Manfred Mann - As Is (1966)

Manfred Mann were a popular British rock group active in the 1960s.

Founding member Mike Vickers (guitar/sax/flute) left Manfred Man in late 1965, to pursue a career in orchestral music.Tom McGuinness then moved from bass to guitar, and Jack Bruce (who had recently been with The Graham Bond Organization and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers) came in on bass. Bruce stayed long enough to appear on the EP Instrumental Asylum, and the hit single "Pretty Flamingo", their second UK #1. However he soon left himself to form Cream, and was replaced by Klaus Voorman. It was then that lead singer Paul Jones finally left (he had been planning to for a year, but stayed whilst they looked for a replacement). They found a new singer in Mike a'Abo. At the same time they also switched record labels, moving to Fontana.

Their third album, As Is, came out in 1966. It signalled a shift in the band's direction (not surprising considering the changes they had just undergone), moving away from R&B and towards more of an arty pop sound. With mostly original material, it featured lots of studio tricks and elaborate arrangements. Mann himself also expanded his keyboard set-up, making use of the Mellotron for the first time.

Despite its artistic merits, the album turned out to be not such a chart success as its two predecessors. However it did generate another hit single - a cover of Bob Dylan's "Just Like A Woman", which made it to #10.

Mann Made (1965) <|> Mighty Garvey! (1968)
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