Manfred Mann

The lead vocalist actually singing Blinded By The Light is Chris Thompson, Manfred can be heard singing at the end of Blinded By The Light, in the round, with Thompson. The concert, took place at the Sydney Cricket Ground, also included performances by Powderfinger, silverchair, Nick Cave, the John Butler Trio and others. Manfred Mann went on to write advertising jingles after the group's demise, and later formed Manfred Mann's Earth Band (who had a number 1 hit with Bruce Springsteen's "Blinded By The Light"). While the Springsteen version from 1973's Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. album has a folky, acoustic sound, the Manfred Mann's Earth Band version is driving rock with the electronic keyboards of the '70s. The members of the band, including Garrett, reunited to perform at the WAVEAID (http://www.waveaid.com.au/) concert on January 29, 2005 to raise funds for the victims of the recent tsunami. They split up in the following year. The other members of the band resolved to continue working together, but not under the Midnight Oil name, bringing the band's career to a close. With D'Abo as vocalist, they enjoyed several more hits, including a number one with Bob Dylan's "Mighty Quinn" in 1968. He won the safe Labor seat of Kingsford Smith at the 2004 federal election.

When Jones left in 1966 at the height of their fame, he was replaced by Mike D'Abo, and this was one of the few occasions when a band has successfully swapped lead singers and remained at the top. Garrett decided to quit the band on December 2, 2002 to focus on his political career. with their cover version of the Exciters' "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" and with "Pretty Flamingo". Gary Morris was the band's manager and effective sixth member (often credited with the simple title "Business" on albums) throughout. With Jones fronting, they had number one hits in the U.K. Andrew "Bear" James, the first bass player, left in 1979, replaced by Peter Gifford, who left in 1989 to be replaced by New Zealander Bones Hillman, (ex Swingers), who remained with the group until its dissolution in 2002. The lead vocalist and undoubted star of the band in the early years was Paul Jones (later a successful actor). The Midnight Oil lineup remained quite stable over the band's long career: Garrett as lead singer (and, early on, synthesizer), Jim Moginie on guitar and keyboards, Martin Rotsey on guitar, and Rob Hirst on drums.

Born in South Africa, he originally formed the band in 1962, with his friend Mike Hugg, but both took a background role in live performances. He had triggered a storm of controversy that year with his dogged refusal to embrace reconciliation and apologise to Aboriginal Australians and members of the stolen generation, a refusal that many Australians believed was cynically motivated by conservative fears that an apology might be construed as an admission of liablity and could trigger a rush of land rights and financial compensation claims by Aboriginal people. Manfred Mann himself was originally named Manfred Lubowitz (born October 21, 1940). The SORRY shirts were also specifically aimed at conservative Prime Minister John Howard, who was in the audience. Manfred Mann was a British R&B and pop band of the 1960s, named after the keyboard player. This was a political statement offering apologies to the Aboriginal people for their suffering during more than 200 years of white settlement. The band famously performed during the closing ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. After first appearing on stage in boiler suits, the band and their support players then partially disrobed, revealing the word "SORRY" conspicuously printed on their clothes.

Their subsequent albums sold less well outside Australia, but the Oils maintained a following throughout the 1990s and into the new century. Between 1988 and 1992, the band's Diesel and Dust and Blue Sky Mining discs became known worldwide, as did their political activism for causes ranging from nuclear disarmament to aboriginal rights and environmental issues, and they began to tour overseas for the first time. In 1984, Garrett ran for political office in Australia under the Nuclear Disarmament Party banner, and lost. It has recently been remastered and released on DVD.

This concert was also filmed and recorded by the ABC and was simulcast on ABC-TV and Triple J. In 1985, arguably at their peak, Midnight Oil performed another landmark outdoor concert on Goat Island in Sydney Harbour, in order to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Triple J, before a select audience of fans who had won tickets in a radio competition. The album cover featured a startling photomontage of Sydney - both city and harbour - cratered and devastated after a hypothetical nuclear attack. It was followed by the equally excellent Red Sails In The Sunset (1984) on which the band continued to expand their sound and explore their preoccupations with politics, consumerism, militarism, the nuclear threat and environmental issues.

It was one of four classic albums Launay produced in Australia that year, the others being The Church LP Seance and The Models commercial breakthrough The Pleasure of Your Company and INXS' "The Swing". 10, 9, 8 ... was produced by Englishman Nick Launay, who had previously worked with The Jam, XTC, Peter Gabriel, PiL, Gang of Four, The Birthday Party, and Killing Joke, and who had engineered for leading producers including John Leckie, Steve Lillywhite, Hugh Padgham and Tony Visconti. Their ascendance was signalled by a series of landmark concerts at Sydney's Capitol Theatre, one of which was filmed and recorded, and which has recently been released on DVD. Their major Australian breakthrough and their first international recognition came in 1982, after several albums with the release of 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, which included the singles "Power and the Passion" and "Read About It" and their classic denunciations of American imperialism, "US Forces" and "Short Memory".

The third LP Place Without A Postcard (1981) was recorded with legendary English producer Glyn Johns but it was apparently an uneasy match and the band were not totally happy with the outcome, although it did yield some superb tracks. Legend has it that this track originally featured a vocal that was removed prior to release, supposedly because of its forthright lyrical content. Further interest was generated by the excellent Bird Noises EP, produced by former Supercharge (band) member Lesek Karski, which featured the beautiful surf-instrumental 'Wedding Cake Island' (named after a rock outcrop in the ocean off Sydney's Coogee Beach). Their first two albums, 'Midnight Oil' and 'Head Injuries' are now regarded as classics of Australian indie rock, mixing solid guitar rock with progressive flourishes; both were released independently through the M7 label (a subsidiary of the Seven TV Network) and both were produced by Triple J live concert sound producer Keith Walker.

Nevertheless, they built up an intensely dedicated fan base through constant touring and their blistering live performances, featuring the scorching twin-guitar attack of Moginie and Rotsey, the powerhouse drumming and soaring vocals of drummer Rob Hirst and the manic, whirling-dervish presence of their towering, shaven-headed lead singer Peter Garrett, who quickly earned a reputation as one of the most charismatic and outspoken musicians on the Australian music scene. One famous case in the mid-80s involved writer and critic Bruce Elder, who in a newspaper review described the band's music as "narrow and xenophobic"; in retaliation, Morris banned him from Oils shows permanently. Manager Gary Morris also developed a fearsome reputation as one of the toughest managers in the business and he became equally notorious for banning any critics or journalists (who were usually given free admission to concerts) if they wrote unfavourable reviews. In retaliation, the group declared that they would never appear on the show, a promise they faithfully kept.

According to producer Michael Shrimpton, on the day of the taping, the band had arrived late for rehearsal but (due to the show's very tight schedule and budget) there was a strict policy that latecomers were not allowed to appear, so they were told they could not perform that day. While this was strictly true, the fact is that they had indeed been scheduled to appear in the early Eighties, but they were "bumped" from the show. In support of this, it was often stated that they were one of the only Australian bands never to have appeared on the all-powerful ABC TV pop show Countdown. The Oils developed a strong "street cred" and a reputation for making no compromises with the music industry.

Although consistently championed by Sydney alternative rock station Double Jay and its FM band successor Triple J, Midnight Oil, like many independent bands of the period, were almost totally ignored by Australia's mainstream commercial radio stations. One of their early fan bases was at the Sydney northern beaches pub The Royal Antler at Narrabeen. The Oils, as they are known to their fans, began as a progressive rock band called the Farm in the early 1970s, then under the Oils name became an aggressive, hard-rock group associated with the surfer community near Sydney. Peter Garrett, the former lead singer, is an active campaigner for social and environmental issues (currently a member of the Australian Parliament) and this is reflected in many of the band's songs.

Midnight Oil were an Australian rock band known for their driving hard rock sound, superb live performances and their overt left-wing political activism. Best Of Both Worlds (2004, also on DVD). Capricornia (2002). The Real Thing (2000).

Redneck Wonderland (1998). 20,000 Watt R.S.L. (1997, also on videotape and DVD). Breathe (1996). Earth and Sun and Moon (1993).

Scream in Blue (Live, 1992). Blue Sky Mining (1990). Diesel and Dust (1987). Species Deceases (EP) (1985).

Red Sails in the Sunset (1984). 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (1982). Place without a Postcard (1981). Bird Noises (EP) (1980).

Head Injuries (1979). Midnight Oil (1978).