ANYONE who still has the tunes of the Brit pop explosion of the 1960s humming around in their head has a must-not-miss diary entry to make.
The Manfreds, rebirth of the first incarnation of Manfred Mann, will bring their sublime and melodic hits of the period to Geelong.
Between 1964 and 1969 Manfred Mann scored three British number-one hits, another chart-topper in America, seven top-fives and four more songs in the top 20.
The group featured two of the finest singers on the British pop and rock scene in Paul Jones and Mike d’Abo, who both went on to enjoy successful and varied solo careers.
Their distinctive voices, which added to the rich variety of Manfred Mann’s classic hits, will be reprised when The Manfreds hit Geelong Performing Arts Centre (GPAC) in July.
The will be joined by two other members of the 1963 line-up, bassist Tom McGuiness and drummer Mike Hugg.
The bandmates found themselves in the vanguard of the British pop invasion of America alongside the Beatles and the Animals and ahead of the Rolling Stones.
Their first number one was Do Wah Diddy Diddy, followed by interpretations of Bob Dylan classics Just like a Woman, If You Gotta Go Go Now and Mighty Quinn.
In 1966 Manfred Mann notched up a second British number one with the gorgeous, melodic Pretty Flamingo, proving to be crowning glory for the band’s first incarnation.
The seamless flow of hits continued despite a change of lead singer from Paul Jones to then-unknown Mike D’Abo, with the band going on to release Semi-Detached Suburban Mr James and Ha! Ha! Said the Clown, My Name Is Jack, Fox on the Run and Ragamuffin Man.
As the ’60s drew to a close Manfred Mann disbanded, with members soon finding new careers as solo performers, in other bands and in composing and production.
Already an accomplished songwriter, Mike D’Abo had his most notable hit, Build Me Up Buttercup, for The Foundations.
Former Manfred Mann members Paul Jones, Mike D’Abo, Mike Hugg and Tom McGuinness reformed as The Manfreds in 1991, enlisting the talents of Marcus Cliffe, Simon Currie and Rob Townsend.
Their live gigs burst with their trademark quirky mix of solid gold pop, jazz and rhythm and blues.
The Manfreds play GPAC on 9 July.
