Mike Hugg

Michael John Hugg (born 11 August 1940) is a British musician who was a founding member of the 1960s group Manfred Mann, and co-founder of the psychedelic jazz-fusion group, Manfred Mann Chapter Three. He is known for his creativity in his music, and made jingles for advertisements.

Hugg first thought about wanting a career in music when he was sixteen years old. Pursuing a career in jazz, he met the pianist Manfred Mann while working as a musician at Butlin's Clacton, and they formed a seven-piece group. The Mann–Hugg Blues Brothers recruited Paul Jones and later Tom McGuinness. Upon their signing with His Master's Voice, their producer, John Burgess, changed their name to Manfred Mann.

Prominent in the Swinging London scene of the 1960s, the group regularly appeared in the UK Singles Chart. Three of their most successful singles, "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", "Pretty Flamingo", and "Mighty Quinn", topped the UK charts. The band's 1964 hit "5-4-3-2-1" was the theme tune for the ITV pop music show Ready Steady Go!. They were also the first southern-England-based group to top the US Billboard Hot 100 during the British Invasion.

Hugg is a competent pianist and an able vibraphone player, but his main role in Manfred Mann was as 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. In 1973, his song "Each and Every Day" which he wrote for Manfred Mann became a Canadian top-ten single when covered by Keith Hampshire.

He and his brother composed "Mister, You're a Better Man Than I" which was recorded by the Yardbirds in 1965. Hugg also composed the majority of the songs for the 1968 Paramount film Up the Junction, as well as co-writing the theme from the BBC sitcom Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads with La Frenais, which was recorded by Hugg's session featuring Tony Rivers on lead vocals.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.