Mandy Barry Manilow: The Song That Began as Brandy
Mandy Barry Manilow took a little-known 1972 song called "Brandy" and turned it into his first number one.
It spent one week on top of the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1975.
It also gave Manilow his first gold single and a ballad that Westlife sent to number one in the UK nearly 30 years later.
This page covers who wrote it, how the title changed, how it charted and who covered it.
Barry Manilow in a 1975 press photo.
Image credit: William Morris Agency press photo, December 15, 1975, public domain in the US, via Wikimedia Commons.
Mandy Barry Manilow: From Brandy to Mandy
The tune was not written for Manilow, and it was not called Mandy.
Wikipedia credits Scott English and Richard Kerr as the writers.
Scott English's Brandy
English recorded the song as "Brandy" in 1971 and released it in February 1972.
It reached No. 12 on the UK chart and No. 91 on the US Hot 100.
Wikipedia says English later called the story about a dog named Brandy false, and said he invented it to get rid of a persistent reporter.
He said the song drew on his own life, and that the face in the window was his father.
If you like your 70s ballads soft and a little wistful, the Mood Song Matcher can find more of them.
Why the Name Changed
Manilow changed the title from "Brandy" to "Mandy."
The reason was another record already using the name: Looking Glass's "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)," a number one in 1972.
English did not love the result at first, because Manilow cut part of a verse and turned it into a bridge.
Wikipedia says he came around later, because the song earned him houses.
Recording and Release
Clive Davis suggested that Manilow record the song.
Manilow thought it was wrong for him, but he recorded it anyway.
Davis heard the result and called it "terrible," and Manilow agreed.
So Manilow went back, slowed it down and changed the title, and that second try is the record people know.
The slower version leans on Manilow's piano and Joe Renzetti's strings, the two things the reviewers of the day singled out.
You can hear Mandy on the Listen Now jukebox as well.
The Single at a Glance
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Artist | Barry Manilow |
| Writers | Scott English and Richard Kerr |
| Producers | Barry Manilow and Ron Dante |
| Arranger | Joe Renzetti |
| Released | October 7, 1974, on Bell |
| Album | Barry Manilow II |
| Length | 3:15 (single), 3:32 (album) |
| B-side | Something's Comin' Up |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, checked October 22, 2026.
Hear the Original Recording
Press play to hear the original single on his official channel.
On the Charts: One Week at Number One
Mandy Barry Manilow reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for the chart week starting January 18, 1975.
It replaced Elton John's "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" at the top.
The Carpenters' "Please Mr. Postman" took over the following week, which this site's weekly Hot 100 data confirms.
The Number One Week
| Chart week | Position | Replaced | Followed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 18 to 24, 1975 | No. 1 | Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (Elton John) | Please Mr. Postman (The Carpenters) |
Source: this site's weekly Hot 100 number one data.
Peaks Around the World
Manilow's record topped five North American charts and reached the top ten in four other countries.
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | No. 1 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) | No. 1 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 | No. 1 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM) | No. 1 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM) | No. 1 |
| South Africa (Springbok) | No. 3 |
| Australia (Kent) | No. 4 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | No. 6 |
| UK Singles | No. 11 |
| West Germany (GfK) | No. 19 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) | No. 30 |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, weekly charts section, checked October 22, 2026.
Eleven of the song's 1974 and 1975 chart peaks, drawn from the Wikipedia figures in the table above.
Year-End Standing
The year-end lists for Mandy Barry Manilow tell a slightly different story from the weekly one.
Wikipedia reports these 1975 year-end positions for Manilow's version.
- US Easy Listening (Billboard): No. 3.
- Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM): No. 5.
- Canada Top Singles (RPM): No. 12.
- US Cash Box: No. 17.
- Australia (Kent): No. 30.
To see the whole countdown around it, open our top songs of 1975 post.
Certifications
- United States (RIAA): Gold, for 1,000,000 units.
- United Kingdom (BPI): Gold, for 400,000 units.
- New Zealand (RMNZ): Gold, for 15,000 units.
Wikipedia notes that these figures are based on certification alone.
Reception and Legacy
It is easy to forget how plain the first praise for this record sounded.
What Critics Said
- Cash Box called it "a lushly orchestrated ballad" and "a classic love song" with "fine piano work" by Manilow.
- Record World said Manilow's performance "builds from his solo foundation to the rafters" of Renzetti's strings.
- Stereogum's Tom Breihan called Scott English's original "a big and sweeping folk-rock ballad" and said it was "still a fairly cheesy '70s pop song."
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, reception section.
His First Number One
Wikipedia calls Mandy Manilow's first number one on both the Hot 100 and the Easy Listening chart.
It was also his first gold single.
Barry Manilow in November 1979, photo by Alan Light, licensed CC BY 2.0.
Where It Turns Up
Mandy Barry Manilow has also turned up on screen, and Wikipedia lists two uses.
- Angel sings it at Lorne's karaoke bar in the Angel season 2 premiere, "Judgment."
- It is the intro to the British comedy series Mandy.
His next big hit was a very different beast, and you can read about it in Copacabana.
The rest of his decade sits on our page of Barry Manilow songs.
Covers and Later Versions
Mandy Barry Manilow fans will know that the song has been recorded many times, and one version did better in the UK than the original.
To hear what else the decade threw up, let the Random 70s Song Generator pick one.
Westlife, 2003
Westlife released their version on November 17, 2003, on the album Turnaround.
Steve Mac produced it, and the video was filmed at Freemasons' Hall in London.
It entered the UK chart at number one on November 23, 2003, their 12th UK number one.
Wikipedia says its climb from No. 200 to No. 1 was the longest leap to the top in UK chart history.
The band's book Westlife: Our Story credits Simon Cowell with the idea to record it.
It also reached number one in Ireland, the Czech Republic and on Poland Airplay, and No. 2 in Denmark.
The UK BPI certified it Silver, for 200,000 units.
Other Versions
Wikipedia lists a long run of covers, including these.
- Bunny Walters, 1972: a version of English's original that reached No. 4 in New Zealand.
- Andy Williams, 1975.
- Johnny Mathis, 1975.
- Ray Conniff and The Singers, 1975.
- Clay Aiken, 2005.
- Donny Osmond, 2007.
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, covers section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Mandy by Barry Manilow?
Scott English and Richard Kerr wrote the song that Barry Manilow turned into Mandy.
English first recorded it as Brandy in 1971 and released it in February 1972.
Manilow changed the title to avoid confusion with Looking Glass's 1972 number one, Brandy (You're a Fine Girl).
How many weeks was Mandy at number one?
Mandy spent one week at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the chart week starting January 18, 1975, according to this site's weekly data.
It replaced Elton John's Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.
The Carpenters' Please Mr. Postman took over the next week.
Was Mandy Barry Manilow's first number one?
Mandy was Barry Manilow's first number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Easy Listening chart.
Wikipedia also calls it his first gold single.
The RIAA certified it gold at one million units, and the BPI certified it gold in the UK.
Why did Barry Manilow change Brandy to Mandy?
Barry Manilow changed the title from Brandy to Mandy to avoid confusion with Looking Glass's Brandy (You're a Fine Girl), a number one in 1972.
Clive Davis had suggested the song.
Manilow recorded it, Davis called the first take terrible, and Manilow re-recorded it slower.
Did Westlife cover Mandy?
Westlife covered Mandy and released it on November 17, 2003.
It entered the UK chart at number one on November 23, 2003, their 12th UK number one.
Wikipedia says its climb from No. 200 to No. 1 was the longest leap to the top in UK chart history.
Sources
- "Brandy" / "Mandy" (Scott English song), Wikipedia, for the writers, the 1972 original, the title change, the Clive Davis story, the October 7, 1974 release, production credits, chart peaks, year-end positions, certifications, reception quotes, the Westlife version and the covers.
- Barry Manilow, Wikipedia, for background on the artist.
- Scott English, Wikipedia, for background on the artist.
- The chart week of January 18, 1975, the song it replaced and the song that followed come from this site's own weekly Hot 100 data.
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