Brandy (Scott English song)
"Brandy" | |
---|---|
| |
Single by Scott English | |
B-side | "Lead Me Back" |
Released | 1971 |
Format | 7" vinyl |
Recorded | 1971 |
Genre | Pop |
Label |
Trojan/Horse/Fontana (UK) Janus (U.S.) |
Songwriter(s) |
Scott English Richard Kerr |
"Brandy", later called "Mandy", is a song written by Scott English and Richard Kerr.[1] It was originally recorded by English in 1971 and reached the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart.
"Brandy" was covered by Bunny Walters in New Zealand in 1972, but achieved greater success when covered in 1974 by Barry Manilow in the US, with 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 Hot 100 Singles Chart. Later on, it was recorded by many other artists. The song was a UK #1 hit in 2003 for Irish boyband Westlife.
Scott English's original
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 #12 in the UK Singles Charts. 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 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.[2] In a 2013 interview, he said the idea for the song title came from the off-colour expression "Brandy goes down fine after dinner, doesn't she". 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.[3]
Charts
Chart (1971–72) | Peak position |
---|---|
UK Singles Chart | 12 |
US Billboard Singles Chart | 91 |
Bunny Walters version
"Brandy" | |
---|---|
Single by Bunny Walters | |
Released | 1972 |
Format | 7" vinyl |
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.[4] The backing vocals were by The Yandall Sisters. He later included the song on his album Very Best of Bunny Walters.[5]
Chart (1972) | Peak position |
---|---|
New Zealand Singles Chart | 4 |
Barry Manilow version
"Mandy" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
Single by Barry Manilow | ||||
from the album Barry Manilow II | ||||
B-side | "Something's Comin' Up" | |||
Released | October 7, 1974 | |||
Format | 7" vinyl | |||
Recorded | 1974 | |||
Genre | Soft rock[6] | |||
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" (audio) "Mandy" (TopPop, 1973) on YouTube |
In 1974, Barry Manilow recorded the song under the title name of "Mandy". The song was Manilow's first #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and Easy Listening charts, and his first gold single.
In the three years between English's and Manilow's recordings, Looking Glass's "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" had hit #1 in 1972. When Clive Davis suggested that Manilow record the selection, the singer changed the title to "Mandy" to avoid confusion. Joe Renzetti arranged the record.[7]
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.
Chart performance
Weekly charts
Chart (1974–75) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia | 4 |
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] | 1 |
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[9] | 1 |
Germany (Official German Charts)[10] | 19 |
Ireland | 6 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] | 30 |
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[12] | 11 |
US Billboard Hot 100[13] | 1 |
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[14] | 1 |
US Cash Box Top 100 | 1 |
Year-end charts
Chart (1975) | Position |
---|---|
US Billboard Hot 100[15] | 35 |
US Cash Box[16] | 17 |
Canada RPM Top Singles | 12 |
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[17] | 5 |
Westlife version
"Mandy" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
Single by Westlife | ||||
from the album Turnaround | ||||
Released | November 17, 2003 | |||
Format | CD single | |||
Recorded |
Rokstone Studios, London Olympic Studios, London 2003 | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 3:19 | |||
Label | BMG, Syco | |||
Songwriter(s) | Scott English, Richard Kerr | |||
Producer(s) | Steve Mac | |||
Westlife singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Mandy" on YouTube | ||||
Turnaround track listing | ||||
13 tracks
| ||||
"Mandy" was covered by Irish boy band Westlife in 2003 and was released as the second single from their fourth studio album, Turnaround. The single peaked at #1 on the UK Singles Chart to become the band's twelfth #1 single on the chart.[18] The single sold over 200,000 copies in the UK.[19] The single was released on Monday, November 17, 2003. The music video was filmed in the United Great Lodge of England, Freemasons Hall, 60 Great Queen St, London WC2B 5AZ. Their version won them their third Record of the Year award, in under five years.[20] Their version of "Mandy" is also considered the single with the longest leap to the top (from No. 200 to No. 1) in UK music history.[21]
Tours performed at
- Turnaround Tour (2004)
- The No 1's Tour (2005)
- Face to Face Tour (2006)
- The Love Tour (2007)
- Back Home Tour (2008)
- Where We Are Tour (2010)
- Greatest Hits Tour (2012)
- You and Me Tour (Shane Filan) (2014)
- Boyzlife Tour (Boyzlife) (2016)
Track listing
- UK CD1
- "Mandy" – 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" – 3:19
- "Flying Without Wings" (Live) – 3:41
Charts
Chart (2003) | Peak position |
---|---|
Austrian Singles Chart | 16 |
Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 50 |
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[22] | 3 |
Danish Airplay Chart | 48 |
Danish Singles Chart | 2 |
Dutch Singles Chart | 27 |
European Hot 100 Singles[23] | 3 |
German Singles Chart | 14 |
Irish Singles Chart | 1 |
Norwegian Singles Chart | 15 |
Scottish Singles Chart[24] | 1 |
Swedish Singles Chart | 4 |
Swiss Singles Chart | 30 |
Taiwanese Singles Chart | 1 |
UK Singles Chart[18] | 1 |
World Airplay Chart | 10 |
World Singles Chart | 17 |
Year-end charts
Chart (2003) | Position |
---|---|
Irish Singles Chart | 5 |
UK Singles Chart | 32 |
Certifications and sales
Region | Certification | Certified units/Sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[25] | Silver | 200,000^ |
*sales figures based on certification alone |
Other versions
"Mandy" has been covered many times. Notable cover versions include:
- Bunny Walters in 1972 (as "Brandy" as in the original)
- Andy Williams (1975)
- Johnny Mathis (1975)
- Patty Pravo (1975) in Italian as "Rispondi" on her "Incontro" album.
- Kai Hyttinen (1975) sung as "Leena" with Finnish text by Vexi Salmi.
- Claude François (1976) sung the French version (Mandy as well)
- Jimmy Castor did a mostly instrumental version on his album "Maximum Stimulation" in 1977.
- Karel Gott (1977) sung as "Jsou svátky" with Czech text by Zdeněk Borovec.
- Richard Clayderman (1994)
- Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (1997)
- Box Car Racer (2002)
- Helmut Lotti (2003)
- Bradley Joseph (2005)
- Clay Aiken (2005)
- Donny Osmond (2007)
- Jang Keun-suk (2011)
- The Bad Plus (2016)
See also
References
- ↑ "Mandy (legal title) - BMI Work #955340". Repertoire.bmi.com. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
- ↑ Quoted in The Billboard Book of Number One Adult Contemporary Hits.
- ↑ Paul Leslie, Scott English Interview on The Paul Leslie Hour, Youtube, November 22, 2013
- ↑ "Brandy - BUNNY WALTERS (1972) - Pop Archives - Sources of Australian Pop Records from the 50s, 60s and 70s". Pop Archives. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
- ↑ "Very Best of Bunny Walters". Newzealandcds.com. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
- ↑ "VH1's 40 Most Softsational Soft-Rock Songs". Stereogum. SpinMedia. 31 May 2007. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
- ↑ Huey, Steve. "Mandy - Barry Manilow | Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
- ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6133a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
- ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 6148." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
- ↑ "Musicline.de – Barry Manilow Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
- ↑ "Charts.nz – Barry Manilow – Mandy". Top 40 Singles.
- ↑ "Barry Manilow: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
- ↑ "Barry Manilow Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ↑ "Barry Manilow Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
- ↑ "Top 100 Hits of 1975/Top 100 Songs of 1975". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 21, 2014. Retrieved 2015-01-17.
- ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca.
- 1 2 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 692. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ↑ "Westlife: Official Top 20". Mtv.co.uk. October 28, 2009. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
- ↑ Sexton, Paul (1 December 2003). "Young, Westlife Top UK Charts". Billboard charts. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
- ↑ "Record Breakers and Trivia: Singles: Individual Hits: Number 1s". EveryHit. Retrieved 21 March 2008.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Westlife – Mandy" (in French). Ultratip.
- ↑ Nielsen Business Media, Inc. "Billboard". Retrieved December 13, 2003.
- ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2016-10-04.
- ↑ "British single certifications – Westlife – Mandy". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 30 October 2016. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Enter Mandy in the search field and then press Enter.