Mike Hugg

Mike Hugg (born Michael John Hugg, 11 August 1942, Gosport, Hampshire) is a professional musician (drums, vocals, keyboards and songwriter) and a founding member of the 1960s group Manfred Mann.^[1]

Biography

Though not from a musical family, his parents condoned his jazz drumming so long as he kept up his piano lessons, and Hugg set his sights on a life in music, under the spell of Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk. He met Manfred Mann while serving as a musician at Butlin's Clacton and also worked with jazz/RnB musician Graham Bond. Evolving from the Mann-Hugg Blues Brothers, the group recruited Paul Jones (singer) and later Tom McGuinness.^[2]

Hugg is a competent pianist and an able vibraphone player but his basic role in Manfred Mann was that of drummer. However, he recorded several vibraphone solos with the band (e.g. "I'm your Kingpin") and used the instrument to augment hits such as "Oh No Not My Baby". He was credited as co-writer of the group's early hits and contributed solo compositions throughout its life, including jazzy instrumentals ("Bare Hugg") and wistful acid-pop ("Funniest Gig", "Harry the One Man Band"). His abilities as a songwriter grew throughout the group's career,^[3] though Hugg became progressively unhappy with the band's commercial output, describing the group's current single "Ha! Ha! Said the Clown", in an interview with Melody Maker, as one of the five worst records he had ever heard.

He and his brother composed "Mister, You're a Better Man Than I" which was recorded by The Yardbirds in 1965. Hugg composed the majority of the songs for the 1968 Paramount film Up The Junction, and sang the song "Sing Songs Of Love" for the film.^[4]

When he and Manfred Mann formed the more progressive Manfred Mann Chapter Three, taking inspiration from Doctor John and free jazz and touring with a five-piece brass section, Hugg moved to electric piano and lead vocals, the latter, by his own account, purely for want of someone better. Ironically, the project did best from a commercial standpoint by selling one of its best themes as soundtrack to a TV advertisement for cigars.

By this time Hugg was already branching out into composition. After composing for the soundtrack to the 1968 film Up The Junction, he contributed incidental music to a BBC Wednesday Play and, around 1972, he co-wrote the theme music to the BBC TV comedy series, Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads. Hugg released three solo albums in the 1970s.

Today, apart from his role as keyboard player with The Manfreds, a reformed version of the sixties band (without Manfred Mann) who tour the UK and Europe regularly, Hugg is part of the jazz trio, PBD, who are gaining a reputation for their live performances.

Discography

• 1972 Somewhere
• 1973 Stress & Strain
• 1975 Neon Dreams (Hug)

References

1. ^ Rawlings, Terry (2002). Then, Now and Rare British Beat 1960–1969. Omnibus Press. p. 122. ISBN 978-0711990944. 
2. ^ Interview. Retrosellers.com. Retrieved on 27 August 2011.
3. ^ Manfred Mann. Starling.rinet.ru. Retrieved on 27 August 2011.
4. ^ Eder, Bruce. (11 August 1942) Mike Hugg. AllMusic. Retrieved on 27 August 2011.

External links

• Mike Hugg on The Manfreds' official website
• PBD Jazz Trio
• Mike Hugg discography at Discogs
• Mike Hugg at the Internet Movie Database
• YouYube cigar advert

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Name	Hugg, Mike
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Date of birth	11 August 1942
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