Lactose is a disaccharide found in milk. It consists of a molecule of D-galactose and a molecule of D-glucose bonded by beta-1-4 glycosidic linkage. It has a formula of C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁.

A carbohydrate is an organic compound that consists only of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, usually with a hydrogen:oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 (as in water); in other words, with the empirical formula C_m(H₂O)_n. (Some exceptions exist; for example, deoxyribose, a component of DNA, has the empirical formula C₅H₁₀O₄.) Carbohydrates are not technically hydrates of carbon. Structurally it is more accurate to view them as polyhydroxy aldehydes and ketones.

The term is most common in biochemistry, where it is a synonym of saccharide. The carbohydrates (saccharides) are divided into four chemical groupings: monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. In general, the monosaccharides and disaccharides, which are smaller (lower molecular weight) carbohydrates, are commonly referred to as sugars.^[1] The word saccharide comes from the Greek word σάκχαρον (sákkharon), meaning "sugar". While the scientific nomenclature of carbohydrates is complex, the names of the monosaccharides and disaccharides very often end in the suffix -ose. For example, blood sugar is the monosaccharide glucose, table sugar is the disaccharide sucrose, and milk sugar is the disaccharide lactose (see illustration).

Carbohydrates perform numerous roles in living organisms. Polysaccharides serve for the storage of energy (e.g., starch and glycogen), and as structural components (e.g., cellulose in plants and chitin in arthropods). The 5-carbon monosaccharide ribose is an important component of coenzymes (e.g., ATP, FAD, and NAD) and the backbone of the genetic molecule known as RNA. The related deoxyribose is a component of DNA. Saccharides and their derivatives include many other important biomolecules that play key roles in the immune system, fertilization, preventing pathogenesis, blood clotting, and development.^[2]

In food science and in many informal contexts, the term carbohydrate often means any food that is particularly rich in the complex carbohydrate starch (such as cereals, bread, and pasta) or simple carbohydrates, such as sugar (found in candy, jams, and desserts).

Structure[link]

Formerly the name "carbohydrate" was used in chemistry for any compound with the formula C_m (H₂O) _n. Following this definition, some chemists considered formaldehyde (CH₂O) to be the simplest carbohydrate,^[3] while others claimed that title for glycolaldehyde.^[4] Today the term is generally understood in the biochemistry sense, which excludes compounds with only one or two carbons.

Natural saccharides are generally built of simple carbohydrates called monosaccharides with general formula (CH₂O)_n where n is three or more. A typical monosaccharide has the structure H-(CHOH)_x(C=O)-(CHOH)_y-H, that is, an aldehyde or ketone with many hydroxyl groups added, usually one on each carbon atom that is not part of the aldehyde or ketone functional group. Examples of monosaccharides are glucose, fructose, and glyceraldehydes. However, some biological substances commonly called "monosaccharides" do not conform to this formula (e.g., uronic acids and deoxy-sugars such as fucose), and there are many chemicals that do conform to this formula but are not considered to be monosaccharides (e.g., formaldehyde CH₂O and inositol (CH₂O)₆).^[5]

The open-chain form of a monosaccharide often coexists with a closed ring form where the aldehyde/ketone carbonyl group carbon (C=O) and hydroxyl group (-OH) react forming a hemiacetal with a new C-O-C bridge.

Monosaccharides can be linked together into what are called polysaccharides (or oligosaccharides) in a large variety of ways. Many carbohydrates contain one or more modified monosaccharide units that have had one or more groups replaced or removed. For example, deoxyribose, a component of DNA, is a modified version of ribose; chitin is composed of repeating units of N-acetyl glucosamine, a nitrogen-containing form of glucose.

Monosaccharides[link]

D-glucose is an aldohexose with the formula (C·H₂O)₆. The red atoms highlight the aldehyde group, and the blue atoms highlight the asymmetric center furthest from the aldehyde; because this -OH is on the right of the Fischer projection, this is a D sugar.

Monosaccharides are the simplest carbohydrates in that they cannot be hydrolyzed to smaller carbohydrates. They are aldehydes or ketones with two or more hydroxyl groups. The general chemical formula of an unmodified monosaccharide is (C•H₂O) _n, literally a "carbon hydrate." Monosaccharides are important fuel molecules as well as building blocks for nucleic acids. The smallest monosaccharides, for which n = 3, are dihydroxyacetone and D- and L-glyceraldehydes.

Classification of monosaccharides[link]

Monosaccharides are classified according to three different characteristics: the placement of its carbonyl group, the number of carbon atoms it contains, and its chiral handedness. If the carbonyl group is an aldehyde, the monosaccharide is an aldose; if the carbonyl group is a ketone, the monosaccharide is a ketose. Monosaccharides with three carbon atoms are called trioses, those with four are called tetroses, five are called pentoses, six are hexoses, and so on.^[6] These two systems of classification are often combined. For example, glucose is an aldohexose (a six-carbon aldehyde), ribose is an aldopentose (a five-carbon aldehyde), and fructose is a ketohexose (a six-carbon ketone).

Each carbon atom bearing a hydroxyl group (-OH), with the exception of the first and last carbons, are asymmetric, making them stereo centers with two possible configurations each (R or S). Because of this asymmetry, a number of isomers may exist for any given monosaccharide formula. The aldohexose D-glucose, for example, has the formula (C·H₂O) ₆, of which all but two of its six carbons atoms are stereogenic, making D-glucose one of 2⁴ = 16 possible stereoisomers. In the case of glyceraldehydes, an aldotriose, there is one pair of possible stereoisomers, which are enantiomers and epimers. 1, 3-dihydroxyacetone, the ketose corresponding to the aldose glyceraldehydes, is a symmetric molecule with no stereo centers). The assignment of D or L is made according to the orientation of the asymmetric carbon furthest from the carbonyl group: in a standard Fischer projection if the hydroxyl group is on the right the molecule is a D sugar, otherwise it is an L sugar. The "D-" and "L-" prefixes should not be confused with "d-" or "l-", which indicate the direction that the sugar rotates plane polarized light. This usage of "d-" and "l-" is no longer followed in carbohydrate chemistry.^[7]

Ring-straight chain isomerism[link]

Glucose can exist in both a straight-chain and ring form.

The aldehyde or ketone group of a straight-chain monosaccharide will react reversibly with a hydroxyl group on a different carbon atom to form a hemiacetal or hemiketal, forming a heterocyclic ring with an oxygen bridge between two carbon atoms. Rings with five and six atoms are called furanose and pyranose forms, respectively, and exist in equilibrium with the straight-chain form.^[8]

During the conversion from straight-chain form to the cyclic form, the carbon atom containing the carbonyl oxygen, called the anomeric carbon, becomes a stereogenic center with two possible configurations: The oxygen atom may take a position either above or below the plane of the ring. The resulting possible pair of stereoisomers is called anomers. In the α anomer, the -OH substituent on the anomeric carbon rests on the opposite side (trans) of the ring from the CH₂OH side branch. The alternative form, in which the CH₂OH substituent and the anomeric hydroxyl are on the same side (cis) of the plane of the ring, is called the β anomer.

Use in living organisms[link]

Monosaccharides are the major source of fuel for metabolism, being used both as an energy source (glucose being the most important in nature) and in biosynthesis. When monosaccharides are not immediately needed by many cells they are often converted to more space-efficient forms, often polysaccharides. In many animals, including humans, this storage form is glycogen, especially in liver and muscle cells. In plants, starch is used for the same purpose.

Disaccharides[link]

Sucrose, also known as table sugar, is a common disaccharide. It is composed of two monosaccharides: D-glucose (left) and D-fructose (right).

Two joined monosaccharides are called a disaccharide and these are the simplest polysaccharides. Examples include sucrose and lactose. They are composed of two monosaccharide units bound together by a covalent bond known as a glycosidic linkage formed via a dehydration reaction, resulting in the loss of a hydrogen atom from one monosaccharide and a hydroxyl group from the other. The formula of unmodified disaccharides is C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁. Although there are numerous kinds of disaccharides, a handful of disaccharides are particularly notable.

Sucrose, pictured to the right, is the most abundant disaccharide, and the main form in which carbohydrates are transported in plants. It is composed of one D-glucose molecule and one D-fructose molecule. The systematic name for sucrose, O-α-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-D-fructofuranoside, indicates four things:

• Its monosaccharides: glucose and fructose
• Their ring types: glucose is a pyranose, and fructose is a furanose
• How they are linked together: the oxygen on carbon number 1 (C1) of α-D-glucose is linked to the C2 of D-fructose.
• The -oside suffix indicates that the anomeric carbon of both monosaccharides participates in the glycosidic bond.

Lactose, a disaccharide composed of one D-galactose molecule and one D-glucose molecule, occurs naturally in mammalian milk. The systematic name for lactose is O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→4)-D-glucopyranose. Other notable disaccharides include maltose (two D-glucoses linked α-1,4) and cellulobiose (two D-glucoses linked β-1,4). disaccharides can be classified into two types.They are reducing and non-reducing disaccahrides if the functional group is present in bonding with another sugar unit it is called a reducing disaccharide or biose.

Nutrition[link]

Grain products: rich sources of carbohydrates

Foods high in carbohydrate include fruits, sweets, soft drinks, breads, pastas, beans, potatoes, bran, rice, and cereals. Carbohydrates are a common source of energy in living organisms; however, no carbohydrate is an essential nutrient in humans.^[9]

Carbohydrates are not necessary building blocks of other molecules, and the body can obtain all its energy from protein and fats.^[10][11] The brain and neurons generally cannot burn fat for energy, but use glucose or ketones. Humans can synthesize some glucose (in a set of processes known as gluconeogenesis) from specific amino acids, from the glycerol backbone in triglycerides and in some cases from fatty acids. Carbohydrate and protein contain 4 kilocalories per gram, while fats contain 9 kilocalories per gram. In the case of protein, this is somewhat misleading as only some amino acids are usable for fuel.

Organisms typically cannot metabolize all types of carbohydrate to yield energy. Glucose is a nearly universal and accessible source of calories. Many organisms also have the ability to metabolize other monosaccharides and Disaccharides, though glucose is preferred. In Escherichia coli, for example, the lac operon will express enzymes for the digestion of lactose when it is present, but if both lactose and glucose are present the lac operon is repressed, resulting in the glucose being used first (see: Diauxie). Polysaccharides are also common sources of energy. Many organisms can easily break down starches into glucose, however, most organisms cannot metabolize cellulose or other polysaccharides like chitin and arabinoxylans. These carbohydrates types can be metabolized by some bacteria and protists. Ruminants and termites, for example, use microorganisms to process cellulose. Even though these complex carbohydrates are not very digestible, they may comprise important dietary elements for humans. Called dietary fiber, these carbohydrates enhance digestion among other benefits.^[12]

Based on the effects on risk of heart disease and obesity,^[13] the Institute of Medicine recommends that American and Canadian adults get between 45–65% of dietary energy from carbohydrates.^[14] The Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization jointly recommend that national dietary guidelines set a goal of 55–75% of total energy from carbohydrates, but only 10% directly from sugars (their term for simple carbohydrates).^[15]

Classification[link]

Historically nutritionists have classified carbohydrates as either simple or complex. However, the exact delineation of these categories is ambiguous. Today, simple carbohydrate typically refers to monosaccharides and disaccharides and complex carbohydrate means polysaccharides (and oligosaccharides). However, the term complex carbohydrate was first used in slightly different context in the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs publication Dietary Goals for the United States (1977). In this work, complex carbohydrate were defined as "fruit, vegetables and whole-grains".^[16] Some nutritionists use complex carbohydrate to refer to any sort of digestible saccharide present in a whole food, where fiber, vitamins and minerals are also found (as opposed to processed carbohydrates, which provide calories but few other nutrients).

Some simple carbohydrates (e.g. fructose) are digested very slowly, while some complex carbohydrates (starches), especially if processed, raise blood sugar rapidly. The speed of digestion is determined by a variety of factors including which other nutrients are consumed with the carbohydrate, how the food is prepared, individual differences in metabolism, and the chemistry of the carbohydrate.

The USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 call for moderate- to high-carbohydrate consumption from a balanced diet that includes six one-ounce servings of grain foods each day, half from whole grain sources, leaving the other half for enriched.^[17]

The glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load concepts have been developed to characterize food behavior during human digestion. They rank carbohydrate-rich foods based on the rapidity and magnitude of their effect on blood glucose levels. Glycemic index is a measure of how quickly food glucose is absorbed, while glycemic load is a measure of the total absorbable glucose in foods. The insulin index is a similar, more recent classification method that ranks foods based on their effects on blood insulin levels, which are caused by glucose (or starch) and some amino acids in food.

Metabolism[link]

This section requires expansion.

Catabolism[link]

Catabolism is the metabolic reaction in which cells undergo to extract energy. There are two major metabolic pathways of monosaccharide catabolism: glycolysis and the citric acid cycle.

In glycolysis, oligo/polysaccharides are cleaved first to smaller monosaccharides by enzymes called glycoside hydrolases. The monosaccharide units can then enter into monosaccharide catabolism. In some cases, as with humans, not all carbohydrate types are usable as the digestive and metabolic enzymes necessary are not present.

Carbohydrate chemistry[link]

Carbohydrate chemistry is a large and economically important branch of organic chemistry. Some of the main organic reactions that involve carbohydrates are:

• Carbohydrate acetalisation
• Cyanohydrin reaction
• Lobry-de Bruyn-van Ekenstein transformation
• Amadori rearrangement
• Nef reaction
• Wohl degradation
• Koenigs–Knorr reaction

See also[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates, including interactive models and animations (Requires MDL Chime)
• IUPAC-IUBMB Joint Commission on Biochemical Nomenclature (JCBN): Carbohydrate Nomenclature
• Carbohydrates detailed
• Complex And Simple Carbohydrates Explanation of the differences
• Carbohydrates and Glycosylation - The Virtual Library of Biochemistry and Cell Biology
• Functional Glycomics Gateway, a collaboration between the Consortium for Functional Glycomics and Nature Publishing Group
• Wine Carbohydrates

Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers performing live in London
Background information
Origin	Blackwood, Caerphilly, Wales
Genres	Alternative rock, post-punk, glam punk
Years active	1986–present
Labels	Columbia, Epic, Heavenly
Website	www.manics.co.uk
Members
James Dean Bradfield Nicky Wire Sean Moore
Past members
Richey Edwards Miles Woodward

Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band formed in 1986 consisting of James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, lead guitar), Nicky Wire (bass, lyrics), and Sean Moore (drums, percussion). The band is part of the Cardiff music scene and were at their most prominent during the 1990s. They are colloquially known as "The Manics" or simply "Manics". Manic Street Preachers were originally a quartet but primary lyricist and rhythm guitarist Richey Edwards vanished on 1 February 1995.^[1]

In 1992, the Manics released their debut album, Generation Terrorists.^[2] Their combination of androgynous glam punk imagery and critical social lyrics about "culture, alienation, boredom, and despair" soon gained them a loyal following and cult status.^[3][4][5] The band's later albums retained a leftist politicisation and intellectual lyrical style while adopting a broader alternative rock sound.^[6]

Following Edwards' disappearance, Bradfield, Moore, and Wire persisted with Manic Street Preachers and went on to gain critical and commercial success, becoming one of Britain's premier rock bands.^[7] Altogether, they have garnered eight Top 10 albums, fifteen Top 10 singles, and have reached number one three times with their 1998 This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours album, the 1998 "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" single, and the 2000 "The Masses Against the Classes" single.^[8][9][10]

History[link]

Formation and early years (1986–1991)[link]

The band was formed in 1986 in Oakdale Comprehensive School, Blackwood, Caerphilly, south Wales. During this time, Bradfield had tried writing lyrics, but this later changed and Wire wrote all their earliest lyrics, leaving Bradfield, alongside the classically-trained Sean Moore when he joined, to write the music. Original bassist Flicker (Miles Woodward^[11]) left the band in early 1988, reportedly because he believed that the band were moving away from their punk roots. The band continued as a three-piece, with Wire switching from guitar to bass, and in 1988 they recorded their first single, "Suicide Alley". Edwards joined the band on guitar and often made contributions to lyrics with Wire, designing record sleeves and other artwork, and driving the band to and from gigs.

In 1990, they signed a deal with label Damaged Goods Records for one EP. The four-track New Art Riot attracted as much media interest for its attacks on fellow musicians as for the actual music. With the help of Hall or Nothing management, the Manics signed to indie label Heavenly Records. The band recorded their first single for the label, entitled "Motown Junk".

Their next single, You Love Us, sampled Penderecki's "Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima" as well as Iggy Pop. The video featured Nicky Wire in drag as Marilyn Monroe and contained visual references to Betty Blue and Aleister Crowley. In a now legendary interview with then NME journalist Steve Lamacq, Edwards carved the phrase "4REAL" into his arm with a razor blade to prove their sincerity.^[12] He was taken to hospital and received a total of seventeen stitches. Columbia Records of Sony Music UK signed the band shortly afterwards and they began work on their debut album.

[edit] Generation Terrorists to The Holy Bible (1992–1995)

Manic Street Preachers in Japan c.1993

Their debut album, Generation Terrorists ( sample (help·info)), was released on the Columbia Records imprint. The liner notes contained a literary quote for each of the album's eighteen songs and the album lasted just over seventy minutes. The record contained six singles and sold 250,000 copies.

The second album, Gold Against the Soul, was released to mixed reviews but still performed well, reaching number eight in the UK album chart and displayed a more grungy sound. The nature of the lyrics also changed, with Edwards and Wire eschewing their political fire for introspective melancholy.

By early 1994, Edwards' personal difficulties became worse and began to affect the other band members as well as himself. He was admitted into The Priory in 1994 to overcome his problems and the band played a few festivals as a three-piece to pay for his treatment.

The group's next album, The Holy Bible, was released in August to critical acclaim, but sold poorly. The album displayed yet another musical and aesthetic change for the band, largely featuring army/navy uniforms. Musically, the band had shifted to a lo-fi post-punk sound. In support of the album, the band appeared on Top of the Pops, performing its first single, "Faster", which reached No.16. The performance was extremely controversial at the time, as the band were all dressed in army regalia. Bradfield wore a 'terrorist-style' balaclava. At the time, the band was told by the BBC that they had received the most complaints ever.^[13]

Shortly after, on 1 February 1995, Edwards disappeared from the Embassy Hotel at Bayswater Road in London after checking out at 7:00 am. His car was found abandoned 17 February 1995 at the Severn View service station near the Severn Bridge, which has since acquired notoriety for being a suicide spot. A car park attendant reported it had been there for three days; police search of the car revealed that it had been lived in for a few days. Edwards was never seen again, although the band have kept a percentage of the royalties aside should he return. He was declared presumed dead on 28 November 2008 by his family. The band commented that they respect their decision. Manic Street Preachers was put on hold for six months and disbanding the group was seriously considered, but with the blessing of Edwards' family, the other members continued.

[edit] Everything Must Go to Know Your Enemy (1996–2003)

The first album without Edwards, Everything Must Go, contained five songs either written or co-written by Edwards, and was released to overwhelmingly positive reviews. The bulk of the lyrics were written solely by Wire including number two hit single "A Design for Life". The album was shortlisted for the 1996 Mercury Prize award for best album, and won the band two BRIT Awards for Best British Band and Best British album, as well as yielding the hit singles "Australia", "Everything Must Go" and "Kevin Carter".

Manic Street Preachers live in London in 2005

1998's This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours was just as successful across most of the world, and gave the band their first number one single in "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next". ( sample (help·info)) It was written about the Spanish Civil War and was inspired in equal parts by George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia and The Clash's "Spanish Bombs". The album also included the hit singles "You Stole the Sun from My Heart", "Tsunami" and "The Everlasting". Again the Manics won the Best British Band and album awards at the BRIT Awards in 1999.

On 31 December 1999 they played at the 'Leaving the 20th Century concert' in the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, the first and biggest ever concert to be held there with 80,000 people attending.

In 2000 they released the limited edition single "The Masses Against the Classes". Despite receiving little promotion, the single hit the number one position on the UK Singles chart, beating U Know What's Up by Donell Jones to the top. The catalogue entry for the single was deleted (removed from wholesale supply) on the day of release, but the song nevertheless spent seven weeks in the UK chart.^[14]

In 2001 they became the first popular western rock band to play in Cuba, (at the Karl Marx Theater) and met with president Fidel Castro. Their concert and trip to Cuba was documented and then released as a DVD entitled Louder than War.

In this concert they revealed many tracks from their sixth album Know Your Enemy. The song "Ocean Spray" was written by James about his mother's battle with cancer. The first singles from the album, "So Why So Sad" and "Found That Soul", were both released on the same day. Other singles included "Let Robeson Sing".

The greatest hits (plus remixes) album Forever Delayed was released in 2002, containing two new songs, "Door to the River" and the single "There by the Grace of God". An album of B-sides, rarities, and cover versions album was released in 2003: Lipstick Traces, which contained the last song worked on with Edwards.

[edit] Lifeblood to Journal for Plague Lovers (2004–2009)

The band's seventh studio album, Lifeblood, was released on 1 November 2004 and reached #13 on the UK album chart. Critical response to the album was mixed. Tony Visconti helped the band produce three songs on the album, which was followed by a UK arena tour in December 2004. A tenth anniversary edition of The Holy Bible was released on 6 December 2004, which included a digitally remastered version of the original album, a rare U.S. mix and a DVD of live performances and extras including a band interview.

In April 2005, the band played a number of shows as the Past-Present-Future tour — announced as their last for at least two years. The band released an EP entitled God Save the Manics with only a limited number of copies available and given out to fans as they arrived at the venue. After all the copies were gone, the band made the EP available as a free download on their website. In September, the band contributed the new track, "Leviathan", to the War Child charity album Help!: A Day in the Life.

The band's eighth studio album, Send Away the Tigers was released on 7 May 2007 on Columbia Records. It entered the official UK album charts at #2. Critical response to the album was largely positive, with some critics hailing the album as the band's best for a decade. A free download of a song entitled "Underdogs" from the album was made available through the group's website on 19 March 2007. The first official single released from Send Away the Tigers was "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough", which features The Cardigans' vocalist, Nina Persson. The second single, "Autumnsong", and a third, "Indian Summer", were released in August.

The band released a Christmas single in December. "The Ghosts of Christmas" was available as a free download on their official website throughout December 2007 and January 2008. In February 2008, the band were presented with the God-Like Geniuses Award award at the NME Awards ceremony.

The ninth Manics album, Journal for Plague Lovers, was released on 18 May 2009^[15] and features lyrics left behind by Edwards. Wire commented in an interview that "there was a sense of responsibility to do his words justice."^[16] The album was released to positive critical reviews, scoring 85 on Metacritic.^[17]

[edit] Postcards from a Young Man (2010–present)

On 1 June 2010 the band announced on their homepage that a new album called Postcards from a Young Man will be released on 20 September 2010. James Dean Bradfield said that the album would be an unashamedly pop-orientated affair following 2009's Journal for Plague Lovers. "We're going for big radio hits on this one," he told NME. "It isn't a follow-up to Journal for Plague Lovers. It's one last shot at mass communication."

On 26 July 2010 the first single from the new album, "(It's Not War) Just the End of Love", was played on the breakfast shows of BBC Radio 2, BBC 6Music, XFm and Absolute Radio. It was released on 13 September 2010. The title had previously been suggested as a working title for the album by Nicky Wire. Three collaborations were also confirmed on the band's website later that day: Duff McKagan will appear on "A Billion Balconies Facing the Sun", Ian McCulloch adds guest vocals to "Some Kind of Nothingness" and John Cale will feature on "Auto-Intoxication".^{[citation needed]} The band embarked on a UK tour to promote the album, starting in Glasgow on 29 September 2010. British Sea Power were the support act for the band on the tour. Two further singles have been released from the album - the McCulloch featuring "Some Kind of Nothingness" and the title track "Postcards from a Young Man".

The band initially announced that their next album has the working title 70 Songs of Hatred and Failure and will sound very different from Postcards from a Young Man. "The next album will be pure indulgence. There's only so much melody stored in your body that you can physically get onto one record. It was just so utterly commercial and melodic."^[18] However Nicky Wire contradicted this in 2011 while doing promotion for their greatest hits compilation National Treasures. When asked why the band was releasing the compilation Wire stated: "It's just the end of an era. Not the end of a band. We're gonna disappear for quite a long time."^[19]

A 38 track singles compilation, National Treasures – The Complete Singles, was released on 31 October 2011, preceded by a new single.^[20]

Solo work[link]

In late 2005, both Bradfield and Wire announced that they intended to release solo material prior to a new album by the band. A free download of Nicky Wire's debut solo offering I Killed The Zeitgeist was posted on the band's website for just one day - Christmas Day 2005. The album of the same name was released in September 2006. It charted at #130 in the UK. The sound of the album, which Nicky referred to as his "nihilistic anti-everything album", was inspired by, among others, Neu!, The Plastic Ono Band, Einstürzende Neubauten, The Modern Lovers, Richard Thompson and Lou Reed.^[21] Only one official single was released: "Break My Heart Slowly" charted at #74. Nicky toured small intimate venues across the UK with his band The Secret Society, affording fans the opportunity of seeing their hero at close quarters.

Bradfield's solo album, The Great Western was released in July 2006. It reached #22 in the UK. The sound of the album was inspired by, among others, Jeff Beck, Badfinger, Simple Minds and McCarthy. Two singles were released: "That's No Way to Tell a Lie" (#18) in July and then "An English Gentleman" (#31) in September. The latter is in remembrance of the first Manic's manager Philip Hall, to whom The Holy Bible had been dedicated. James toured the album with a band that included Wayne Murray, who would subsequently play second guitar for Manics live performances. James' solo gigs featured covers of The Clash songs "Clampdown" and "The Card Cheat", both from the album London Calling.

In a later interview, when the band were collectively asked what they had learned from making a solo album, Sean Moore dryly quipped, "Not to do one".

Collaborations and covers[link]

The band released in 1992 a split single with The Fatima Mansions (a rock cover of "Suicide Is Painless") which became their first UK Top 10 hit. They have recorded many cover versions of songs by other artists, primarily as b-sides for their own singles. Bands to whom the group have paid tribute in this way include The Clash, Guns N' Roses, Alice Cooper, Happy Mondays, McCarthy, Chuck Berry, Faces, and Nirvana.

The band's first musical appearance since Edwards' departure was recording a cover of "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" for The Help Album, a charity effort in 1995 in support of aid efforts in war-torn Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Lightning Seeds' song "Waiting for Today to Happen", from their fifth album, Dizzy Heights (1996), was written by Nicky Wire and Ian Broudie. That same year, James Dean Bradfield and Dave Eringa produced Northern Uproar's first single, "Rollercoaster/Rough Boys". The 808 State song "Lopez" (1997) features lyrics by Wire and vocals by Bradfield. It is featured on their greatest hits album, 808:88:98. Kylie Minogue's sixth album, Impossible Princess (1997), features two songs co-written and produced by the Manics: "Some Kind of Bliss" (Bradfield/Minogue/Moore) and "I Don't Need Anyone" (Bradfield/Jones/Minogue) were produced by Bradfield and Dave Eringa. Bradfield provided backing vocals, bass and production for the Massive Attack song "Inertia Creeps" (1998), which features on their successful third album, Mezzanine. Patrick Jones' album of poetry set to music, Commemoration And Amnesia (1999), features two songs with music written by Bradfield: the title track and "The Guerilla Tapestry". Bradfield plays guitar on both songs. Furthermore, the track "Hireath" features a section called "Spoken Word", in which Nicky Wire talks about Welsh identity.

In February 2006, the band contributed a cover version of "The Instrumental" to the album Still Unravished: A Tribute to the June Brides.

In February 2008 the Manics covered Rihanna's hit song "Umbrella". Their version appeared on a CD titled NME Awards 2008 given away free with a special souvenir box set issue of NME magazine, which went on sale 27 February. Additionally, the Manics' version of the song was made available on iTunes since 5 March 2008.^[22] Despite being chart-eligible (it reached number 47 in the UK^[23]), the release was not intended as an official single.^[24] Two further versions (Acoustic and Grand Slam Mix) were later made available on iTunes and now comprise a three-track Umbrella EP.

James Dean Bradfield and Nicky Wire contributed an original song, "The Girl from Tiger Bay", to Shirley Bassey's 2009 studio album, The Performance.

Band members[link]

Current members

• James Dean Bradfield - lead vocals, lead guitar (1986–present)
• Nicky Wire - bass guitar, piano, vocals (1986–present) rhythm guitar (1986-1988)
• Sean Moore - drums, percussion and trumpet (1986–present)

Former members

• Richey Edwards - rhythm guitar, piano (1989–1995)
• Miles Woodward - bass guitar (1986–1988)

Touring members

• Wayne Murray - rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2006–present)
• Sean Read - piano/keyboards, percussion, saxophone (2006–present)
• Guy Massey - rhythm guitar (2004–2005)
• Greg Haver - rhythm guitar, percussion (2002–2003)
• Nick Nasmyth - keyboards (1995–2005)
• Dave Eringa - keyboards (1993–1994)
• Anna Celmore - piano (2002–2003)

id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals/guitar
id:guitar value:purple legend:Guitar
id:bass value:blue legend:Bass
id:drums value:green legend:Drums
id:Lines value:black legend:Studio albums

bar:James text:"James Dean Bradfield"
bar:Nicky text:"Nicky Wire"
bar:Sean text:"Sean Moore"
bar:Richey text:"Richey Edwards"
bar:Miles text:"Miles Woodward"

width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
bar:James from:01/01/1986 till:end color:vocals
bar:Nicky from:01/01/1986 till:01/01/1988 color:guitar
bar:Nicky from:01/01/1988 till:end color:bass
bar:Sean from:01/01/1986 till:end color:drums
bar:Miles from:01/01/1986 till:01/01/1988 color:bass
bar:Richey from:01/01/1989 till:01/02/1995 color:guitar

at:10/02/1992 color:black layer:back
at:14/06/1993 color:black layer:back
at:29/09/1994 color:black layer:back
at:20/05/1996 color:black layer:back
at:14/08/1998 color:black layer:back
at:19/03/2001 color:black layer:back
at:01/11/2004 color:black layer:back
at:07/05/2007 color:black layer:back
at:18/05/2009 color:black layer:back
at:20/08/2010 color:black layer:back

Discography[link]

• Generation Terrorists (1992)
• Gold Against the Soul (1993)
• The Holy Bible (1994)
• Everything Must Go (1996)
• This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours (1998)
• Know Your Enemy (2001)
• Lifeblood (2004)
• Send Away the Tigers (2007)
• Journal for Plague Lovers (2009)
• Postcards from a Young Man (2010)

Awards[link]

• Viewers' Favourite Album of All Time (The Holy Bible) - Newsnight
• 15th Best Album of All Time (The Holy Bible) - Melody Maker
• 10th Best Album Since Creation of Magazine (The Holy Bible) - Q
• 18th Best Album of All Time (The Holy Bible) - Q
• 10th Greatest Album of All Time (The Holy Bible) - Kerrang!
• Best Band of 1996 - NME Awards
• Best Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - NME Awards
• Best Band of 1999 - NME Awards
• Best Album (This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours) of 1999 - NME Awards
• Best Track (If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next) of 1999 - NME Awards
• Best Music Video (If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next) of 1999 - NME Awards
• One of The Writers' Best Albums (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - The Daily Telegraph
• Writers' Best Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - Melody Maker
• Readers' Band of 1996 (Runner Up) & "Writers' Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996" - NME
• Writers' Best Live Band of 1996 - NME Brat Award
• Writers' Best Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - Vox
• Writers' Best Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - The Sunday Times
• Writers' Best Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - Sky
• Writers' Best Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996 & Readers' Best Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - Select
• Readers' Best Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - Q Awards
• Writers' Best Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - Music Week
• One of Writers' Top Ten Albums (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - Metal Hammer
• Writers' Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996 (Runner Up) - Kerrang!
• One of Writers' Top Five Albums (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - Independent On Sunday
• Readers' Best Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - Hot Press
• Writers' Best Album (Everything Must Go) of 1996 - The Guardian
• Best Album & "Best Group" - BRIT Awards, 1997
• Best Band In The World Today - Q Awards, 1998
• Best Album & "Best Group" - BRIT Awards, 1999
• Best Live Act - Q Awards, 2001^[25]
• Q Merit Award - Q Awards, 2006
• Best Track (Your Love Alone Is Not Enough) - Q Awards, 2007
• 'God-Like Geniuses' - Shockwaves NME Awards, 2008
• The MOJO Maverick Award 2009^[26]
• Songwriting Prize at the Classic Rock Roll of Honour awards, 2011

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Manic Street Preachers

• Official website
• Manic Street Preachers on Myspace
• Manic Street Preachers biography from BBC Wales
• MspPedia, a comprehensive Manic Street Preachers wiki and archive
• Live Review in Japan by C.B.Liddell of Metropolis magazine

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