult following. Originally the second incarnation of Welsh rock harmony group The Bystanders: Micky Jones, Clive John, Ray Williams and Jeffrey Jones. In 1968, Deke Leonard joined the group, and they changed their name to Man. Soon after, Ray and Jeff were sacked and Man brought in Terry Williams and Martin Ace, Deke's old bandmates from his previous group Dream.
History
Man's history is full of weird, colourful stories. Some stories include getting arrested in Belgium on both of their visits, meeting the likes of Tommy Cooper and Bill Graham, their many line-ups, and so on. Man also have connections with bands like the Neutrons, Badfinger, Status Quo and Iceberg (Deke's band while he went solo).From 1968 up to 1976 they rocked the UK, America and Germany with their gritty prog rock. They have been hits with many radio DJs, producers, promoters, and John Lennon was (supposedly) a fan of Deke's album, Iceberg. Some of their most popular songs from this era include Spunk Rock, Bananas, Many Are Called But Few Get Up, C'Mon, Daughter of the Fireplace, and Romain.
1975 was probably Man's biggest year commercially. Rhinos, Winos & Lunatics was tipped to be the album which brought them international fame. Certainly, it was the best reproduction so far of their improvisational live format in the studio. They were subsequently joined by Quicksilver Messenger Service guitarist John Cippolina (or "Chippo" as they called him) for a live album, "Maximum Darkness" which featured two old Quicksilver gems, the Buffy Sainte-Marie- composed "Codeine" and "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You". Of course, they never did become famous, and in 1976, they broke up, swearing never to be "like one of those bands who reformed in a futile attempt to recapture past glories and maybe earn a buck or two along the way".
Reformed
They reformed in 1983. The band this time was to stay constant until 1997(ish): Micky Jones and Deke Leonard on guitars, Martin Ace on bass, and John Weathers on drums. During this time, they produced more hits, such as Feather on the Scales of Justice, Mad On Her, Wings of Mercury, Call Down The Moon, and my personal favourite, Heaven and Hell.
Weathers was fired in 1996 and temporary replaced by former drummer Terry Williams, probably the most successful of the band, having served elsewhere in bands such as Dire Straits, before current drummer Bob Richards took up the stool. Former keyboardist Phil Ryan also joined, but had to leave because of personal reasons, and was replaced by Gareth Thorrington.
After surviving into the next millennium, Man produced another two albums, Endangered Species and Undrugged. It was during this time that Micky delevoped a brain tumour and had to take time off for numerous surgeries. Man continued though, and Micky's son George entered the band temporarily. When Micky recovered, he rejoined just as Deke decided to call it a day, so George became a permanent member of the group.
After this, things didn't get much better. In 2005 Micky Jones, became ill again, due to the re-occurrence of a brain tumor and was replaced by Martin Ace's son Josh. To this day Micky remains in hospital. Meanwhile, Deke is touring with his reformed Iceberg band, which initially comprised of Deke, former Man member Will Youatt, Clive Roberts, and Bob Richards (Bob was still with Man, though). Sadly, Clive Roberts was diagnosed with lung cancer after their first gig, and died soon after. He was replaced by Brian Breeze, who featured in the original seventies Iceberg lineup.
For over 35 years, Man have delighted fans, angered police and rocked the world with their music.
Discography
- Revelation (January 1969)
- 2 Ozs of Plastic with a Hole in the Middle (September 1969)
- Man (October 1970)
- Do You Like It Here Now, Are You Settling In? (November 1971)
- Be Good To Yourself At Least Once A Day (October 1972)
- Back Into The Future (September 1973)
- Rhinos, Winos, and Lunatics (May 1974)
- Slow Motion (November 1974)
- The Welsh Connection (March 1976)
- The Twang Dynasty (February 1993)
- Call Down the Moon (May 1995)
- Endangered Species (June 2000)
- Undrugged (May 2002)
External links
- [Official band site]
- [Comprehensive fan site]
- [Original fan site]
- [Micky Jones Official site]
- [Deke Leonard Official site]
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