THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
Manfred Mann Chapter Three — Mann, oh Mann, This Ain’t Your Dad’s (or Mom’s) Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann Chapter Three — “Snakeskin Garter”
I do love my Manfred Mann Chapter III.
As the Active Listener says:
For a band who’s previous release only a year before had been a singalong cover of Bob Dylan’s The Mighty Quinn, a dark, voodoo jazz-rock LP replete with Albert Ayler inspired free-jazz solos must have come as a shock to long term fans. Clearly this is not your Dad’s Manfred Mann. . . . Snakeskin Garter, One Way Glass, and Sometimes are all particularly memorable. Mike Hugg’s voice may be an acquired taste for some, but fans of the creepy juju stylings of early Dr John are in for a treat.
Mark Allan opines that: “This is as much jazz as rock. There’s hardly any guitar, but a swaggering horn section compensates. Imagine a darker, moodier Traffic with Mann manning the organ instead of Steve Winwood.”
Rovi Staff supplies some background:
Following the demise of Manfred Mann, Mike Hugg and Manfred Mann continued their jazz/rock path by forming Chapter Three, as a sideline to their lucrative career writing successful television jingles. This brave project was originally called Emanon and . . . featured session work from some of the finest contemporary jazz musicians . . . . The group immediately established themselves on the progressive rock circuit, but could not break out of the small club environment. Their two albums were excellent and imaginative but came as a considerable shock to any fans who expected anything akin to Manfred Mann. The band was blighted with problems due to Mann and Hugg having to support the venture financially, and because of trying to establish themselves as something other than a pop group. . . . Manfred soon returned to a more commercial path with Manfred Mann’s Earth Band.
Jazz Music Archives adds:
The band’s approach centred around the “time, no changes” approach of Miles Davis and John Coltrane applied to slow, funky grooves with voodoo lyrics inspired by Dr John alternating with blaring big-band horn riffs and improvised free-jazz solos reminiscent of Ornette Coleman and Albert Ayler. Although intelligible at a time when artists like Davis himself were crossing over into the rock/funk field and American “jazz-rock” ensembles such as Blood, Sweat and Tears and The Mothers of Invention espoused brass sections and atonality, the formula was limited and the band expensive to maintain, so it was short-lived and disbanded after two albums. Mann went on to form Manfred Mann’s Earth Band in 1971.
And Progman says:
Chapter III was formed after the break up of the (Chapter II) line up of Manfred Mann in 1969 which featured singer Mike D’Abo, not forgetting the legendary (Chapter I) line up in the early 60s which featured singer Paul Jones. . . . Chapter III turned their backs on three minute Pop singles and light hearted songs to develop a more Jazz and Progressive sound often had lengthy tracks with solos. . . . Sadly for Manfred Mann’s Chapter 3 the band had unsuccessful record sales and paid the price for this and unfortunate for Manfred Mann’s Chapter III they had disbanded late in 1970. . . . A discovery has been made that an album “Volume 3” was recorded but was never released.
Finally, Jason again:
Mann had taken in bassist Steve York from the legendary progressive psychedelic band East of Eden. . . . Volume 1 was something that Mike Hugg and Mann had wanted to do for sometime but feared the possibility of a commercial failure. Hugg handles most of the lead vocals on a record . . . . The sound is very progressive, peppered with jazzy horns, keyboards/organ, a slow stoned ambience, creative arrangements and Hugg’s quite original although bizarre vocals.
See my website at bracefortheobscure60srock.com.
Here they are live on French TV in February ‘70:
