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).
I Put A Spell On You
Manfred Mann Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Because you're mine
I don't like the things that you do
Oh, baby, I ain't lyin'
No, I ain't lyin'
I can't stand you
Can't stand you runnin' round
I can't stand it, baby
I put a spell on you
Lord, because you're mine
You hear me?
I love you, I love you, I love you anyhow
And I don't care if you don't want me
I'm yours, right now
I put a spell on you
Girl, because you're mine
Now listen
I put a spell on you (put a spell on you)
And you, you gonna do right (put a spell on you)
I put a spell on you (put a spell on you)
And you gonna be mine every night (put a spell on you)
I put a spell on you (put a spell on you)
Just when I, I, I, I, I, I (put a spell on you)
I, I, I, I put a spell on you (put a spell on you)
Yes you, I put a spell on you, girl (put a spell on you)
I can't stand it (put a spell on you)
Oh, I can't stand you running 'round (put a spell on you)
Oh, I can't stand it girl, because you put me down
Oh, that is why I am going to put a spell on you
Because you are to be mine
"I Put A Spell On You" by Manfred Mann's lyrics are about a man who has been wronged by a woman and seeks to restore his power over her by casting a spell. He is hurt and angry because he loves her, but he cannot tolerate the way she treats him. The song suggests that his love is obsessive and possessive, but because he uses magic to control her, there is a suggestion of something supernatural at work, an occult power that can bend her to his will. The lyrics suggest that he is both the victim and the aggressor in the relationship, and that the woman is at once his tormentor and his obsession.
The chorus, "I put a spell on you, because you're mine," is repeated throughout the song, suggesting that the man's obsession with the woman is unyielding and that he will stop at nothing to make her his. Even if she doesn't reciprocate his feelings, he declares that he doesn't care and that she is his anyway. The song has a menacing quality to it, and it suggests that love can be dangerous when it is not reciprocated.
Line by Line Meaning
I put a spell on you
I'm using magic to control you
Because you're mine
You belong to me and I need to make sure you stay under my control
I don't like the things that you do
Your actions are not aligning with what I want or expect from you
Oh, baby, I ain't lyin'
I am sincere and serious about what I am saying and what I am about to do to you
No, I ain't lyin'
I want you to know that I am telling you the truth, and that I am not playing around
I can't stand you
I have strong negative feelings towards you
Can't stand you runnin' round
Your behavior of going out and being with others is unacceptable to me
I can't stand it, baby
Your actions are causing me great discomfort and distress
Oh, because you put me down
You have hurt me in some way and I am seeking revenge or retribution
Lord, because you're mine
I feel like I have ownership over you and am entitled to take action against you
You hear me?
I want to make sure that you understand my intentions and that you will comply with my wishes
I love you, I love you, I love you anyhow
Despite my negative feelings towards you, I still have strong emotions and attachment towards you
And I don't care if you don't want me
Your feelings towards me are irrelevant to how I feel and what I intend to do to you
I'm yours, right now
I am available and dedicated to being with you, but only if you agree to my terms and conditions
Now listen
I want to make sure that you are paying attention and fully aware of what is happening
And you, you gonna do right (put a spell on you)
I am using my magic to force you to behave in a certain way
And you gonna be mine every night (put a spell on you)
I am using my magic to ensure that you remain physically and emotionally committed to me
Just when I, I, I, I, I, I (put a spell on you)
I am emphasizing my dominance and control over you through my repetition of the spell
Yes you, I put a spell on you, girl (put a spell on you)
I am explicitly targeting and calling out to you as the subject of my spell
I can't stand it (put a spell on you)
Your behavior is intolerable to me and I need to take action to ensure that you change
Oh, I can't stand you running 'round (put a spell on you)
Your behavior of going out and being with others is unacceptable and I must use my magic to stop it
Oh, I can't stand it girl, because you put me down
You have damaged my ego or hurt me emotionally in some way and I need to use my magic to restore my power over you
Oh, that is why I am going to put a spell on you
I am motivated by a desire to exert control and revenge over you through the use of magic
Because you are to be mine
I am asserting my claim over you and reminding you of your obligation to me
Lyrics © DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jay Hawkins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Adrian
on The Runner
Canadian Sinver / Songwriter Ian Thomas wrofe this song. He lives in Stoney Creek, Canada.
Dennis the Menace
on Do Wah Diddy Diddy
I live in Davenport,was still in the army when the band was stranded herein Davenport.