Manfred Mann's Earth Band ( B4 )

1970s

The group's sixth album, 1975's Nightingales & Bombers, took its title from a World War II naturalist's recording of a nightingale singing in a garden as warplanes flew overhead; the recording appears in a track on the album (the US version included an extra track, a cover of Bob Dylan's; 'Quit Your Low Down Ways' sung by Mick Rogers).

The US breakthrough for the band came in the third week of February 1977, when they charted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Blinded by the Light" from The Roaring Silence. Before this hit, Mick Rogers had left the band (after Nightingales & Bombers) and Chris Thompson (lead vocals, guitar) and Dave Flett (Lead guitar, backing vocals) had been quickly recruited to replace him (although Rogers still contributed backing vocals to the album).

The Roaring Silence also featured a guest appearance by jazz saxophonist Barbara Thompson, and the album Watch included two stand-out recordings from the band's live performances of "Davy's on the Road Again" and "Mighty Quinn". Taking advantage of the publicity of their hit song, the band re-released another Springsteen song, "Spirit in the Night", re-titled "Spirits In The Night", which the band had released the previous year on Nightingales & Bombers, in a vocally re-cut version with Chris Thompson taking a new lead vocal in place of Mick Rogers' vocal on the original album version. Following this popular success, the Earth Band released Watch, which produced another hit single in "Davy's on the Road Again".

1980s

Drummer Chris Slade and Dave Flett left before 1979's Angel Station. Flett was replaced by guitarist Steve Waller, who shared lead vocals with Thompson. Geoff Britton played drums on the album but was soon replaced by John Lingwood, due to illness. 1980's Chance showed a move towards a more electronic approach and produced several cuts that were hits in the UK and/or saw significant airplay in both the US and UK.

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