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).
Sticks and Stones
Manfred Mann Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why won't they let us be?
Sticks and stones may break my bones
But talk don't bother me
People talkin', tryin' to break us up
They know that I love you so
I don't care what the people may say
I'll never-never let you go
In my heart
I've been accused
Oh yeah
I've been rebuked and I've been stung
People talkin' tryin' to break us up
You know, they're trying to blacken my name
They'll say anything just to make me feel bad
Anything to make me shamed, all right!
People talkin', tryin' to break us up
They know that I love you so
Well I don't give a, hmm, what the people say, baby
I'll never-never let you go
No-no, people talkin' tryin' to break us up
They're trying to blacken my name
They'll say anything just to make me feel bad
Anything to make me shamed
I've been abused
In my heart
I've been accused, oh no
I've been rebuked and I've been stung, yeah
People talkin', tryin' to break us up
But won't they let us be?
Sticks and stones are gonna break my bones
But talk don't bother me
"Sticks and Stones" by Manfred Mann is a song that addresses the challenges of a romantic relationship that is constantly the subject of rumors, gossip, and criticism by others. The lyrics describe the singer's devotion to their significant other and their determination not to let the opinions of others interfere with their love. The title of the song is taken from the children's saying, "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me," which highlights the idea that words are not as powerful as actions.
The first verse focuses on the singer's response to the people who are trying to break them up. Instead of being bothered by their talk, the singer proclaims that "talk don't bother me." In the second verse, the singer acknowledges the attempts of the people to "blacken my name" and "make me feel bad" but reiterates that their love is more important than the opinions of others. The final verse ends on a defiant note, with the singer asserting that while "sticks and stones may break my bones," they will never let go of their lover.
Overall, "Sticks and Stones" is a song about the power of love to overcome the negativity and criticism of others. It is a reminder that the opinions of others should not be allowed to interfere with personal relationships or to dictate one's own happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
People talkin' tryin' to break us up
Other people are attempting to end our relationship by spreading rumors and lies.
Why won't they let us be?
Why can't they leave us alone and let us love each other without interference?
Sticks and stones may break my bones, But talk don't bother me
Physical harm is painful, but words don't have the same effect.
They know that I love you so, I don't care what the people may say, I'll never-never let you go
Despite others' disapproval, I love you and won't let them come between us.
I've been abused, In my heart
The rumors and lies have hurt me emotionally.
I've been accused, Oh yeah, I've been rebuked and I've been stung
Others have blamed me for things I didn't do and criticized me harshly.
They know that I love you so, Well I don't give a, hmm, what the people say, baby, I'll never-never let you go
I don't care about others' opinions when it comes to my love for you, and I won't let them separate us.
No-no, people talkin' tryin' to break us up, They're trying to blacken my name, They'll say anything just to make me feel bad, Anything to make me shamed
Others are spreading lies to damage my reputation and make me feel ashamed and embarrassed.
But won't they let us be? Sticks and stones are gonna break my bones, But talk don't bother me
I wish others could just let us be happy together, and even though words can be hurtful, they won't actually harm me physically.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing, Kassner Associated Publishers Ltd
Written by: TITUS TURNER
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.