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).
My Name Is Jack
Manfred Mann Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My name is Jack and I live in the back of the grand'a Garbo home
with friends I will remember wherever I may roam
And my name is Jack and I live in the back
of the Greta Garbo home for wayward boys and girls
we all love Jack ,we live in the back
There goes Fred with his hands on his head cause he thinks he's heard the bomb
and here comes Superman who really puts it on
there's lots of fun and I love to run up and down the stairs
I make as much noise as I want and no one ever cares
And my name is Jack and I live in the back
of the Greta Garbo home for wayward boys and girls
we all love Jack ,we live in the back
of the Greta Garbo home for wayward boys and girls
There's Carl over there with his funny old hair and he's never sad at all
and when he I grow up I want to run as fast as my friend Paul
there's the prettiest girl in the whole wide world and her name is Melody Mend
and here comes ma with brother Tom who's probably my best friend
well ,Tom is my best friend ,my best friend ,well ,Tom is my best friend
And my name is Jack and I live in the back
of the Greta Garbo home for wayward boys and girls
we all love Jack ,we live in the back
of the Greta Garbo home for wayward boys and girls
My name is Jack and I live in the back of the grand'a Garbo home
(we all love Jack) and I live in the back (we live in the back)
in the back of the Greta Garbo home for wayward boys and girls
and my name is Jack (we all love Jack) and I live in the back (we live in the back)
in the back of the Greta Garbo home for wayward boys and girls
My name is Jack and I live in the back
The opening lines of Manfred Mann's "My Name is Jack" introduce us to Jack, a young boy who lives in the Greta Garbo Home for wayward boys and girls. Jack proudly declares his name and his location at the back of the home. He also notes that he has friends who will remember him wherever he goes.
Throughout the song, Jack shares information about his life at the home, including the fun and games he has with his fellow residents. He highlights his friend Fred's playful paranoia and their own superhero, Superman. Jack also mentions other friends, such as Carl, Melody Mend, and his best friend, Tom. Jack's joyous description of his life at Garbo's home offers a glimpse into the resilience of children and how they can find joy and friendship even in tough circumstances.
Overall, the song is an ode to childhood resilience and the power of friendship, depicted through Jack's upbeat and positive perspective of living in the Garbo home. Despite potentially difficult circumstances, Jack and his friends find happiness and companionship with each other.
Line by Line Meaning
My name is Jack and I live in the back of the grand'a Garbo home
I am Jack and I reside in the rear of the Greta Garbo home for wayward boys and girls
with friends I will remember wherever I may roam
I have friends that I will always remember no matter where I go
There goes Fred with his hands on his head cause he thinks he's heard the bomb
Fred is running frantically with his hands on his head as he believes he has heard a bomb
and here comes Superman who really puts it on
Superman arrives and impresses us with his abilities
there's lots of fun and I love to run up and down the stairs
There is plenty of entertainment and I enjoy running up and down the stairs
I make as much noise as I want and no one ever cares
I am free to make noise without anyone objecting or reprimanding me
There's Carl over there with his funny old hair and he's never sad at all
Carl has amusing and old-fashioned hair and he is never unhappy
and when he I grow up I want to run as fast as my friend Paul
When I grow up, I aspire to run as fast as my friend Paul
there's the prettiest girl in the whole wide world and her name is Melody Mend
The most beautiful girl in the world is Melody Mend
and here comes ma with brother Tom who's probably my best friend
My mother and my brother Tom, who is possibly my closest buddy, are approaching
well ,Tom is my best friend ,my best friend ,well ,Tom is my best friend
Tom is indeed my closest friend, my closest friend, definitely Tom is my closest friend
My name is Jack and I live in the back of the grand'a Garbo home
I am Jack and I reside in the rear of the Greta Garbo home for wayward boys and girls
(we all love Jack) and I live in the back (we live in the back)
(everyone adores Jack) and I reside in the rear (we all live in the back)
in the back of the Greta Garbo home for wayward boys and girls
In the rear of the Greta Garbo home for boys and girls without a home
and my name is Jack (we all love Jack) and I live in the back (we live in the back)
I am Jack (everyone adores Jack) and I reside in the rear (we all live in the back)
in the back of the Greta Garbo home for wayward boys and girls
In the rear of the Greta Garbo home for boys and girls without a home
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jstringer213
First heard this on my Sony transistor radio on WABC New York 1967...I was 14...it was the "summer of love" just started n
"Noticing" girls...what a great time. I was blessed to grow up in that age of great music...from The Surpremes to the Doors to Manfred. I still love it all!!
Still kickin it!
@fisherpeter695
This was in the UK top ten in July 1968 don''t think it was released in the US a year before.
@jstringer213
Yep...1968...hell, I'm 71 yrs old...a year or 2 off...not bad!
@fisherpeter695
Even over fifty years later this song is a pleasure to listen to.
In my experience 1967-70 was the best time to grow up in the UK.
A glance at the audience gives an insight to the respectability and style of that time. Work stress was unheard of, instead we often had security. The summer of 1968 was warm throughout and this lovely song provides a mental picture for those who lived in this era.
@stevensaussey8680
Even as an NZ kid (a couple of years older than you, young fella) this was iconic. It radiates comfort, niceness and creativity.!
@jimduffy1967
Spot on there fisher Peter
@billyweir714
1960’s music still sounds better than the rubbish we have in 2022
@andymatthews7617
Not music now, UTTER GARBAGE.
@thedolphin5428
Why do idiots keep posting such nonsense as "the music was better in the 60s". Some was, some wasn't.
Ffs, listen to the words -- banal rubbish.
Ffs, listen to the music -- infantile pop.
Ffs, look at the dorky clothes and dancing.
Ffs, get out of your childhood, man.
@chris-xc7ec
I know right