"Brandy" | |
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![]() One of side-A labels of the US single | |
Single by Scott English | |
B-side | "Lead Me Back" |
Released | February 1972 |
Recorded | 1971 |
Genre | |
Label | |
Songwriter(s) |
"Brandy", later called "Mandy", is a song written by Scott English and Richard Kerr. [2] It was originally recorded by English in 1971 and reached the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart.
"Brandy" was recorded by New Zealand singer Bunny Walters in 1972, but achieved greater success when released in the United States in 1974 by Barry Manilow. For Manilow's recording, the title changed from "Brandy" to "Mandy" to avoid confusion with Looking Glass's "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)". His version reached the top of the US Billboard Hot 100. Later, it was recorded by many other artists. The song was a UK number one hit in 2003 for Irish boyband Westlife.
Under the title Brandy, the selection's original title, the song charted in 1971 for Scott English, one of its co-composers, whose version of it reached number 12 in the UK Singles Chart. It was also released in the United States, where it was a minor hit, remaining in the lower portion of the Hot 100.
The suggestion that Scott English wrote the song about a favorite dog is apparently false. English later 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. [3] In a 2013 interview, he said the idea for the song title came while he was in France and someone tried to make a dirty joke saying "Brandy goes down fine after dinner, doesn't she" although in English, a drink does not actually have a grammatical gender, and the line does not have the intended double entendre. He later wrote the song in London. He said he hated the Manilow version because he took out part of a verse and made it a bridge, but he later loved it because it bought him houses. The song was inspired by his life, he said, the face in the window being his father. [4]
Record World said it was "just the sort of slightly uptempo pop ballad that should click on these shores." [5]
Chart (1971–72) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report) [6] | 13 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [7] | 26 |
Canada RPM Top Singles [8] | 73 |
UK Singles (OCC) [9] | 12 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [10] | 91 |
US Cash Box Top 100 [11] | 98 |
"Brandy" | |
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Single by Bunny Walters | |
Released | 1972 |
Recorded | 1972 |
Genre | Pop |
Songwriter(s) | Scott English, Richard Kerr |
In 1972, Bunny Walters recorded "Brandy" and had a hit with it in New Zealand. [12] The backing vocals were by The Yandall Sisters. He later included the song on his album Very Best of Bunny Walters. [13]
Chart (1972) | Peak position |
---|---|
New Zealand Singles Chart[ citation needed ] | 4 |
"Mandy" | ||||
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![]() One of side-A labels of the US single | ||||
Single by Barry Manilow | ||||
from the album Barry Manilow II | ||||
B-side | "Something's Comin' Up" | |||
Released | October 7, 1974 | |||
Recorded | 1974 | |||
Genre | Soft rock [14] | |||
Length | 3:15 (single version) 3:32 (album version) | |||
Label | Bell | |||
Songwriter(s) | Scott English, Richard Kerr | |||
Producer(s) | Barry Manilow, Ron Dante | |||
Barry Manilow singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Mandy" (TopPop, 1973) on YouTube |
In 1974, Barry Manilow recorded the song under the title name of "Mandy". The song was Manilow's first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and Easy Listening chart, and his first gold single.
Following English's 1971 recording of "Brandy", Looking Glass's "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" hit No. 1 in 1972. When Clive Davis suggested that Manilow record English's song, Manilow changed the title to "Mandy" to avoid confusion. Joe Renzetti arranged the record. [15]
In the Manilow version, the first two lines from the fourth verse, following the instrumental section, were omitted. They were:
"Riding on a country bus/
No one even noticed us."
The remaining lines were then used as a bridge instead.
Cash Box said "a lushly orchestrated ballad it is a classic love song with Barry doing some fine piano work." [16] Record World said that "Manilow's performance builds from his solo foundation to the rafters of Joe Renzetti's romantic strings." [17]
In "Judgment," the season 2 premiere of Angel , the eponymous protagonist sings "Mandy" at Lorne's Caritas karaoke bar in exchange for information. [18]
Chart (1974–1975) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report) [19] [20] | 4 |
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [21] | 1 |
Canada Adult Contemporary ( RPM ) [22] | 1 |
Ireland (IRMA) [23] | 6 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [24] | 30 |
Italy[ citation needed ] | 29 |
South Africa (Springbok) [25] | 3 |
UK Singles (OCC) [26] | 11 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [27] | 1 |
US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) [28] | 1 |
US Cash Box Top 100 [29] | 1 |
West Germany (Official German Charts) [30] | 19 |
Chart (1975) | Position |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report) [20] | 30 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [31] | 35 |
US Billboard Easy Listening [32] | 3 |
US Cash Box [33] | 17 |
Canada RPM Top Singles [34] | 12 |
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary [35] | 5 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [36] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [37] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
"Mandy" | ||||
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![]() | ||||
Single by Westlife | ||||
from the album Turnaround | ||||
Released | November 17, 2003 [38] | |||
Studio |
| |||
Length | 3:19 | |||
Label | RCA, BMG, S | |||
Songwriter(s) | Scott English, Richard Kerr | |||
Producer(s) | Steve Mac | |||
Westlife singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Mandy" on YouTube |
Irish boy band Westlife covered "Mandy" in 2003 and released it as the second single from their fourth studio album, Turnaround (2003), in November 2003. The single peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart to become the band's 12th number one single on the chart. [39] The single sold over 200,000 copies in the UK to earn a silver sales certification. [40] Westlife's version was the fifth-best-selling single of 2003 in Ireland. "Mandy" is the band's 16th-best-selling single in paid-for and combined sales in the UK as of January 2019. [41]
The music video was filmed in the United Great Lodge of England, Freemasons' Hall, London. Their version won them their third Record of the Year award, in under five years. [42] Their version is also the longest leap to the top (from 200 to 1) in UK music history. [43] In Westlife - Our Story the band said the idea to record and release the song was Simon Cowell's. [44]
UK CD1 [45]
UK CD2 [46]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [40] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
"Mandy" has been covered many times. Notable cover versions include:
"Seasons in the Sun" is an English-language adaptation of the 1961 Belgian song "Le Moribond" by singer-songwriter Jacques Brel with lyrics rewritten in 1963 by singer-poet Rod McKuen portraying a dying man's farewell to his loved ones. It became a worldwide hit in 1974 for singer Terry Jacks and became a Christmas number one in the UK in 1999 for Westlife.
"Copacabana", also known as "Copacabana (At the Copa)", is a song recorded by Barry Manilow. Written by Manilow, Jack Feldman, and Bruce Sussman, it was released in 1978 as the third single from Manilow's fifth studio album, Even Now (1978). The same year, "Copacabana" appeared in the soundtrack album of the film Foul Play.
"The Rose" is a pop song written by Amanda McBroom. Bette Midler made the song famous when she recorded it for her 1979 film The Rose, in which it plays during the closing credits. It has been recorded multiple times, including by Conway Twitty and Westlife who had US Country & Western and UK number one hits with the song, respectively. Nana Mouskouri recorded a German version, also in 1980, as well as an English version.
"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.
"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.
"Weekend in New England" is a song recorded by Barry Manilow for his fourth studio album, This One's for You (1976). Written by Randy Edelman, it was released as the second single from the album, and became a Top Ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100, while topping the Adult Contemporary chart.
"Can't Smile Without You" is a song written by Christian Arnold, David Martin and Geoff Morrow, and recorded by various artists including Barry Manilow and the Carpenters. It was first recorded and released by David Martin as a solo single in 1975. The version recorded by Manilow in 1977 and released in 1978 is the most well-known.
"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.
"Swear It Again" is a song by Irish boy band Westlife. The ballad was released on 19 April 1999 in the United Kingdom as the first single from their debut album, Westlife (1999). The song peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks, giving Westlife their first of 14 UK number-one singles. "Swear It Again" is Westlife's only single to have charted in the US, peaking at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ranking number 75 on the Billboard Hot 100 year-end chart in 2000.
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.
"Let's Hang On!" is a song composed by Bob Crewe, Sandy Linzer, and Denny Randell that was popularized by the Four Seasons in 1965.
"Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again" is a song written by David Pomeranz that became a top 10 hit for Barry Manilow in 1976. It was first recorded by the Carpenters in 1975, but their version was not released until 1994 on their 25th anniversary CD, Interpretations: A 25th Anniversary Celebration. Pomeranz also recorded the song for his 1975 album It's in Every One of Us.
"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.
"Somewhere Down the Road" is a popular song written by Cynthia Weil and Tom Snow and most famously recorded in 1981 by Barry Manilow. Weil wrote the song's lyrics and Snow wrote the melody.
"Obvious" is the third and final single released from Irish boy band Westlife's fourth studio album, Turnaround (2003). The track was written by Pilot, Savan Kotecha, and Andreas Carlsson and was produced by Jake Schulze, Kristian Lundin, and Karl Engström, with additional production from Quiz & Larossi. It is composed in the traditional verse–chorus form in E major, with the group's vocals ranging from the chords of C♯4 to A5. This was the last Westlife single to be recorded with their full original lineup, as Brian McFadden left the month after its release.
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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.
"Run to Me" is a song by the Bee Gees, the lead single from the group's album To Whom It May Concern (1972). The song reached the UK Top 10 and the US Top 20.
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"Don't Throw It All Away" is a song written by British musician Gary Benson and first released by the Shadows on their 1975 album Specs Appeal. Benson released his version as a single later the same year, which reached number 20 on the UK Singles Chart in the fall of 1975.
In English's hands, it was a big and sweeping folk-rock ballad..."Brandy" was still a fairly cheesy '70s pop song.
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