WHAT HAPPENED TO MANFRED’S EARTH MOVE?

On the cover of the album The Good Earth by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band released in 1974 it reads, “The owner of this album is entitled to rights over one square foot of the earth situated at Llanerchyrfa in the County of Brecon, Wales in Great Britain, subject to registration on or before 31st December 1975”. Apparently thousands of people did this and received a certificate. Is that land still owned by those people or has it been sold? John Trickett, via e-mail Fred says: It wasn’t so long ago that The Guardian printed an update on the land, which is basically a 10-acre unfenced field in a remote and desolate spot, several miles from the nearest buildings at Abergwesyn, near Llanwrtyd Wells. It appears that what was generally perceived to be a gimmick was a genuine bid to keep a part of the country as a place where wild animals and plants could survive unmolested. How much did it cost? Manfred Mann answered this one a few years ago, claiming: “I do recall that we only paid a few hundred pounds for it… we wanted to give people a bit of land that was going to be untouched and it looks as though we found the right piece of land.” Been Wrong Before, in 1965. Personally, I find Cilla’s version too strident for someone suffering from a lost love. Dusty Springfield’s rendition, which is listed as being a 1966 release, reveals certain vulnerability and is far more believable. Others who covered the same song during that period include Julius La Rosa (MGM, 1966) H.P. Lovecraft (Philips, 1967), New Breed (Mercury, 1967) and Fran Jeffries (Monument, 1968). Incidentally, Newman was recording his own creations as early as 1961, when he released Gridiron Golden Boy (mislabelled Golden Gridiron Boy), a Pat Boone-produced single for Dot Records.

Fear that reality is a stage set ripe for dismantling? Quick! To Dellar’s for Randy, Wendy and footie news…