Manual Scan | |
|---|---|
| Origin | San Diego, California |
| Genres | Mod |
| Years active | 1981–1991 |
| Labels | various |
| Members | Bart Mendoza (vocals, guitar) Kevin Donaker-Ring (guitar) Jarrod Lucas (drums) Tim Blankenship (bass) David Fleminger (keyboards) |
| Past members | Bobby Allend David Anderson Ron Friedman Morgan Young Yvonne Simon Anthony Suarez Thomas Ward Brad Wilkins Ritchie "Rooster" Brubaker |
Manual Scan was an Americanmod andpower pop group from San Diego, active between 1981 and 1991.[1]
Manual Scan released numerous CDs,LPs and7-inch singles, in England, Spain and the US. They toured in the US, England (including a 1986 appearance at the100 Club in London), andMexico. The group's song "Nothing Can Be Everything" was included in the 1990 Columbia Pictures release,A Girl To Kill For.[2]
The founding members of Manual Scan were guitarist / singerBart Mendoza, guitarist Kevin Ring, bassist David Fleminger and drummer Paul Kaufman, though within a few months of the band's formation Kaufman was replaced by Paul Brewin and singer Yvonne Simon was added on backing vocals and guitar. All except for Fleminger were former students ofLa Jolla High School.[3] The band's lineup changed frequently during its existence, with Mendoza and Donaker-Ring as the core members. Other notable players included drummerDavid Anderson andTom Ward, both formerly of Voxx Records groupGravedigger Five.[4]
Guests of note include Anthony Meynell, frontman for British mod revival trio Squire, who the band backed in 1985 andJeff Conolly of garage rockersLyres who sat in with Manual Scan for six shows in 1989.
Following the demise of the band Donaker-Ring co-foundedpower pop group,The Shambles in 1992, with Mendoza joining shortly after. Manual Scan has reunited several times since 2005, recording a live session on 28 January 2010 with producerAlan Sanderson for San Diego-based radio station,KBZT (FM94/9).[5] A best of collection,All Night Scan, was released only on vinyl and as a digital download, in September 2013 by Texas-based Cheap Reward Records.
Meanwhile, the band, now featuring original members Mendoza, Ring and Fleminger with the addition of bassist Tim Blankenship (formerly of Atlantic Records artists, Rust and indie rock band, Creedle) and drummer Jarrod Lucas (formerly of the Dragons) reunited in late 2014 for a show in San Diego promoting their appearance on the box set,Millions Like Us - The Story of the Mod Revival, released on 6 December by British label, Cherry Red Records.[6]
A new album,The Pyles Sessions, composed of radio sessions recorded for Pyles show as well as demos was issued by Spain's SNAP! Records, to coincide with the show. Meanwhile, the bands "Tim Pyles Theme" has been released on a five track 7-inch EP,Sounds of the Stratosphere, issued by Blindspot Records.
Manual Scan staged a 40th Anniversary show, celebrating the 1976 meeting of the frontline team of Mendoza and Ring, at the 2016 Adams Avenue Street Fair, with guest performers including Johnny Vernazza (The Elvin Bishop Group), Chris Davies (The Penetrators) and Samuel Martinez (The Bassics).[7][8]