Much like Fleetwood Mac, who similarly (and presciently) took their name from a member other than the frontman,
Manfred Mann (named for its keyboardist) went through myriad iterations and huge stylistic changes over the decades as singers/songwriters came and went. After their early years as an R&B-flavored British Invasion act fronted by Paul Jones, new singer Mike d'Abo ushered in a few years of more baroque psych-pop. While that era is probably best known for their cover of Dylan's "
Mighty Quinn" (a.k.a. "Quinn The Eskimo"), no less compelling is the jubilant "My Name Is Jack."
The 1968 single, penned by US record producer and sometime-songwriter John Simon, is pure bubblegum, with a wickedly insinuating sing-along chorus, while the lyrics seem to portray the various inhabitants of--a school? An orphanage? An asylum? A little of each? I don't think the song got much attention in the US--I never heard it on oldies/classic rock radio, unlike "Quinn" (or the Jones-era "Do Wah Diddy Diddy")--but it has the feel of a perfect pop single, just a little bit askew.
On TV:
John Simon original:
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