Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)

Last updated

"Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)"
Brandy - Looking Glass.jpg
Single by Looking Glass
from the album Looking Glass
B-side "One by One"
ReleasedMay 18, 1972
Recorded1971
Genre
Length
  • 3:10 (album mix version)
  • 2:55 (single remix/edit)
Label Epic
Songwriter(s) Elliot Lurie
Producer(s) Mike Gershman, Bob Liftin and the Looking Glass
Looking Glass singles chronology
"Golden Rainbow"
(1972)		"Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)"
(1972)		"Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne"
(1973)
Music video
"Brandy" on YouTube

"Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" is a 1972 song by American pop rock band Looking Glass from their debut album, Looking Glass . It was written by Looking Glass lead guitarist and co-vocalist Elliot Lurie.

Contents

The single reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100 charts, remaining in the top position for one week. It reached No. 2 on the former chart for four weeks, behind Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Alone Again (Naturally)", before reaching No. 1, only to be dethroned by "Alone Again (Naturally)" the week after. Billboard ranked it as the No. 12 song for 1972.

Meaning

The lyrics tell of Brandy, a barmaid in a busy seaport harbor town which serves "a hundred ships a day." Though lonely sailors flirt with her, she pines for one who has long since left her because he claimed his life, his love, and his lady, was “the sea.”

The urban myth that Brandy was based on Mary Ellis (1750–1828), a spinster in New Brunswick, New Jersey, [3] has been refuted by Lurie himself. [4]

Lurie was thrilled with the deeper meaning given to the song when its lyrics were used as a metaphor by a father explaining his life's choices to his son in the film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 , which came out in 2017. [5]

Release

In February 1972, Robert Mandel was the Epic Records Promotion Manager in Washington, D.C. He received a test pressing of an album by Looking Glass, then a new group. He took the test pressing around to every radio station in the Washington/Baltimore region. At the time, WPGC AM/FM was one of the leading Top 40 stations in the country and was the number one radio station in DC. Harv Moore was the Program Director. He put the song into a one-hour rotation for two days and as Moore related at the time, "the switchboard lit up like a Christmas tree." He said that he had never received a response like that on a record in his 15 years in radio.[ citation needed ]

Based on the airplay at WPGC and all the other Top 40 stations that followed, Epic rush-released the single of "Brandy". Based on requests alone, two weeks later, when the single finally hit the stores, "Brandy" was the number one record in DC without a single copy yet sold. Other stations around the country started playing it, and it ended up being a number one million seller. A year later when Moore celebrated his 10th Anniversary at WPGC, Looking Glass returned the favor and played at the bash the station held in his honor.[ citation needed ]

Upon the release of the single, Record World called it "a tuneful, soulful effort deserving of heavy action." [6]

Influence

Following the song's release in 1972, "Brandy" increased in popularity as a girl's name in the United States. According to data from the Social Security Administration, [7] Brandy was the 353rd most popular name in 1971, 140th in 1972, and, in 1973 (the first full year after the song's popularity), 82nd.

Barry Manilow's 1974 "Mandy" was a cover of a song originally titled "Brandy", released in February 1972 by Scott English; however, Manilow changed the title following the success of the Looking Glass single, so as not to get the two songs confused. [8]

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [18] Silver200,000‡
United States (RIAA) [19] Gold1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandy Moore</span> American singer and actress (born 1984)

Amanda Leigh Moore is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She rose to fame with her debut single, "Candy", which peaked at #41 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her debut studio album, So Real (1999), received a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The title single from her reissue of So Real, I Wanna Be With You (2000), became Moore's first top 30 song in the US, peaking at #24 on the Hot 100. Moore subsequently released the studio albums Mandy Moore (2001), Coverage (2003), Wild Hope (2007), Amanda Leigh (2009), Silver Landings (2020), and In Real Life (2022). She has sold 10 million albums worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry Manilow</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1943)

Barry Manilow is an American singer and songwriter with a career that spans six decades. His hit recordings include "Could It Be Magic", "Looks Like We Made It", "Mandy", "I Write the Songs", "Can't Smile Without You", "Weekend in New England", and "Copacabana ".

Looking Glass is an American pop rock band formed in New Jersey that were active during the early 1970s. They are known for their chart-topping 1972 hit song "Brandy ", which reached #1 on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100 charts, remaining in the top position for one week. They were part of the Jersey Shore sound.

Elliot Lurie is an American musician who was the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-lead vocalist for the band Looking Glass from 1969 to 1974. He wrote and sang lead on their 1972 #1 hit single "Brandy " and their 1973 Top 40 single "Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne".

The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by Billboard magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to Billboard by stations that are members of the Adult Contemporary radio panel. The chart debuted in Billboard magazine on July 17, 1961. Over the years, the chart has gone under a series of name changes, being called Easy Listening(1961–1962; 1965–1979), Middle-Road Singles(1962–1964), Pop-Standard Singles(1964–1965), Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks(1979–1982) and Adult Contemporary(1983–present) The current number-one song on the chart is "Flowers" by Miley Cyrus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Write the Songs</span> 1975 song by Bruce Johnston

"I Write the Songs" is a popular song written by Bruce Johnston in 1975 and released on his album Going Public in 1977. Barry Manilow's version reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in January 1976 after spending two weeks atop the Billboard adult contemporary chart in December 1975. It won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year and was nominated for Record of the Year in 1977. Billboard ranked it as the No. 13 song of 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandy (Scott English song)</span> 1972 single by Scott English also covered by Barry Manilow

"Brandy", later called "Mandy", is a song written by Scott English and Richard Kerr. It was originally recorded by English in 1971 and reached the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart.

Brandy is an alcoholic beverage made by wine distillation. Related drinks include

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Could It Be Magic</span> 1971 single by Barry Manilow

"Could It Be Magic" is a song written by Adrienne Anderson and composed by American singer-songwriter Barry Manilow, inspired by Frédéric Chopin's Prelude in C minor, Opus 28, Number 20.

<i>Turnaround</i> (Westlife album) 2003 studio album by Westlife

Turnaround is the fourth studio album by Irish boy band Westlife, released on 24 November 2003 by BMG. The first single released was the upbeat track, "Hey Whatever". The next single was a cover of the Barry Manilow hit, "Mandy". The band's version earned them their 12th UK number one and an Irish record of the year award. "Obvious", an original song, was the third and final single released from the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alone Again (Naturally)</span> 1971 song by Gilbert OSullivan

"Alone Again (Naturally)" is a song by Irish singer-songwriter Gilbert O'Sullivan. Recorded in 1971, it became a worldwide hit. The song did not originally appear on his 1972 studio album Back to Front, but has been included in reissues (often replacing "Clair").

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Have I Told You Lately</span> 1989 single by Van Morrison

"Have I Told You Lately" is a song written and recorded by Northern Irish singer and songwriter Van Morrison for his nineteenth studio album, Avalon Sunset (1989). It is a romantic ballad that is often played at weddings, although it was originally written as a prayer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somewhere in the Night (Helen Reddy song)</span> 1975 single by Helen Reddy

"Somewhere in the Night" is a ballad written by Richard Kerr and lyricist Will Jennings which was a US Top 20 hit for both Helen Reddy and Barry Manilow.

Sheldon David "Scott" English was an American songwriter, arranger and record producer. He is best known as the co-writer of "Brandy" which he wrote with Richard Kerr. The song became a No. 1 hit for Barry Manilow in 1974, with the title changed to "Mandy". English had also released a single of "Brandy" which reached No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1971, and entered the US charts in March 1972.

<i>Looking Glass</i> (Looking Glass album) 1972 studio album by Looking Glass

Looking Glass is the self-titled debut album released by the band Looking Glass in 1972.

<i>When Will I See You Again</i> (Johnny Mathis album) 1975 studio album by Johnny Mathis

When Will I See You Again is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released in March 1975 by Columbia Records and was again predominantly composed of covers of recent hit songs by other artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ships (song)</span>

"Ships" is a song written and originally performed by British musician Ian Hunter. The song was first released on Hunter's fourth solo album, You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic in March 1979, and later released as a single in August 1979. Hunter's release of the single never made the charts. The song is said to be about Ian's relationship with his father.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ready to Take a Chance Again</span> 1978 single by Barry Manilow

"Ready to Take a Chance Again" is a 1978 international hit single performed by Barry Manilow. The song was composed by Charles Fox, with lyrics by Fox's writing partner, Norman Gimbel. Manilow conceived and supervised the song's recording in partnership with Ron Dante.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne</span> 1973 single by Looking Glass

"Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne" is a 1973 song written and composed by Elliot Lurie and recorded by Lurie's band, Looking Glass. It was the first track on their second and final album, Subway Serenade. The title has also been spelled "Jimmy Loves Mary-Ann".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Need Your Help Barry Manilow</span> 1979 single by Ray Stevens

"I Need Your Help Barry Manilow" is a 1979 song by Dale Gonyea, sung by Ray Stevens. It was the first track on Stevens' album, The Feeling's Not Right Again. The single's release in March preceded the release of the album in June.

References

  1. ↑ Stephen Thomas Erlewine (April 28, 1998). "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) [Sony] - Looking Glass | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
  2. ↑ Breihan, Tom (March 6, 2019). "The Number Ones: Looking Glass' "Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)"". Stereogum . Retrieved June 17, 2023. But for this one song, they caught a gloriously goofy cheese-pop wave.
  3. ↑ "Mary Ellis Grave". weirdnj.com. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
  4. ↑ "The urban legends of 'Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)'". tennessean.com.
  5. ↑ "'Brandy' Songwriter on How 'Guardians of the Galaxy 2' Finally Gave His Hit a Deeper Meaning". The Hollywood Reporter . May 12, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. May 27, 1972. p. 1. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Popular Baby Names". Ssa.gov. August 26, 2009. Archived from the original on February 2, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
  8. ↑ Huey, Steve. "Mandy". Allmusic . Retrieved June 25, 2009.
  9. 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 19. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  10. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4202." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Looking Glass – Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  12. ↑ "flavour of new zealand - search listener". www.flavourofnz.co.nz.
  13. ↑ SA Charts 1965 - 1989. Songs A-B. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  14. 1 2 "Looking Glass Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  15. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 143.
  16. ↑ CASH BOX Top 100 Singles September 2, 1972. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 14, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. ↑ "British single certifications – Looking Glass – Brandy". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  19. ↑ "American single certifications – Looking Glass – Brandy". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved June 13, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.