Latest news with #ManfredMann
Scottish Sun
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
New Renault 4 is no longer a cheap, simple no frills runabout – it's now a funky family crossover & a capital B bargain
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE original Renault 4 was a tin snail. Small and slow with a big boot. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 The R4 has been reimagined for the electric age as a funky family crossover with a Google brain, squishy seats and a canvas roll-back roof Credit: Supplied 5 Renault sold eight million of the original R4 over 30 years and even today it still ranks as the eighth best-selling car of all time Credit: Supplied 5 The 52kWh battery will do up to 247 miles and recharge to 80 per cent in a 30-minute tea-and-pee break Credit: Supplied The only thing it was designed to beat was a Citroen 2CV. Talk about setting the bar low. But boy did it hit the spot. Renault sold eight million over 30 years and even today it still ranks as the eighth best-selling car of all time. Now the R4 has been reimagined for the electric age as a funky family crossover with a Google brain, squishy seats and a canvas roll-back roof. Lifestyle, innit. So it's no longer the cheap, simple, no-frills runabout it once was. It's actually bigger and more expensive than a Renault 5. Yep, 4 is bigger than 5 at Planet Renault. Funny. I don't recall Manfred Mann singing, '4-5-3-2-1'. Yet it is still a capital-B bargain at £27k, undercutting battery-powered rivals from Mini, Fiat, Ford and Vauxhall by several bags. The Sun's Motors Editor Rob Gill takes the new electric Renault 5 for a spin Put an R4 through an X-ray machine and you'll see it has the same bones as an R5. Good start. The R5 is the 2025 European Car of the Year. It drives like an R5. Feels like an R5. Goes as far as an R5. The difference being that R4 is a bit longer and taller and has a bigger boot. So it's more practical. Better for dogs. It also has a low, flat loading sill like the Sixties original. As much as 10cm lower than the competition. Which tells me there's an R4 van coming soon. We're not getting that flip-down front passenger seat on UK cars right now. Which needs sorting. It would be mint for carrying long things like ladders or surfboards or chauffeuring Peter Crouch in the back. He'd have somewhere to stick his legs. This next bit is a little nerdy but braking regeneration is another area where the R4 trumps the R5. It has four modes controlled by flappy paddles on the steering wheel. So you can mimic changing down gears for a bend, and force-feed the battery with electrons. The R5 and its racy twin, the Alpine A290, don't have flappy paddles. Explain that one. The practical less sporty car gets the fun stuff. Also, there's a four-wheel-drive R4 in the pipeline for people who might actually do 'lifestyle-y' things with it at the weekend. As for range, the 52kWh battery will do up to 247 miles and recharges to 80 per cent in a 30-minute tea-and-pee break. R4 isn't taking the smaller 40kWh battery available in the R5. As for looks, yes, it's another crossover. But it does have some cool references to the original R4, if you know your French onions. 5 The new R4 is still a capital B bargain at £27k, undercutting battery-powered rivals from Mini, Fiat, Ford and Vauxhall by several bags Credit: Supplied 5 Another successful reboot on the way Credit: Supplied Like the one-piece front grille. This time with an illuminated ring around it. Not chrome. Like the upright three-part rear lights. This time as LEDs. Like the roof rack. Not just for show. It can actually carry 80kg of stuff. Renault has successfully rebooted R4 and R5 as cool, cost-friendly EVs. What's next? A titchy £17k Twingo. KEY FACTS: RENAULT 4 Price : £26,995 : £26,995 Battery : 52kWh : 52kWh Power : 150hp : 150hp 0-62mph : 8.2 secs : 8.2 secs Top speed : 93mph : 93mph Range : 247 miles : 247 miles Out: July
The Irish Sun
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
New Renault 4 is no longer a cheap, simple no frills runabout – it's now a funky family crossover & a capital B bargain
THE original Renault 4 was a tin snail. Small and slow with a big boot. Advertisement 5 The R4 has been reimagined for the electric age as a funky family crossover with a Google brain, squishy seats and a canvas roll-back roof Credit: Supplied 5 Renault sold eight million of the original R4 over 30 years and even today it still ranks as the eighth best-selling car of all time Credit: Supplied 5 The 52kWh battery will do up to 247 miles and recharge to 80 per cent in a 30-minute tea-and-pee break Credit: Supplied The only thing it was designed to beat was a Talk about setting the bar low. But boy did it hit the spot. Renault sold eight million over 30 years and even today it still ranks as the eighth Advertisement READ MORE ROAD TESTS Now the R4 has been reimagined for the electric age as a funky family crossover with a Google brain, squishy seats and a canvas roll-back roof. Lifestyle, innit. So it's no longer the cheap, simple, no-frills runabout it once was. It's actually bigger and more expensive than a Renault 5. Advertisement Most read in Motors Yep, 4 is bigger than 5 at Planet Renault. Funny. I don't recall Manfred Mann singing, '4-5-3-2-1'. Yet it is still a capital-B bargain at £27k, undercutting battery-powered rivals from Mini, Fiat, Ford and Vauxhall by several bags. The Sun's Motors Editor Rob Gill takes the new electric Renault 5 for a spin Put an R4 through an X-ray machine and you'll see it has the same bones as an R5. Good start. The R5 is the 2025 European Car of the Year. It drives like an R5. Feels like an R5. Goes as far as an R5. The difference being that R4 is a bit longer and taller and has a bigger boot. So it's more practical. Better for dogs. Advertisement It also has a low, flat loading sill like the Sixties original. As much as 10cm lower than the competition. Which tells me there's an R4 van coming soon. We're not getting that flip-down front passenger seat on UK cars right now. Which needs sorting. It would be mint for carrying long things like ladders or surfboards or chauffeuring This next bit is a little nerdy but braking regeneration is another area where the R4 trumps the R5. Advertisement It has four modes controlled by flappy paddles on the steering wheel. So you can mimic changing down gears for a bend, and force-feed the battery with electrons. The R5 and its racy twin, the Alpine A290, don't have flappy paddles. Explain that one. The practical less sporty car gets the fun stuff. Also, there's a four-wheel-drive R4 in the pipeline for people who might actually do 'lifestyle-y' things with it at the weekend. As for range, the 52kWh battery will do up to 247 miles and recharges to 80 per cent in a 30-minute tea-and-pee break. Advertisement R4 isn't taking the smaller 40kWh battery available in the R5. As for looks, yes, it's another crossover. But it does have some cool references to the original R4, if you know your French onions. 5 The new R4 is still a capital B bargain at £27k, undercutting battery-powered rivals from Mini, Fiat, Ford and Vauxhall by several bags Credit: Supplied 5 Another successful reboot on the way Credit: Supplied Advertisement Like the one-piece front grille. This time with an illuminated ring around it. Not chrome. Like the upright three-part rear lights. This time as LEDs. Like the roof rack. Not just for show. It can actually carry 80kg of stuff. Renault has successfully rebooted R4 and R5 as cool, cost-friendly EVs. Advertisement What's next? A titchy £17k Twingo. KEY FACTS: RENAULT 4 Price : £26,995 Battery : 52kWh Power : 150hp 0-62mph : 8.2 secs Top speed : 93mph Range : 247 miles Out : July
Scotsman
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
13 retro snacks every 80s child wanted in their lunch box at school
These were the tastes of the 80s for schoolchildren everywhere Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... These were the snacks and drinks every child wanted to find in their school lunch box during the 1980s Their popularity was boosted by some memorable advertising campaigns Some have been discontinued, while others have made a comeback following campaigns by fans who missed them If you were a child of the 1980s who took a packed lunch to school there were some snacks which would make you the envy of all your classmates. Below are some of the retro 80s drinks, crisps and chocolate biscuits every schoolchild wanted to find in their lunchbox back then, alongside their sandwiches and fruit. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 54321 bars These chocolate bars were named after the five key ingredients they contained - wafer, fondant, rice crispies, caramel and milk chocolate. They are also remembered by many for the advert, featuring the Manfred Mann song 5-4-3-2-1 and in an early version the comedian Rik Mayall. 54321 bars were sadly discontinued in 1989. Panda Pops This range of brightly coloured fizzy drinks was popular with children for many years. Flavours included blue raspberryade, which was guaranteed to turn your tongue a vivid blue, cherryade and strawberry jelly & ice cream. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Panda Pops were eventually axed in 2011 following pressure from health campaigners over the high sugar content. Club biscuits For many children of the 80s, these cream-filled, chocolate covered biscuit bars will forever be associated with the insanely catchy advertising jingle. All together now: 'If you like a lot of chocolate on your biscuit, join our club.' Everyone had a favourite flavour of the Jacob's/McVitie's biscuits, whether it was plain, orange, mint, coffee or one of the other many varities introduced over the years. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Club biscuits remain popular today, with a new salted caramel flavour introduced in 2022. Kia-Ora Kia-Ora dates back to 1903, when it was first sold in Australia, but despite being available in the UK from 1917 it only really took off here in the 1970s and 80s. The drink's popularity was fuelled by the animated adverts featuring the jingle 'We all adore a Kia-Ora', though those adverts were later criticised for their use of racial stereotypes. Smiths Flavour 'n' Shake crisps Smiths Salt 'n' Shake is a classic crisp variety still made by Walkers today. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There's always been something strangely satisfying about having to do the work yourself, opening the sachet of salt and shaking the bag vigorously, even though it was never enough to evenly distribute said salt. Smiths really stepped things up in the 80s, with the introduction of Flavour 'n' Shake crisps, with flavourings including salt and vinegar, cheese and onion, smoky bacon and tomato ketchup. Um Bongo This popular tropical flavour fruit drink was first introduced in 1983 by Libby's, which at the time belonged to Nestlé. It was advertised for many years using the jingle 'Um Bongo, Um Bongo, they drink it in the Congo', though the reference to the Congo was later removed. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The original recipe was famously altered in the noughties after new regulations were introduced restricting the use of sugar and artificial flavourings. But following complaints from many customers the original formula was reintroduced in 2009, originally as Um Bongo Tropical and then Classic Um Bongo. Golden Wonder Super Heroes crisps Golden Wonder was king of the crisps in the UK until it was overtaken by Walkers. In the 1980s, its popular varieties included the Super Heroes range, with web-shaped Spider-Man crisps and Superman ones in the shape of his famous 'S' logo. Golden Wonder crisps were advertised at the time as being 'Britain's noisiest crisp' with the best crunch factor. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Texan bars The Texan was a US-themed chocolate bar containing nougat and toffee which was popular in the UK during the 1970s and early 80s. The adverts featured a cartoon cowboy who would declare the Texan bar 'sure is a mighty chew'. It was withdrawn from sale in 1984 but after being named the UK's favourite sweet of all time in a 2004 survey, it was briefly revived by Nestlé the following year as a limited edition 'nostalgia' product. Marathon bar This popular peanut, nougat and caramel chocolate bar never went away but famously changed its name in the UK in 1990 to Snickers, as it had always been known elsewhere. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad To children who grew up in the UK during the 80s, it will always be a Snickers bar. The maker Mars decided to cash in on the nostalgia, briefly introducing a retro Marathon version in UK supermarkets in 2019. United chocolate bar This was possibly the only chocolate biscuit bar to feature a football kit-inspired wrapper, with blue and white stripes. The chocolate coated biscuit with candy crisp was launched by McVitie's in 1979 and proved hugely popular during the 1980s before being discontinued during the early 1990s. Choc-Dips A hot air balloon pays homage to the popular KP Choc-Dips snack, introduced in 1982 |Choc-Dips first hit supermarket shelves in 1982 and the biscuit sticks with a chocolatey dipping sauce have proved a favourite with youngsters ever since. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But did you prefer the original milk chocolate version, the white chocolate variety or the old toffee version? Trio The Trio was another chocolate bar whose popularity was boosted by a memorable advertising campaign during the 80s. Those ads featured the cartoon character Suzy, who opened her chops improbably wide to belt out 'Trio, Trio, I want a Trio and I want one now', to the tune of Day-O (The Banana Boat Song). Trios, originally made by Jacob's, consisted of a biscuit base topped with toffee cream and covered in milk chocolate, in three snappable sections. Other versions contained chocolate and strawberry cream. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Trios were discontinued in 2003 but the original toffee version made a comeback in 2016, following a Facebook campaign. Fish 'n' Chips biscuits These fish-shaped savoury biscuits by Burton's were hugely popular during the 80s, when they featured in many school lunch boxes. The salt and vinegar flavoured snack, with its distinctive newspaper-style packaging, disappeared for many years before making a comeback in 2014.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rockabilly rover Mick Rogers on playing with Frank Zappa, touring with Kiss, and rootsy jams with Jeff Beck
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Rockabilly rover Mick Rogers has a knack for being in the right place at the right time – usually. Best known as lead guitarist in Manfred Mann's Earth Band between '71 and '75, he's played alongside a host of rock icons. His right-place-right-time good fortune, however, wasn't operating when he left the Earth Band a year before their hit cover of Bruce Springsteen's Blinded by the Light. He did, however, later reunite with them, and in the intervening years he led and played in many bands – most notably Aviator – and was even in consideration to replace Peter Gabriel in Genesis. Can you recall your first emotional connection with the guitar? 'I had a musical family. My dad was a drummer, my auntie was a keyboard player, and my uncle, who lived with us, was a guitarist and double bass player. A big moment came when Elvis hit with Heartbreak Hotel. Keith Richards, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck especially – they'd say it was the turning moment in rock. I remember that day. 'One afternoon I took my uncle's guitar – a Levin acoustic – to a talent contest on the coast at Dovercourt in Essex, and I played Mystery Train by Elvis. When the small applause came, I thought: 'This is exactly what I want to do.'' When did your career take off? 'I performed a lot throughout my teenage years, and eventually moved to London; there were more musical opportunities for me there. I got a tour with the Vision, the backing band for Adam Faith and Helen Shapiro. Then Normie Rowe – an enormous pop star in Australia – asked me to join his band, the Playboys. 'There was something about being an English musician, which meant something in Australia at the time. I don't know what it means now. Probably not a lot! When touring in Australia, we had musicians ask us, 'This Eric Clapton guy, are his sideburns still as long as they were?' It wasn't about the guitar – it was about how he looked! 'In 1967 Normie was called up for national service, so we formed the Procession from members of the Playboys.' What was your go-to gear for Manfred Mann's Earth Band? 'I've always been a Strat cat – I think a Strat can sound like a Les Paul, but it doesn't necessarily work the other way round; in those days especially. I had a Gibson SG that I brought back from Australia, but it was falling apart. When the Earth Band played 10 consecutive shows in Rome to get us up and running, I saw this fantastic Les Paul and I said: 'That's the guitar for me.'' You got one of your most-prized Les Pauls thanks to Frank Zappa. How did that happen? 'Years later when on an Earth Band tour, we supported Frank. His management said to our bass player, Colin Pattenden, 'Frank was wondering if you could step in, because our bass player has to go back to LA.' Colin said: 'I'm not the guy you want. Mick is – he's a bass player and he's a big Zappa nut.' Gene Simmons told me, 'Kiss are either going to be the next biggest thing, or we're going to die on our ass!' 'There I was, all of a sudden, at sound check with George Duke and Chester Thompson; all my heroes. Frank came over and said, 'I've been told you're a fan. The first tune we do is a tune called Pygmy Twylyte.' I said, 'Do you do it in the same key you recorded it in?' Zappa went, 'You really are a fan!' 'The Earth Band flew to Miami the next day to finish the Uriah Heep tour. I didn't sleep that night. I was still pumped up. Zappa's management insisted on paying me for the gig – and with that money I bought a Les Paul Deluxe. 'Years later, when Frank came to Australia, we had dinner. He didn't eat much, though; he lived on black coffee and cigarettes. I never saw him eat anything.' Can you recall the biggest audiences the Earth Band played to? 'It was Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, with Free and Deep Purple. That was one of the first big audiences. It was a very successful tour for us and we were able to go back and do our own tour. We did an extra gig with Deep Purple, but Free didn't do it. 'Purple were really nice to us. We had a situation over there with a promoter, Sammy Lee, who was a bit of a mafia guy. He wanted us to do an extra concert but refused to pay us. It got really nasty, but Deep Purple were great supporters of ours. They could see that we were going through some strife there. Ritchie Blackmore was great… he's another rockabilly guy.' Kiss supported you shortly after the release of their first album. What was that like? 'I had to use the same microphone that Gene Simmons used with all the blood coming out of his mouth! I remember Simmons telling me, 'We're either going to be the next biggest thing, or we're going to die on our ass!' 'When they went onstage with the makeup and stuff, people were quite silent because they just couldn't believe what they were seeing. Nor could we! They were scary – Gene Simmons was a scary looking image. But he was lovely.' In 1975 you split with the Earth Band. Was it a shock? 'I'd become a real pain. I wasn't grown-up enough, although I should have been. But my head was taken by the Zappa thing. I went to the studio one time, to talk about new material, I thought, and they said, 'Mick, I'm afraid you've been voted out.' 'I went back to Australia and performed with some great people over there. I got a lot of nonsense out of my head. Blinded by the Light entered the top 100; then it was 80; then it got to Number One. I remember thinking, 'Maybe I should have hung around a bit!'' I rejoined Manfred Mann after 10 years away. Jeff Beck and I could empty a room – we were just talking about rockabilly. We were both Cliff Gallup fans More recently, you had the pleasure of getting to know the late Jeff Beck. 'I got together with Jeff on Valentine's Day a few years ago. His manager – a great friend of mine, Colin Newman – put us together. The famous white Strat was sitting on the couch so I said, 'Jeff, pick it up and play it!' He was very sheepish, but what a guy! 'We could empty a room because we were just talking about rockabilly and how he grew up. We were both Cliff Gallup fans. I believe I've got the last recording Jeff ever did in the studio; we got together with some rockabilly guys and did an album which hasn't been released.' Why not? 'Jeff was playing through a dodgy Marshall. We played Lucille by Little Richard, but Jeff didn't like the sound. He said, 'We'll do it again later on.' Of course, that didn't happen, and he went on tour with Johnny Depp instead. 'When I listen to the track now, I think: 'Jeff, there's nothing wrong with your sound.' He could have played through a paper cup and it would still have sounded like Jeff Beck! He was just wonderful.' What's your current guitar gear? 'In my solo work I use a red Stratocaster, plugged into a Kemper. I've got a ghost pickup on my Strat, which, with a flick of a switch, changes into an acoustic guitar. I use Rodenberg pedals – I introduced them to Steve Lukather, and he uses them to this day. They're the business. All that and a Hughes & Kettner is everything I need.' Rogers' current live schedule includes a solo tour and dates with the Earth Band.
