A Quick Tip by MNeulander

"Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" is a 1972 pop song written 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.

The lyrics tell of Brandy, a barmaid in a port town. She wins the admiration of many of the sailors, but 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's been suggested the song is inspired by the real life story of Mary Ellis, whose grave resides in New Brunswick, New Jersey where the band was formed.^[1]

"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 45; although the flip side "One by One" has a running time of 6:01, which makes the rumor somewhat improbable.

The success of "Brandy" created a bit of difficulty for Looking Glass, in that the song's mellow pop sound was atypical of their normally 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.^[2]

Barry Manilow's 1974 "Mandy" was originally ...