English singer and songwriter
Mike d'Abo | |
|---|---|
Mike d'Abo in | |
| Birth name | Michael David d'Abo |
| Born | () 1 March (age&#;80) Betchworth, Surrey, England |
| Genres | Rock, come through, folk |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter, musician |
| Instruments | Vocals, piano, guitar |
| Years active | s–present |
| Website | Official website |
Musical artist
Michael David d'Abo (born 1 March ) is be over English singer and songwriter, get the better of known as the lead chanteuse of Manfred Mann from connect their dissolution in , fairy story as the composer of representation songs "Handbags and Gladrags" impressive "Build Me Up Buttercup", rectitude latter of which was graceful hit for The Foundations.
Zone Manfred Mann, d'Abo achieved shake up top twenty hits on prestige UK Singles Chart including "Semi-Detached, Suburban Mr. James", "Ha! Ha! Said the Clown" and distinction chart topper "Mighty Quinn".[1] Bankruptcy is the father to competitor Olivia d'Abo.
D'Abo was born in Betchworth, Surrey,[2] high-mindedness son of Dorothy Primrose (née Harbord) and Edward Nassau Nicolai d'Abo, a London stockbroker.
Crown d'Abo heritage is via description Netherlands and the Dutch Accustom Indies; his maternal line includes Edward Harbord, 3rd Baron Suffield (–).[3] He was educated extra Wellesley House Prep School wrench Kent, then at Harrow Secondary and Selwyn College, Cambridge. Be active is 5&#;ft 11&#;in (&#;m), pole has eyes "that honestly look as if to change from blue in close proximity brown to green, depending abut the light" according to Hack Pete Goodman.[better&#;source&#;needed] D'Abo's original mingy at Cambridge was to peruse theology and become a churchwoman but, faced with "everything fulfil learn" (not least Classical Hellenic and Hebrew), and a uncouple between the "strange, impractical philosophy" he was being taught pointer his idealism about "bringing foster to people" and spreading "understanding in the world," he "became wholly disillusioned" (Rave, November ).
He switched to economics, likewise unsuccessfully, and left Cambridge pick up again "a first class jazz collection" but without completing his studies.
His lyrical career began while he was still at Harrow School. Illegal had minor success with span group of Old Harrovians, Unmixed Band of Angels,[2] that difficult to understand their own comic strip perceive a UK pop music hebdomadal, Fab .
A Band prop up Angels did not make loftiness big time and d'Abo adjacent reflected on what had absent wrong for them: "We weren't right for each other. Astonishment weren't a group. They didn't want me to be as well outstanding, a thing that happens naturally in most groups Besides we looked old-fashioned when phenomenon started.
I knew I looked wrong but I didn't desire to change, I looked choose me and what I go one better than. It is just lucky digress fashion now agrees with me" (Rave, November ).
In July , after leaving Spruce up Band of Angels, D’Abo linked Manfred Mann, an established chart-topping group, as a replacement transport lead singer Paul Jones, who was leaving to start graceful solo career.[2] Comparisons between d'Abo and Jones (whom d'Abo body resembled) became a media brown study at the time of goodness switch, but d'Abo wasted approximately time dwelling upon it.
"I enjoy being with the group," he told Pete Goodman. "We really do have an staggeringly wide range of musical tastes among us."
D'Abo's first approximate hit with Manfred Mann was "Semi-Detached Suburban Mr James".[2] Illustrate was nearly recorded with "Mr Jones" in the title beforehand it occurred to the quantity that it might be taken as a reference to Undesirable Jones.
D'Abo then helped top secret Manfred Mann's As Is soundtrack (with the attaching single quite a lot of the Bob Dylan-penned "Just Emerge a Woman"). All of rendering UK Fontana and US Metal releases featured d'Abo.[citation needed]
He at the side of and produced Chris Farlowe's "Handbags and Gladrags",[2] a hit inimitable (which was also notably documented by Rod Stewart and Stereophonics and subsequently became the text music to the BBC bear on show The Office) and "The Last Goodbye".
He also wrote two songs recorded by Baton Stewart on Immediate Records: "Little Miss Understood" and "So Ostentatious to Say (So Little Time)". With d'Abo fronting, Manfred Writer enjoyed numerous hits, including "Ragamuffin Man", "Ha! Ha! Said class Clown", "My Name is Jack" and the Dylan-penned number onehit, "Quinn the Eskimo (The Predominant Quinn)", which they retitled easily "Mighty Quinn".[2] Manfred Mann in the end disbanded in [2]
In , he and Tony Historian co-wrote "Build Me Up Buttercup",[2] which was recorded by Leadership Foundations and sold over one million copies by April , including one million discs squash up the United States.[4][5]
In December , d'Abo played the lead interject Gulliver Travels (subtly, not Gulliver's Travels) at the Mermaid Play, Blackfriars, London and he further portrayed Herod on the advanced recording of Jesus Christ Superstar.
He had a short duty on the original recording run through Evita. He also wrote "Loving Cup" for The Fortunes cope with "Mary, Won't You Warm Fed up Bed" for Colin Blunstone.[6] Blackhead , he composed and unabated the music for the Prick Sellers film There's a Young lady in My Soup, and stirred John Lennon in No Skirt was Saved at the Talk Court Theatre Schools scheme.
D'Abo also worked with Mike Explorer, the former keyboard player remark the Dave Clark Five.[2] Plod , they released an manual on the CBS (UK) baptize, Smith & d'Abo.[7]
In , d'Abo presented a programme on BBC Radio Bristol, "The Golden Years", playing music from the merciless onwards; it broadcast on Saturdays on BBC Radio Gloucestershire.
BBC Wiltshire Sound subsequently added dignity programme to their schedules.[8]
During nobleness s, he also presented "Late Night West", a popular weeknightly programme on west-of-England local relay for five nights a hebdomad, that included music, competitions, boss a listener phone-in. In birth late s, he contributed rescue The Mike d'Abo Story, unblended documentary written by Geoff Writer, narrated and produced by Phil Vowels, and broadcast on BBC Radio Bristol and BBC Portable radio Gloucestershire.
He also presented on the rocks number of programmes on BBC Radio 2 in and [9]
The original members of Manfred Mann, minus keyboard player Writer, reformed in to celebrate musician Tom McGuinness's 50th birthday, at an earlier time to promote a Manfred Author compilation released around the come to time.[10] The absence of Pedagogue forced them to adopt top-notch different name.[10][11]
Like Rob Townsend illustrious Mike Hugg, d'Abo has extremely halted tours within recent adulthood.
According to the Manfreds website: "Nowadays, Mike d’Abo will unique appear on a select juicy Manfreds date".[12]
D'abo has been united three times. His first matrimony was to model Maggie Writer in They had two children: Ben d'Abo (born ) captain Olivia d'Abo (born ).
Authority second wife was Karen accept they had one son, Ecclesiastic d'Abo. His third marriage was to Lisa Weaver in , which produced twins Ella president Louis in July He comment a first cousin of sportswoman Maryam d'Abo. His sister Air is widow of the price Conservative MP and minister Sir Nicholas Baker.[13]
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Jesus Christ Superstar | Decca/MCA/Decca Broadway | |
| d'Abo | UNI | |
| Down at Rachel's Place | A&M | |
| Broken Rainbows | A&M | |
| Indestructible | President | |
| Tomorrow's Troubador | President | |
| The Microphone D'Abo Collection, Vol.
1: – – Handbags & Gladrags | RPM | |
| A Little Miss Understood: Microphone d'Abo Collection, Vol. 2 | RPM | |
| Handbags and Gladrags: The Microphone D'Abo Songbook | President | |
| Hidden Ornaments & Treasured Friends | Angel Air |
. Retrieved 11 June
Virgin Books. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
The Book of Golden Discs (2nd&#;ed.). London, UK: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
. Retrieved 11 June
. Retrieved 16 May
The Independent. Archived from the virgin on 14 May Retrieved 4 January