Manny Charlton
Encyclopedia
Manny Charlton is notable for being a founding member of and the lead guitarist
for the Scottish hard rock
band, Nazareth
from 1968 to 1990.
", a song
by The Band
.
Charlton played a huge part in Nazareth's worldwide success. His no-nonsense, fluid and bluesy style of playing, combined with the raw power of Dan McCafferty
's vocals, first came to the attention of wider rock audiences when Nazareth toured in 1971 as the opening act for Deep Purple
. But by 1973, they were headlining their own shows. Charlton also became the band's producer
for many years, succeeding Deep Purple's Roger Glover
, after the band decided they wanted to move in a new direction for the Hair Of The Dog album. Hair Of The Dog attained platinum
in the U.S.
and has to date sold in excess of two million copies. It is the band's most well known album, it contains their biggest ever hit "Love Hurts" which reached No.8 in the U.S., and also holds the record for the number of weeks spent on the Norwegian
chart
. Charlton also produced the self-titled Dan McCafferty debut LP
around this time.
shows
on the Scottish
club
circuit, and released his first solo album Drool in 1997, on the Red Steel record label
with Neil Miller on vocals. The following year, he relocated to Texas
, where he formed the Manny Charlton Band (MCB). The new outfit released a pair of albums — Stonkin and Klone This — before disbanding in 2003. Charlton then focused on solo material again, releasing Say The Word on the Scottish label
River Records in 2004.
2005 saw the release of Sharp, which is on the whole a covers
album, including Tim Hardin
's "Hang On To A Dream" and Bob Dylan
's "Shelter From The Storm". Later that year, Charlton completed the follow-up to Sharp, the aptly named Sharp Re-Loaded.
In early 2006, Charlton joined the Swedish rock band From Behind who also have the ex-Samson
frontman Nicky Moore
on vocals. From Behind released their debut album titled Game Over, and toured in support of the album around Europe
.
As of 2007, Charlton is no longer part of the From Behind project. His latest solo album 'Americana Deluxe' was released early April and contains covers of classic songs such as "The Sea Of Love
" and Fleetwood Mac
's "Tusk".
2008 saw two bands touring with the name Nazareth as Manny Charlton formed an alternate version of the band, Nazareth Featuring Manny Charlton, who toured playing the songs he made famous with the original Nazareth. This created some confusion amongst the fans as there were two Nazareth shows occurring in different cities on the same night.
, creator of Doom, a cassette tape featuring an untitled song that John Romero
would later title "Blood on the Walls". The liner said "For all the guys and gals at I.D. (sic) who came up with the coolest game this side of hell, kick some demon butt to this!!" It also said "Distribute as shareware
", in keeping with the old days of PC gaming in which one could get the first third or fourth of the game for free or a reduced price, and buy the full game later. Romero would later find this tape in his things, and record it to mp3, providing it for free on his website.
The song is actually titled "Doom" from Charlton's album Drool.
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
for the Scottish hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band, Nazareth
Nazareth (band)
Nazareth is a Scottish hard rock band, founded in 1968, that had several hits in the UK in the early 1970s, and established an international audience with their 1975 album Hair of the Dog. Perhaps their best-known hit single was a cover of the ballad "Love Hurts", in 1975...
from 1968 to 1990.
Charlton with Nazareth
Spanish-born Charlton's family had emigrated to Dunfermline, Scotland in the 1960s. Prior to joining Nazareth, Charlton played in a few bands, most notably the Mark 5 and later the Red Hawks, until joining the local semi-pro Dunfermline band The Shadettes. In 1968, the band changed their name to Nazareth, inspired by the opening lyric from "The WeightThe Weight
"The Weight" is a song written by Robbie Robertson. It was released by The Band as Capitol Records single 2269 in 1968, and appeared one week later on the group's debut album Music from Big Pink. The song is listed as #41 on Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Songs of All Time published in 2004, and...
", a song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
by The Band
The Band
The Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
.
Charlton played a huge part in Nazareth's worldwide success. His no-nonsense, fluid and bluesy style of playing, combined with the raw power of Dan McCafferty
Dan McCafferty
Dan McCafferty is the lead singer for the Scottish hard rock band, Nazareth. Under the influence of artists such as Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Otis Redding, McCafferty became one of the founding members of Nazareth in 1968...
's vocals, first came to the attention of wider rock audiences when Nazareth toured in 1971 as the opening act for Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
. But by 1973, they were headlining their own shows. Charlton also became the band's producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
for many years, succeeding Deep Purple's Roger Glover
Roger Glover
Roger David Glover is a Welsh bassist, songwriter, and record producer. Glover is best known as the bassist and lyricist for the hard rock band, Deep Purple.-Early career:...
, after the band decided they wanted to move in a new direction for the Hair Of The Dog album. Hair Of The Dog attained platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and has to date sold in excess of two million copies. It is the band's most well known album, it contains their biggest ever hit "Love Hurts" which reached No.8 in the U.S., and also holds the record for the number of weeks spent on the Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. Charlton also produced the self-titled Dan McCafferty debut LP
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
around this time.
Exit from Nazareth
After leaving Nazareth in 1990, Charlton played some soloSolo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
shows
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
on the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
club
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
circuit, and released his first solo album Drool in 1997, on the Red Steel record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
with Neil Miller on vocals. The following year, he relocated to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, where he formed the Manny Charlton Band (MCB). The new outfit released a pair of albums — Stonkin and Klone This — before disbanding in 2003. Charlton then focused on solo material again, releasing Say The Word on the Scottish label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
River Records in 2004.
2005 saw the release of Sharp, which is on the whole a covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
album, including Tim Hardin
Tim Hardin
James Timothy "Tim" Hardin was an American folk musician and composer. He wrote the Top 40 hits "If I Were a Carpenter", covered by, among others, Joan Baez, Bobby Darin, Johnny Cash, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, and Robert Plant, and "Reason to Believe", covered by many, including Rod Stewart, as well...
's "Hang On To A Dream" and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
's "Shelter From The Storm". Later that year, Charlton completed the follow-up to Sharp, the aptly named Sharp Re-Loaded.
In early 2006, Charlton joined the Swedish rock band From Behind who also have the ex-Samson
Samson (band)
Samson was a British hard rock band formed in 1977 by guitarist and vocalist Paul Samson. They are best known for their first three albums with future Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson, then known as "Bruce Bruce", and drummer Thunderstick , who wore a leather mask and performed on stage in a...
frontman Nicky Moore
Nicky Moore
Nicky Moore is a vocalist who is best known as a former member of the British band Samson. He replaced Bruce Dickinson who left the band to join Iron Maiden in 1982. Moore left Samson in the late 80s and rejoined in the late 90s....
on vocals. From Behind released their debut album titled Game Over, and toured in support of the album around Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
As of 2007, Charlton is no longer part of the From Behind project. His latest solo album 'Americana Deluxe' was released early April and contains covers of classic songs such as "The Sea Of Love
The Sea of Love
The Sea of Love is the second album by the Irish rock band The Adventures.The album featured the single "Broken Land", their only Top 40 hit in the UK, and also their only chart entry in the United States. The album was their most successful, peaking at #30 on the UK Albums Chart and staying on the...
" and Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
's "Tusk".
2008 saw two bands touring with the name Nazareth as Manny Charlton formed an alternate version of the band, Nazareth Featuring Manny Charlton, who toured playing the songs he made famous with the original Nazareth. This created some confusion amongst the fans as there were two Nazareth shows occurring in different cities on the same night.
"Doom" / "Blood on the Walls"
In 1995 Charlton sent to id SoftwareId Software
Id Software is an American video game development company with its headquarters in Richardson, Texas. The company was founded in 1991 by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack...
, creator of Doom, a cassette tape featuring an untitled song that John Romero
John Romero
Alfonso John Romero is a game designer, programmer, and developer in the video game industry. He is best known as a co-founder of id Software and was a designer for many of their games, including Wolfenstein 3D, Dangerous Dave, Doom and Quake...
would later title "Blood on the Walls". The liner said "For all the guys and gals at I.D. (sic) who came up with the coolest game this side of hell, kick some demon butt to this!!" It also said "Distribute as shareware
Shareware
The term shareware is a proprietary software that is provided to users without payment on a trial basis and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience. Shareware is often offered as a download from an Internet website or as a compact disc included with a...
", in keeping with the old days of PC gaming in which one could get the first third or fourth of the game for free or a reduced price, and buy the full game later. Romero would later find this tape in his things, and record it to mp3, providing it for free on his website.
The song is actually titled "Doom" from Charlton's album Drool.
External links
- John Romero's Doom page features a section on MCB's gift to id Software and accompanying mp3 and a scan of the liner
- Official Manny Charlton website
- Nazareth biography and background at Rock N Resort Music Festival webpage