User:VirreFriberg/sandbox3

Background and composition
By early 1967, British pop group Manfred Mann had scored three top-ten singles in the United Kingdom since recruiting their new bassist Klaus Voormann and lead vocalist Mike d'Abo, "Just Like a Woman", "Semi-Detached, Suburban Mr. James" (both 1966) and "Ha! Ha! Said the Clown" (1967). However, on 5 May 1967, Fontana Records released Manfred Mann's fourth single on the label, an instrumental cover of Tommy Roe's 1966 hit single "Sweet Pea". Unlike all three singles previous to it, "Sweet Pea" became a relative chart failure for the band, only reaching number 36 on the Record Retailer chart in June of that year. Concurrently, Randy Newman had established himself as a respected songwriter in the UK, having written the number 4 hit "Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear" for Alan Price. Newman and Manfred Mann allegedly became aquainted through producer Denny Cordell, who had previously worked with Price and knew about Newman's material, finding it suitable for the band.

Notes and references
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