Looking Glass (band)
Encyclopedia
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 (You're a Fine Girl)
".
in New Brunswick
, New Jersey
, and consisted of four members:
After college, the band would break up. Lurie and Gonsky would go on to recruit Sweval and Jeffrey Grob (who had been in a band called Tracks) and would form Looking Glass. Looking Glass had one #1 hit single
in the week of 26 August 1972 with "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)
", which was written
by Lurie; and also a minor hit "Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne" (1973), subsequently covered
by Josie Cotton
. "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" was released in the U.S.
in June 1972 and topped the Billboard Hot 100
for one week, with a total stay of 16 weeks in the best-sellers. This disc
was their only million seller, achieving a gold disc
from the R.I.A.A.
on 9 August 1972.
"Brandy" was also covered by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
- a recording
can be found on their album
, Live in Hyde Park
.
Guitarist Brendan Harkin joined Looking Glass in early 1974 and Lurie left soon afterward to pursue a solo career. He was replaced by Michael Lee Smith, a singer from Georgia
. Later that same year, the group changed its name to Fallen Angels. After Richie Ranno
joined as second guitarist in September 1975, keyboardist Gonsky departed and Fallen Angels name changed once again to Starz
by late 1975. Lurie appeared as a solo
artist
with "Your Love Song," an entry on Billboard
's "Easy Listening" chart
in 1974.
Looking Glass still plays several shows each year, typically with at least one show in Michigan where several of the musicians now backing Elliot live, including Jeff Lehman. They have played Wyandotte and Ann Arbor in recent years and will be playing Canton in March 2011.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pop music
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...
group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
of the early 1970s that was part of the Jersey Shore sound
Jersey Shore sound
The Jersey Shore sound is a genre of rock and roll popularized at the Jersey Shore on the Atlantic Ocean coast of New Jersey, United States, that goes by a variety of names or, more often, is defined by its artists...
. They are best remembered for their million selling 1972 song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
, "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)
Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)
"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...
".
Career
The group was formed in 1969, at Rutgers UniversityRutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
in New Brunswick
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...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and consisted of four members:
- Elliot LurieElliot LurieElliot Lurie is an American singer/musician who was the lead guitarist and songwriter for the band Looking Glass from 1969 to 1974...
(lead guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and vocalsHuman voiceThe human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
) - Chuck Connolly (drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
) - Larry Gonsky (pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
) - Pieter Sweval (bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
)
After college, the band would break up. Lurie and Gonsky would go on to recruit Sweval and Jeffrey Grob (who had been in a band called Tracks) and would form Looking Glass. Looking Glass had one #1 hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
in the week of 26 August 1972 with "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)
Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)
"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...
", which was written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
by Lurie; and also a minor hit "Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne" (1973), subsequently covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by Josie Cotton
Josie Cotton
Josie Cotton is an American singer/songwriter, best known for her minor hits "Johnny Are You Queer" and "He Could Be the One" from 1982...
. "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" was released in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in June 1972 and topped 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...
for one week, with a total stay of 16 weeks in the best-sellers. This disc
Gramophone 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...
was their only million seller, achieving a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
from the R.I.A.A.
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
on 9 August 1972.
"Brandy" was also covered by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red 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...
- a recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
can be found on their album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Live in Hyde Park
Live in Hyde Park
Live 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...
.
Guitarist Brendan Harkin joined Looking Glass in early 1974 and Lurie left soon afterward to pursue a solo career. He was replaced by Michael Lee Smith, a singer from Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. Later that same year, the group changed its name to Fallen Angels. After Richie Ranno
Richie Ranno
Richie Ranno is a musician, most famous as a member of Starz.-Early life:Ranno's family moved to Teaneck, New Jersey, in 1956. After high school Ranno moved to Wisconsin and put together a rock trio, Bungi, consisting of Jon Parrot on bass and Steve Mundt on drums...
joined as second guitarist in September 1975, keyboardist Gonsky departed and Fallen Angels name changed once again to Starz
Starz (band)
Starz was a 1970s heavy metal and power pop band from New Jersey, United States. Despite a lack of big commercial success, the band has a lasting cult following and has been cited as a major influence by bands such as Mötley Crüe, Poison and Twisted Sister....
by late 1975. Lurie appeared as a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
artist
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
with "Your Love Song," an entry on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
's "Easy Listening" chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
in 1974.
Looking Glass still plays several shows each year, typically with at least one show in Michigan where several of the musicians now backing Elliot live, including Jeff Lehman. They have played Wyandotte and Ann Arbor in recent years and will be playing Canton in March 2011.
Albums
- 1972: Looking Glass
- 1973: Subway SerenadeSubway SerenadeSubway Serenade was the second and final album released by the band Looking Glass.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Elliot Lurie--Guitars, vocals*Larry Gonsky—Keyboards, vocals*Piet Sweval—Bass, vocals, harp*Joe Dube--Traps...
Singles
- 1972: "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)"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...
" - U.S.United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
#1 - August 1972 - 1973: "Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne" - U.S. #33 - September 1973