Mandy (song)
Encyclopedia
"Mandy", originally titled "Brandy", is a song jointly written and composed by Scott English
and Richard Kerr
.
"Brandy" had been a hit in 1971 for Scott English
in the UK
and in 1972 for Bunny Walters in New Zealand
. However, the song was made famous by Barry Manilow
in 1974 when he changed the title to "Mandy" to avoid confusion with Looking Glass
's "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)
." His version reached the top of the US Hot 100 Singles Chart. Later on, it was recorded by many other artists. Irish boyband Westlife
had a UK #1 with their version in 2003.
Scott English
Under the title "Brandy", the selection's original title, the song charted in 1971 for Scott English
, one of its joint authors-composers, whose version of it reached number 12 in the UK Singles Charts. It was also released in the United States, but it was not successful there.
The suggestion that Scott English wrote the song about a favorite dog is apparently an urban legend
. English has said that a reporter called him early one morning asking who "Brandy" was, and an irritated English made up the "dog" story to get the reporter off his back.
Barry Manilow
In 1974
, recorded by Barry Manilow
under the title "Mandy", the song was Manilow's first number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100
and Easy Listening charts, and his first gold single.
In the three years between English's 1971 recording and Manilow's, Looking Glass
had charted with a selection titled "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)
" in 1972. Therefore, to avoid confusion, when Manilow decided to record the selection, he changed the title to "Mandy." It was Clive Davis who suggested that Manilow record the selection.
Manilow originally recorded it as an up-tempo bubblegum pop tune similar to English's original, but he and his producer, Ron Dante
, reportedly hated the way it turned out; thus, he re-recorded it as a ballad and was much more pleased with the results. It was Manilow's first hit single and the first song on Clive Davis
's Arista Records
label (formerly Bell Records
) to hit the Billboard Hot 100
.
in 2003 and was released as the second single from their fourth studio album, Turnaround
. The single peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart
to become the band's twelfth number-one single on the chart. The single sold over 190,000 copies in UK.
UK CD2
s include:
Scott English
Scott English is an American songwriter and record producer, best known as the composer of "Brandy", which became a number-one hit for Barry Manilow in 1974 under the revised title of "Mandy"...
and Richard Kerr
Richard Kerr (songwriter)
Richard Kerr is an English composer, who co-wrote "Mandy", "Looks Like We Made It" and "Somewhere in the Night" - all of which became hit singles for Barry Manilow.-Career:...
.
"Brandy" had been a hit in 1971 for Scott English
Scott English
Scott English is an American songwriter and record producer, best known as the composer of "Brandy", which became a number-one hit for Barry Manilow in 1974 under the revised title of "Mandy"...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and in 1972 for Bunny Walters in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. However, the song was made famous by Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
in 1974 when he changed the title to "Mandy" to avoid confusion with Looking Glass
Looking Glass (band)
Looking Glass was an American pop music group of the early 1970s that was part of the Jersey Shore sound. They are best remembered for their million selling 1972 song, "Brandy ".-Career:...
's "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)
Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)
"Brandy " is a 1972 pop song written and composed by Elliot Lurie and recorded by Lurie's band, Looking Glass, on their debut album Looking Glass. The single reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, remaining in the top position for one week. Horns and strings were arranged by Larry Fallon...
." His version reached the top of the US Hot 100 Singles Chart. Later on, it was recorded by many other artists. Irish boyband Westlife
Westlife
Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
had a UK #1 with their version in 2003.
Scott EnglishScott EnglishScott English is an American songwriter and record producer, best known as the composer of "Brandy", which became a number-one hit for Barry Manilow in 1974 under the revised title of "Mandy"...
version
Under the title "Brandy", the selection's original title, the song charted in 1971 for Scott EnglishScott English
Scott English is an American songwriter and record producer, best known as the composer of "Brandy", which became a number-one hit for Barry Manilow in 1974 under the revised title of "Mandy"...
, one of its joint authors-composers, whose version of it reached number 12 in the UK Singles Charts. It was also released in the United States, but it was not successful there.
The suggestion that Scott English wrote the song about a favorite dog is apparently an urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
. English has said that a reporter called him early one morning asking who "Brandy" was, and an irritated English made up the "dog" story to get the reporter off his back.
Charts
| Chart (1971) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 12 |
| US Billboard Singles Chart | 91 |
Bunny Walters version
In 1972, Bunny Walters recorded "Brandy" and had a hit with it in New Zealand. The backing vocals were by The Yandall Sisters. He later on included it in his album Very Best of Bunny Walters| Chart (1972) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 4 |
Barry ManilowBarry ManilowBarry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
version
In 19741974 in music
-January–April:*January 3 – Bob Dylan and The Band kick off their 40-date concert tour at Chicago Stadium. It's Dylan's first time on the road since 1966.*January 17...
, recorded by Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
under the title "Mandy", the song was Manilow's first number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and Easy Listening charts, and his first gold single.
In the three years between English's 1971 recording and Manilow's, Looking Glass
Looking Glass (band)
Looking Glass was an American pop music group of the early 1970s that was part of the Jersey Shore sound. They are best remembered for their million selling 1972 song, "Brandy ".-Career:...
had charted with a selection titled "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)
Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)
"Brandy " is a 1972 pop song written and composed by Elliot Lurie and recorded by Lurie's band, Looking Glass, on their debut album Looking Glass. The single reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, remaining in the top position for one week. Horns and strings were arranged by Larry Fallon...
" in 1972. Therefore, to avoid confusion, when Manilow decided to record the selection, he changed the title to "Mandy." It was Clive Davis who suggested that Manilow record the selection.
Manilow originally recorded it as an up-tempo bubblegum pop tune similar to English's original, but he and his producer, Ron Dante
Ron Dante
Ron Dante is an American singer, songwriter, session vocalist, and record producer...
, reportedly hated the way it turned out; thus, he re-recorded it as a ballad and was much more pleased with the results. It was Manilow's first hit single and the first song on Clive Davis
Clive Davis
Clive Davis is an American record producer and music industry executive. He has won five Grammy Awards and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer. From 1967 to 1973 he was the President of Columbia Records. He was the founder and president of Arista Records from 1975...
's Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
label (formerly Bell Records
Bell Records
Bell Records was an American record label founded in 1952 by Arthur Shimkin in New York, the owner of children's record label Golden Records, and initially a unit of Pocket Books, after the rights to the name were acquired from Benny Bell who used the Bell name to issue risque novelty records. A...
) to hit the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
Charts
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart | 1 |
| German Singles Chart | 19 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 6 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 30 |
| UK Singles Chart | 11 |
| US Hot 100 Singles Chart | 1 |
Westlife version
"Mandy" was covered by the band WestlifeWestlife
Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
in 2003 and was released as the second single from their fourth studio album, Turnaround
Turnaround (Westlife album)
Turnaround is the fourth studio album by Irish boy band Westlife and it was released on 24 November 2003. The first single released was the upbeat track, "Hey Whatever". The song is essentially a cover of Irish rock band Relish's Rainbow Zephyr, but with a slightly changed set of lyrics and a...
. The single peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
to become the band's twelfth number-one single on the chart. The single sold over 190,000 copies in UK.
Track listing
UK CD1- "Mandy" (Single Remix) – 3:19
- "You See Friends (I See Lovers)" – 4:11
- "Greased Lightning" – 3:19
- "Mandy" (video) – 3:19
- "Mandy" (making of the video) – 2:00
UK CD2
- "Mandy" (single remix) – 3:19
- "Flying Without Wings" (live) – 3:41
Charts
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 16 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 50 |
| Danish Singles Chart | 2 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 27 |
| German Singles Chart | 14 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 15 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 4 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 30 |
| UK Singles Chart | 1 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (2003) | Position |
|---|---|
| Irish Singles Chart | 5 |
| UK Singles Chart | 32 |
Chart successions
Other versions
"Mandy" has been covered many times. Notable cover versionCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s include:
- Bunny Walters in 1972 (as "Brandy" as in the original)
- Andy WilliamsAndy WilliamsHoward Andrew "Andy" Williams is an American singer who has recorded 18 Gold- and three Platinum-certified albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a TV variety show, from 1962 to 1971, as well as numerous television specials, and owns his own theater, the Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri,...
(1975) - Richard ClaydermanRichard ClaydermanRichard Clayderman is a French pianist who has released numerous albums including the compositions of Paul de Senneville and Olivier Toussaint, instrumental renditions of popular music, rearrangements of movie soundtracks, ethnic music, and easy-listening arrangements of most popular works of...
(1994) - Johnny MathisJohnny MathisJohn Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standards, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts...
(1997) - Me First and the Gimme GimmesMe First and the Gimme GimmesMe First and the Gimme Gimmes is a punk rock supergroup and cover band that formed in 1995. The Gimmes work exclusively as a cover band. The band is named after a children's book of the same name by Gerald G. Jampolsky and Diane V. Cirincione...
(1997) - Box Car RacerBox Car RacerBox Car Racer was a short-lived American post-hardcore band from San Diego, California, formed in 2002. The band was a side-project of guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge and drummer Travis Barker of Blink-182, along with lead guitarist David Kennedy of Hazen Street, and touring bassist Anthony Celestino...
(2002) - Westlife (2003)
- Bradley JosephBradley JosephBradley Joseph is an American composer, arranger, and producer of contemporary instrumental music. His compositions include works for orchestra, quartet, and solo piano, while his musical style ranges from "quietly pensive mood music to a rich orchestration of classical depth and breadth".Active...
(2005) - Donny OsmondDonny OsmondDonald Clark "Donny" Osmond is an American singer, musician, actor, dancer, radio personality, and former teen idol. Osmond has also been a talk and game show host, record producer and author. In the mid 1960s, he and four of his elder brothers gained fame as the Osmond Brothers on the long...
(2007)
In popular culture
- The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
parodied this in the episode "The Last Temptation of HomerThe Last Temptation of Homer"The Last Temptation of Homer" is the ninth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 9, 1993. In the episode, a female employee named Mindy is hired at the nuclear power plant...
" in which Homer feels torn between his attractive new co-worker (Mindy) and his own wife. At first, Homer is washing up in his bathroom and singing "Mandy" but replacing the name with Mindy, until the last line where he says "Andy" instead. Then late, Homer and Mindy were in a hotel room together, and a turkey slips behind the bed. Later, when Homer brings Marge to the room, he starts singing to her, "Oh, Margie, you came and you found me a turkey." The song is also parodied in the episode "Day of the JackanapesDay of the Jackanapes"Day of the Jackanapes" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons twelfth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 18, 2001. In the episode, Krusty announces his retirement due to interference from network executives and the growing popularity of the game...
", in which Krusty sings a new version of the song about Sideshow Bob. - The song was parodied in a Will & GraceWill & GraceWill & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
episode where Grace Adler sang it as "Mommy" while in front of a theatre in which Manilow would perform the following day. She was regretting that her mother was avoiding meeting her. - The song was sung by David BoreanazDavid BoreanazDavid Boreanaz is an American actor, television producer, and director, known for his role as Angel on the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and as Special Agent Seeley Booth on the television crime drama Bones....
at a karaoke bar in an episode of AngelAngel (TV series)Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
. - The song was featured in the movie Can't Hardly WaitCan't Hardly WaitCan't Hardly Wait is a 1998 American teen comedy film written and directed by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont. It stars Ethan Embry, Charlie Korsmo, Lauren Ambrose, Peter Facinelli, Seth Green, and Jennifer Love Hewitt, and is notable for a number of "before-they-were-famous" appearances by various...
when one of the characters is obsessed with a classmate named Amanda, and he hears "Mandy" on the radio. In a funny scene in the film, he is told by a friend that the song is actually about a dog. - The song was featured in MuzakMuzakMuzak Holdings LLC is a company based in metro Fort Mill, South Carolina, United States, just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in 1934, Muzak Holdings is best known for distribution of background music to retail stores and other companies....
format in the movie Night at the MuseumNight at the MuseumNight at the Museum is a 2006 fantasy adventure-comedy film based on the 1993 children's book The Night at the Museum by Milan Trenc. It follows a divorced father trying to settle down, impress his son, and find his destiny...
, when Larry (Ben Stiller) is stranded inside an elevator after being chased. - The song was featured in an episode of Family GuyFamily GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
where Peter, Joe, Cleveland and Quagmire attend a Barry Manilow concert. The name "Mandy" is changed to "Quagmire" though when Manilow picks him from the audience to come up on stage.
See also
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1975 (U.S.)
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1974 (U.S.)
- List of number-one singles of 2003 (Ireland)
- List of number-one singles from the 2000s (UK)