Mandy (1974) 11/6/20

In 1971, American singer/songwriter Scott English wrote and recorded a song that became a hit in England. (English/England? Apparently, it was meant to be!)

In fact, “Brandy” reached #12 on the British Singles Chart. Not bad, but in the US, it barely made the Hot 100 at #91.

In 1974, a newcomer named Barry Manilow was looking for material to record, and thought he'd give “Brandy “a try.

One problem: In 1972, a group called The Looking Glass had recorded a song called “Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)” that topped the charts in the US. (We may highlight the song at a later date.)

To avoid confusion, the title was changed to “Mandy,” and Barry's recording went to #1 on the Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary Charts in both the US and Canada. It even beat the original “Brandy” in the UK, reaching #11 on the Singles chart.

Barry has always been known for his excellent musical arrangement skills. Before recording on his own, he had been arranging songs for Bette Midler and other artists. For “Mandy,” he tinkered quite a bit with the arrangement, and Scott English was not a fan of the result—at first.

But after it hit #1, he grew to love the song...mainly because, in his words, “It bought me houses!” Gotta love those residual checks! :-)

As for Barry, “Mandy was the first in a long line of “Great Songs of '70s” (and '80s)!

(Trivia: Some people believe the song was written about Scott's dog. NOT true. It's just an urban legend.)

Barry Manilow (1974):

And just for fun, here's Scott English (1971):