Big Ears
Music Lover
The Man homepage
A Biography of Man
Man were formed in 1962 as The Bystanders, in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, and consisted of Micky Jones (guitar), Ray Williams (bass), Jeff Jones (drums), Clive John aka Clint Space (keyboards) and Vic Oakley (vocals), replacing Owen Money (aka Gerry Braden). They were a close harmony vocal group, which released a number of singles and appeared on mainstream BBC radio shows. The Bystanders also played a large number of live performances in local clubs. By 1968, the band wanted to change musical direction to a more psychedelic/American west-coast guitar sound, so singer Vic Oakley left, to be replaced by Roger 'Deke' Leonard (guitar, vocals) from Dream, and the band changed its name to Man.
Man were initially signed to Pye Records, for whom they recorded their first two albums: the psychedelic Revelation (Pye 1968) and more progressive 2 Ozs of Plastic with a Hole in the Middle (Pye 1969). Deke Leonard departed, for the first of many occasions, to be replaced by Martin Ace, also from Dream. The band then toured Europe, supporting Chicago. Leonard rejoined, but Ace stayed on as a multi-instrumentalist. Soon after, Ray Williams and Jeff Jones were replaced respectively by Terry Williams (the third member of Dream to join Man) on drums and Ace switching to bass. The albums made little impact in the UK, but the band accrued a sizeable following on the continent, so they spent a year in Germany, where, having to play 4–5 hours a night, most numbers became extended jams.
Manager Barrie Marshall obtained a new record contract with United Artists, for whom Man recorded the self-titled Man album (Liberty 1970). They continued to play on the continent with Soft Machine, Yes and Family, and appeared on the United Artists sampler album, All Good Clean Fun (United Artists 1971). The group undertook a tour of Switzerland, to promote the latter, together with English bands Help Yourself (including future Man members Malcolm Morley on Keyboards and Ken Whaley on bass) and Gypsy. The fourth album, the consistently strong Do You Like It Here Now, Are You Settling In? (United Artists 1971) was recorded at Rockfield Studios by Kingsley Ward and the band played shows with Badfinger. Constant touring created pressure and in January 1972, Clive John (keyboards) left the band, to form Iowerth Pritchard and the Neutrons, with Phil Ryan and Will Youatt.
The lineup of Micky Jones, Deke Leonard, Martin Ace and Terry Williams, supported Hawkwind and Brinsley Schwarz at a charity gig at The Roundhouse, London, on 13th February 1972, which was recorded and released as a limited edition double album, Greasy Truckers Party (UA1972). Live at the Padget Rooms, Penarth (United Artists 1972) was recorded on 8th April 1972 and sold at a reduced price. Only 8,000 copies were pressed, which sold out in a week, making it No. 1 in the 'budget' album chart. Man recorded the first of three John Peel radio sessions on 29th August 1972, the others following on 18th September 1973 and 31st October 1974.
Martin Ace left Man, to form The Flying Aces, and Leonard departed again. Clive John rejoined together with his new band members, Phil Ryan (keyboards) and Will Youatt (bass). The new incarnation of the band recorded Be Good to Yourself at Least Once a Day (United Artists 1972). A party on 19th December 1972, with Dave Edmunds, Help Yourself, The Flying Aces and others, was issued as a double 10” album, Christmas at the Patti (United Artists 1973), which again topped the 'budget' album chart, but, on tour, Clive John had a dispute with Micky Jones and left for the second time. For Back Into The Future (United Artists 1973), Alan 'Tweke' Lewis from Wild Turkey joined on second guitar. On 24th June 1973, Man recorded the live half of the double album at The Roundhouse, backed by the Gwalia Male Voice Choir. Album sales were good, but pressing was limited by a shortage of plastic during the oil crisis. The follow-up tour, saw Man supported by Deke Leonard’s Iceberg. When Ryan and Youatt left to form The Neutrons in December 1973, Leonard rejoined, along with two former members of Help Yourself and Iceberg: Malcolm Morley (keyboards) and Ken Whaley (bass).
The eighth album Rhinos, Winos and Lunatics was produced by Roy Thomas Baker, known for his work with Queen, and spent four weeks in the UK album chart, peaking at No. 24. In March/April 1974, Man supported Hawkwind on The 1999 Party, a five-week US tour. At the Los Angeles Whisky a Go Go on 12th March, Jim Horn joined the band on saxophone, and the show was issued as a bonus disc accompanying the Rhino reissue in 2007. The 21st April gig, in Chicago, was recorded for radio and issued on CD as The 1999 Party Tour in 1997 (Point 1997), but it incorrectly omits Malcolm Morley from the credits. The group toured the UK, again with Badfinger, and the USA in August–October 1974.
Malcolm Morley left Man the day before recording started on the ninth album Slow Motion. To promote the album, they returned to the USA in March 1975, to tour with REO Speedwagon, New Riders of the Purple Sage and Blue Öyster Cult. During the final gigs at the San Francisco Winterland, Micky Jones developed pneumonia and Ken Whaley left, so Martin Ace flew out as a substitute bassist. The band met and rehearsed with John Cipollina of Quicksilver Messenger Service, who played with them at Winterland and agreed to remain for a UK tour. On this tour, the Roundhouse gig was recorded and released as Maximum Darkness (United Artists 1975), but it is rumoured that Micky Jones over-dubbed Cipollina’s guitar, because it was out of tune. The album reached No. 25 in the UK album chart and Martin Ace continued as bassist until the end of a French tour with Hawkwind, Gong and Magma, when he returned to the Flying Aces.
Man signed to MCA Records, with Phil Ryan rejoining on keyboards (from Pete Brown) and John McKenzie, of Global Village Trucking Company, on bass. They then recorded The Welsh Connection (MCA 1976), which reached No. 40 in the UK Album Chart and was promoted with tours in March/April 1976 in Britain and June/July in the US. A live farewell album, All's Well That Ends Well (MCA 1977) was recorded at the Roundhouse on 11th–13th December, although the final gig was in Slough, Berkshire, on 16th December 1976.
During the interval, Martin Ace and Micky Jones occasionally backed Welsh Elvis impersonator, Peter Singh, in The Screaming Pakistanis. Micky Jones formed the Micky Jones Band in 1978, with Tweke Lewis (guitar), Steve Dixon (drums), Al McLaine (bass) and Steve Gurl (ex Wild Turkey & Babe Ruth) (keyboards). Lewis and Gurl left, so Jones, Dixon and McLaine continued as a three-piece, Manipulator (occasionally known as The Acidtones). In 1981, Jones disbanded Manipulator and formed The Flying Pigs with Mick Hawksworth (bass) and Phil Little (drums). Deke Leonard reformed Iceberg, initially with Martin Ace and Terry Williams (who also played with Rockpile) and began work on an album, Before Your Very Eyes. Recording took two attempts, during which Lincoln Carr replaced Ace on bass, and the release was delayed for five years, until EMI took over United Artists. A later lineup included two musicians from Help Yourself, Richard Treece (guitar and bass) and B.J. Cole (pedal steel guitar), along with Reg Isadore (drums) from Robin Trower. Leonard briefly moved to the USA, where he worked on a Walter Egan album. He formed The Force with Sean Tyla (ex-Ducks Deluxe) (guitar), Micky Groome (bass) and Paul Simmons (drums). Their album, Force's First, also included Terry Williams and Martin Ace. The Force disbanded in 1982. On the breakup of Man, Williams immediately joined Rockpile with Dave Edmunds, Nick Lowe and Billy Bremner. They continued until 1982, issuing several successful albums and singles and touring the USA and Europe. Williams briefly worked with Meat Loaf, before receiving an offer from Dire Straits, with whom he enjoyed enormous commercial success.
Phil Ryan formed The Brown and Ryan Band with John McKenzie on bass, Taff Williams (ex Neutrons) on guitar and Steve Jones on drums. He moved to Denmark, where his wife Bolette was born, and wrote music for films and TV. John McKenzie played on some tracks from Steve Hillage's Live Herald album and became a session/backing musician, touring with Dr John, Albert Lee, Davy Spillane, The Christians, Seal, Alison Moyet and Everything but the Girl. He recorded with Bob Dylan, The Pretenders, Eurythmics, David Bowie, Mary Coughlan, Paul Brady, Moya Brennan, Andrea Corr, Damien Rice and Wham!