The Manish Boys

The Manish Boys were the second group that <a href="spotify:artist:0oSGxfWSnnOXhD2fKuz2Gy">David Bowie</a>, then going by his real name <a href="spotify:artist:6qoCzrJl2UhyCbHKzU4dZ8">David Jones</a>, recorded with (the first was Davie Jones & the King Bees). The Manish Boys formed, without <a href="spotify:artist:0oSGxfWSnnOXhD2fKuz2Gy">Bowie</a>, in Maidstone, and moved to London in 1964, where Leslie Conn became their agent. Conn was also <a href="spotify:artist:0oSGxfWSnnOXhD2fKuz2Gy">Bowie</a>'s first manager, and when <a href="spotify:artist:0oSGxfWSnnOXhD2fKuz2Gy">Bowie</a> left <a href="spotify:artist:4w0cavKZukveymUseU0uPs">the King Bees</a> in mid-1964, he hooked the singer up with the Manish Boys. Like <a href="spotify:artist:4w0cavKZukveymUseU0uPs">the King Bees</a> and dozens (probably hundreds) of London bands at the time, the Manish Boys played R&B; like <a href="spotify:artist:22bE4uQ6baNwSHPVcDxLCe">the Rolling Stones</a>, they had named themselves after a <a href="spotify:artist:4y6J8jwRAwO4dssiSmN91R">Muddy Waters</a> song.

The Manish Boys recorded just one single, "I Pity the Fool"/"Take My Tip," released in March 1965. Produced by Shel Talmy (also handling <a href="spotify:artist:1SQRv42e4PjEYfPhS0Tk9E">the Kinks</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:67ea9eGLXYMsO2eYQRui3w">the Who</a> at that time), it marked a progression from the guitar-oriented <a href="spotify:artist:22bE4uQ6baNwSHPVcDxLCe">Rolling Stones</a>-ish R&B of the Davie Jones & the King Bees' 1964 single to soul-jazz in the mold of <a href="spotify:artist:5rWKAmlxinr3muqedXVIHa">Georgie Fame</a>. "I Pity the Fool" was a cover of the <a href="spotify:artist:48nwxUvPJZkm8uPa7xMzmj">Bobby Bland</a> classic; "Take My Tip," in which the jazz elements came more to the fore, was the first <a href="spotify:artist:0oSGxfWSnnOXhD2fKuz2Gy">Bowie</a> composition ever recorded. The sides, on which <a href="spotify:artist:55bGuHb50r5c0PeqqMeNBV">Jimmy Page</a> played guitar as session man, were enjoyable but not striking, and the Manish Boys split shortly afterward. In their short lifetime they had managed to get on a package tour with <a href="spotify:artist:3UmBeGyNwr4iDWi1vTxWi8">Gerry & the Pacemakers</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1SQRv42e4PjEYfPhS0Tk9E">the Kinks</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:7mlge4peaoNgzTsY6M32RB">Marianne Faithfull</a>, but when they got onto BBC TV, it was because of controversy over their (for the time) very long hair, not their music.

<a href="spotify:artist:0oSGxfWSnnOXhD2fKuz2Gy">Bowie</a> then joined <a href="spotify:artist:3KjXQgesAkX6EyzbhZF30Z">the Lower Third</a>, and by 1966 was working on a solo career. "I Pity the Fool" and "Take My Tip" have subsequently been reissued, and are most readily available on Early On (1964-1966), the Rhino compilation of early <a href="spotify:artist:0oSGxfWSnnOXhD2fKuz2Gy">Bowie</a> material. The Manish Boys also recorded covers of <a href="spotify:artist:2UocIcNiHj5n4tj1CnBzRq">Barbara Lewis</a>' "Hello Stranger" and <a href="spotify:artist:4Ej7Oks6loB2oJQ3O7Rujs">Mickey & Sylvia</a>'s "Love Is Strange" at <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Decca%22">Decca</a> with Mike Smith producing, but those songs have not been released. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi