I am a black 32 year old woman from Mississippi I was riding with my husband and a car passed by blasting this!!! We spents about the next 30 mins searching for the song! This is the best date night we have had LOL! HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS SONG EXSISTED IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL IT BROUGHT A TEAR TO OUR EYES! I can see why we protect our classics my mom is probably dancing her behind off in heaven I feel like she is proud I found this!!! I can't wait to play this for our 10 year old autistic son😍
I’m 73. I thank my lord for being born when I was. The new music can’t hold a candle. Thank u lord for the best music ever! Beatles , Stones, Led Z and on.
I'm 173 so exactly a century older than you. I agree, although I liked the music hall acts of the late Victorian period in the 1880's and 1890's. I guess it's the music of our youths we like. This reminds me of being in my early 100's when life was simpler and more fun.
Dear mrs Hudson! Greetings from geir Røssaak, jessheim Norway! I grew up with the fantastic american soulmusic, but I listen to all sorts of music. Merry Christmas!
Easily one of the best songs ever made if you really listen to it. Music like this from the 70s is rarely beaten today. Idc what you say older artists had so much more talent than most of today’s artists.
Just one of the best live versions of a cut song.. True to the recording but also the live content just adds another "level" to the great artistship that the whole band command.. Just amazing and imo the best cover song that ever existed !!!. So much better and on another level than Springsteen's..
I didn't realise that bears lived that long.. Unless you are related to Paddington.. I just wish he would f##k off.. He doesn't share your sense of humour 😂😂😂😂
Saw them in a bar/nightclub in Atlanta in the summer of '73. I was into them before then but they blew the doors off my girlfriend of the time. One of the most under appreciated bands of all time.
Extraordinary! I love this band. Completely ahead of its time. In my opinion, Manfred has been underrated. Yet the sound is so crispy and cristal clear. "Watch" is one of the best R&R albums of all times. But this song is simply awesome!!
1978,16 years old & smoking pot in my neighbours basement and this song is played and I hear it for the first time, the good old days ! ,before cell phones and internet, the simpler times where people went out more and made friends through the art of conversation, Now everyone's at home lying on date sites and wired on video games...LOL
I've been hearing the version of this with the epic guitar solo for well over 40 years on the radio and its still one of my top favorite songs ever. This is probably the best performance of this song I've ever heard! We took music like this for granted growing up. I always thought it would keep getting better but most of that stopped decades ago.
@@GeirRssaak I always wondered that too, but I guess someone else in the comments said it was about the possible end of life in a nuclear war. I guess 'blinded by the light' makes sense in that case. I still don't know what the hook is saying! lol
@@returnofthebrotha lol it's about a woman in Jersey "shooting through", leaving town, getting out of dodge "revved up like a Deuce, another runner in the night".
I was 6 in 1975 and this song still caught the attention of a 6 year old...and my other 6 year old friends. After witnessing 5 decades of music, this song still has it.
Dave Fleck at 3:40. This has to be one of the greatest & under-rated guitar solos of all time! The tone, feel, emotion & expression are all there, subtle but devastating, he ripped the airwaves apart while keeping the mood & spirit of the song intact. Just saying 😉 xxx
Dave Flett briefly played for Thin Lizzy after one of the times Brian Robertson got kicked out. Great guitarist... I've always loved this version of this song (and I'm old enough to remember when it came out).
Holy cow. Done live, a song of such technical difficulty sounding just like the studio edit. Awe inspiring. Musicians of this caliber are a dying breed unfortunately.
I'm not a Manfred Mann fan, growing up during the British Invasion, but this is a remarkable live performance. I just came across this video and for nostalgic reasons thought I'd play ot, wow, its going on my favorites playlist for sire!
Yep. Went to an Alice Cooper concert (mid 70s), little old lady and a 10 year old beside me. She came along because his parents wouldn't allow him to go on his own so his grandmother volunteered to take him. Talked to her near the end of the concert, she honestly loved it!
No artist today captures the spirit and unbelievable talent back then. The 70s rocked. This live performance is eerily similar to the studio recording....no artist today can touch that!
Naw man This was definitely when music was real and pure talent No damn computer srap that changes voices This era was the best music hands down Motown was good
Written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, in 1972 for his 1973 album "Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.". The song came about on the insistence of Clive Davis, president of Columbia Records, who felt the album needed a single. Springsteen used a rhythmic dictionary, and that explains the somewhat cryptic meaning. Three years later, Manfred Mann's Earth Band included it as a cover, and their main single on the titular album "Blinded by the light" in 1976, and it was released in 1977. The song went on to become a much bigger hit for MMEB, charting at #1 that year, making it bigger for them, then it ever was for Springsteen. The "Mad man drummer" in the lyrics is a reference to Vini Lopez (later Mad Dog), Bruce Springsteen and the East Streets band first drummer. In a positive review for Rolling Stone, music critic Lester Bangs (played so beautifully by Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Almost Famous") hailed Springsteen as daring new artist who sets himself apart from his contemporaries with songwriting that either have a serious meaning or showcase his uninhibited gift for verbose, overloaded lyrics and rhyme schemes. My Personal feelings about song: Great music in a song. Springsteen's song is much more raw and stripped, while Manfred Manns' version is musically extravagant. Chris Thompson was at the peak of his vocal capacity, and its heard in this song.
+Lars Grimstad I found similar info! History The song came about when Columbia president Clive Davis, upon listening to an early version of Greetings from Asbury Park N.J., felt the album lacked a potential single. Springsteen wrote this and "Spirit in the Night" in response. According to Springsteen, the song came about from going through a rhyming dictionary and looking for rhymes. The first line of the song, "Madman drummers, bummers, and Indians in the summers with a teenage diplomat" is autobiographical- "Madman drummers" is a reference to drummer Vini Lopez, known as "Mad Man" (later changed to "Mad Dog"); "Indians in the summer" refers to the name of Springsteen's old Little League team; "teenage diplomat" refers to himself. The remainder of the song tells of many unrelated events, with the refrain of "Blinded by the light, cut loose like a deuce, another runner in the night". "Blinded by the Light" was the first song on, and first single from Greetings from Asbury Park N.J. Springsteen's version was commercially unsuccessful and did not appear on the music charts. Lyrics Manfred Mann's Earth Band's recording of the song features several changed lyrics. The most prominent change is in the chorus, where Springsteen's "cut loose like a deuce" is replaced with "revved up like a deuce."[2][3][4] This is commonly misheard as "wrapped up like a douche (the V sound in "revved" is almost unpronounced, and the S sound in "deuce" comes across as "SH" due to a significant lisp)."[5][6] Springsteen himself has joked about the controversy, claiming that it was not until Manfred Mann rewrote the song to be about a feminine hygiene product that it became popular.[7] Cover versions and reissues Manfred Mann's Earth Band released a version of the song on their album The Roaring Silence. Their version includes the "Chopsticks" melody played on piano. The song reached #1 on both Billboard's Hot 100 and on the Canadian RPM chart on 19 February 1977. The Manfred Mann's Earth Band recording of "Blinded by the Light" is Springsteen's only Number 1 single as a songwriter on the Hot 100. In 2002, Danish act Funkstar Deluxe released its disco version of this song. In 2012, the song was covered by Tim Armstrong within his "Tim Timebomb" project. A "jazzified" version can be found on Springsteen's Live in Dublin album, recorded with the Sessions Band.
"The Midnight Special was one of the greatest shows of the 70's and 80's! They actually had the groups play live! A real rarity for television! Bless you, Bert Sugarman! You have a special place in our hearts!
rob good How about that! Loved him and loved that song. "Blinded by the light, revved up like a Deuce, another runner in the night." How many actually know and understand those lyrics, do you think?
That impressed me too ....Werner ! The start of the song " Let's face it" pretty routine if you were good mus"o but at the end to sing with the lead vocals with differing lyrics and keep with the beat like the drummer did "I don't care what anyone saids that's freakin impressive .And yes I'm sure Other commenters are going to cite phil Collins and other drummers doing vocals .' But differing vocals while keeping the beat Lets face it that guys good .ps the other mus'o Manfred -man were pretty damn good too .
@@bulldogdave that blew my mind when I learned it was him...i first heard of him in 84 when he played with the firm and then naturally he went on to play with AC/DC
I hadn’t heard this song in a VERY long time but I woke up in the middle of the night last night and this tune was loud and clear in my head. How do these things happen? This tune, like all good music, has certainly passed the test of time.
absofuckinglutely, epic guitar solo....impressed how well they played it live....thought it was going to be just a radio song that would totally sucks live....NOT the case
Isn't that the truth! My son is 28 and what he listens to now embarrasses me, but once in a while I catch him listening to my shit. Pretends he isn't. 😂
These midnight special performances made musicians bring their A games to rock. It was like a battle of the bands every weekend they came on. It was live performances like it was done in the studio. Just raw talent and people who believed in themselves and their music how they played and sang from their hearts. The good ol days of music. It will never be duplicated.
And here it is.. 2023, This song and that piano riff is riveting! such a timeless Classic, and NOW more than ever, a Great Time to be "Blinded by the Light".. as more of us are waking up and allowing the Inner Light of our own Divinity to BlaZe its Way into our Hearts, minds, and bodies. Thank you Manfred Mann!
Takes me back to 1978 in my local , a quiet summer evening 18yrs old sitting on my own when this came on . I was mesmerised with it and I put it on every chance I got......great days.
They actually paved the way for Bruce Springsteen and the East Street Band. Bruce Springsteen helped them in the studio as a back up musician.They were excellent friends with Clarence Clemens and Max Weinberg.
I just found out today that I empty the household bins for Mike Hugg, the drummer from Manfred Mann, every Friday afternoon. He lives in Gosport, a small town on the south coast of England. Its his hometown, and mine. He owns a jewelry shop called Huggs Jewelers. I believe he gives me and my co-workers tips at christmas, for emptying his bins. I may have to knock his door next time and ask him for a signature and a photo. Im 31 years old and it would make my mum quite jealous.
Mike Hugg and his brother Nicholas Hug (who is dead now), both great musicians and songwriters who worked together alot, but neither have or had anything to do with the family business that began in the 1890s. Their father Richard Hug ran the business until he died, and its been run since by their sister Jane. There's another shop in Stubbington as well as Gosport. Mike still works as a musician and writer, and wasn't just the MM drummer, he was the bands Co founder.
Thank you for replying. I wasn't fully aware of his family history with the jewellers, only his history with Manfred Mann, and the fact he was a founding member. He must be very content with his accomplishments.
Put the earbuds in. Get comfortable. Play this just a hair above the lowest setting on repeat. Close your eyes. You'll wake up an hour later drooling going...OMG how many times has this repeated already!!? Tranquil, solid, great rock that puts you at ease. Timeless.
One of the greatest songs of all times period. The guitar solo is just out of the world so emotional!. When I knew this was a cover from B Springsteen with all my respects Mr S this is THE version.
No doubt! the entire arrangement, the layering of music, vocals, tempo change, etc... masterful . I wore out the 45 of this in the mid '70s, and then wore out the album
32 years old, nice I’m 55 and grew up with these classics. Many more on RUclips. Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, the sound of silence! Good luck in your search,don’t quit looking. I was amazed when my daughter, your age was into the music I grew up with
It's amazing to see the wonder that is hanging over the crowd. This song has always had a spot on all my play lists and will remain. Let's take into account this is 1975 and sounds incredible today..
I didn’t realize until a couple of years ago that this is a cover of a Springsteen song. When I heard that, I found the original and I definitely like the MM version better.
Not just for the rock sound , this song has a great composition between Its chord changes and the guitar solo is a masterpiece in its own right . One of the most underrated and hidden gems in all of rock n roll.
I was 11 years old in 1976 and wasn't allowed to listen to rock or country music. My grandmother gave me a set of headphones and I discovered a whole new world.
AS A KID GROWING UP IN THE IN LATE 60'S,70'S AND EARLY 80'S,THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL WAS ON THE MENU EVERY SATURDAY MORNING AT MIDNIGHT AROUND MY HOUSE.HELL I THINK IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN MY MOM'S FAVORITE SHOW.GOD BLESS HER SOUL.TODAY,MARCH 16TH,WOULD HAVE BEEN HER 78TH BIRTHDAY.WE MISS YOU MAMA GOD BLESS YOUR SOUL BABYGIRL.
What a treat to see these guys play live! We used to cruise up and down the main street listening to the radio. And when this song came on we would all sing it to the top of our lungs; I still sing it loud whe I hear it!
I was just a kid when i first heard this great song in the 1970's. I have loved Manfred Mann ever since.then. They are an excellent rock band. An excellent rock band indeed.
I remember listening to this song on the radio late at night courtesy of WLS Chicago. One of the things that gave me joy during an unhappy time in my life.
I am a black 32 year old woman from Mississippi I was riding with my husband and a car passed by blasting this!!! We spents about the next 30 mins searching for the song! This is the best date night we have had LOL! HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS SONG EXSISTED IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL IT BROUGHT A TEAR TO OUR EYES! I can see why we protect our classics my mom is probably dancing her behind off in heaven I feel like she is proud I found this!!! I can't wait to play this for our 10 year old autistic son😍
God bless Diana. Hearing this will hopefully enhance his life 10 fold, through the incredible power of music and all of the emotions that it unlocks🙏👍
Glad you liked it, my uncle wrote some of the scores for Manfred
Bruce Springsteen
Awesome. Dian’s, this song resonates something beyond words.
U are AWESOME
I’m 73. I thank my lord for being born when I was. The new music can’t hold a candle. Thank u lord for the best music ever! Beatles , Stones, Led Z and on.
I'm 173 so exactly a century older than you. I agree, although I liked the music hall acts of the late Victorian period in the 1880's and 1890's. I guess it's the music of our youths we like. This reminds me of being in my early 100's when life was simpler and more fun.
I agree brother man. Between 50's and 90's...MUSIC WAS AWESOME
I'm 72
Sir,are you from Ohio? (I knew a Roy Dukes in Ohio).
And Rush…… lol.
When I was a kid, I watched The Midnight Special as often as I could. This is why.
Me too bro 😎 I would have to stay up late to see it, but it was always a joy to me..
I’m a 61 yr old Black women loved this song during the 70’s in high school. This song always gave me good feelings ❤️
Dear mrs Hudson! Greetings from geir Røssaak, jessheim Norway! I grew up with the fantastic american soulmusic, but I listen to all sorts of music. Merry Christmas!
Good music doesn’t care what color you are.
@@The.Original.Potatocakes you are so right!
Jacque🥰♥️57 and still celebrating this gem🎶🇨🇦
SPIRITS IN THE NIGHT
Never thought growing up between the 70’s and the 90’s that I was experiencing the best musical generation that humanity produced
And don't forget the 60's.
Funny how time flies and we never know what we have until it’s gone
Lol
Totally
Yes!
Easily one of the best songs ever made if you really listen to it. Music like this from the 70s is rarely beaten today. Idc what you say older artists had so much more talent than most of today’s artists.
Search on RUclips for Why Modern Music is So Awful
I refused to believe this was live.
When I realized it was:
This is one of the best performances I have ever seen.
they nailed it for sure
You can tell it’s live for many reasons, not the least of which is the one and only bum note Mann plays at 5:07. But yeah- phenomenal performance
@@mattthrun-nowicki8641, it may have been a bum note, but I think that made the performance a little better. That's just me, though.
One of the greatest recording artists of all, underrated
Just one of the best live versions of a cut song.. True to the recording but also the live content just adds another "level" to the great artistship that the whole band command.. Just amazing and imo the best cover song that ever existed !!!. So much better and on another level than Springsteen's..
I can’t believe how well they play this live, such an amazing performance
Yes they are do gifted it’s beyond imagining.
You are so right!
Absolutely. This live performance is amazing!
It's AI
@@ShredFlintsTone-lc9tn hahahahaha
I'm 145 years old. I was 97 when this song came out nearly 50 years ago, and I'm still listening to it to this day.
looking good for 145 :-)
I like your sense of humor!
Bs
I didn't realise that bears lived that long.. Unless you are related to Paddington.. I just wish he would f##k off.. He doesn't share your sense of humour 😂😂😂😂
where ???
in hell with lucifer ?? 😅😅😅
One of the most unusual rock songs ever written in the history of mankind. And these guys nailed it note for note, word for word.
Agreed.
You do know they didn’t write it?
@@ernieels355 What difference does that make?
They also changed words/the arrangement from the original.
The Boss wrote the song
No autotune, no multiple takes, they all played their own instruments..it's no wonder music like this is timeless.
he has gorgeous pitch to his voice... edit: actually I meant tone, not pitch : P
@@blake121666 no it's not you fucking cretin
This is not lip synched! Practically none of the performances on the midnight special where lip synched!
@@blake121666 you my man are a tool.
The drummer's Style when plays introducing the "musical bridge" is very very marvelous, no words. Greetins from Mexico.
As a teen in the 70s didn't realize at the time how awesome it was.miss those great days so much now!
Yes! Damn Right!!
Me too
Absolutely Agree
Bloody well right
Me too ! 😅
The piano 🎹
The vocals 🎤
The guitar 🎸
The drums 🪘
Music like this is art. Timelessness 🤍
What about the bass?
No auto tune....just pure talent!
@@terry21651
Absolute talent!!
This is such a feel good tune! Have a great day from the U.K. 🇬🇧😁
Music is art!
@@Fretless99 It's all about that bass!
Bruce wrote lyrics and music, and Manfred Mann turned it into a song. Brilliant!
13 years old in 1975, this song epitomises that time in my life when the music was the best!
Ive got to agree with you, I was 21 back in 79, the 70's were the best years 😊
I was 15 , remember this masterpiece. Was in high school, and meet some nice girl, today my wife! 👍🏴
The single was released in 1976 and hit number 1 in 1977. Maybe 14 or 15?
I am now 62,an Aussie, and this came out when I was about 14. I still remember all of the words and LOVE this song!! So many memories!!
Hi Karen💐💐
Te vez hermosa solo piensa que la vida es como esta canción
You look good for a 75 yr old
Hi from Moree NSW.
How many agree??? One of the GREATEST SONG EVER!!!!
very good but not great.but thats only my opinion,you are very welcome to yours.
It's not one of the best, it is the best. No discussion needed!!
I'll say 1 of my top shelf favs for sure 🏃🔊✴🏃🔊✴🏃🔊✴🏃✴💜🏃💚✴🏃🔊✴🏃🔊✴
@@freespirit21newyork Great song please check out Manfred Mann`s Earth Band Debut Album Review on my channel
@@nigelarbury1042 Great song please check out Manfred Mann`s Earth Band Debut Album Review on my channel
Saw them in a bar/nightclub in Atlanta in the summer of '73. I was into them before then but they blew the doors off my girlfriend of the time. One of the most under appreciated bands of all time.
Totally agree
Did they blow her back door out
The 70s was hands down the greatest decade for music.
after the 60's ;)
after the 80s lol
@@belleooo Don't forget about Cardi B
@@belleooo 80s dont come close to 70s
The Seventies are a close second after the Ninetees.
I'm leaving my comment here so when someone likes it, I can play this masterpiece again 😊
😊
Come back
72 and still rocking
And again and again
Play it again Joe!
I'm 68 and still rollin and rockin to this stuff. Its in me blood🍺
I,m 72 & hear ya brother. One of the best bands I ever saw.
I'm a young guy here at 59 but I'll still be rockin' this one to my grave.
I'm 73 and still getting after it.
I am 57 and reading these posts inspire me. Rock on brothers, Keep the faith.
@@Playingwith3D me too and I'm 53 fond childhood memories. Keep the faith and keep.rockin
One of the greatest underestimated guitar solos of all time.
He owns it. Truth.
& that 70's Bowling Alley lighting is spot on
I don't see it...
yes one of the all time best, but he didn't do it all in this performance, disappointing.
Fuck yeah dude just blew me away!!!✌💛🤘
Nice guitar, but far away from what Prince was able to do with this instrument.
Extraordinary!
I love this band. Completely ahead of its time. In my opinion, Manfred has been underrated. Yet the sound is so crispy and cristal clear. "Watch" is one of the best R&R albums of all times.
But this song is simply awesome!!
That guitarist is waaaay under rated. Dude is an absolute monster on guitar. 🙌🏼
I'm 60 years old and when I heard this song for the first time I was still a child. But to this day, the song puts a smile on my face.
Fantastic song! Was it writtenby Dylan or Springsteen?
Me too ! 😊
me too i love this musik and i am 64 but still remember this times i cant forget
Yes, I absolutely loved the 60's and'70s. Much better times.
@@GeirRssaakWritten by Springsteen.1,000,000% better than his original version.
1978,16 years old & smoking pot in my neighbours basement and this song is played and I hear it for the first time, the good old days !
,before cell phones and internet, the simpler times where people went out more and made friends through the art of conversation,
Now everyone's at home lying on date sites and wired on video games...LOL
Dear Brother! I like your attitude! We are both musical dinosaurs from the same period! Greetings from geir Røssaak, jessheim Norway!
The 80s.
Dear Don! I have tried to understand Springsteen s text! What is it about?
So züchtet der Staat Lemminge...
lol
He nailed the vocal live!!!! Great performance!!!!!
Yeah
YEAH 🎉🎉🎉🎉😤😤
Can someone tell me please what is this song talking about
@@bigchieftheman-fi1zf You'd have to ask "The Boss" Bruce Springsteen
I've been hearing the version of this with the epic guitar solo for well over 40 years on the radio and its still one of my top favorite songs ever. This is probably the best performance of this song I've ever heard! We took music like this for granted growing up. I always thought it would keep getting better but most of that stopped decades ago.
We all remember the Rock Drought of the 1990's and early 2000's. *Lights a candle* -.-
A.G.
Well stated. RIP rock.
Totally agree, but what is the song about?!
@@GeirRssaak I always wondered that too, but I guess someone else in the comments said it was about the possible end of life in a nuclear war. I guess 'blinded by the light' makes sense in that case. I still don't know what the hook is saying! lol
@@returnofthebrotha lol it's about a woman in Jersey "shooting through", leaving town, getting out of dodge "revved up like a Deuce, another runner in the night".
I was 15 in 1975 and this was always on the radio, it got more play than more famous bands, such a great song. Thank you for ride back in time.
I was 6 in 1975 and this song still caught the attention of a 6 year old...and my other 6 year old friends. After witnessing 5 decades of music, this song still has it.
Same here 15 in 1975, we had the best music in the 70's!
I was also 15 and the seventiess music was the best
I also was 15.
Sophomore year in HS.
I was also 15 and lived in Germany. Heard this on AFN..
Thank you Bruce for writing the song, but thanks Manfred Mann for the BEST version .
@jameshisself no
@jameshisself ,
Yes- not better, just different. Both great!
@@Wolfwolveswolf It is better for him
I agree. This is the better version. What do you think BRUCE ?
TRIGGERED
What a guitar solo that was. Brilliant.
Reminds me of Schenker ... both the Flying V and the style.
Solo is fucking awesome! so pleasant guitar tone also
Trying to find it
Extraordinary
My fave rock/pop solo of all time.
So brilliant, so thankful that I lived to see this.
Dave Fleck at 3:40. This has to be one of the greatest & under-rated guitar solos of all time! The tone, feel, emotion & expression are all there, subtle but devastating, he ripped the airwaves apart while keeping the mood & spirit of the song intact. Just saying 😉 xxx
Dave *Flett* tho...
Underated brilliant guitarist
Looks like Shona Laing playing that solo in this video
Dave Flett briefly played for Thin Lizzy after one of the times Brian Robertson got kicked out.
Great guitarist...
I've always loved this version of this song (and I'm old enough to remember when it came out).
Listen to his solos on road to Babylon absolutely brilliant
Holy cow. Done live, a song of such technical difficulty sounding just like the studio edit. Awe inspiring. Musicians of this caliber are a dying breed unfortunately.
James Hamilton 2019 “Respect and dignity.” Furthermore: (“Respect and dignity!”)
@@themanwnoname3454 Great song please check out Manfred Mann`s Earth Band Debut Album Review on my channel
Right!?! Great voice with soul too!
Prog mixed with hard rock. A great formula
many metal bands pull it off every week
Thank you Bruce, for a Great Song. Thankyou Manfred Mann's Earth Band for doing it.
I'm not a Manfred Mann fan, growing up during the British Invasion, but this is a remarkable live performance. I just came across this video and for nostalgic reasons thought I'd play ot, wow, its going on my favorites playlist for sire!
Who's listening to this Gem in 2020👌👍.
Dave Saxon yeh brother
@@nikolauscascio269 😆👍
@@nikolauscascio269 😆👍
All day 👌🏾
Ohh yess
Can’t believe how good this sounds live. Amazing
Amazing sound!
They should have opened by saying “we’re gonna play BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN’S song from his debut album Greetings From Asbury Park”
I'm glad to have been a teenager in the seventies.
Yep. Went to an Alice Cooper concert (mid 70s), little old lady and a 10 year old beside me. She came along because his parents wouldn't allow him to go on his own so his grandmother volunteered to take him. Talked to her near the end of the concert, she honestly loved it!
Luv it. The 70's were something else 🤯
And in 2020 you are even still going strong, right ? You go man.
The Music, Movies, TV, Sports and Food was awesome in the 70s.
Yes we are Mark. It’s great to be old now to have been young then
This song makes me cry.. It sums up my youth. Born in 63.
Any of us that grew up on the Midnight Special are better for it ...we were truly
blessed .........
No artist today captures the spirit and unbelievable talent back then. The 70s rocked. This live performance is eerily similar to the studio recording....no artist today can touch that!
Jeff Lynnes ELO makes the music sound every bit as good as it was intended to sound.
@@DerbyVillan One word...Eagles...Joe, Glenn, Don...
I like it even better than the studio version
Naw man
This was definitely when music was real and pure talent
No damn computer srap that changes voices
This era was the best music hands down
Motown was good
@v mah 77 100 percent!!
This was played to an audience that hadn’t heard it….I love that. This is a …….no words…..song of an era.
I'd give up an organ for Bruce but I prefer MM's version of this song more than the original.
Doubtful since it’s a Springsteen cover.
Written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, in 1972 for his 1973 album "Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.". The song came about on the insistence of Clive Davis, president of Columbia Records, who felt the album needed a single. Springsteen used a rhythmic dictionary, and that explains the somewhat cryptic meaning.
Three years later, Manfred Mann's Earth Band included it as a cover, and their main single on the titular album "Blinded by the light" in 1976, and it was released in 1977. The song went on to become a much bigger hit for MMEB, charting at #1 that year, making it bigger for them, then it ever was for Springsteen. The "Mad man drummer" in the lyrics is a reference to Vini Lopez (later Mad Dog), Bruce Springsteen and the East Streets band first drummer.
In a positive review for Rolling Stone, music critic Lester Bangs (played so beautifully by Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Almost Famous") hailed Springsteen as daring new artist who sets himself apart from his contemporaries with songwriting that either have a serious meaning or showcase his uninhibited gift for verbose, overloaded lyrics and rhyme schemes.
My Personal feelings about song: Great music in a song. Springsteen's song is much more raw and stripped, while Manfred Manns' version is musically extravagant. Chris Thompson was at the peak of his vocal capacity, and its heard in this song.
+Lars Grimstad Good stuff, you obviously like Bruce
+perrys passage I love it! Bruce is so underrated as a songwriter, everyone takes credit for his stuff
Nice copy and paste
+Lars Grimstad I found similar info!
History
The song came about when Columbia president Clive Davis, upon listening to an early version of Greetings from Asbury Park N.J., felt the album lacked a potential single. Springsteen wrote this and "Spirit in the Night" in response.
According to Springsteen, the song came about from going through a
rhyming dictionary and looking for rhymes. The first line of the song,
"Madman drummers, bummers, and Indians in the summers with a teenage
diplomat" is autobiographical- "Madman drummers" is a reference to
drummer Vini Lopez,
known as "Mad Man" (later changed to "Mad Dog"); "Indians in the
summer" refers to the name of Springsteen's old Little League team;
"teenage diplomat" refers to himself. The remainder of the song tells of
many unrelated events, with the refrain of "Blinded by the light, cut
loose like a deuce, another runner in the night".
"Blinded by the Light" was the first song on, and first single from Greetings from Asbury Park N.J. Springsteen's version was commercially unsuccessful and did not appear on the music charts.
Lyrics
Manfred Mann's Earth Band's
recording of the song features several changed lyrics. The most
prominent change is in the chorus, where Springsteen's "cut loose like a
deuce" is replaced with "revved up like a deuce."[2][3][4] This is commonly misheard as "wrapped up like a douche (the V sound in "revved" is almost unpronounced, and the S sound in "deuce" comes across as "SH" due to a significant lisp)."[5][6]
Springsteen himself has joked about the controversy, claiming that it
was not until Manfred Mann rewrote the song to be about a feminine hygiene product that it became popular.[7]
Cover versions and reissues
Manfred Mann's Earth Band released a version of the song on their album The Roaring Silence. Their version includes the "Chopsticks" melody played on piano. The song reached #1 on both Billboard's Hot 100 and on the Canadian RPM
chart on 19 February 1977. The Manfred Mann's Earth Band recording of
"Blinded by the Light" is Springsteen's only Number 1 single as a
songwriter on the Hot 100. In 2002, Danish act Funkstar Deluxe released its disco version of this song. In 2012, the song was covered by Tim Armstrong within his "Tim Timebomb" project.
A "jazzified" version can be found on Springsteen's Live in Dublin album, recorded with the Sessions Band.
+Lars Grimstad Thanks for the knowledge, Lars. Ask me if I needed a ride
"The Midnight Special was one of the greatest shows of the 70's and 80's! They actually had the groups play live! A real rarity for television! Bless you, Bert Sugarman! You have a special place in our hearts!
OMG, I love this song. Memories!
"Revved up like a Deuce, another roller in the night." And those are the real lyrics. The Deuce was a car.
Donna Manning Hey, your name is almost spelled like Mann
rob good How about that! Loved him and loved that song. "Blinded by the light, revved up like a Deuce, another runner in the night." How many actually know and understand those lyrics, do you think?
Donna Manning I actually didn't myself. I just liked the song. Its good to know though,
The drummer was busy enough, but also singing harmony, that's damn impressive.
Chris Slade.
That impressed me too ....Werner ! The start of the song " Let's face it" pretty routine if you were good mus"o but at the end to sing with the lead vocals with differing lyrics and keep with the beat like the drummer did "I don't care what anyone saids that's freakin impressive .And yes I'm sure Other commenters are going to cite phil Collins and other drummers doing vocals .' But differing vocals while keeping the beat Lets face it that guys good .ps the other mus'o Manfred -man were pretty damn good too .
See: Levon Helm
He loved it!🥁
@@bulldogdave that blew my mind when I learned it was him...i first heard of him in 84 when he played with the firm and then naturally he went on to play with AC/DC
I hadn’t heard this song in a VERY long time but I woke up in the middle of the night last night and this tune was loud and clear in my head. How do these things happen? This tune, like all good music, has certainly passed the test of time.
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to just play a guitar solo like that ONCE in your life?
Chicks love it ;)
+Sabrina Phillips I may have to learn to play guitar then!
dude learn to play its not that hard of a solo dam good but not hard.........................
absofuckinglutely, epic guitar solo....impressed how well they played it live....thought it was going to be just a radio song that would totally sucks live....NOT the case
OMG - I can can play that solo and a thousand tunes in that caliber like it with my eyes closed - but SING like Mick - go ahead, I will wait.
I can listen to the solo over and over . Pure ethereal epicness . Doesn't exist anymore.
Isn't that the truth! My son is 28 and what he listens to now embarrasses me, but once in a while I catch him listening to my shit. Pretends he isn't. 😂
Buckethead golden eyes...you'll thank me
You should check out jam bands like string cheese incident and moe.
These midnight special performances made musicians bring their A games to rock. It was like a battle of the bands every weekend they came on. It was live performances like it was done in the studio. Just raw talent and people who believed in themselves and their music how they played and sang from their hearts. The good ol days of music. It will never be duplicated.
And here it is.. 2023, This song and that piano riff is riveting! such a timeless Classic, and NOW more than ever, a Great Time to be "Blinded by the Light".. as more of us are waking up and allowing the Inner Light of our own Divinity to BlaZe its Way into our Hearts, minds, and bodies. Thank you Manfred Mann!
Takes me back to 1978 in my local , a quiet summer evening 18yrs old sitting on my own when this came on . I was mesmerised with it and I put it on every chance I got......great days.
Unbelievable skill, power,completely giving their all, they should've got a lot more attention
Yup lets go back to the 20th century
How can a band be this good? Top 10 best live performances of all time. Seriously.
Nothing better than a band that can pull off their songs live. Awesome!
I love his mini moog. Manfred Mann is from South Africa and he developed the first rock band there.
It would help if it was actually their song
Bruce !
Bruce the boss must have been high as kite when he wrote this man Fred Mann good Bruce awesome
wow, absolutely stellar performance of this song. truly talented individuals up on that stage.
This is possibly the best live version of this ever.
Yes it is
I agree.even better than the studio version.
Blows studio version out the water by far i agree
Brilliant song, brilliant band, brilliant singing and guitar work! And this is live. Wow.
I doubt any band nowadays could pull off a performance like this..and LIVE!!!!!
Absolutely insane performance!!!
NIGHTINGALE AND BOMBERS
SAW THEM DO THIS LIVE THEY ARE A TIGHT BAND
@@johneldridge8678 LOOK UP NIGHTINGALE AND BOMBERS
The singer is great but that guitarist is underrated....loved his solo
SabuPtolemy Wow, I didn’t know he was a therapist.
the drummer, too
Undrrated by... who? You? Until now?
Why is there always someone with the obligatory `underrated ‘ comment on RUclips threads?! 🙄
Who’s the singer, I’m lovin him!
2024 and I still listen to the best music!!!
Love these old Midnight Special videos!
😍
Ditti!@@CarollPearson-o7i
I'm a hip hop junkie but I swear I was singing this at work and my supervisor was like wtf...I love all music especially music from the 70s and 80s...
i think we could be friends
This group is a little underrated. When you listen to their deep tracks you realize how incredible they are.
They actually paved the way for Bruce Springsteen and the East Street Band. Bruce Springsteen helped them in the studio as a back up musician.They were excellent friends with Clarence Clemens and Max Weinberg.
They had 3 Bruce Springsteen's covers on this album
Underrated. DJs hate them and they had to sell records door-to-door. So sad.
Overly underrated!
I am only 21 and it is music like this that keeps me away from modern garbage.
+1
Scott Reid good for you brother
26 haha
No one cares
@@shitmagician9519 about what? Took you five years to think of that? Nice.
Been saying for a long time that this is the second best cover song ever recorded...right after "All Along the Watchtower".
This is a performance and a half. The voice, the keyboards, and THAT SOLO. Amazing.
Everything perfect. Great masterpiece! 🏴
I just found out today that I empty the household bins for Mike Hugg, the drummer from Manfred Mann, every Friday afternoon. He lives in Gosport, a small town on the south coast of England. Its his hometown, and mine. He owns a jewelry shop called Huggs Jewelers. I believe he gives me and my co-workers tips at christmas, for emptying his bins. I may have to knock his door next time and ask him for a signature and a photo. Im 31 years old and it would make my mum quite jealous.
Mike Hugg and his brother Nicholas Hug (who is dead now), both great musicians and songwriters who worked together alot, but neither have or had anything to do with the family business that began in the 1890s. Their father Richard Hug ran the business until he died, and its been run since by their sister Jane. There's another shop in Stubbington as well as Gosport. Mike still works as a musician and writer, and wasn't just the MM drummer, he was the bands Co founder.
Thank you for replying. I wasn't fully aware of his family history with the jewellers, only his history with Manfred Mann, and the fact he was a founding member. He must be very content with his accomplishments.
Give it to your mum for Christmas
Chris Slade in the video. I was unaware of the different versions of this band until lately.
say hello from Russia, if you meet him
Put the earbuds in. Get comfortable. Play this just a hair above the lowest setting on repeat. Close your eyes. You'll wake up an hour later drooling going...OMG how many times has this repeated already!!? Tranquil, solid, great rock that puts you at ease. Timeless.
This is just one of the best songs ever. So balaced, vivid, happy, poetic., Rock n' Roll. Just awesome.
One of the greatest songs of all times period. The guitar solo is just out of the world so emotional!. When I knew this was a cover from B Springsteen with all my respects Mr S this is THE version.
Man! When real musicians play real music, it is bliss, magic and heaven all mixed together...
Absofuckinlutely great.
Dave Flett is one of the most underrated rock guitarists of all time - his solo on this song is an absolute masterpiece that rips your heart out.
No doubt! the entire arrangement, the layering of music, vocals, tempo change, etc... masterful . I wore out the 45 of this in the mid '70s, and then wore out the album
This would be one of my "Desert island disc" choices
Amen!!! 🎸
Do you know what he’s using on the solo the bit where it goes irattic like loads of high pitched destortion it’s just an incredible peace of music .
@@benharber8139 erratic piece of music.
32 years old, nice I’m 55 and grew up with these classics. Many more on RUclips. Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, the sound of silence! Good luck in your search,don’t quit looking. I was amazed when my daughter, your age was into the music I grew up with
Opps Im back, one more suggestion, Sam the sham and the pharaohs, Wolly Bully. ❤
Great voice, no correction, nothing, just live! Totally brilliant.
So thankful I lived through the generations of the best musical poets of all time, that well never see again.
Incredible one of the greatest live performances ever.
2024 still mesmerized by this tune 🎶. Thank you Manfred Mann and Bruce "The Boss"
Springsteen 👏👏👍
Dave Flett threw down a solo for the ages with this one. Very under appreciated
I would go as far as saying that it is overly under appreciated!
Remember "Quinn the Eskimo " released in 1968 by Manfred Man.
In the age of covid 19, thank the lord for gems like this.
MAN! Anyone missing music like this from the 70, 80s as much as I am. And the Midnight Special was the isssssssh~
When I was In the Navy, My first Westpac, We wore this cassette OUTTT!!! It still rocks Thank You MM!!!!! jeff F. ;-)))))))
It's amazing to see the wonder that is hanging over the crowd. This song has always had a spot on all my play lists and will remain. Let's take into account this is 1975 and sounds incredible today..
Crazy
Hell Yes!!!😊😊😊😊
One of the best ever "cover better than the original" songs. What a great voice he had, and to pull it off live, with no one doubling up for him!
I didn’t realize until a couple of years ago that this is a cover of a Springsteen song. When I heard that, I found the original and I definitely like the MM version better.
@@rogerd777 MM is the original. A bunch of losers would like us to think otherwise.
@@dianequick3127 nice try dirtbag. It is the boss's song. Apologise ya pig
@@dianequick3127 Uh, no. This song was actually originally written by Bruce Springsteen, however much you or I enjoy the cover version.
@@grantcarpenter6685 I do not believe you
Not just for the rock sound , this song has a great composition between Its chord changes and the guitar solo is a masterpiece in its own right . One of the most underrated and hidden gems in all of rock n roll.
Michael Dean Phillis well put. it is a screaming guitar solo one of the best I've ever heard
It was a number one Billboard hit. I wouldn’t consider it “underrated”.
Springsteen has written some gems, and this is one that MM totally made their own..
I remember buying the album because of that solo. It turned out to be a wise decision.
By far one of the most overly underrated of all time!
Love this song and many others of Manfred Mann. Reminds me of the time when I was a teenager. It's the music of my youth.
I was 11 years old in 1976 and wasn't allowed to listen to rock or country music. My grandmother gave me a set of headphones and I discovered a whole new world.
I was 15 and remember going camping at lake Tawakoni and hearing it in my tent listening to a radio outside!
AS A KID GROWING UP IN THE IN LATE 60'S,70'S AND EARLY 80'S,THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL WAS ON THE MENU EVERY SATURDAY MORNING AT MIDNIGHT AROUND MY HOUSE.HELL I THINK IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN MY MOM'S FAVORITE SHOW.GOD BLESS HER SOUL.TODAY,MARCH 16TH,WOULD HAVE BEEN HER 78TH BIRTHDAY.WE MISS YOU MAMA GOD BLESS YOUR SOUL BABYGIRL.
So sorry for your loss My Brother...
THANKS
What a treat to see these guys play live! We used to cruise up and down the main street listening to the radio. And when this song came on we would all sing it to the top of our lungs;
I still sing it loud whe I hear it!
Now THIS WAS A PERFORMANCE JACK,I remember seeing this when I was a kid,MIDNIGHT SPECIAL was my show!
"Wrapped up like a d*uche" is how we lived our childhood hearing ✋😔
Is what I herd
Truth
Little early birdie gave my a*nus curly whirly
*Steven Terryberry joined the Chat*
@@bjoern_thun_dersteel Lol
Springsteen wrote it.
These guys rocked it.
Gotta say I like Springsteen’s better. Both rock though!
Bloody oath they rocked it.
The Springstein version didn't move Hell the beginning of the socks "chop sticks"
youknow it brother
Springsteen, yawn...
Great childhood memories being a kid in the 70's ! Still to this day, THIS SONG warms my heart .
I was just a kid when i first heard this great song in the 1970's. I have loved Manfred Mann ever since.then. They are an excellent rock band. An excellent rock band indeed.
Fantastic song!
Will never get tired of playing this record!
A real classic!!!
YUP
They took this Springsteen song and made it their own.. fantastic.. brilliant guitar solo and awesome keyboards
So true and the Boss being the man would think it was brilliant too.
What about the drummer?
Bruce did this song no favors. This reminds me of The Who's version of Pinball Wizard versus Elton John's version.
@@Cartier_specialist Yes sometimes a cover is better than the original.
Another example, "Call me the Beeeze" by Skynard.
Still gives me goosebumps after 50 years.
(ME, TOO!)....
Gives me freaking chills... makes me think of the summer of 1975 I was going BUck wild that year haha
F**k yes 👍🏻👍🏻
This is a Bruce Springsteen song isn't it
I know ✌️
can you believe this classic is more than 40 years old ?!!!
uh yes sir i do im 53 ,say it 40 years ago wowzers
I remember listening to this song on the radio late at night courtesy of WLS Chicago. One of the things that gave me joy during an unhappy time in my life.
Who knew when were living the life in the 70s that we were in the greatest time period of music ever. Concerts were fantastic.
And affordable
Your so right. Man did I ever take that for granted.
@@dlm1498 I'd disagree and saty the 60s were the best era for music especially the British invasion.
😊
Love this song. A true classic. Mannfred Mann needs to be promoted more...
The good old days.. when musicians sounded as good as their records, live on stage. :)
Hopefully better days will come good music and more guitar
Olekzbc you are so right
I grew up on WLS AM radio and "Blinded by the Light" and "For You" have stay with me all these years...
Another day in the neverending story of John Landecker and his job!