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.
Something Is Happening
Man Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Find the reason why
Confusion raise it's head
Try to stop ourselves from being high
In the morning, in the day
In the evening, there's one thing you gotta say
Stay, stay with the music
Keep listening to the sound
Try staying off the ground
Satisfaction fading
Friends they're looking thin
Newer places hard to find
You gotta start all over again
In the morning, in the day
In the evening, there's one thing you gotta say
Stay, stay with the music
Keep listening to the sound
Try moving like the dancers
Try staying off the ground
The lyrics to Man's song "Something Is Happening" seem to be about the challenges that come with being immersed in a society that continuously presents obstacles and hurdles to overcome. The first few lines describe a sense of confusion and a need to find the reason why. The next lines mention an effort to stay grounded and avoid getting carried away, but ultimately the music takes over and becomes the one thing to hold onto. The chorus repeats the phrase "Stay with the music, keep listening to the sound," implying that the music is a constant and reliable source of comfort and stability. The second verse delves into the struggles of maintaining friendships and finding new places to belong, leading to a need to start all over again. The final lines return to the idea of staying grounded and embracing the music as a way to keep moving and stay above it all.
Overall, the song's lyrics convey a sense of restlessness and the difficulty of finding stability in a world that's constantly changing. The idea of staying true to oneself and holding onto the things that bring joy and comfort is a recurring theme throughout the song. The lines about staying off the ground and moving like the dancers also suggest a desire to stay light on one's feet and avoid feeling weighed down by the challenges that life presents.
Line by Line Meaning
Something is happening
There's a feeling of change or excitement in the air
Find the reason why
Try to figure out why things are changing
Confusion raise it's head
People are feeling disoriented or uncertain
Try to stop ourselves from being high
We're trying to control ourselves and stay grounded
In the morning, in the day
This feeling is present all the time
In the evening, there's one thing you gotta say
Regardless of what's going on, one thing remains constant
Stay, stay with the music
Stick with what makes you feel good and keeps you going
Keep listening to the sound
Pay attention to the things that bring you joy
Try moving like the dancers
Take inspiration from those who are free and expressive
Try staying off the ground
Keep striving to reach new heights and push yourself
Satisfaction fading
People aren't as content as they once were
Friends they're looking thin
People are losing social connections
Newer places hard to find
It's becoming more difficult to discover new experiences
You gotta start all over again
Sometimes life requires us to begin anew
Contributed by Mason B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Truescribebeats
Alchemist is a master chopper
Jim Mcgeachy
Brilliant
Truescribebeats
@Jimmy Dardz I would actually out Rza above Alch cause he been doin it longer. I'm sure Alch is influenced by him
Jimmy Dardz
RZA is there though
but i fully agree with ya, they both got good hearing and chopping skills
jeffthepoet7
Love this song. Saw Man in LA at the Greek Theatre with Todd Rungren and Gary Wright.
G R E G G O
NOW IT'S TIME TO BREAK THE BANK
DuckAlert Beats
Even as someone who has been making beats since the 80's, I can feel the pain of of the regular music fans having to face waves of comments over who used what etc lol
TheOldBirkonian
Amazing. What a band.
jeffthepoet7
RIP Phil Ryan. Great Man magic in this song with Phil's piano and singing.
fmtf niuprog
One of my favorite songs ever ... RIP Phil, Micky and Deke, God called you to form the perfect band ...