From: Enniskillen
Active: 1978-12/1993
Style: Heavy Metal
Lineup:
- Pat 'The Professor' McManus - guitar, electric fiddle
- John McManus - bass/vocals
- Tommy McManus - drums
Bio:
Heavy metal trio. Irish releases on their own Pussy label. The first
two albums
"The Official Bootleg" (1980) and "Plug It In" (1982) are both excellent.
The third album "Turn It Up" (1983) is more commerical by their own admission.
Diminishing returns thereafter.
Tommy McManus died after a long battle with leukemia in 1994.
Lead vocalists have included Keith Murrell (1987-88), Connor McKeon (1989) and Mike Wilson (1990-).
The McManus brothers come from a musical family. In an almost AC/DC-like turn of events,
several members of the family recorded an LP as the McManus Brothers way back in 1971.
However, here all comparisons with the AC/DC pre-history end, as it's an album of pop, cabaret
and traditional irish material. An interesting curio, but don't spend too much on it!
Discography
• The Official Bootleg (10 track version)
LP - Pussy Records - PU004 - 1980 - first pressing with 10 tracks [1000 copies]
• The Official Bootleg (8 track version)
LP - Pussy Records - PU007 - 1981 - repress with 8 tracks
LP - Spartan Records - MBB1 - 1983 - free with Spartan 12SP6 (see below)
side one
I'm Leaving Town
Down And Out(*)
Belfast City Blues
Highland Rock
Record Machine
side tow
Rock n' Roll Craze
Summertime
Big Bad City(*)
Without You
Demon
(*) tracks omitted from repress
• Rollin' On / Demon
7" - Pussy Records - PU005 - 1980
• High Energy Weekend / Hitch-Hike (live)
7" - Pussy Records - PU006 - 1980 - PS
• Silence Is Out Of Fashion / Rock And Roll Craze
7" - Pussy Records - PU008 - 1981
• Needle in the Groove / Reach For The Top
7" - Pussy Records - 009 - IRL - 1982 - no PS
• Needle in the Groove / Hard Headed Ways
7" - Ultranoise/Albion Records - ION 1041 - 1982 - PS
• Needle in the Groove (long version) // Silence Is Out Of Fashion / Hard Headed Ways
12" - Ultra Noise/Albion Records - 12 ION 1041 - 1982 - PS
• Plug It In (8 track version)
LP - Pussy Records - PU010 - IRL - June 1982
• Plug It In (9 track version)
LP - Ultra Noise/Albion Records - ULTRA 1 - UK - 1982
LP - Liberation Records - LIB 5017 - Australia - 1983
LP - Victor Records - VIL-6043 - Japan - 1983
LP - Albion Records - 2374 213 - Germany - 198?
LP - Castle Records - CLALP 111 - UK - 1986
CD - Albion Records - AALP 4.00136 - Germany - 1986 - 12 tracks
CD - Albion Records - AACD 9.00136 - Germany - 1986 - 11 tracks
Produced by Barry Devlin
Pussy version, side one:
In the Heat of the Night
Burnin Up
Needle in the Groove
Reach for the Top
side two:
Belfast City Blues
Straight Forward
Getting Out
Runaway Dreams
1982 Albion version, side one:
In the Heat of the Night
Burnin Up
Needle in the Groove
Reach for the Top
Silence is out of Fashion
side two:
Straight Forward
Runaway Dreams
Getting Out
Belfast City Blues
bonus tracks on 1986 Albion pressings:
Record Machine
Hard Headed Ways
In The Heat Of The Night (Long Verison)
Notes:
The original album has 8 tracks; the first foreign issues from 1982-3 added one
track "Silence Is Out Of Fashion"; some post-1983 issues credit the opening
track as "In the Heat of the Night (Short Version)". The 1986 German vinyl
edition on Albion is the most complete with both long and short versions of
that opening track plus "Hard Headed Ways" and "Record Machine", though the
latter is omitted from the CD!
• Belfast City Blues / Reach for the Top
7" - Scoff Records - DT 015 - 1982 - PS
• In The Heat of the Night / Reach for the Top
7" - Ultranoise/Albion Records - ION 1038 - 1982 - PS
7" - Virgin Records - 104734 - France - 1982 - slightly different PS
• In The Heat of the Night / Straight Forward
7" - Liberation Records - LS 950 - Australia - 1983 - different PS
• Telephone Teaser / Shake My Bones
7" - Pussy Records - PU011 - 1983 - PS
• Loose Living / Demon
7" - Pussy Records - PU012 - IRL - August 1983 - PS
• Turn It Up
LP - Pussy Records - PU 013 - IRL - 1983
LP - Spartan Records - SPLP 001 - 1983 - insert
Produced by Barry Devlin.
Pat plays electric fiddle on "Freedom Fighters"
side one:
Midnight Promises
Loose Living
Too Little Of You To Love
Late Night Rendezvous
Crazy Daisy's House Of Dreams
sidw two:
Gentleman Rogues
Lonely Soul
Shake My Bones
Freedom Fighters
• Too Little of You To Love / Freedom Fighters
7" - Spartan Records - SP 6 - 1983 - PS
• Too Little of You To Love // Freedom Fighters / Record Machine
12" - Spartan Records - 12 SP 6 - 1983 - PS
Some copies of the 12" came with a free bonus LP "Official Bootleg" (MBB1)
• Face To Face / Lonely Soul
7" - Virgin Records - 105 139 - France - 1983 - PS
• Midnight Promises / Lonely Soul
7" - Spartan Records - SP 11 - 1984 - PS
• Midnight Promises // Lonely Soul / High Energy Weekend
12" - Spartan Records - 12 SP 11 - 1984 - PS
• the band signs a world-wide deal with Jive Records in 1984
• self-titled (compilation)
LP - Pussy Records - 015 - IRL - 1984 - different PS
LP - Jive Records - HIP15 - UK - 1984
LP - Arista Records - JL8-8214 - USA - 1984
LP - Arista Records - JL8-8281 - USA - 1984 - 1 different track
LP - CBS/Sony Records - 28AP 2895 - Japan - 1984
tracks:
Crazy Daisy's House Of Dreams [3]
Runaway Dreams [2]
Mama Weer All Crazee Now [*]
Gentleman Rogues [3]
Lonely Soul [3]
In The Heat Of The Night [2]
The Professor [*]
Midnight Promises [3]
Straight Forward [2]
Notes:
A compilation drawn from the second [2] and third [3] albums plus 2 new tracks [*]
The 2nd US issue (JL8-8281) substitutes "Straight Forward" with another
new cover, "If The Kids Are United"
• Mama We're All Crazee Now / Intro
7" - Pussy Records - PU 014 - 1984
• Crazee-EE-Pee EP
2x7" - Jive Records - G71 - 1984 - foc
12" - Jive Records - T71 - 1984 - 1 track different
tracks:
Mama We're All Crazee Now
Crazy Daisy's House Of Dreams
Runaway Dreams
Gentleman Rogues [2x7" version]
The Professor [12" version]
• Mama We're All Crazee Now / The Professor
7" - Jive Records - 71 - Spain - 1985 - PS
• Mama We're All Crazee Now / Face To Face
7" - CBS/Sony Records - 07SP827 - Japan - 1984 - PS
7" - Jive Records - 145.112 - Holland - 1984 - PS
• Mama We're All Crazee Now / Gentleman Rogues
7" - Virgin Records - 901230 - France - 1984 - PS
• Power And Passion
LP - Pussy Records - PU017 - 1985
LP+12" - Jive Records - HIP24 - 1985 - with bonus 12" picture disc
LP - Arista Records - 8285 - USA - 1985
LP - CBS/Sony Records - 28AP 3024 - Japan - 1985 - obi+poster
side one
Hard n' Loud
Straight Forward, No Looking Back
Lettin' Go
Needle In The Groove
Run
side two
Power And Passion
Don't Tell Mama
The Professor II
Let's Get High
Bonus Picture Disc:
Interview with band
One Last Chance
• Needle in the Groove / The Professor II
7" - Pussy Records - PU0019 - IRL - 1985 - PS?
• Needle in the Groove / Don't Tell Mama
7" - Jive Records - 96 - 1985 - PS
7" - Jive Records - 96 - 1985 - shaped picture disc
7" - Liberation Records - LS 1537 - Australia - 1985 - PS
• Needle in the Groove // Don't Tell Mama / If The Kids Are United
12" - Jive Records - T96 - 1985 - PS
• Needle in the Groove / Needle In The Groove
12" - Arista Records - JDP-9343 - USA - 1985 - PS, promo
• Hard'n'Loud // Lettin' Go (remix) / Without You
12" - Jive Records - T110 - 1985 - PS
• new vocalist Keith Murrell joins
• Waiting for a Miracle / Lightning Strikes
7" - Jive Records - X152 - 1987 - PS, red vinyl
7" - Alfa Records - ALI-757 - Japan - 1987 - PS
• Waiting for a Miracle (two mixes) / Lightning Strikes
12" - Jive Records - T152 - 1987 - PS
12" - Jive Records - F152 - 1987 - gimmick PS
• Higher Ground / Last Thing At Night
7" - Alfa Records - ALI-784 - Japan - 1987 - PS
• Higher Ground EP
2x7" - Jive Records - MBOY1 - 1987
tracks:
Higher Ground
Last Thing At Night
Needle in the Groove
Mama We're All Crazee Now
• Spirit of America / I've Had Enough
7" - Jive Records - MBOY2 - 1987 - PS, withdrawn?
• Growing Up The Hard Way
LP - Jive Records - HIP49 - 1987
LP - Alfa Records - ALI28051 - Japan - 1987
side one
Waiting For A Miracle
Bedroom Eyes
In Over My Head
Higher Ground
side two
Hot Blood
Running Away
I've Had Enough
Blacklisted
Last Thing At Night
• new vocalist Mike Wilson joins
• Live Tonite
LP/CD - Music For Nations - MFN 114 - UK - 1991
CD - CTM Records - CD131 002 - 1991
CD - Alfa Records - ALCB-656 - Japan - 1992
side one:
Hot Blood
Bedroom Eyes
Walk All Over Me
Needle In The Groove
My Way Home
Last Thing At Night
Lonely Soul
Runaway Dreams
Fallin'
Straight Forward
The Beast
This Flight Tonight
• This Flight Tonight / Rescue Me
7" - CTM Records 131 802 - 1991 - PS
• Laugh About It EP
CDS - CTM Records - CDS 131 103 - 1992
tracks:
Laugh About It
Cardboard City
Time Warp (instrumental)
Mama Weer All Crazee Now
• Relativity
CD - CTM Records - 131 003 - 1992 - 13 tracks
CD - ALCB-655 - Japan - 1992 - 14 tracks
CD - Angel Air Records - SJPCD081 - 2002 - 18 tracks
Judgement Day
What You See Is What You Get
Laugh About It
Don't Look Back In Anger
Cry Salvation
Rescue Me
My Way Home
Don't Back Down
Left And Right
Cardboard City
Walk All Over Me
Fallin'
Moorlough Shore
Japanese CD bonus track:
Time Warp
Angel Air bonus tracks :
Walk All Over Me (live)
Rescue Me (live)
My Way Home (live)
Fallin' (live)
The Beast (live)
When "Judgement Day" was used by a boxing promoter, the band returned with a
two-guitar lineup as The Government, appearing on TV and playing a showcase
gig in London which reputedly embraced recent grunge influences. Ultimately
they were to contine in a different vein as Celtus. "Judgement Day" was
released as a limited edition single about which I have no more details.
• Judgement Day / Life's A Bitch
CDS - MATCHO - MR 2-1001 - 1993
Help!
We need your help to correct and/or complete this entry. If you can provide more
information about this band, have scans, photos or any other memorabilia we can
use, or spare copies of any releases,
then please get in touch.
See Also:
