Manfred Mann - Blinded by the Light

Manfred Mann's Earth Band is a British progressive rock group formed in 1971 by Manfred Mann

Having started in the 60's with a British Invasion band that had such hits as "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" and "The Mighty Quinn", then moving on to Jazz Fusion with Manfred Mann's Chapter Three, Manfred's third band, "The Earth Band' is still alive and recording. In his 2003 biography, former member of Manfred Mann's earlier Manfred Mann Band and Beatles-associate Klaus Voormann alleged to have inspired Mann for the Earth Band's name by having besought Mann several times throughout the 1960s that Mann's soft pop style of those days had to become more "earthier" and rockier, not least of all because of the seemingly effeminate image of Mann's earlier band which had led to a number of close encounters with violence particularly in Ireland.

The membership of the Earth Band was stable through their first six albums before becoming relatively informal; Mick Rogers originally performed lead guitar and lead vocal duties before being replaced by Chris Thompson on vocals and Dave Flett on guitar. Drumming duties were fulfilled by Chris Slade, who was later to be a member of AC/DC and Asia. Bass player Colin Pattenden, after leaving the Earth Band, became a sound consultant, running his own company designing and installing sound systems. There was much about the Earth Band that was potentially successful, but the contrariness of the band's approach and Mann's perfectionism meant that albums frequently came out with different track listings in different territories, or in alternative versions.

Personnel

Current members

Manfred Mann – keyboards and vocals (founding member)
Mick Rogers – guitar and vocals (founding member)
Peter Cox – vocals
Jimmy Copley – drums and percussion
Steve Kinch – bass guitar

Former members

Noel McCalla – vocals
Chris Thompson – vocals and guitar
Chris Slade – drums (founding member)
Colin Pattenden – bass (founding member)
Steve Waller – guitar and vocals
John Lingwood – drums
Pat King – bass
Dave Flett – guitar
Cecil Jorgensen - slide guitar, pedal steel
Matt Irving – bass
Clive Bunker – drums
John Trotter[1] – drums
Pete May – drums
Shona Laing – vocals
Richard Marcangelo – drums
Geoff Britton – drums
Geoff Dunn – drums (on loan from Epic)

Source : Wikipedia