Beginnings 1962—1963
The Mann-Hugg Blues Brothers (as the band were originally called) were formed in London in December 1962 by keyboard player Manfred Mann and drummer/vibes player Mike Hugg. Born out of the British blues boom then sweeping London's clubs (which also spawned such luminaries as The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds), the band were completed by Mike Vickers on lead guitar, Dave Richmond on bass, and Paul Jones fronting as lead vocalist and harmonica player. Gigging constantly throughout late 1962 and early 1963, the band soon attracted attention for their distinctive sound propelled by Mann's keyboards, Jones' soulful vocals and an occasional horn section.
Manfred Mann's Cock-A-Hoop (1964)
The group signed to HMV Records in March 1963 after a change of name to Manfred Mann (at the suggestion of their label's producer), and debuted in July of that year with the jazzy instrumental single "Why Should We Not?", which failed to chart, as did the follow up (with vocals this time), "Cock-A-Hoop"
Early success 1964—1965
Groovin' with Manfred Mann EP (1964)
In 1964 the group were asked to provide a new theme tune for the ITV pop music TV series Ready Steady Go!. They responded with the energetic "5-4-3-2-1" which, with the help of weekly TV exposure, rose to No.5 in the UK charts. It was shortly after "5-4-3-2-1" was recorded that Richmond left the band, being replaced by Tom McGuinness - the first of many line-up changes. After a further self-penned hit ("Hubble Bubble (Toil And Trouble)") the band struck gold with "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", a cover of a minor hit earlier that year by The Exciters. The track, which showcased Jones' powerful singing, reached the top of both the UK and US charts (The Exciters version had only charted #78 in the US).
During 1965 the group continued to have hits with both self-penned and cover material, their sound increasingly moving away from the blues-based music of their early years to a highly successful pop-soul hybrid. Notably the group began to have success with interpretations of Bob Dylan songs, including "With God On Our Side" as a track on a best-selling EP.
The One In the Middle EP (1965)
They also reached No.2 in the UK with the controversial "If You Gotta Go, Go Now", which was banned or edited by a number of TV and radio stations. Prior to this latter release, Paul Jones announced his intention to quit the band for a solo career once a replacement could be found.
The Mike d'Abo years 1966—1969
Jones stayed with the band for one more year, during which time Mike Vickers was replaced by Jack Bruce of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (long enough to play bass on the band's second UK No.1 single "Pretty Flamingo"). Jones was eventually replaced by Mike d'Abo - among those on the shortlist was Rod Stewart - and this was one of the few occasions when a band has successfully swapped lead singers and remained at the top. Jack Bruce left to form Cream and was replaced by Klaus Voorman (a longtime Beatles associate), with McGuinness moving to guitar. To complete the changes, the group switched labels to Fontana Records.
With d'Abo as vocalist, the group pursued a softer acoustic pop sound, with a tinge of Dylanesque social comment and surrealism in the lyrics. Their first Fontana Records single was in fact a Dylan cover, "Just Like A Woman", and the group went on to score their biggest hit for two years with a cover of his "Mighty Quinn".
Frustrated with the limitations and image of being seen purely as a hit singles band (their last two albums failed to chart), the group split in 1969.
1970s and on— Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Mann went on to write advertising jingles after the group's demise, but still continued to work in the group format. Initially he formed Manfred Mann Chapter Three (with Mike Hugg), an experimental jazz rock band, described by Mann as an over reaction to the hit factory of the Manfred Mann group. This was, however, short lived and by 1971 they had disbanded and Mann had formed a new group, Manfred Mann's Earth Band.
For further details, see Manfred Mann's Earth Band.
5-4-3-2-1 The Manfreds (1998)
1990s and on—The Manfreds
In the 1990s, most of the original 1960s line-up reformed as The Manfreds, minus Manfred Mann himself (hence the name), playing most of the old 1960s hits and a few jazz instrumentals, sometimes with both Paul Jones and Mike d'Abo fronting the line-up.
At the same time Jones and Tom McGuinness (McGuinness formed McGuinness Flint in 1970, but they disbanded in 1975) have been mainstays of The Blues Band (which they helped form in 1978).
5‐4‐3‐2‐1
Manfred Mann Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Five, four, three, two, one
Five, four, three, two, one
Five, four, three, two, one
Five, four, three, two, one
Five, four, three, two, one
Five, four, three, two, one
Onward, onward rode the six hundred
(Five, four, three, two, one)
Down the valley on their horses they thundered
(Five, four, three, two, one)
Ah, but was it them who really blundered?
(Five, four, three, two, one)
Uh-huh, it was the Manfreds
Five, four, three, two, one
Five, four, three, two, one
The Trojans waited at the gate for weeks
(Five, four, three, two, one)
Then in a wooden horse into the city they sneaked
(Five, four, three, two, one)
Who let 'em in? Was it the Greeks?
(Five, four, three, two, one)
Uh-huh, it was the Manfreds
Five, four, three, two, one
Five, four, three, two, one
Five, four, three, two, one
Five, four, three, two, one
Five, four, three, two, one
Uh-huh, it was the Manfreds
Five, four, three, two, one
Manfred Mann's song "54321" is a playful and fun tune that incorporates numbers and historical references to create a catchy and upbeat track. The song begins with a simple counting of "five, four, three, two, one," repeated several times to form a rhythm. This counting then becomes interlaced with references to two famous historical events: the Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War and the Trojan Horse from Greek mythology.
The reference to the Charge of the Light Brigade is captured in the line "onward rode the six hundred," referring to the doomed charge of British cavalry into Russian cannon fire. The song then asks whether it was the soldiers who blundered, but quickly reveals that it was actually the Manfreds (presumably Manfred Mann and his bandmates) who were the ones to make a mistake.
The reference to the Trojan Horse is captured in the line "the Trojans waited at the gate for weeks," referring to the legendary ten-year siege of Troy. The song then asks whether it was the Greeks who let the Trojans in, but again reveals that it was actually the Manfreds who were responsible.
Overall, the song is a lighthearted and playful take on history, with the chorus of "five, four, three, two, one" serving as a catchy and memorable hook.
Line by Line Meaning
Five, four, three, two, one
Countdown to signal the start of a performance
Five, four, three, two, one
Repeating the countdown to build the suspense before the performance
Five, four, three, two, one
Repeating the countdown again to ensure everyone is ready for the performance
Five, four, three, two, one
Final countdown before the performance begins
Onward, onward rode the six hundred
Reference to the Charge of the Light Brigade, a famous military blunder
(Five, four, three, two, one)
Linking the Charge of the Light Brigade to the repeated countdown
Down the valley on their horses they thundered
Describing the Charge of the Light Brigade
(Five, four, three, two, one)
Linking the description of the Charge of the Light Brigade to the repeated countdown
Ah, but was it them who really blundered?
Questioning who was really at fault for the Charge of the Light Brigade
(Five, four, three, two, one)
Linking the question to the repeated countdown
Uh-huh, it was the Manfreds
Blaming the band, Manfred Mann, for the military blunder
Five, four, three, two, one
Repeating the countdown after the Charge of the Light Brigade reference to maintain the rhythm of the song
The Trojans waited at the gate for weeks
Reference to the Trojan War and the Trojan Horse tactic
(Five, four, three, two, one)
Linking the Trojan War reference to the repeated countdown
Then in a wooden horse into the city they sneaked
Describing the Trojan Horse tactic
(Five, four, three, two, one)
Linking the description of the Trojan Horse tactic to the repeated countdown
Who let 'em in? Was it the Greeks?
Questioning who was responsible for the Trojan Horse tactic
(Five, four, three, two, one)
Linking the question to the repeated countdown
Uh-huh, it was the Manfreds
Blaming the band, Manfred Mann, for the Trojan Horse tactic
Five, four, three, two, one
Repeating the countdown to conclude the Trojan War reference
Five, four, three, two, one
Repeating the countdown again after the Trojan War reference to maintain the rhythm of the song
Uh-huh, it was the Manfreds
Final blaming of the band, Manfred Mann, for all the referenced historical blunders
Five, four, three, two, one
Final repetition of the countdown to conclude the song
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Mike Hugg, Paul Jones, Manfred Mann
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lesleybashford4740
Definitely still is! Been to see him numerous times - now he is 80 years old and still rocking' it!
@muffs55mercury61
We're never too old to rock.
@simonbridges3835
Not to detract from the rest of the band but Paul Jones voice, flow, articulation AND frantic harp! 😆 What a blast! 🙌🙌🙌
@junebunchanumbers
This is a good song to sing when you need to remember how to count down from 5.
@nickbrutanna9973
Or when you feel you need more harmonica.
Now all it needs, really, is some cowbell.
@deme9873
I hope that I am not belaboring your point; but, what Phoenician number is it that precedes the "5?"
@andrewbrennan7291
Such a great band.
@markwalker5723
Paul Jones was a great singer, this is an amazing record. Both sides!
@rochellerussell3896
Saw him a couple of months ago- he is still an amazing singer!
@jamiefoyers2800
Back in the 80's this was in a telly ad for my favourite Chocolate bar of the time. Ads ALWAYS stick in your head and the tunes...