Mandy (song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| “Mandy” | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||
| Single by Barry Manilow from the album Barry Manilow II |
|||||
| B-side | "Something's Comin' Up" | ||||
| Released | 1974 | ||||
| Format | 7" vinyl | ||||
| Recorded | 1974 | ||||
| Genre | Pop | ||||
| Label | Bell | ||||
| Barry Manilow singles chronology | |||||
|
|||||
"Mandy" (or "Brandy" in 1971) was a 1974 hit song for Barry Manilow. It was his first number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts, and his first gold single. The song was written by Scott English under the title "Brandy", with music by Richard Kerr. Released by English in 1971, "Brandy" reached number 12 in the UK Singles Charts, but the fast-tempo version was a flop in the United States.
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.[1] The line "you kissed me and stopped me from shaking" that appears in the lyrics has led some to believe that the song refers literally to brandy, specifically alcoholism and the DT's of alcohol withdrawal.
In the three years between English's 1971 recording and Manilow's, Looking Glass had a hit song with "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" in 1972. Therefore, to avoid confusion, when Manilow decided to make his record, he changed the title to "Mandy". It was Clive Davis who suggested that Manilow record the song.[2] Manilow originally recorded it as an up-tempo bubblegum pop tune similar to English's original, but he and the producer reportedly hated the way it turned out; thus, he sang it as a ballad and was much more pleased with the results.
In 2003, the song was recorded by Westlife and became a number one hit in the UK and #1 in both Philippines' MYX (4 weeks; #10 in their 2003 Year-Ender Chart) and radio airplay (10 weeks). The song was also a hit for the group in Sweden, peaking at #4 and becoming Westlife's 11th top 10 hit in that country. Their version also has a Club Mix Version.
There have been other several notable cover versions, including Andy Williams (1975), Richard Clayderman (1994), Johnny Mathis (1997), Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (1997), Box Car Racer (2002), Bradley Joseph (2005), Raymond Quinn (X Factor quarter final 2006), Donny Osmond (2007).
Contents |
[edit] Westlife cover version
| “Mandy” | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||
| Single by Westlife from the album Turnaround |
|||||
| Released | November 17, 2003 | ||||
| Format | CD Single | ||||
| Recorded | 2003 | ||||
| Genre | Pop ballad | ||||
| Label | Sony BMG | ||||
| Westlife singles chronology | |||||
|
|||||
| "Mandy CD2" | |||||
 |
|||||
| Turnaround track listing | |||||
|
|||||
Irish boyband Westlife released a cover version of the Barry Manilow hit "Mandy", as their second single of their Turnaround album. The band's version differs slightly in the lyrical arrangement of the song.
Their version became an instant hit in the United Kingdom and is usually performed during the band's live concerts.
[edit] Track listing
[edit] CD1
- "Mandy"
- "Flying Without Wings" (2003 live)
[edit] CD2
- "Mandy"
- "You See Friends (I See Lovers)"
- "Greased Lightnin'"
- "Mandy" (CD-ROM function)
[edit] Chart performance
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 11 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
| United World Chart | 24 |
| European Singles Chart | 3 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 16 |
| German Airplay ChartA | 1 |
| German Singles Chart | 14 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 4 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 30 |
| UK Singles Chart | 1 |
Notes:
- 1974: Barry Manilow
- 2003: Westlife
- AIt peaked at #8 on German's Viva Lesercharts.
- It topped the Philippine radio and music channel charts for several weeks.
| Preceded by "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" by Elton John |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single (Manilow version) January 18, 1975 |
Succeeded by "Please Mr. Postman" by The Carpenters |
| Preceded by "Crashed the Wedding" by Busted |
UK Singles Chart number one single (Westlife version) November 23, 2003 |
Succeeded by "Leave Right Now" by Will Young |
[edit] Notes
- ^ Quoted in The Billboard Book of Number One Adult Contemporary Hits
- ^ Allmusic.com
[edit] External links
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
