A snippet of the new ‘Man From Manhattan’ ..

Pre-order via themanfrommanhattan.com First 5000 copies on white vinyl.

#eddiehowell #manfrommanhattan #freddiemercury #brianmay #vinyl #newrelease #queenband #mcmglobalteam

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“IF THIS IS NOT A HIT, SUE WARNER BROS”. Freddie Mercury

Today see this on instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/CwpyQ0RKDpA/

Eddie at Sothebys with the original Mam from Manhattan lyric courtesy of Dr Gabriel Heaton

A brief glimpse into a day in the life of the Man from Manhattan                                                                                                                                                                                                           So, the Man From Manhattan was taken down by a hit-man… but the hit-man overlooked the fact that the lining of the Man from Manhattan’s jacket was laden with lead!!

After a few undeveloped attempts to resurrect the record over the years, I entered into talks with Warner Bros in 2016, with the aim of regaining the rights to the recordings I made when signed to the label in 1975-78 and, in partnership with Kenny at MCM Global Team, we finally struck a deal for these rights last year and freed my tracks from the vaults of obscurity.

This gave us the opportunity to compile a 13 track LP of remastered songs from the Warner Bros period. There are 3 versions of Man From Manhattan; Freddie’s original mix, a remixed and remastered ‘radio-mix’ and a Dolby Atmos version. We’re aiming to release the LP later this year as a special edition vinyl box-set on the MCM label.

There will be a poster of Freddie and myself in the package and the original painting of the poster, by Bolivian artist Andrea Terceros who did the art work and design for the album, will be auctioned, with the proceeds being donated to the Mercury Phoenix Trust.

Project updates and info on the release date will be posted on themanfrommanhattan.com ..

All the best.. Eddie

A brief glimpse into a day in the life of the Man from Manhattan

After receiving an anonymous tip-off regarding ‘illegal activity’ on the newly released Freddie Mercury production of Man From Manhattan, the MU let it be known that they were obliged to place an immediate media ban on the record.

The ‘illegal activity’ referred to, was that one of the players on the sessions had been working in the UK without a work permit. No-one involved in the production of the record, (including the permitless player), was aware of this oversight, but it was enough to justify the ban..

The informer was a jealous ‘insider’ with an axe to grind who knew what the consequences of his whispering campaign would be, especially in view of the high profile musicians on the track and true to form, the MU wasted no time in flexing their muscles and pulling the plug on the record.

Sadly this act of sabotage effectively killed off the record in the UK and most of the rest of the world.

to be continued..

A brief glimpse into a day the life of the Man from Manhattan

In the mid 70’s to early 80’s, the invention and production of synthesizers and mellotrons, keyboards that could emulate any instrument in the orchestra, had prompted the Musicians Union to try to ban their use on sessions and live performances in a bid to protect the livelihoods of their members against the advent of new technology. A tricky task. Consequently, rock/pop music was high on the MU’s hit-list back then as the synthesizer had become an established part of the band and an instrument in it’s own right.

The MU, like King Canute, were trying to halt the inevitable and were super quick to pounce on any ‘transgression’ committed by anyone in rock n roll. Behind the scenes there was a battle raging between 2 sides of the same coin as there always is when changes are afoot and the Man from Manhattan unwittingly got caught up in the maelstrom!! There were a few famous names on that record, it was a perfect target for a sabateur who had “information about the record that the MU may find of interest”. All it took was a phone-call and suddenly the Man from Manhattan was a ‘wanted man’ for a crime which was described at the time as ‘illegal activity on the record!’

… to be continued

A brief glimpse into a day in the life of the Man from Manhattan…

It was a spring day in early April 1976. I left the Chrysalis writers studio near Bond street and walked up Oxford Street towards the music stores in Denmark Street, Soho, aka Tin Pan Alley, in search of a Spanish nylon string guitar.

The sun was out, the sky was blue and the traffic was heavy on Oxford Street that day. Car windows were wide open, hoods were down and music was floating through the air from car radios as I walked the half mile or so towards Soho, feeling pretty chuffed as I heard my newly released single Man From Manhattan playing through the open car windows. That was a nice feeling! The record was rapidly gaining media interest and getting some heavy rotation on the airwaves. Obviously, having Freddie Mercury and Brian May on the track gave it a head start, but it soon began to gain its own traction and looked set to chart.

Even now as I write this, it still seems somewhat surreal to relate that only a few days later, the record would receive a blanket ban across all media. Virtually overnight the Man from Manhattan disappeared from the airwaves in the UK. Freddie and everyone involved in the making of the record was dumbfounded by the news, but nothing could be done. Despite top level meetings between the MU and Warner Bros, the Union refused to lift the ban..

… to be continued

   It takes Gary Lineker to give a voice to the plight of asylum seekers and migrants. Although the Nazi reference was unnecessary, as the tragedy speaks for itself, much respect to him for standing up for the men, women and children whose only crime is a desire to improve their lives.

Are we so tangled up in bureaucracy that we have taken leave of our souls? What happened to basic human decency? .. Rock and roll helped out once before with Live-Aid.. Maybe musicians, who’ve made their fortunes singing about peace, love and harmony, could again use their voices to highlight this shameful state of affairs …

Patriotism and flags are being used to obfuscate the true face of this governments “compassionate” anti refugee plan which has been slated for being inhumane and illegal. Gary Lineker’s exclamation has at the very least raised awareness and exposed the hypocrisy of the political manoeuvering going on behind the scenes..

I’ll be watching *‘Match of the day’ and eating Walkers crisps on Saturday’s from now on.

*As soon as GL is back

In November 2022, I attended the “We Lille Rock You” project in Lille, with music, exhibitions, food, drinks and guests from all over the world. The profits were donated to the Mercury Phoenix Trust.

Arriving in Lille from London by Eurostar, I met up with manager Kenny, Barry Mitchell, Doug Bogie, Olivier Ruth and the team who organized the event and we were treated to a guided tour of the city by Valentine Taylor and Renaud Marquant Lannoy, 2 French students who had prepared a potted history of their beautiful city which they narrated in English as they showed us the sights. We then all adjourned to a local restaurant ..

The next day, Saturday, was event day. The venue was soon buzzing with people ‘singing, dancing, striking poses with guests, meeting old friends and making new ones’. A splendid time seemed to be guaranteed for alI! There were some great live sets and some interesting and funny interviews. I did an interview and an acoustic set with Elash on bass which was a gas.

The event was a great success and raised 2000 euros for the trust!! Well done Olivier and the team and thanks for the invite!

                                                                                                                                               Seeing the old rockers with the porcelain-white teeth and retro hairstyles (unchanged since their teens) performing like recycled teenagers and churning out the same old riffs, is interesting. Who’d have thought that Mick would still be trying to get some satisfaction at 80?

I guess it’s ok to keep playing the old hits, especially if it keeps the goose laying those golden eggs..  But… when an iconic 82 year old maestro bucks the trend and refuses to rely on his back-catalogue of greatest hits because of  his insatiable appetite to be innovative and inspiring, then it’s time to sit up and listen and savour the example. This old boy has possibly had the teeth fixed, but the hair still looks suitably ruffled.

I’m talking Bob Dylan, he’s growing old gracefully. If you want proof, go listen to his recent album, ‘Rough and Rowdy Ways’, an uplifting take on life, sung in a gravel voiced growl, letting you know he still cares about every word he writes. This same octogenarian is also now a sculptured wrought iron gate maker, and an artist, and his latest book, ‘The Philosophy of Modern Song’, presents a kaleidoscopic journey through his musical influences and favourite songs.

He still makes me think in smiles which makes me want to read or write or paint something..                                                                                                                                                            

Hello folks!. I’ll start with a musical observation.  According to Duke Ellington, there are only two sorts of music… Good and bad… But what’s good and what’s bad? Is it just an opinion or is it measurable? I guess the best measure is the way it makes you feel, so the question is, does good music make everyone feel good and bad music make everyone feel bad? Personally I think so, but the jury’s still out. However, a sure sign of ‘good’ music is that it stands the test of time.

I’m a big fan of the song and have always admired the giants of songwriting for their consistency and versatility, Cole Porter, Joni Mitchell, Paul McCartney, Irving Berlin, to name but a few. Inspiration springs eternal from these brilliant people. Paul Simon knew what he was talking about when he said… ‘If I could bottle the feeling of finishing a song I’d make millions’.