"Solar Fire" is the fourth studio album by Manfred Mann's Earth Band, released in 1973. It spent 15 weeks on the Billboard 200 charts, peaking at number 96 on May 11, 1974. The album was originally intended to be a full adaptation of Gustav Holst's The Planets suite, but the band's plans were altered when Holst's heir, who had previously granted permission for the adaptation of "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity" for the hit single "Joybringer," refused to allow further adaptations. As a result, the band crafted a "cosmic" album using mostly original themes. The most well-known song from the album is the (greatly reworked) Bob Dylan composition "Father of Day, Father of Night," which remains a popular track in the Earth Band's live set and is still frequently played on rock radio.
The album also features several instrumental tracks, including "Pluto the Dog" (a playful nod to the Disney character) and the two-part "Saturn, Lord of the Ring/Mercury, the Winged Messenger." Additionally, "Earth the Circle Part 2" includes only two lines of sung vocals. Solar Fire is often regarded as the peak of the early Earth Band lineup and, for many progressive rock reviewers, as the pinnacle of Mann's career.
