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).
Fox on the run
Manfred Mann Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
her hair shone like gold in the hot morning sun.
She took all the love that a poor boy could give her,
and left me to die like the fox on the run.
Like the fox (like the fox, like the fox) on the run.
Everybody knows the reason for the fall,
This woman tempted me, oh yes, then took me for a ride
but like the lonely fox I need a place to hide.
Like the fox (like the fox, like the fox) on the run.
Come take a glass of wine and fortify your soul,
we'll talk about the world and friends we used to know.
I'll illustrate a girl who put me on the floor.
The game is nearly up, the hounds are at my door.
Like the fox (like the fox, like the fox) on the run.
The lyrics of Manfred Mann's song "Fox on the Run" tell a story of heartbreak and betrayal. The singer describes how he was in love with a woman who took all the love he had to give her, only to abandon him like a fox on the run. The imagery of the corn leading down to the river and the hot morning sun add to the sense of loss and despair.
The song then takes on a more philosophical tone as the singer reflects on the reasons for man's downfall, specifically in reference to the temptation of women. He admits that he too was tempted by this woman, but like the lonely fox, he now needs a place to hide. The final stanza speaks to the idea of finding solace in friendship and alcohol before the game is up and the hounds are at his door.
Overall, the lyrics of "Fox on the Run" capture the emotions of heartbreak, betrayal, and the need for escape. The use of animal imagery and references to paradise further add to the weight of the song's lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
She walked through the corn leading down to the river,
She strolled through the cornfield, which ended at the river.
her hair shone like gold in the hot morning sun.
Her hair was brilliantly golden, reflecting the shining heat of morning sun.
She took all the love that a poor boy could give her,
She absorbed every fraction of love a financially deprived boy had to offer.
and left me to die like the fox on the run.
Afterward, she abandoned me to die miserably, just like the fleeing fox.
Everybody knows the reason for the fall,
Everyone recognizes why the failure occurred.
when woman tempted man down in paradise's hall.
When a woman lured a man, and both approached the entrance of paradise.
This woman tempted me, oh yes, then took me for a ride
This woman allured me, and later deceived me without a doubt.
but like the lonely fox I need a place to hide.
Similar to how the solitary fox, I must conceal myself.
Come take a glass of wine and fortify your soul,
Take a glass of wine with me, to strengthen your inner self.
we'll talk about the world and friends we used to know.
We shall discuss the world and our former comrades.
I'll illustrate a girl who put me on the floor.
I will describe a girl who made me plummet to the ground.
The game is nearly up, the hounds are at my door.
The time is running out, and the dogs are pressing up against my entrance.
Like the fox (like the fox, like the fox) on the run.
Just like the fox, I am on the run, on the run.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Southcoasting
Fox on the Run
Manfred Mann
(lyrics by Tony Hazzard)
She walked through the corn leading down to the river.
Her hair shone like gold in the hot morning sun.
She took all the love that a poor boy could give her
And left me to die like the fox on the run.
Like the fox (like the fox, like the fox) on the run.
Everybody knows the reason for the fall
When woman tempted man down in paradise's hall.
This woman tempted me all right, then took me for a ride
But like the lonely fox I need a place to hide.
Like the fox (like the fox, like the fox) on the run.
Come take a glass of wine and fortify your soul.
We'll talk about the world and friends we used to know.
I'll illustrate, a girl put me on the floor.
The game is nearly up, the hounds are at my door.
Like the fox (like the fox, like the fox) on the run.
Tony Hazzard wrote the words but also listed songwriters: Brian Francis Connolly / Stephen Norman Priest / Michael Thomas Tucker / Andrew Scott (Fox on the Run lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc)
@johnhale8118
I am 64 and remember hearing it for the first time, it still has the same magical effect listening to it now as it did then.
@MrsBeasley55
same here 🎶
@user-jr5hv3xb3m
In 1967 I was 14. Great time
@imwatchingyou6113
One of my favourite songs to... 👍 Two years up on you bro...
@keithculley8041
Same
@paul_109
I can't quite explain it but there's nothing that can get even close to the sound of guitars in songs from the 60s
I love it
@JasonMoffatt
I'd say this gets close ;) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csoF51nEtc8
@kjr2868
I would say it was the Marshell amps PLUS the better 'musicianship' gained from 1000s of hours of practice, no TV, no internet to distract you! As they say genius is 10% talent adn 90% sweat!
@SomeInterestingName
@@kjr2868well not everyone used Marshall amplifiers, many used Vox. Most likely it's the analogue sound production from the amps using valves, electronic instruments still being quite "raw" as they'd not long been invented, and the better musicianship of just about everyone, as many pop musicians were classically or formally trained. Subsequent decades gave rise to more self taught musicians (punk in particular) who learnt how to play solely by playing the pop music that came before. The 50s and 60s had little to nothing like their own sound to go on, which is why, in part, it's so "different".
@Madda640
This song was a time and place - and will never be forgotten - what a gem.