The Paul Draper and Mansun appreciation thread

[buzby]

Finally got my copy of EP Two (my postman must be a Mansun fan as my copy of Kleptomania went missing in the psot as well). After haring Friends Make The worst Enemies on youtube I was a bit worried as the vocals sounded very muddy but it must be just bad encoding as it's fine on the CD. again, it's classic Paul Draper, very cinematic (it would fit very well as a film soundtrack). He's in fine voice as well, the falsetto wailing in the coda in particular is amazing..

Some of these songs started off as demos recorded after the split, and I can't help but think 'Keep your enemies up close, cause your friends can hurt you most' and the references to lies and paranoia are are pretty barbed (interestingly, in a recent article where he picked his 10 favourite Mansun tracks he doesn't even refer to Chad by name any more, only as 'the guitarist').

Don't You Wait, It Might Never Come could fit right into the Six era - spiky, fast punky pop that bounces along with great layered vocals in the choruses.

I can't wait for Spooky Action to arrive now.

New page Stove

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Some of these songs started off as demos recorded after the split, and I can't help but think 'Keep your enemies up close, cause your friends can hurt you most' and the references to lies and paranoia are are pretty barbed (interestingly, in a recent article where he picked his 10 favourite Mansun tracks he doesn't even refer to Chad by name any more, only as 'the guitarist').

Yes. For someone that once sang, "The lyrics aren't supposed to mean that much" the meaning here seems to be pretty unmistakable.

the falsetto wailing in the coda in particular is amazing.

I'm actually not sure about that bit. It sounds so overwrought that it veers into being comical. The same bit on the acoustic version sounds more dignified. Then again maybe that's the point.

[buzby]

I'm actually not sure about that bit. It sounds so overwrought that it veers into being comical. The same bit on the acoustic version sounds more dignified. Then again maybe that's the point.

Technically I think it's a great demonstration of his vocal range (his cords obviously haven't had the abuse from years of performing live). Thematically I think it fits in with the building crescendo of the studio version. The acoustic version is more restrained, which, as you say is probably the point.

Here's an interview with him on his label's podcast describing his writing and recording process for the tracks on the EPs, collaborating with Catharine AD and progress on Spooky Action
https://youtu.be/2XR5xHBuoFE?t=5m32s

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

At the risk of sounding like some tiresome Facebook thing, Attack of the Grey Lantern was released 20 years ago today.

"Like" if you agree.

[Vodka Margarine]

Old news now but he's finally touring later this year, six (lol) dates -

Leeds, Manchester (sold out), Glasgow (sold out), London, Bristol, Brum. Going to London. It's going to be interesting to see what he does.

[Enzo]

said he is going to play some old stuff as well.

[Vodka Margarine]

I haven't been privy to the latest developments but he seems pretty open to suggestions about his setlist and frankly just as bewildered about the fact he's going to be performing live again as everyone else is. The poppet.

[Icehaven]

Mansun were my favourite band until their demise, their discography (All of it! All!!) is in my never-shall-we-part pile. An ex boyfriend acquired a bus shelter size poster for Six that he put up in my room as a surprise for when I came home from a Uni holiday, remains the most romantic thing anyone's ever done for me. I haven't listened to his new stuff yet, I'm not sure why. Might go to the Brum date if there's still tickets when I get paid.
Me and my Mansun everybody.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

I haven't been privy to the latest developments but he seems pretty open to suggestions about his setlist

Making this one of the few times that I'd hope we all get Cancer.

[Johnny Textface]

I haven't listened to his new stuff yet, I'm not sure why. Might go to the Brum date if there's still tickets when I get paid.

It's very Mansun if that helps, particularly 'Friends Make The Worst Enemies'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWJ9nZBM8js

[Sgt. Duckie]

Ticket booked for the London Scala gig. Happy days.

[purlieu]

Spooky Action is out on 11th August. There's a whole range of formats including a 3 disc set with an album of bonus material and a DVD packaged in a 48 page book, plus your usual vinyl, CD and whatnot.

Don't Poke the Bear is the nearly seven minute opener and has me quite excited about this.

[buzby]

Spooky Action is out on 11th August. There's a whole range of formats including a 3 disc set with an album of bonus material and a DVD packaged in a 48 page book, plus your usual vinyl, CD and whatnot.

Don't Poke the Bear is the nearly seven minute opener and has me quite excited about this.

Ordered the 3xCD + double vinyl set. got the download of Don't Poke The Bear  Very excited to hear the rest of the material. I see that one of the tracks is titled Grey House - that was his old flat in Chester when Mansun was first coming together. He painted everything grey, and the grey lamp he had was where the Attack Of The Grey Lantern came from.

The theme of pointed song titles from the EPs is continuing too - 'You Don't Really Know Someone 'Til You Fall Out With Them'. I wonder who that may be aimed at?

[Johnny Textface]

The album is out now and it's good.

[purlieu]

The new Oneohtrix Point Never took precedence for me today, but I'll be picking this up in a week or two and am still mostly quite excited.

[Enzo]

Listened to it earlier. Gratifyingly mental and very, very good. The lyrics make it sound like his break up album about Chad.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

I've just completed my first listen. It's just like having a new Mansun album, as if the last decade and a bit never happened. It's not Six (but then, what else is?) but already I can tell it's going to grow on me. I was enjoying the new tunes so much that the two singles were almost an unwelcome distraction - that almost never happens with me and a new album.

[Vodka Margarine]

'Grey House' is smashing. I've always loved PD's little nods to Bowie every so often.

[buzby]

Had a couple of listens though now, really impressed, It's quie similar to Mansun in the way that it's a very eclectic mix of influences, it's a bit more restrained than Six, for example, in that it sticks with a style all the way though the track.
The immediate standouts for me are:
Grey House - as mentioned upthread, it tips it hat to Bowie. Multiple guitar layers and wibbling synth sound effects. A very claustrophobic feel wihch suits the lyrics
You Don't Really Know Someone Til You Fall Out With Them - swirling Vox Continental organ driven track, it has an almost 'Wish You Were Here'-era Floyd feel to it.
Jealousy Is A Powerful Emotion - gorgeous shimmering layered synths and  Vangelis-like arpeggios

Thematically, it does seem to describe his split from Chad and the rest of the band which is understandable, as a lot of the songs originated from the time of the split), but on the film on the bonus DVD he says it's reflecting what happened to him over the whole 10-years between Kleptomania and when he started the sessions for this album in 2014.

The 3-disc art book it a lovely bit of kit. It comes in a nicely-made 10" hardback book with expanded versions of the album artwork. The extras CD is made up of alternate takes, work in progress versions and early demos of the tracks on the album (including the initial version of Feeling My Heart Run Slow that was completed for the Mansun convention and some of his dictaphone demos from the post-Kleptomania era). I haven't got a 5.1 soundsystem so I can't say much about the mix on the DVD, but the 20-minute film of the making of the album is very interesting.

I hope it's a success and he decides to carry on - from the footage on the DVD he's built up a tight band unit to work with (though he does admit he finds it much easier and more interesting to write and produce for other people nowadays). It just makes me wish I hadn't missed out on getting a ticket for one of the concerts now.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

The Kscope podcast, once again features an interview with Draper. It's a puff piece, obviously, and mostly reiterates points from his previous appearances, but contains some interesting titbits: Dominic Chad co-wrote one of the songs on the new album. It's not clear if they've patched things up, or if Draper simply dusted off a song they were working on before the split. Either way, given the theme running through the album, it's surprising: More excitingly, Six is being reissued next year. Again, there's no further information than that, but hopefully it'll receive the same deluxe treatment that Attack of the Grey Lantern did a few years ago.

[buzby]

The Kscope podcast, once again features an interview with Draper. It's a puff piece, obviously, and mostly reiterates points from his previous appearances, but contains some interesting titbits: Dominic Chad co-wrote one of the songs on the new album. It's not clear if they've patched things up, or if Draper simply dusted off a song they were working on before the split. Either way, given the theme running through the album, it's surprising

Yes, Feel Like I Wanna Stay was co-written by Chad. It dates back to 2006 after Draper and Chad had put  together the Best Of and were still on speaking terms.  He went on a writing trip to the US and came back with some songs for a solo album project (which also included  Grey House and a few others that probably changed titles along the way). It was originally going to be an electronic album but he decided to try some of the songs with a band, so he asked Chad to come and record some of the tracks with them sharing the guitar and bass duties.

Those demos and works in progress ended up being put on the shelf while he developed his studio and went into writing and producing for others until 2014 with the fan petition and being asked for a track to play at the Mansun convention.v Chad's input to that track presumably was worth keeping despite the subsequent fallout between them.

[PaulTMA]

Not following the timeline of the breakup between those two.  Didn't Draper say Chad didn't want him to produce and have him ousted from the band and replaced?  That can only have happened prior to the split.

[Enzo]

Not following the timeline of the breakup between those two.  Didn't Draper say Chad didn't want him to produce and have him ousted from the band and replaced?  That can only have happened prior to the split.

The timeline of everything has always been fuzzy. It seems despite the fallout from Little Kix and the eventual collapse of the band during the Kleptomania sessions Paul and Chad were still mates for a few years after, but then Chad decided to cut ties with him about 10 years ago.

Hard to know with Paul though, he bullshits a lot!

Chad is now a massage therapist btw http://wellbeingspace.co.uk/therapist-dominic-chad/

and he also did the soundtrack for this short film starring Ed Tudor Pole

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0CvDynJ6n8

[buzby]

Chad is now a massage therapist btw http://wellbeingspace.co.uk/therapist-dominic-chad/

and he also did the soundtrack for this short film starring Ed Tudor Pole

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0CvDynJ6n8

And a writer on CBeebies' Wussywat The Clumsy Cat'
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0149428/?ref_=ttfc_fc_wr8

[PaulTMA]

Well that's a very odd state of affairs.  I assumed that all the vitriolic 'former friend' songs were aimed directly at Chad, but it seems a little vague if they were still friends even a few years after the split.  I thought much the material dated all the way back to about 2004?  I've only seen him saying anything about Stove King being caught embezzling money once, but never got the vibe he was the source of all the scorn.  Although it probably didn't help.  Seems like it really wasn't much of a laff being in Mansun.

[PaulTMA]

Just looking at Chad's website. Wonder how many text messages and emails he gets from nutter Mansun fans who are old enough to know better

[daf]

Chad is now a massage therapist btw

The Chad Who Rubbed Me

[buzby]

Well that's a very odd state of affairs.  I assumed that all the vitriolic 'former friend' songs were aimed directly at Chad, but it seems a little vague if they were still friends even a few years after the split.  I thought much the material dated all the way back to about 2004?  I've only seen him saying anything about Stove King being caught embezzling money once, but never got the vibe he was the source of all the scorn.  Although it probably didn't help.  Seems like it really wasn't much of a laff being in Mansun.

Mansun split during the final writing and recording sessions at St. Catherine's Court for the fourth album in January 2003 after Stove King left/was sacked (allegedly following the discovery of theft from the band's account). The split was officially announced in May 2003, by which time Draper had ran off to the USA and then the south of France. Some of the songs for what would eventually become Spooky Action were written during that time, but he didn't get much further than early demos.

When the fans petitioned EMI for the fourth album sessions to be released, a reluctant Draper collaborated with Chad and Rathbone to sort through the tapes and finish off mixing the tracks. Despite what had gone on when the band imploded he and Chad still remained on speaking terms. They also collaborated on putting together the Legacy best-of in 2006 (and were interviewed together for the DVD documentary that came with the limited edition version), and it was around this time that Draper asked Chad to play on the demos of his solo tracks. Chad stopped turning up to the sessions though, and cut all ties with the music business.

In a interview in 2009 (after whatever the final fallout with Chad was), he stated that the band was already broken during the recording sessions for Six. The band and label didn't want him as producer for Little Kix, which he was manipulated into agreeing to release, and for the fourth album Chad wasn't happy with his writing and recording methods but offered no suggestions of his own and eventually went home. He also said members of the band had developed drug problems that weren't being dealt with. In 2015 he said that Chad had tried to get him fired and replaced with another vocalist a number of times after Little Kix, and that on the fourth album rather than Draper doing the bulk of the songwriting  he wanted the band to be more like The Seahorses (who had shared the bill with Mansun on their 1997 US tour, and Chad was a big John Squire fan) with the songs coming from extended jam sessions.

He has said the songs on Spooky Action are about his life after the split and what has happened to him in the years since. I think the veiled references in the lyrics and song titles may refer to both Chad and Stove - he was his friend before they met Chad and started the band. Putting my armchair psychologist's hat on, that may have been a factor into Stove doing what he did - Draper and Chad were the creative core of the band, Stove may have felt he was being dumped by his friend and wasn't in the same league as them - Draper and Chad played most of the bass on the records (there's also the camcorder footage from the Six sessions of Chad trying to teach him the basslines with Draper commenting on his lack of progress in the control room). Taking the money may have been his way of getting back at them.

[buzby]

The Chad Who Rubbed Me

The Stove Who Robbed Me

[Vodka Margarine]

Chad is now a massage therapist btw http://wellbeingspace.co.uk/therapist-dominic-chad/

Good for him. Despite being selfishly gutted that I'll never see him perform again, it's nice to see he's got stuck in with something completely different and resisted the temptation to become an ageing embarrassment attempting to recapture a long lost spark (did someone mention John Squire?). On a loosely related Britpoppish note, it reminded me of this...

http://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellors/simon-rowbottom