Paul Manzi | |
|---|---|
 Manzi performing with The Sweet in 2023. | |
| Background information | |
| Born | May 6, 1963 North London, United Kingdom [1] |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instrument(s) |
|
| Member of | |
| Formerly of | |
Paul Manzi (born 6 May 1963) [1] is an English singer, best known as a member of The Sweet, Cats in Space and Arena, and for performing with the likes of Ian Paice, Gordon Giltrap and Oliver Wakeman. [1]
Manzi chose performing arts over his other love, tennis. Manzi got his first guitar at 15 and played guitar in a school band. He originally wanted to be a guitarist like Jimmy Page, but became a singer after his distinctive voice [1] was discovered at age 23. [2] Other early influences include Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Rush and Queen. [3] 2 years after he started singing he joined progressive rock band Barchetta [3] and gained valuable recording experience at Abbey Road Studios and live experience at the Marquee Club. [2] [3]
He did some vocal session work and also performed with various cover bands as well as with trios/duos and as a solo singer/guitarist. [2] he performed on lead vocals on soundtracks for musicals Phantasmagoria and Space Family Robinson. [2] Manzi joined Oliver Wakeman (son of Rick Wakeman, later of Yes)'s band in 2004, he continues to perform with both the band, [4] [5] including guitarist Gordon Giltrap, and with Wakeman as a duo. [2] [4] [6]
Manzi joined supergroup Raw Glory in 2006 with members of Judas Priest, Gillan and Heavy Metal Kids. [2]
He joined neo-prog band Arena in 2010, replacing Rob Sowden. He wrote and recorded three acclaimed albums with them before his departure in 2020. [1] [7] Drummer and band leader Mick Pointer praised Manzi's vocal ability saying "clearly Paul Manzi has a much better voice range than any of the others [previous singers in the band] put together." [8]
He first joined the Sweet temporarily on the 2014 tour in Australia, playing guitar and keyboards, covering for Tony O'Hora, who was absent for personal reasons. [1] [9] He next performed with the band in 2019, again on keyboards and guitar with O'Hora taking on vocals/bass duties as he had in previous years. [10] [11] He joined the sweet full time as lead singer later that year after O'Hora and Peter Lincoln's departure, he also contributed bass until Lee Small joined. [12]
Manzi joined newly formed rock band Cats in Space in 2016, he recorded two albums with the group as well as touring with the group which included highlights including British Summertime at Hyde Park with Phil Collins and support tours with Thunder, Deep Purple and Status Quo. [1] [13] In 2019 he left Cats in Space to join The Sweet full time. [14]
| Year | Artist | Title | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | David Munyon & Mary's Band | Some Songs For Mary | lead vocals on 1 track, backing on 4 | [15] |
| 2011 | Arena | The Seventh Degree Of Separation | first studio album with Arena | [16] |
| 2013 | Arena | Live | recorded on 2011/2012 tour | [17] |
| Gordon Giltrap & Oliver Wakeman | Ravens & Lullabies | lead vocals alongside Benoit David. | [18] | |
| Clive Nolan | Alchemy Live | performs vocals of Milosh on DVD | [19] | |
| Raw Glory | City Life | lead vocals | [20] | |
| Arena | Rapture | live DVD recorded in Katowice, Poland on the 10th of November 2011. | [21] | |
| 2015 | Cats In Space | Too Many Gods | vocals alongside Mick Wilson | [22] |
| Arena | XX | Recorded on the 9th of April, 2015 in Katowice, Poland | [23] | |
| 2017 | David Palfreyman and Nicholas Pegg | Decades | backing vocals | [24] |
| Cats In Space | Scarecrow | lead vocals | [25] | |
| 2018 | Cats Alive! | lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar; recorded live at Cardiff Motorpoint Arena on March 24, 2017. | [26] | |
| Arena | Double Vision | performer | [27] | |
| 2019 | Cats In Space | Daytrip To Narnia | [28] | |
| 2019 | Arena | Re-Visited : Live! | lead vocals; recorded live at the Boerderij, Zoetermeer, Netherlands | [29] |
| 2020 | Ayreon | Transitus | vocals for Henry | [30] |
| 2021 | Sweet | Isolation Boulevard | lead vocals | [31] |
| Clive Nolan & Oliver Wakeman | Tales By Gaslight | lead vocals on two bonus tracks | [32] | |
| Dark Fables | [33] |
Yes are an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1968 by lead singer Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire, guitarist Peter Banks, keyboardist Tony Kaye, and drummer Bill Bruford. The band has undergone numerous lineup changes throughout their history, during which 20 musicians have been full-time members. Since February 2023, the band has consisted of guitarist Steve Howe, keyboardist Geoff Downes, bassist Billy Sherwood, singer Jon Davison, and drummer Jay Schellen. Yes have explored several musical styles over the years and are most notably regarded as progressive rock pioneers.
Richard Christopher Wakeman is an English keyboardist and composer best known as a member of the progressive rock band Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004, and for his prolific solo career. AllMusic describes Wakeman as a "classically trained keyboardist extraordinaire who plied his trade with Yes and developed his own brand of live spectacular in a solo act."
Gordon Giltrap, MBE is an English guitarist and composer. His music crosses several genres. He has been described as "one of the most revered guitarists of his generation", and has drawn praise from fellow musicians including Steve Rothery, Jimmy Page and Ritchie Blackmore.
Sweet are a British glam rock band who rose to prominence in the 1970s. Their best-known line-up consisted of lead vocalist Brian Connolly, bassist Steve Priest, guitarist Andy Scott and drummer Mick Tucker.
Nazareth are a Scottish hard rock band formed in Dunfermline in 1968 that had many hit singles and albums in Canada, the United Kingdom, and a number of other European countries beginning in the early 1970s. The breadth of their popularity expanded internationally, including in the United States, with their 1975 album Hair of the Dog, which featured their hits "Hair of the Dog" and a cover of the ballad "Love Hurts". They have continued to record and tour internationally for more than 50 years.
Damian Wilson is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Wilson works in the progressive metal genre and was the lead singer of Headspace and Threshold. He sang and toured with bands and projects for Star One, Ayreon, Landmarq, Praying Mantis and with Rick Wakeman's English Rock Ensemble.
Oliver Wakeman is an English musician, rock keyboardist and composer, best known as a member of Yes from 2008 to 2011, having filled the role of keyboardist previously held by his father, Rick Wakeman.
Fear of the Dark is the ninth studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. Released on 11 May 1992, it was their third studio release to top the UK Albums Chart, and the last to feature Bruce Dickinson as the group's lead vocalist until his return in 1999.
Adam Wakeman is an English musician and the current keyboardist and rhythm guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne's band; he also played keyboards and guitar off-stage for Black Sabbath. Wakeman has also worked with Annie Lennox, Travis, the Company of Snakes, Strawbs, Will Young, Victoria Beckham, Atomic Kitten, Martin Barre and Deep Purple.
Richard Sanders is an English violinist who has played in jazz-rock, folk rock, British folk rock and folk groups, including Soft Machine and Fairport Convention.
Benoît Gérard Guy David is a Canadian retired singer best known as the lead vocalist in the English progressive rock band Yes from 2008 to 2012. He was also lead singer of the band Mystery from 1999 to 2013, and a Yes tribute band called Close to the Edge.
Rick Wakeman is an English keyboardist, composer and songwriter, most known as the keyboard player for progressive rock group Yes. His solo albums have sold over 50 million copies.
Fly from Here is the twentieth studio album by the English progressive rock band Yes. It was released on 22 June 2011 by Frontiers Records, and is their only album featuring lead vocalist Benoît David and keyboardist Oliver Wakeman. Yes reformed in 2008 after a four-year hiatus with a line-up of David, Wakeman, bassist Chris Squire, guitarist Steve Howe, and drummer Alan White. The band prepared material to record for Fly from Here during breaks in touring in 2010 and 2011, during which they enlisted former Yes frontman Trevor Horn as producer. After songs contributed by Wakeman were scrapped in favour of expanding the song "We Can Fly" into a 24-minute six-part "Fly from Here" suite, the band replaced him with former Yes keyboardist Geoff Downes as he co-wrote much of the new material.
Cats in Space is a British rock band formed in Horsham, West Sussex in 2015 by guitarist Greg Hart and drummer Steevi Bacon. Following the band's inception, vocalist Paul Manzi, keyboardist Andy Stewart, bassist Jeff Brown, and second guitarist Dean Howard were recruited to complete the official lineup. In mid-2019, vocalist Paul Manzi announced that he would leave the band to join The Sweet after the first half of ‘The Narnia Tour.’ Soon after Manzi’s departure from the band, Mark Pascall joined the band as their new lead vocalist. After the tour, the band parted ways with Pascall. He was then replaced by Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds stage show vocalist Damien Edwards.
From a Page is a mini-album by the English progressive rock band Yes, released on 25 October 2019 by Yes Records. It contains four previously unreleased tracks originally recorded by the 2008–2011 line-up of the group and intended for release on an album, but ultimately weren't included on Fly from Here. During this time, the lineup included bassist Chris Squire, guitarist Steve Howe, drummer Alan White, singer Benoît David, and keyboardist Oliver Wakeman. Wakeman, who wrote most of the material on From a Page, was inspired to release it following Squire's death in 2015.
Steve Mann is an English guitarist, keyboardist, record producer and engineer, best known as a member of Andy Scott's Sweet from 1989 to 1995 and as a member of many bands by German guitarist Michael Schenker.
Mitch Perry Brownstein is an American guitarist, keyboardist and record producer, best known for playing with artists including Alphonso Johnson, Michael Schenker, Edgar Winter, Lita Ford, The Sweet, Asia, Cher, Talas and Steeler.
The great news is that our good friend Paul Manzi will be joining the band for the Australian leg of the tour. Paul is a very talented musician and singer and I would like to personally thank him for stepping in at such short notice. I'm sure that the tour will be a great success as the band are sounding fantastic!