Description
Label Review.
1964 album remastered. Mono. Also available on vinyl.
Our Overview.
Manfred Mann’s first album ‘The Five Faces Of Manfred Mann’ was released in September 1964 coming off the back of three hit singles, one of which “Doo Wah Diddy Diddy” had been No.1 the month before. These singles did not feature on the album as was UK music industry practice at the time which left the album a prime slice of mid 60s UK Rhythm and blues.
Lead singer Paul Jones proved he was one of the best singers in the scene at that time, backed up with the superb musicianship of Mike Vickers, Mike Hugg, Tom McGuinness and band leader Manfred Mann himself.
As well as covers from bluesmen Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon, jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley’s “Sack O’ Woe” was tackled along with tunes by Joe South (who went on to write “Rose Garden”, “Games People Play” and “Hush”), Chester Burnett’s “Smokestack Lightnin’” which was pretty much a standard in R&B band repertoires at the time. Meanwhile, they performed Don Raye’s “Down The Road Apiece” before The Rolling Stones did their version.
However, all the group could write too and they got six of the albums’ thirteen songs to themselves with Jones cornering three solo credits as well as joint honours on the other three. The album was a strong seller throughout the autumn of 1964, its passage to the top of the charts was blocked by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Jim Reeves during a time when the albums hit parade was much slower than today. Chartwise it remained the bands biggest success although their strike record as a pop group during the 60s was excellent racking up a further two No.1’s (“Pretty Flamingo” & “The Mighty Quinn”) and plenty other Top tenners.