Released 1965 Producer John Burgess Release date 1965 Genre Rock and roll | Language English Artist Manfred Mann Label His Master's Voice | |
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The One in the Middle is an EP by Manfred Mann, released in 1965. The EP is a 7-inch vinyl record and released in mono with the catalogue number His Master's Voice-EMI 7EG 8908. The record was the number 1 EP in the UK number-one EP for 9 weeks during the summer of 1965. The cover picture was taken by Nicholas Wright.
Contents
Manfred mann the one in the middle
Track listing
- "The One in the Middle" (Paul Jones)
- "Watermelon Man" (Herbie Hancock, Jon Hendricks)
- "What Am I to Do" (Phil Spector, Doc Pomus)
- "With God On Our Side" (Bob Dylan)
Background
The title song The One in the Middle was written by Manfred Mann's lead singer Paul Jones (singer) for Keith Relf of the Yardbirds, but Relf "shied away from the lyrics". It was then determined that Jones would sing it and he did, mastering "the art of singing tongue in cheek." The Dylan song, set to piano and military snare-drum, was the first of several recorded by the band, included here, according to the record's liner notes, because Bob had attended a gig and declared them "real groovy". The remaining tracks see the Manfreds on familiar ground, mining the US Rhythm and Blues charts for a Paul Jones vocal vehicle and picking up a funky jazz-blues classic that, like the title track, leaves room for the band's excellent soloing.
Chart performance
The record reached the Number 1 spot on the UK's EP charts three times. It first topped the chart on June 19, 1965, only to be displaced a week later by The Rolling Stones' Got Live If You Want It!. After a week Manfred Mann recaptured the # 1 spot for four weeks only to see the Rolling Stones regain it for another week before The One in the Middle went back to #1 again for another 4 weeks. The EP sold well enough to make the UK singles top ten.
Songs
1The One in the Middle
2Watermelon Man
3What Am I to Do