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).
You're Standing By
Manfred Mann Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I work to put you down girl
And laughed to see you cry
And yet you're standing by
I tried to make it clear girl
That i don't want you near girl
The price is much to high
And i try to go home, try to go home, try to go home, try to go home,
Try to go home without you
I guess i don't make my mind girl
But i always known that i wind up loving you
This hurting don't make sense girl
I want to say the best is just a pretense girl
Oh now i don't need to lie
And i'm so glad that you're standing by
Yes, yes, i'm so glad that you're standing by girl
Yes, yes, i want to tell the world that i'm so proud you're mine girl
Oh no i won't cry no more
I don't have to be a fool in life no more
In Manfred Mann's song "You're Standing By," the singer reflects upon a tumultuous relationship with a girl. The lyrics suggest that the singer has been unkind to her, working to put her down and laughing at her tears. He insists that he doesn't want her near and that the price of their relationship is too high, yet she continues to stand by him. Despite his attempts to leave her and go home without her, he always ends up loving her. The singer admits that the hurting doesn't make sense and that he was just pretending to be better off without her. He is grateful that she is still standing by him, and he no longer needs to cry or be a fool in life.
The song deals with the complexity of relationships and the struggle to reconcile one's feelings with one's actions. Through the lyrics, the singer expresses his regret for the way he has treated the girl, but also his love for her. He acknowledges that he has caused her pain, but he also cannot help his feelings for her. The song's storytelling, though simple, is emotionally charged, and the singer's vocals capture the internal turmoil of the character he is portraying.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh i want all your friends around girl
I want to publicly humiliate you in front of your friends and make you feel small.
I work to put you down girl
I intentionally try to lower your self-confidence and self-worth.
And laughed to see you cry
Seeing you in emotional pain brings me joy and satisfaction.
And yet you're standing by
Despite my mistreatment of you, you continue to stay with me and support me.
I tried to make it clear girl
I've tried to be direct with you and express that I don't want to be in a relationship with you.
That i don't want you near girl
I don't want to be in close proximity or intimate with you.
The price is much to high
Being with you comes with too many negative consequences.
Oh yet you're standing by
Despite all of this, you continue to support and care for me.
And i try to go home, try to go home, try to go home, try to go home,
I attempt to distance myself from you over and over again.
Try to go home without you
I try to leave behind the idea of being in a relationship with you.
I guess i don't make my mind girl
I can't seem to make a decision about whether or not to be with you.
But i always known that i wind up loving you
I know that I will ultimately end up falling in love with you.
This hurting don't make sense girl
I'm confused by my internal conflict about my feelings towards you.
I want to say the best is just a pretense girl
I believe that the idea of being in a happy, loving relationship is just an act or facade.
Oh now i don't need to lie
I don't feel the need to pretend anymore.
And i'm so glad that you're standing by
I'm grateful that you continue to stand by me and support me, despite my internal conflict.
Yes, yes, i'm so glad that you're standing by girl
I reiterate my gratitude for your unwavering support.
Yes, yes, i want to tell the world that i'm so proud you're mine girl
I want to publicly claim you as mine and express pride in our relationship.
Oh no i won't cry no more
I won't let my internal conflict and confusion bring me to tears anymore.
I don't have to be a fool in life no more
I no longer have to make foolish decisions and can move towards clarity and resolution.
Writer(s): Thomas Mc Guiness
Contributed by Samantha H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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.