Brandy (Scott English song)

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"Brandy"
Brandy-scott-english.jpg
Single by Scott English
B-side "Lead Me Back"
Released February 1972
Recorded 1971
Genre Pop
Label
Songwriter(s)

"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 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 Hot 100 Singles Chart. Later, it was recorded by many other artists. The song was a UK number-one hit in 2003 for Irish boyband Westlife.

Scott English original recording

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 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.[2] 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.[3]

Charts

Chart (1971–72) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] 13
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[5] 26
Canada RPM Top Singles[6] 73
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[7] 12
US Billboard Hot 100[8] 91
US Cash Box Top 100[9] 98

Bunny Walters version

"Brandy"
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.[10] The backing vocals were by The Yandall Sisters. He later included the song on his album Very Best of Bunny Walters.[11]

Chart (1972) Peak
position
New Zealand Singles Chart[citation needed] 4

Barry Manilow version

"Mandy"
File:Mandy - Barry Manilow.jpg
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[12]
Length 3:15 (single version)
3:32 (album version)
Label Bell
Songwriter(s) Scott English, Richard Kerr
Producer(s) Barry Manilow, Ron Dante
Script error: The function "ucfirst" does not exist. singles chronology
"Let's Take Some Time to Say Goodbye"
(1974)		 "Mandy"
(1974)		 "It's a Miracle"
(1975)
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 #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.[13]

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."[14]

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Illegal chart entered West Germany|19

Chart (1974–75) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[15] 4
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[16] 1
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[17] 1
6
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[18] 30
Italy[citation needed] 29
South Africa (Springbok)[19] 3
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[20] 11
US Billboard Hot 100[21] 1
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[22] 1
US Cash Box Top 100[23] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1975) Position
US Billboard Hot 100[24] 35
US Billboard Easy Listening[25] 3
US Cash Box[26] 17
Canada RPM Top Singles[27] 12
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[28] 5

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
United Kingdom (BPI)[29] Silver 200,000
United States (RIAA)[30] Gold 1,000,000

^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone
double-daggersales/streaming figures based on certification alone

Westlife version

"Mandy"
File:Westlife-Mandy.jpeg
Single by Westlife
from the album Turnaround
Released November 17, 2003 (2003-11-17)[31]
Studio
Length 3:19
Label RCA, BMG, S
Songwriter(s) Scott English, Richard Kerr
Producer(s) Steve Mac
Script error: The function "ucfirst" does not exist. singles chronology
"Hey Whatever"
(2003)		 "Mandy"
(2003)		 "Obvious"
(2004)
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.[32] The single sold over 200,000 copies in the UK to earn a silver sales certification.[33] 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.[34]

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.[35] Their version is also the longest leap to the top (from 200 to 1) in UK music history.[36] In Westlife - Our Story the band said the idea to record and release the song was Simon Cowell's.[37]

Track listings

UK CD1[38]

  1. "Mandy" – 3:19
  2. "You See Friends (I See Lovers)" – 4:11
  3. "Greased Lightning" – 3:19
  4. "Mandy" (video) – 3:19
  5. "Mandy" (making of the video) – 2:00

UK CD2[39]

  1. "Mandy" – 3:19
  2. "Flying Without Wings" (live) – 3:41

Charts

Certifications and sales

Region Certification Sales/shipments
United Kingdom (BPI)[33] Silver 200,000

xunspecified figures based on certification alone
double-daggersales/streaming figures based on certification alone

Other versions

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. "Mandy" has been covered many times. Notable cover versions include:

See also

References

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External links

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  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Quoted in The Billboard Book of Number One Adult Contemporary Hits.
  3. ↑ Paul Leslie, Scott English Interview on The Paul Leslie Hour, YouTube, November 22, 2013
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Scott English – Brandy" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ "Scott English: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company.
  8. ↑ "Scott English – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Scott English.
  9. ↑ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, March 18, 1972
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6133a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  17. ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 6148." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  18. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Barry Manilow – Mandy". Top 40 Singles.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ "Barry Manilow: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company.
  21. ↑ "Barry Manilow – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Barry Manilow.
  22. ↑ "Barry Manilow – Chart history" Billboard Adult Contemporary for Barry Manilow.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Top 50 Adult Contemporary Hits of 1975
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter Mandy in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 "Westlife: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter Mandy in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Westlife – Mandy" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  41. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Westlife – Mandy" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  42. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Westlife – Mandy" (in French). Ultratip.
  43. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  44. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Westlife – Mandy". Tracklisten.
  45. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. See last week column.
  46. ↑ "Musicline.de – Westlife Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  47. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Mandy". Irish Singles Chart.
  48. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Westlife – Mandy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  49. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Westlife – Mandy". VG-lista.
  50. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  51. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  52. ↑ "Archive Chart: 20031129". Scottish Singles Top 40.
  53. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Westlife – Mandy". Singles Top 100.
  54. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Westlife – Mandy". Swiss Singles Chart.
  55. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  56. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  57. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  58. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  59. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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