'60s pop icon brings music to Tondo

LONDON — Sixties pop music icon Paul Jones, lead vocalist of Manfred Mann, recently disclosed that a foundation called Music Charity headed by British Conservative Member of Parliament Mark Pritchard has sent 74 musical instruments to a school in Tondo and said he hopes to someday perform his hits, including Do Wah Diddy Diddy, in a concert in the Philippines.

Jones, 70, continues to work gigs with a reconstituted band called The Manfreds reviving hits like Sha La La, Pretty Flamingo and If You Gotta Go, Go Now. Keyboards artist Manfred Mann is no longer with the group but Jones still draws crowds all over the UK with original members Tom McGuinness and Mike Hugg. When Jones left Manfred Mann to go solo in 1966, his replacement Mike D’Abo came aboard and led the band to several more hits including Mighty Quinn, My Name Is Jack and Just Like A Woman. With The Manfreds, Jones and D’Abo share vocal chores.

Last Aug. 3, The Manfreds performed at the open-air Kilworth House Theatre in south Leicestershire, about one-and-a-half-hour drive from London. The venue was inaugurated in 2007 and sits in a 38-acre estate that includes a 44-room hotel. There are canopies to protect the performers on stage and the 540 spectators on elevated, tiered rows. The ambience is perfect for an evening to enjoy as the theater is situated in a beautiful wooden glade close to a lake.

The Manfreds began the show promptly at 8 p.m. with Jones heading a seven-man band and singing his autobiographical trademark The One In The Middle. D’Abo took his turn with Ha Ha Said The Clown then it was back to Jones for Sha La La punctuated by harmonica, saxophone and a lively audience sing-along. And the hits kept on coming — Fox On The Run, Sweet Temptation until the set ended with Pretty Flamingo to signal a 15-minute intermission. In the second half, The Manfreds kept the fans singing with Ragamuffin Man, I’ve Been A Bad, Bad Boy, Handbags and Gladrags, I’m Your Kingpin, Come Tomorrow, Build Me Up Buttercup, When I’m Dead and Gone and an extended version of Do Wah Diddy Diddy which by the way, displaced The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night from No. 1 in the UK charts in 1964. 

D’Abo, 68, composed Handbags and Gladrags (covered by Rod Stewart and Chris Farlowe, among others) and Build Me Up Buttercup (covered by The Foundations) and continues to earn a bundle in royalties from his two best-sellers. The set-list included the two songs sung by D’Abo himself. In the encore, The Manfreds were called back on stage to perform 5-4-3-2-1, Bo Diddley and Not Fade Away which was popularized by The Rolling Stones.

Paul Jones dazzles with the harmonica while Simon Currie blows on the sax

McGuinness, 71, was a bass player with Manfred Mann but now plays lead for The Manfreds. McGuinness used to perform with Eric Clapton in a band called The Roosters in the early ’60s. Hugg, 70, drummed for Manfred Mann but now plays keyboards for The Manfreds. McGuinness, Hugg and Jones also do gigs with The Blues Band which has been in circulation for over 30 years. The other Manfreds members are drummer Rob Townsend, bassist Marcus Cliffe and saxophonist Simon Currie.

The remarkable thing about The Manfreds is that despite the age of their senior members, the band is in tip-top condition. Jones and D’Abo are superb vocalists and can still hit the high notes. Hugg did an instrumental solo with the keyboards to show that his skills haven’t waned. McGuinness, who had a string of hits with a band called McGuinness Flint, also displayed a fantastic touch with his guitars, including an electric mandolin. The Manfreds didn’t miss a beat that night and the crowd responded enthusiastically.

After the two-hour show, Jones obliged with an exclusive interview. That was when he revealed his association with Music Charity. Jones, who appeared with model Jean Shrimpton in the 1967 movie Privilege and has performed in several West End productions including Kiss Me Kate, Cats and Evita, said Manfred Mann was invited to join The Manfreds when the band was revived in 1991 but he declined. 

“Manfred even threatened to stop us from reviving the band but couldn’t,” said Jones. “What do I enjoy doing more? We’ve been doing The Blues Band for over 30 years and that’s a stable gig but with The Manfreds, we’re enjoying a big renewal of popularity. We just came back from a series of shows in Japan after we were recommended by Colin Blunstone of The Zombies and it was a huge success. It’s a pity we’ve never toured the Philippines even in the ‘60s. I left Manfred Mann in 1966 and the group disbanded in 1969. At the height of its popularity, Manfred Mann went to the US only once on a three-week tour and just once to Australia.”

Asked if he’d like to perform in the Philippines, Jones said without a doubt. “I’ve gotten to know about the Philippines through Music Charity,” he said. “I know The Manfreds will do well in Manila where I’m told our hits like Do Wah Diddy Diddy and Sha La La are familiar with Filipino fans.” Jones, a two-time Harmonica Player of the Year choice by the British Blues Awards, is married to former actress Fiona Hendley.

The author (right) and wife Menchu with Paul Jones

In an e-mail to The STAR, Pritchard confirmed the shipment of 74 instruments to a Tondo school with delivery expected at the end of this month. “I’m delighted to be sending so many instruments to the Tondo school,” said Pritchard. “Music can bring so much immediate enjoyment as well as the potential for a life-changing career. The great irony in founding this charity is that I don’t play a single note of any instrument. The Philippines is a very musical nation and I hope that those who previously will not have had access to an instrument will now do so. I’m grateful to Paul Jones, Aled Jones, John Rutter and Classic FM radio station for all their kind offers of support. I also pay tribute to Jill Beckingham, wife of the previous UK Ambassador to the Philippines Peter Beckingham, for introducing the Tondo school to me. I’ve visited Tondo twice.”

Pritchard said he started the charity last year with the objective of recycling unwanted musical instruments and receiving donations to buy new or second-hand instruments from charity shops. “By the end of the year, we will have shipped 300 plus instruments to Paraguay, Colombia, the Philippines, Romania and India. This has nothing to do with my chairing the Parliamentary group for the Philippines. This is purely a private initiative with Michael Robinson, my staffer, and Rev. Canon Andrew Tremlett of Westminster Abbey. We hope to raise 20,000 pounds next year with a huge fund-raising dinner in London. We’ve been spending all the money on instruments.” A website dedicated to Music Charity will be launched next month.