Manfred Mann

One of the most enduringly successful UK-based bands of the 1960s, Manfred Mann were a product of the British blues boom who blossomed into a widely successful pop band, noted for massive hits like Do Wah Diddy Diddy, Pretty Flamingo, Mighty Quinn and If You Gotta Go, Go Now. Originally called the Mann-Hugg Blues Brothers, they changed their name to Manfred Mann (the band) and forged a distinctive R&B sound around Manfred Mann's (the person) driven keyboards and Paul Jones' strident voice. Their big break came in 1964 when asked to provide the theme music for new pop TV show Ready Steady Go and came up with their first hit, 5-4-3-2-1. They then went to Number 1 in the UK with Do Wah Diddy Diddy, a cover of a minor hit by The Exciters. Specialising in Bob Dylan covers, other hits followed, though the blues influence lessened after Mike d'Abo replaced Paul Jones. The band was in the Top 10 with Ragamuffin Man in 1969 when they announced their split. Manfred Mann (the person) and Mike Hugg went on to experiment with jazz and blues flavoured bands and had further hits as Manfred Mann's Earthband, while Tom McGuinness had success with McGuinness Flint and joined Paul Jones in the long-running Blues Band.