MANFRED MANN'S EARTH BAND   MESSIN'
1973
01. Messin' (9:53) (Hugg)
02. Buddah (7:01) (Mann/Rogers)
03. Cloudy Eyes (5:34) (Mann)
04. Get Your Rocks Off (2:48) (Dylan)
05. Sadjoy (5:14) (Mann)
06. Black And Blue (6:43) (Chain/Sullivan/Taylor/Manning/Harvey)
07. Mardi Gras Day (3:04) (Creaux)

Bonus tracks (1998 re-master):

08. Pretty Good (4:11) (John Prine)
09. Cloudy Eyes (3:30) (single edit)

Total playing time: 48:02

Released in US as 'Get Your Rocks Off':

1. Messin'
2. Pretty Good (John Prine)
3. Sadjoy
4. Get Your Rocks Off
5. Buddah
6. Cloudy Eyes
7. Mardi Gras Day

Messin'
I first heard this song when I was listening to an unreleased Chapter 3 LP & it was suggested as a live number for us, this is the live arrangement & it was written by Mike Hugg. Machines & monkeys supplied by our electronic friend, Laurie Baker.

Buddah
Manfred fantasizing a sort of conversation with certain religious masters meeting them in an everyday situation. The verses were originally written as a boogie & the Viking type horns in the last section were later added as an after-thought.

Cloudy Eyes
A theme written by Manfred for un-completed musical.

Get Your Rocks Off
It has become a sort of tradition for Manfred to record Bob Dylan songs, & with a title like this one, who could refuse it. Our thanks to Tom McGuinness of 'McGuinness-Flint'for finding the song.

Sadjoy
Written by Manfred originally for brass & strings. It's a sort of exercise of playing a theme & still having as much musical freedom as possible. The title speaks for itself & voices supplied by Liza Strike, Ruby James & EB.

Black & Blue
This what might be called an Australian work song explaining some of the unjust incidents happening to an English convict imprisoned in Australia at the turn of the century, written by two Australian friends, Matt Taylor & Phil Manning.

Mardi Gras Day
From the sublime to the ridiculous, with a little help from our friends.

Bonus tracks:

Pretty Good
From the North American version of the 'Messin'' album (the US album was re-titled 'Get Your Rocks Off'). 'Pretty Good' was hurriedly recorded to replace the UK album track 'Black & Blue' as it was felt this was 'unsuitable' for the US market at the time.

Cloudy Eyes (edit)
B-side of the US single of 'Joybringer'. Released October 1973. The track is just an edited version of the original album track.

Manfred Mann: Synthesizer, Organ
Mick Rogers: Guitar, Vocals
Colin Pattenden: Bass Guitar
Chris Slade: Fibes Drums

Produced by Manfred Mann
Recorded at Maximum Sound Studios, London, 1973
Engineer: John Edwards
Tape operator: Laurence Latham (co-engineering on 'Sadjoy')

Machines & Zoo on 'Messin' by Laurie Baker
Sleeve concept: Peter Hignett
Sleeve design: William Stone & Associates
Illustration: Peter Goodfellow
Backing vocals: Liz Strike, Vicki Brown, Judith Powell & Ruby James

1998 re-master credits:

Re-mastered by Mike Brown & Robert M. Corich assisted by Richard Roy
Add. material courtesy M.Mann, The Workhouse, Andy & Carol Taylor at Platform End, Helen Milner, Steve Fernie & Mick Rogers
Add. thanks to Ron Clint & Greg Russo
Revised artwork & liner notes prepared by Red Steel Productions for Creature Music Ltd.
CD artwork: Frank McPartland, Creation Graphics, Luton

Originally released in UK by Vertigo (6360 087), 15/06/73

Cohesion Records
(P) © 1973 Petbrook Ltd. on exclusive licence to Creature Music Ltd.
Messin' US cover
Lyrics


Sleeve Notes