The Manfred Mann Album

Manfred Mann's 1964 U.S. debut The Manfred Mann Album is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of the British Invasion, and it's easy to hear why. With the catchy smash single "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" alongside powerful readings of classics by Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and Ike and Tina Turner, it's a transcendent meeting of pop infectiousness and R&B grit that sets the stage for the musical achievements that the band would soon begin to rack up.

Although many of the British Invasion's most prominent bands were comprised of inexperienced rockers learning their craft as they went along, Manfred Mann was something different. The versatile British quintet, which took its collective name from that of its South African-born keyboardist, was comprised of four seasoned musicians with a solid grounding in jazz and blues, plus a charismatic frontman who was also one of England's finest blue-eyed soul singers. Together, the five members of Manfred Mann-or the Manfreds, as their fans called them-turned their diverse talents towards rock 'n' roll, and came up with a series of albums and singles that are among the catchiest and most enduring of the period.