THIS is a great song, too, originally written by Bruce Springsteen in the early '70s. He didn't have much success with his version, but Manfred Mann's version was the opposite. This song was also featured on Johnny Depp's "Blow" movie, which is a pretty damn good movie (the soundtrack is cool too) if I may say so myself. So Listen carefully.....

Manfred Mann
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Manfred Mann
Background information
Also known as Mann-Hugg Blues Band
Origin London, England
Genre(s) Pop rock, R&B
Years active 1962–present
Associated
acts Manfred Mann Chapter Three, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, The Blues Band, The Manfreds
Cock-A-Hoop.Manfred Mann was a British R&B and pop band of the 1960s, named after its keyboard player, who later led the successful 1970s follow-on group Manfred Mann's Earth Band.

Beginnings 1962 - 1963
Groovin'Manfred Mann formed in London in Dec 1962 as the Mann-Hugg Blues Band by keyboard player Manfred Mann (born Manfred Sepse Lubowitz, on 21 October 1940 in Johannesburg, South Africa) and drummer 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 group recruited Mike Vickers on lead guitar, Dave Richmond on bass and Paul Jones to front the band 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.

The group signed to HMV Records in March 1963 after a change of name to Manfred Mann, debuting 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
In 1964, and after the first of many line-up changes with Tom McGuinness (born Thomas John Patrick McGuinness, on 2 December 1941, in Wimbledon, South London) replacing Richmond, the group was 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. 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 by the Exciters (which charted # 78 in 1964 in the U.S.), which showcased Jones' powerful singing. The track reached the top of both the UK and US charts.

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 and reaching 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.

 

Blinded By the LIGHT, Manfred Mann