Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)
Encyclopedia
"Brandy" is a 1972
pop song
written and composed by Elliot Lurie
and recorded by Lurie's band, Looking Glass
, on their debut album Looking Glass. The single reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100
chart, remaining in the top position for one week. Horns and strings were arranged by Larry Fallon. It was the group's first and only hit, making them a one hit wonder.
town. She wins the admiration of many of the sailors
, but she cannot return their feelings--the love of her life was unwilling to abandon his true love, the sea. In spite of this, Brandy continues to love the sailor and wears a braided silver chain with a locket that bears his name. It has been suggested that the song was inspired by the real life story of Mary Ellis, whose grave resides in New Brunswick, New Jersey
, where the band was formed.
. However, the flip side, "One by One," has a running time of 6:01, which makes the rumor somewhat improbable due to the 5 minute 20 second time capacity of 45 rpm recordings.
The success of "Brandy" created a bit of difficulty for Looking Glass in that the song's mellow pop sound was atypical of their somewhat harder-edged style; many fans of the single who attended the band's concerts were reportedly taken aback by a more rockish sounding band than they'd been expecting to hear.
's 1974 "Mandy
" was originally titled "Brandy" but Manilow changed it following the success of the Looking Glass single, so as not to get the two songs confused.
, Charlie's Angels
, and LymeLife. It was also used in an episode of the 2009 television show Harper's Island.
Doug Heffernan
(Kevin James) sings this song at karaoke
in an episode of The King of Queens
.
1972 in music
-Events:*January 17 – Highway 51 South in Memphis, Tennessee is renamed "Elvis Presley Boulevard"*January 20 – The début of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon at The Dome, Brighton, is halted by technical difficulties,...
pop song
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
written and composed by Elliot Lurie
Elliot Lurie
Elliot Lurie is an American singer/musician who was the lead guitarist and songwriter for the band Looking Glass from 1969 to 1974...
and recorded by Lurie's band, Looking Glass
Looking Glass (band)
Looking Glass was an American pop music group of the early 1970s that was part of the Jersey Shore sound. They are best remembered for their million selling 1972 song, "Brandy ".-Career:...
, on their debut album Looking Glass. The single reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart, remaining in the top position for one week. Horns and strings were arranged by Larry Fallon. It was the group's first and only hit, making them a one hit wonder.
Synopsis
The lyrics tell of Brandy, a barmaid in a portPort
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
town. She wins the admiration of many of the sailors
Sailors
Sailors is the plural form of Sailor, or mariner.Sailors may also refer to:*Sailors , a 1964 Swedish film*Ken Sailors , American basketball playerSports teams*Erie Sailors, baseball teams in Pennsylvania, USA...
, but she cannot return their feelings--the love of her life was unwilling to abandon his true love, the sea. In spite of this, Brandy continues to love the sailor and wears a braided silver chain with a locket that bears his name. It has been suggested that the song was inspired by the real life story of Mary Ellis, whose grave resides in New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
, where the band was formed.
Before and after
"Brandy" was the B-side of another Looking Glass song and is rumored to have become an accidental hit when a DJ played the wrong side of the 45Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
. However, the flip side, "One by One," has a running time of 6:01, which makes the rumor somewhat improbable due to the 5 minute 20 second time capacity of 45 rpm recordings.
The success of "Brandy" created a bit of difficulty for Looking Glass in that the song's mellow pop sound was atypical of their somewhat harder-edged style; many fans of the single who attended the band's concerts were reportedly taken aback by a more rockish sounding band than they'd been expecting to hear.
Not by Barry Manilow
Barry ManilowBarry Manilow
Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
's 1974 "Mandy
Mandy (song)
"Mandy", originally titled "Brandy", is a song jointly written and composed by Scott English and Richard Kerr."Brandy" had been a hit in 1971 for Scott English in the UK and in 1972 for Bunny Walters in New Zealand...
" was originally titled "Brandy" but Manilow changed it following the success of the Looking Glass single, so as not to get the two songs confused.
Usages
This song was used in the films Lords of DogtownLords of Dogtown
Lords of Dogtown is a 2005 biographical film directed by Catherine Hardwicke, written by Stacy Peralta. The film is based on the story of "The Z-Boys", an influential group of skateboarders who revolutionized the sport...
, Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels (film)
Charlie's Angels is a 2000 American action comedy film directed by McG, starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu as three women working for a private investigation agency...
, and LymeLife. It was also used in an episode of the 2009 television show Harper's Island.
Doug Heffernan
Doug Heffernan
Douglas Steven "Doug" Heffernan is a fictional character in the American situation comedy The King of Queens. The character has also appeared in Everybody Loves Raymond, Becker, and Cosby....
(Kevin James) sings this song at karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
in an episode of The King of Queens
The King of Queens
The King of Queens is an American sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 21, 1998, to May 14, 2007.This show was produced by Hanley Productions and CBS Productions , CBS Paramount Television ,and CBS Television Studios in association with Columbia TriStar Television , and Sony Pictures...
.
Name popularity effect
Following the song's release in 1972, "Brandy" increased in popularity as a girl's name in the United States. According to data from the Social Security Administration,http://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/babyname.cgi drawn from "Social Security card applications for births that occurred in the United States," Brandy was the 353rd most popular name in 1971, 140th in 1972, and, in 1973 (the first full year after the song's popularity), 82nd.Recent cover versions
- Aunt Selma sings it to Lisa SimpsonLisa SimpsonLisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
as a lullaby on the SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "Principal CharmingPrincipal Charming"Principal Charming" is the fourteenth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 14, 1991. In the episode, Marge's sister Selma is looking for a husband, so Marge orders Homer to help her find one...
." - "Brandy" was covered by the band Sun City GirlsSun City GirlsThe Sun City Girls were an American experimental rock band, formed in 1979 in Phoenix, Arizona. From 1981 the group consisted of Alan Bishop , his brother Richard Bishop , and the late Charles Gocher . Their name was inspired by Sun City, Arizona, an Arizona retirement community...
on their 1986 album Midnight Cowboys From Ipanema. - Red Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
included a cover of the song on their 2004 album Live in Hyde ParkLive in Hyde ParkLive in Hyde Park is a live album released by the Red Hot Chili Peppers recorded over three record-breaking nights at Hyde Park, in London on June 19, 20 and 25, 2004 during the band's Roll On The Red tour. These three concerts became the highest grossing concerts at a single venue in history...
. They also performed the song at various shows during their By the WayBy the WayBy the Way is the eighth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. The album was released on July 9, 2002 on Warner Bros. Records. It sold over 286,000 copies in the first week, and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. The singles from the album included "By the Way", "The...
tour. - The song has also been recorded by Kenny ChesneyKenny ChesneyKenneth "Kenny" Arnold Chesney is an American country music singer and songwriter. Chesney has recorded 15 albums, 14 of which have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. He has also produced more than 30 Top Ten singles on the U.S...
. - Tallahassee, FL indie rock outfit Look MexicoLook MexicoLook Mexico is a rock band from Tallahassee, Florida, now residing in Austin, Texas. The band is composed of Matt Agrella, Ryan Slate, Ryan Smith and Nick Chambers...
covered the song for a split 7" release. - In the film A Very Brady SequelA Very Brady SequelA Very Brady Sequel is a 1996 comedy film and sequel to 1995’s The Brady Bunch Movie. Both films are parodies-homages of the classic 1969–1974 television sitcom The Brady Bunch. The film was directed by Arlene Sanford and stars Shelley Long and Gary Cole as Carol and Mike Brady. The film was a box...
, the song was played on the car when Greg, Marcia, Peter, and Jan came home from a rec center. - Tom ScavoTom ScavoThomas "Tom" Scavo is a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives, played by actor Doug Savant.Tom originally was a recurring throughout the first season but became a regular in season two. Early storylines often revolve around Tom's working habits and that he is alway...
sings "Brandy" to his imaginary child on the Desperate HousewivesDesperate HousewivesDesperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
episode "If... (Desperate Housewives)If... (Desperate Housewives)"If..." is the 122nd episode of the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. It is the eleventh episode of the show's sixth season and was broadcast on January 3, 2010...
." - Tom GreenTom GreenMichael Thomas "Tom" Green is a Canadian actor, rapper, writer, comedian, talk show host and media personality. Best known for his shock humour brand of comedy, Green found mainstream prominence via his MTV television show The Tom Green Show...
and Drew BarrymoreDrew BarrymoreDrew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...
sing "Brandy" in the movie Charlie's Angels (film)Charlie's Angels (film)Charlie's Angels is a 2000 American action comedy film directed by McG, starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu as three women working for a private investigation agency...
while on "The Chad"'s tugboat.