Out Of My Head, song by Man?

[Rogue Mail]

This is really bugging me...

I remember a radio advert that played in the UK a lot in the 70s for what I believe was a new album by Man.

And they played a snippet of a song that was called Out Of My Head, Get Out Of My Head, or I'm Out Of My Head.

The title above I believe was the chorus, and it was followed by a series of high pitched descending/sliding guitar notes.

I can clearly remember this, but searching around I can find no reference to the song by the group Man. So, am I wrong and was this song by a different group entirely?

I have to add that Man are a group I have never heard, apart from the above, and I was thinking of picking up a few of their CDs to check them out. But this snippet of a song is stuck in my head after all these years...

[jake]

Could it be Out of Your Head from The Welsh Connection (1976)

[JJ88]

This track was released as a single at the time so may have gotten some radioplay.

https://www.45cat.com/record/mca236

I wouldn't say The Welsh Connection is the best Man album to start with, but some of it is great. I would say the 1972-4 United Artists albums are their best. They have two volumes of those budget-priced Original Album Series sets encompassing this period, which are still available.

The best individual introduction IMHO is the 2cd Keep On Crinting anthology, which was very well chosen and had a terrific (exclusive) live version of 'The Storm'. But that's out of print.

[Piskie]

Keep On Crinting was my introduction to Man and agree it's excellent.

[Finch Platte]

This is the only Man album I've ever heard, and I rather enjoyed it: https://www.allmusic.com/album/slow-motion-mw0000791322

[loshammeros]

I saw Man at The Sunrise Festival in Offenburg West Germany in 1976

[Scrotum Scissor]

I wouldn't say The Welsh Connection is the best Man album to start with, but some of it is great.

True. There were a number of patchy Man releases, although I'd say it's often down to sheer variation on basic style highlighted from song to song.

Welsh Connection is rather underrated in their catalog, AFAIC. For the op; It features a couple of the usual r&r replicas and pastiches, some of which they had a good tradition for ("Daughter of the Fireplace", "Sudden Life", "Ain't Their Fight" and many more), but by the time of WC ('76) their strength arguably lay elsewhere. The title track, for instance, is a formidable exercise in perfectionist trickiness within a confined melodic song-form, though still retaining the US West-Coast sensibility transferred from heroes of old. "Something Is Happening" and "Born With a Future" follow heel and are excellent.

The best parts of The Welsh Connection, not to mention the overall inconsistancy, remind me somewhat of another radically uneven record from the very same year, namely the debut Kingfish (with Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead). Both dwell in jazzy chord-dynamics and detailed interplay yet tread over into completely other realms of music, coming close to pure country.

[polmico]

A new collection of BBC recordings is on its way:

https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/...3-6cd-box-set/

[JJ88]

This is the only Man album I've ever heard, and I rather enjoyed it

Slow Motion was really the start of a move to a somewhat slicker sound, which continued on The Welsh Connection. But again there are strong tracks on it like 'Hard Way To Die', 'Day And Night' etc. On The Welsh Connection I really like 'The Ride And The View' and 'Car Toon' (with that long outro).

Esoteric did a great job on all the 70s albums. I gather that some of the previous CD releases (not the BGO ones) were shoddy transfers from record. Esoteric also dug out loads of live stuff- the full shows from the Padget Rooms and the Roundhouse which were only partially used in the 70s.

Here's the version of 'The Storm' I mentioned, which Esoteric did not re-use on any of their releases that I know of. I think it's better than the studio version, it drops the 'prelude'.

[Harbottle]

I saw Man at a jazz festival (Coventry, sometime in the 2000s) in a small yard surrounded by medieval buildings - Caravan were on the bill as well. Both were excellent. Mickey Jones was still alive, but their keyboard player was 'on holiday'. I went through a period of listening to them afterwards and picked up all the Esoteric reissues, but haven't really listened to them much in the last decade. Might have to rectify that!

[Lopez]

Saw them open for Hawkwind at the 1999 Party in Philly in '74. They were mighty good.

There's some live Man stuff with John Cipollina kicking around on the internet. Definitely worthwhile.

[Rogue Mail]

Thanks guys. I downloaded The Welsh Connection album, may check out some more.

[lovecraft]

I saw them at the Canterbury Sound Festival in 2001. Though I had heard of them, I had never actually heard them at that point. The dual guitar attack of Deke Leonard and Mickey Jones was in full flow and they absolutely blew my socks off, as did Gong later on (playing an extended Masterbuilder just as the sun went down). Will never forget it. Many Are Called, But Few Get Up was a particular highlight. Sometimes it is great to just go in 'cold' like that.

[JJ88]

I remember hearing some of the reunion albums via a library (it probably helps being in Wales). I didn't like The Twang Dynasty, too many short and ordinary pub-rock type tracks. But I thought Call Down The Moon was pretty decent. That one was produced with a US champion of theirs, DJ Ron Sanchez. Don't remember much about Endangered Species at all. Can't comment on anything since.

There's some live Man stuff with John Cipollina kicking around on the internet. Definitely worthwhile.

I think these recordings have been added to various Esoteric CDs as bonus tracks.

[polmico]

I remember hearing some of the reunion albums via a library

The relatively recent (2019?) Anachronism Tango is worth seeking out.

[Piskie]

They are playing near me next month - tempted to go...

[Enidi]

Back Into The Future was a decent album. Man are often referenced to sounding San Francisco...however sometimes they have a Space Rock style. As they were billed with Hawkwind on the 1999 Party Tour in the U.S.

The self titled album on United Artists featured a lengthy piece titled The Alchemist. It comes across sounding like a Rock piece for an occult album and the strange chanting is creepy.

A couple of songs from Are You Settling In? seem to have that darker style with one song in particular having similarities to Gentle Giant.

Be Good To Yourself is less dark and more about jamming extensively . It is a quality album from Man.

Greasy Truckers Party is a fine performance from Man.

[Rogue Mail]

Well I took the plunge and went foe the Keep On Crintin' package. Giving it a spin now...

[JJ88]

^I think that collection really got the track selection right, and also in terms of versions of songs chosen. The general consensus is that they were often better live- although I believe their 1972-4 studio work is excellent- and there's a fair amount of live material on it.

My favourite tracks not on its 2cds are 'Would The Christians Wait Five Minutes' (a languid, somewhat Floyd-esque instrumental) and 'Four Day Louise' (terrific guitar work on this). Maybe 'All Good Clean Fun' (playfully Gentle Giant-ish, I'd say, with lyrics referencing various other Welsh groups in their circle) as well.