MANFRED MANN's "Pretty Flamingo." The most undeservedly forgotten hit...

[NightTrain]

...of the whole damned British Invasion?

I played a Manfred Mann collection today in my delviery vehicle and ended up listening to "Pretty Flamingo" three times in a row. God, what a great song! And it was a hit in 1966. Which makes me wonder why the hell "Pretty Flamingo" fell through the cracks when the oldies format was developed??? :wtf:

[Bossy Monkey]

1. Rod Stewart covered it on Night on the Town; a fine song that I'm sure

would be finer still if someone other than Rod Stewart were singing it. I assume that in '66 the same punky guy who sang Doo Wah Diddy Diddy would have handled vocals for Manfred; I think he'd have done a good job. (In case it isn't clear, I've never heard the Manfred Mann original.)

[NightTrain]

3. <<I've never heard the Manfred Mann original.>>

That's exactly my point! I've only heard "Pretty Flamingo" because it appears on my "Best of Manfred Mann" CD. I sure as hell never heard it on those worthless POS oldies station!

[argyl]

2. I love that song.Had the 45 and wore it out.In the same vein,the Left Bank

had a song called "Pretty Ballerina" which slipped through the cracks as well.You may still hear "Walk Away Renee" by them from time to time.Their lead singer had an amazing voice;great range.

Manfred Mann also did a great song called "The One in the Middle."I'm not sure about the title,but Paul Jones,the singer,basically names his band mates(one is Jack Bruce, soon to be bassist for Cream)and Jones is the one in the middle "and he's just a pretty face",or so goes the song.Has a great,greasy feel to it;heavy on organ.

Had them all on 45 and haven't heard them in years but they're so good I still remember most of the music.

[Jade Fox]

4. Same era: "Concrete and Clay" by one-hit wonders Unit 4+2

That song so rocks! Makes me wanna Samba......

I haven't heard "Pretty Flamingo" in god knows how long. Will have to
check it out again.

[NightTrain]

5. I used to hear it on oldies radio in the late '70s and early '80s.

By the end of the Reagan years, however, "Concrete and Clay" had vanished from the airwaves. :cry:

[Jade Fox]

7. It's on the soundtrack of the 1998 film "Rushmore"....

which is how I rediscovered it. A former co-worker had the soundtrack
CD, and when he first played it my ears shot straight up!

[tilsammans]

6. My Manfred Mann fave . . .

"My Little Red Book (All I Do Is Talk About You)," written by Burt Bacharach.

I've heard that Springsteen often covers "Pretty Flamingo."