Colin Manley
Colin Manley | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Colin William Manley |
| Born | 16 April 1942 Old Swan, Liverpool, England, UK |
| Died | 9 April 1999 (aged 56) Liverpool, England, UK |
| Genres | rock |
| Instrument(s) | guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1958-1999 |
| Formerly of | |
Colin William Manley (16 April 1942 – 9 April 1999) was an English rock guitarist and singer. He was the lead singer for The Remo Four and later a guitarist for The Swinging Blue Jeans from 1977 until his death in 1999.
Early life[edit]
Colin William Manley was born in Old Swan, Liverpool. He and Don Andrew were in the same class as Paul McCartney at the Liverpool Institute High School for Boys.[1] Manley and Andrew were educated at the Liverpool Institute High School for Boys from 1953 to 1959.
Career[edit]
With Don Andrew, Keith Stokes, and Harry Pryterch, the Remo Quartet was formed in 1958. With a later change in personnel with Phil Rogers and Roy Dyke replacing Stokes and Pryterch, the "Remo Four" toured in Hamburg on a regular basis.[2][3] The Remo Four are known for serving as the backing band for a few successful pop singers and for being the House band for clubs in Germany.[2] At one point, Johnny Sandon fronted the band.[2] Starting in 1963, the band acted as the backing band for Tommy Quickly. They played backing instruments on his big hit "Tip of My Tongue".[2] When Quickly retired from music and became a Recluse, they adopted the moniker of "The New Dakotas" when Billy J. Kramer fronted them for a while.
Manley and Andrew were heavily influenced by Italian guitarist Marino Marini, who they had both seen on Tonight at the London Palladium show.[4]
When the Remo Four disbanded in 1970, Manley spent a year playing in the London Palladium Orchestra.[4] He would later accompanied Engelbert Humperdinck for a while, was a member of The Dakotas and Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, and also worked with Clodagh Rodgers and in 1975, was noticed by Freddie Starr and was hired by him.[5] In 1977 joined The Swinging Blue Jeans.[4] He left the band in early 1999 when his health started deteriorating from cancer.[5]
In 1988, Paul McCartney said of Manley:
Colin Manley was brilliant, he was the finest guitarist around Liverpool in the early 1960s and he could do all that Chet Atkins stuff with two fingers. A lot of the lads tried to play like that, but only Colin could do it really well.[5]
In the 1990s, Manley reunited with Don Andrew to join Gerry Marsden on the British Soap opera series Brookside.
Personal life and death[edit]
Colin was diagnosed with cancer in the mid-1990s. Manley died of the illness in Liverpool on 9 April 1999, at age 56.[5] He was survived by a wife, and two children (John and Julia). His daughter Julia is also a singer based in Liverpool.[5]
A memorial concert was held at the Philharmonic Hall on 1 June 1999. At the service, the surviving members of the Remo Four did a few songs, with a lineup consisting of Andrew, Dave Williams, Harry Prytherch, Mike Bryne (Don Andrew's son), and Manley's son John.[4] Musicians who were in attendance included Vince Earl & the Attractions, Jimmy Cricket, Herman's Hermits, Marmalade, Dave Dee, Chip Hawkes, The Swinging Blue Jeans, The Merseybeats, Peter Sarstedt and The Searchers.[4]
References[edit]
- ^ Spencer Leigh, BBC presenter, in sleeve notes to SEECD349
- ^ a b c d Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 371. ISBN 0-7535-0149-X
- ^ Family, Bear. "Remo Four". Bear Family Records. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
- ^ a b c d e "Colin Manley - Bill Harry - Mersey Beat". triumphpc.com. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
- ^ a b c d e "Obituary: Colin Manley". The Independent. 1999-04-13. Retrieved 2024-03-10.