10 The Docklands, Wednesday June 8, 2011 The Docklands | interview

n Manfred Mann at London Heathrow Airport in 1965 Living and breathing to make music Manfred Lubowitz (Mann) Musician n Manfred has made Greenwich his home for more than 20 years

By Alistair Kleebauer tour of Europe this summer “cold-blooded” – to push Gradually growing accus- [email protected] with the Earth Band, who Manfred Mann, as they were tomed to his new surround- formed in 1971 after his orig- by then known, towards pop ings, the pop trick paid off. It was the name on the inal group came to an end. music. Manfred Mann had their lips of all pop fans in the The keyboardist, a Green- “If I couldn’t earn a living, first hit in 1964 with 5-4-3-2-1, I hated South early 1960s, a name syn- wich resident since 1988, has I would have had to go back the theme song to Ready »onymous with number one now lived and breathed mu- and if you want to be suc- Steady Go. Africa. I hits including Doh-Wah-Did- sic for half a century, from cessful, you need to have A follow-up single – Hubble dy-Diddy and Pretty Flamin- performing Mighty Quinn on hits.” Bubble Toil And Trouble – go. Top of the Pops in 1968 to was a failure according to didn’t like But as musician Manfred practising and recording Racism Manfred (“we weren’t good Lubowitz reveals in his songs in his home studio Not that London immedi- enough songwriters”), so what it stood Greenwich home, if it had near Greenwich Park today. ately presented itself as an they turned to a cover ver- been up to him, he would He unwittingly rode the alternative to Johannesburg, sion of the Exciters’ Doh- never have lent his name to coat-tails of fame in the ’60s. with two things immediately Way-Diddy-Diddy which hit for. It was the the band Manfred Mann. ‘Cold-blooded’ unsettling the young musi- number one. Instead the five member cian. most group who scored chart-top- But as a twenty-year-old He said: “Firstly I was Respect pers on both sides of the At- jazz musician, leaving his overwhelmed by the amount In fact throughout the life lantic could have been called native South Africa in 1961, of people, I wasn’t used to of both his major bands, important The Government. he had a more functional that and you instantly saw Manfred has been involved He explains: “I distanced reason to get into the pop the insignificance of one’s in realising new versions of moment of my myself from it. It was my game than chasing girls or n Manfred is still inspired self. songs by some of music’s stage name and our producer getting on magazine covers. “I was surprised by the greats, particularly Bob Dy- thought it was a good name He said: “I hated South Af- Ticket To Ride, Manfred amount of racism in the UK lan (Just Like A Woman, With life, deciding for the band. I was embar- rica. Me and all my friends needed a ticket to stay. as well. It’s not like that now God On Our Side, the afore- rassed by it at the time. I took wanted to leave it. We didn’t Basically, he wanted to but it was very immediately mentioned Mighty Quinn). to come to the a weekend to try and think of like what it stood for. It was earn enough money to make apparent then. Later, the Earth Band’s re- other names but they stuck the most important moment sure he would never have to “I mean if you are looking working of Bruce Springs- with it.” of my life, deciding to come return to South Africa and for an apartment and you see teen’s Blinded By The Light UK Now in his 70th year, Man- to the UK.” so he made a decision – one signs saying ‘no Irish, no was another number one in fred is readying himself for a Whereas the Beatles had a he honestly describes as blacks, no dogs’?” the States, a feat the Boss The Docklands | interview Wednesday June 8, 2011, The Docklands 11

n Still making music, Manfred in his studio at home

n Manfred Mann in their heyday

is your teacher top of the class?

n The band were number one in the charts

himself has never “So you were sup- could listen to on their nation with “the psy- achieved. posed to be stoned all way to the shops.” chology of investment” It wasn’t all a ruth- the time? After releasing mu- for example, which lessly cynical money- “I was more interest- sic with the Earth Band must have been piqued making exercise ed in my children and since the early 1970s, during the recent crash though as Manfred ex- my family. And I can’t he has also now found and offers the broad tip are your plains. drink anyway – if I time to produce his of investing to keep “In the process we have one glass of wine, first solo album in sev- money, not to make it. made some nice I feel sick so I was in no en years, Rational An- Of the Wharf, he school dinners records, they were good danger of going off the thems. says: “I think it looks hits. rails. It makes me bor- It includes a single, fantastic. If you take it cordon bleu? “After a number of ing on the face of it to released last month, out, the London skyline years, I got to like do- the public, but my called (Lick Your) Boots would look crap. It’s a ing pop music. The friends, my life is infi- which samples the bold statement.” Beach Boys, The nitely more interesting Queen herself and her And luckily Green- Beatles, were all great to me.” 1957 Christmas mes- wich itself gets a simi- VOTE musicians and I had a Manfred Mann split sage. lar thumbs-up. NOW great respect for in 1969 (“we weren’t “I’m so used to it that them.” making great records. Thumbs-up it’s hard to be objective. Being instantly rec- Some things come to a Manfred said: “She I like that it’s changed, ognisable on the streets natural end”) and he says ‘I cannot lead you in terms of the kind of and with eight more categories to choose from during the height of straight away launched into battle but… I can shops you have now. Manfred Mann’s fame into an experimental give you my heart and “I prefer to have a vote now in the Archant Good Schools Show Awards in the ’60s was less en- jazz band with another my devotion’. boutique bakery than joyable and he con- former member Mike “I liked the idea of lots of estate agents.” sciously steered clear Hugg. that.” make your vote count now @ of the temptations some “We went to do the With a striking view Let us know your news www.thearchantgoodschoolsshow.co.uk succumbed to. complete opposite of of Canary Wharf from He holds issue with pop music. We probably his garden, his mind www. the assertion that if you over-reacted. It felt isn’t solely on music 24 they’re in a class of their own remember the ’60s, you quite good. We weren’t hours a day though. weren’t there. looking for what people He admits to a fasci-