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).
The One In The Middle
Manfred Mann Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The music that they're puttin' down
They started to play one rainy day
And the people came from miles around
They didn't come for the rhythm
They didn't come for the beat
The people of the town came just to stand around
Mike Hugg plays the drums, yeah
Tom McGuiness lays it down on the bass
But the one in the middle sings "hey, diddle, diddle"
God, he's just a pretty face
They didn't come for the rhythm
They didn't come for the beat
The people of the town came just to stand around
And see the singer lookin' sweet
They couldn't have
Manfred Mann plays the organ
Mike Vickers plays guitar
And there's a geezer called Paul who's so thin and so tall
And sure wants to be a star
They didn't come for the rhythm
They did not come for the beat, oh no
The people of the town came just to stand around
And see the singer lookin' sweet
See the singer lookin'
See the singer lookin'
Well, see the singer lookin'
Watch me now, see the singer lookin', oh
Oh yeah, see the singer lookin'
Mmm-hmm, yeah, see the singer lookin'
Sweet
The lyrics of Manfred Mann's song The One In The Middle describe the band and its members, and the people's response to their music. The song starts with the singer introducing the band and their music, and how they came to be known. The people came from miles around to see them perform, not because they were known for their rhythm or beat, but because of the singer in the middle. The singer is described as good looking and captivating, and the people came just to stand and watch him.
The second verse describes the members of the band and their instruments, but once again, the focus goes back to the singer in the middle. He is described as a pretty face, and although the people didn't come for the rhythm or beat of the band's music, they came to watch the singer, who has clearly caught their attention.
The song ends with repeated emphasis on the singer's captivating presence, as the audience watches him, transfixed. The lyrics do not indicate whether the band was successful or not, but they do paint a picture of a scene where the focus is on the lead singer and his charismatic aura, rather than the music itself.
Line by Line Meaning
Let me tell you 'bout the Manfreds
Let me explain to you about this band called Manfreds
The music that they're puttin' down
The music that they are making
They started to play one rainy day
They began playing music on a day when it rained
And the people came from miles around
People came from far away to hear them
They didn't come for the rhythm
Those that came didn't come for the beat
They didn't come for the beat
People didn't come for the rhythm of the music
The people of the town came just to stand around
The locals came to gather around and watch
And see the singer lookin' sweet
To see the good-looking singer
Mike Hugg plays the drums, yeah
Mike Hugg is the drummer in the band
Tom McGuiness lays it down on the bass
Tom McGuiness is responsible for the bass line
But the one in the middle sings "hey, diddle, diddle"
But the one who sings the main vocal part in the middle of the stage sings "hey, diddle, diddle"
God, he's just a pretty face
He is handsome, but has only his looks to show
They didn't come for the rhythm
Those that came didn't come for the beat
They didn't come for the beat
People didn't come for the rhythm of the music
The people of the town came just to stand around
The locals came to gather around and watch
And see the singer lookin' sweet
To see the good-looking singer
They couldn't have
They possibly could have not seen them live before
Manfred Mann plays the organ
Manfred Mann plays the organ in the band
Mike Vickers plays guitar
Mike Vickers plays guitar in the band
And there's a geezer called Paul who's so thin and so tall
There is a guy who goes by the name of Paul who is exceptionally tall with a lean figure
And sure wants to be a star
And he definitely wants to be famous
They didn't come for the rhythm
Those that came didn't come for the beat
They did not come for the beat, oh no
People didn't come for the rhythm of the music
The people of the town came just to stand around
The locals came to gather around and watch
And see the singer lookin' sweet
To see the good-looking singer
See the singer lookin'
Look at the singer
See the singer lookin'
Look at the singer
Well, see the singer lookin'
Well, take a look at the singer
Watch me now, see the singer lookin', oh
Now watch me and see the good-looking singer
Oh yeah, see the singer lookin'
Oh yes, look at the singer
Mmm-hmm, yeah, see the singer lookin'
Yes, indeed, see the good-looking singer
Sweet
The singer looks attractive
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PAUL JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lesleybashford4740
Went to see the Manfreds last week - they sang this - Paul Jones is 80 now and fantastic!!
@johnrees
What a great tune by a great band
@AtomicLobotomy
Paul Jones, lead singer of original Manfred Mann, was probably best rock vocalist of the sixties after Jagger and Eric Burdon. Really sad he fell out of sight.
@SBWNik
You missed his wonderful harmonica playing too
@AtomicLobotomy
Right, of course. Any info on what actually became of him? Maybe he still gigs in UK.
@SBWNik
Atomic Lobotomy last time I came across him, he was presenting an R&B show on UK radio 2, and doing occasional gigs
@AtomicLobotomy
Is this in recent times?
@Jordyiscute
+Atomic Lobotomy BBC Radio 2, Monday's at 7. And The Manfreds still tour the UK. They're on the road from March - June this year. They put on a fantastic show.
@Upsiditus7
I just realized recently that all 5 people mentioned in this song are still alive. It's amazing how few full British Invasion bands are still alive. This was already unusual back in 2005.
@lizdoyle7158
STILL LISTENING IN 2020 TO THIS AMAZING SOOOOOOOONG
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