"My Name Is Jack" is a song written by American record producer John Simon[2] and released as a single by British group Manfred Mann in 1968.[3] Their version reached number 8 on the UK Singles Chart.[4] It became an international Top 10 hit, but only reached number 104 in the US.[5]
| "My Name Is Jack" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Manfred Mann | ||||
| B-side | "There Is a Man" | |||
| Released | 7 June 1968 | |||
| Recorded | March 1968 | |||
| Studio | Trident, London[1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:50 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | John Simon | |||
| Producer(s) | ||||
| Manfred Mann singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editThe lyrics and music were written by John Simon, and his own version was included on the soundtrack of the 1968 film You Are What You Eat.[2] The song tells the story of a resident of the "Greta Garbo Home for Wayward Boys and Girls", which was the nickname of a real hostel, the Kirkland Hotel,[6] in San Francisco, where part of the movie was filmed.[7][8][9] Formerly Sakutaro Nakano's[10] Kashu Hotel,[11] 1701 Laguna Street, the building became dilapidated and was demolished, and the Christ United Presbyterian Church was opened on the site in 1975.[12] "Superspade", a real-life Haight Ashbury drug dealer, is also mentioned.
Early versions of the Manfred Mann cover also reference "Superspade", but as it is also a slur, the band later re-recorded the song with the more familiar "Superman" in its place, at the request of their US distributor, Mercury.[13]
The song was recorded at one of the first high-profile sessions at the newly constructed Trident Studios in London,[1] which would later become renowned for its use by such artists as the Beatles, David Bowie, Queen, and others.
Personnel
edit- Mike d'Abo – vocals, piano
- Manfred Mann – keyboards
- Tom McGuinness – guitar
- Klaus Voormann – bass guitar
- Mike Hugg – drums[14]
Chart history
edit| Chart (1968) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austria | 1 |
| Australia (Go-Set)[15] | 10 |
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 7 |
| Canada RPM Top Singles[16] | 27 |
| Finland (Suomen Virallinen)[17] | 33 |
| Germany | 7 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[18] | 13 |
| Netherlands | 16 |
| New Zealand (Listener)[19] | 10 |
| UK Singles Chart[4] | 8 |
| U.S. Billboard [5] | 104 |
Cover versions
edit- 1978 – Moonriders, Nouvelles Vagues
- 1994 – Pizzicato Five, Great White Wonder
References
edit- ^ a b c "BI's Chart Fax" (PDF). Beat Instrumental (8): 17. August 1968. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
- ^ a b "AFI Catalog of Feature Films – You Are What You Eat". American Film Institute. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
- ^ Shinner, Merrill (13 April 1977). "Manfred Mann rewrites the past". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
- ^ a b Betts, Graham (2004). Complete UK Hit Singles 1952–2004 (1st ed.). London: Collins. p. 488. ISBN 0-00-717931-6.
- ^ a b Joel Whitburn's Bubbling Under the Billboard Hot 100 1959-2004
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20040922032050/https://www.west.asu.edu/Koptiuch/SBS301_archive/PMEwebF02/Bray.html [bare URL]
- ^ GarboForever.com. Retrieved 17 July 2014
- ^ Mark Christensen, Acid Christ: Ken Kesey, LSD, and the Politics of Ecstasy, IPG, 2010, p.203, Retrieved 17 July 2014
- ^ Greta Garbo Home for Wayward Boys and Girls, discussion at HipForums.com. Retrieved 17 July 2014
- ^ The Kashu Hotel by Jerry F. Schimmel
- ^ https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2021650556/ [bare URL]
- ^ Christ United Presbyterian Church nichibei.org
- ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (first ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 185. CN 5585.
- ^ My Name Is Jack (Mono Version) on YouTube
- ^ Go-Set National Top 40, 28 August 1968
- ^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1968-08-03. Retrieved 2018-07-04.
- ^ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. p. 201. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – My Name Is Jack". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
- ^ Flavour of New Zealand, 6 September 1968