1) Man are a rock band… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name:
1) Man are a rock band from South Wales with a cult following. Originally the second incarnation of Welsh rock harmony group The Bystanders, they are a band with 'more history than the Greeks', who are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year.
Man's history is full of weird, colourful stories. Some stories include getting arrested in Belgium on both of their visits, brawling with an Icelandic audience, 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, Gentle Giant, Badfinger, Status Quo and Iceberg (Deke's band while he went solo).
The Bystanders had been a pop harmony group in the 1960s, signed to Pye Records and living in London, who had released a few singles to no great success. But with the departure of singer Vic Oakley and the arrival of guitarist Deke Leonard in 1968, the band - Leonard, Micky Jones, Ray Williams, Clive John and Jeff Jones - decided to change their style altogether, moving from pop to West Coast psychedelia, inspired by American bands such as Quicksilver Messenger Service and Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention.
From 1968 up to 1976 they rocked the UK, America and Germany with their gritty progressive 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.
1974 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 song "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".
They reformed in 1983. The band this time was to stay constant until 1996(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 "Heaven and Hell".
Weathers was fired in 1996 and was replaced by returning former drummer Terry Williams, probably the most successful of the band, having served elsewhere in bands such as Dire Straits although this is not held against him (not much, anyway). Terry left the band in 1997 and was replaced by continuing incumbent Bob Richards. Bob's first gig was a welcome back to Deke who had suffered a mild stroke which required some time off the road for recovery.
Former keyboardist Phil Ryan returned in 1998 taking the band back to the classic 5-piece line-up. Phil played a major role in producing 2000's Endangered Species (which ranks amongst the strongest of the band's lengthy discography) but had to withdraw from the band for personal reasons. He was replaced by Gareth Thorrington who continued with the band until 2006 when he joined the list of sackees.
After surviving into the next millennium, Man produced another album, Undrugged which an attempts at an unplugged type album which started off when Terry Williams was in the band and was finalised by some fresh recordings. It's particularly noticeable for some covers, most notably on Brian Wilson's Sail On Sailor and the Ray Charles classic Georgia On My Mind - the lead vocals on both being handled by Micky.
It was during this time that Micky developed 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.
As before, just when you though a period of stability might ensure circumstance, damned circumstance conspired to intervene once again. In 2005, Micky's health deteriorated due to the re-occurrence of a brain tumour and was replaced by Martin Ace's son Josh. To this day, Micky remains in hospital and the chances of him ever being able to perform again are slim. This is a tragedy for an undervalued and underrated master of the guitar.
Meanwhile, Deke plays sporadic gigs with a 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 (Brian has since been replaced by Ray "Taff" Williams - not to be confused with Ray Williams, the original Man bass player, who died in 1993). Deke is also adding to his literary record by working on a third book. His first two books documented the history of the Manband and also Deke's adventures prior to this. They have been the subject of award-winning radio broadcasts, and the rights have been secured with a view to transferring them to the big screen. Unlike Muhammed Ali, though, Deke is unlikely to be able to play his younger self in the resulting movie!
The latest album "Diamonds And Coal" was released in 2006, after which Gareth Thorrington left, and the band continued as a 4-piece. A 40th anniversary tour in 2008, saw the return of Phil Ryan on keyboards.
For 40 years, Man have delighted fans, angered police and rocked the world with their music. The incorporation of the younger generations of Jones' and Aces' might mean they are able to continue for the next forty.
2) MAN ™ is a free two-headed man, each head listening to the other, working as one with the music.
A duo consisting of multi-instrumentalists François Rasim Biyikli (piano, rhodes, melodica, guitars, noises) and Charles-Eric Charrier (acoustic bass, guitar, toys), MAN ™ produces a rare and elegant form of electro acoustic music that touches base with unchartered territories where anything is possible and that baffles all definition : it is unusual and smart, luxurious and special.
MAN ™ shapes climatic variations, invites jazz, repetitive music, pop music.
For the band, it is enough to deem its music to be stamped with freedom.
Website
MySpace Page
MySpace Page
DISCOGRAPHY
EP ^ (Entropic/GCB), 1999
LP ARTHUR (Autotomie/DSA), 2000
Compilation Test One (Nova Records/Wagram), 2001
LP MAIN GAUCHE (Man Music/DSA/Chronowax), 2002
Compilation Acuarela Songs 2 (Acuarela/Wagram), 2002
EP MAN & MOOSE HILL (333discs), 2004
LP HELPING HAND (Man Music/Sub Rosa), 2005
3) Once, the song Teh Gruwelijke Hardcore was played by MAN, which was formed from members of The Fat Men.
The Fat Men official site
DISCOGRAPHY
See The Fat Men.
4)
Man was an Italo Disco Artist with two Singles.
Prelude
Man Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Which direction we are going
There's no knowing where we're going
Or which way the wind is blowing
Is it raining, is it snowing?
Is a hurricane a-blowing
So the danger must be growing
Oh, the fires of hell are glowing
Is the grisly reaper mowing?
Yes, the danger must be growing
For the rowers keep on rowing
And they're certainly not showing
Any signs that they are slowing
Stop the boat
The above lyrics are taken from the song "Prelude" by Man from their album "Rhinos, Winos & Lunatics" released in 1974. The song is written by the band members Micky Jones and Deke Leonard. The lyrics are quite poetic and can have multiple interpretations.
The first two lines of the lyrics suggest the uncertainty and the unpredictability of life's journey. The singer is trying to say that we never know where life will take us and which path we should follow. The third and fourth lines suggest that the singer is lost and has no sense of direction. The uncertainty is further highlighted in the next few lines where the singer questions the weather conditions and whether a natural calamity is imminent.
The fifth line "Not a speck of light is showing" could be interpreted in different ways. It could mean that the singer is in a dark place with no hope or guidance. It could also suggest that the singer is blind to the potential dangers around them. The next two lines express the growing danger in the singer's surroundings. The fires of hell could represent the danger that is growing and the grisly reaper could represent death.
The last few lines suggest that the danger is growing, but the rowers keep on rowing, indicating that life goes on, despite the dangers. The final line "Stop the boat" could be interpreted as the singer wanting to stop the ride, take a break, and reassess the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
There's no earthly way of knowing
We are unsure of our current path or destination
Which direction we are going
We do not know which way to turn
There's no knowing where we're going
Our journey lacks any clear sense of direction
Or which way the wind is blowing
We are unsure of the external factors that may affect us
Is it raining, is it snowing?
We are unsure of even the present weather conditions
Is a hurricane a-blowing
There is a possibility of extreme danger ahead
Not a speck of light is showing
We are in complete darkness, both literally and metaphorically
So the danger must be growing
The lack of light signifies a growing threat
Oh, the fires of hell are glowing
The danger ahead is as intense as the fires of hell
Is the grisly reaper mowing?
Death or some other form of destruction may already be upon us
Yes, the danger must be growing
The previous signs only reinforce the growing threat
For the rowers keep on rowing
Despite the danger, we continue moving forward
And they're certainly not showing
There is no hesitation or slowing down
Any signs that they are slowing
Our journey's momentum is not faltering or decreasing
Stop the boat
The only solution may be to halt our progress and reassess our path
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROGER LEONHARD, MIKE JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rolffriedrichwitte7547
One from may Favorit BAND MAN! Since beginning i am Fan!
@romankohse6260
when i was young it was one of my favorite songs, the way they the arragement was done and the move over from one to the other song, no one did better.
Roman
@patriciareilly8841
This music caused the outbreak of violence known as "The Troubles"🤐
@PAULLONDEN
A shortened version of this might've equalled Fleetwood Mac's "Albatross" success.....
@1951nightwish
You chopped the end off - Sacrilage !!!!
@PAULLONDEN
Yeah...but there once was a 10 minute limit to video uploads.... he could've done a gentle fade out though....
@PonyishLimbo
A wonderful prelude to a bullshit album.
@PAULLONDEN
A bit harsh...but yeah..this wonderful track was somewhat out of place with the rest of the material on it......It was always a crude wakeup after having a stoned 13 minutes....The rest was bit of a ragbag but still liked it....