Brandy - Scott English (original Version Of Mandy - Barry Manilow) | VERIFIED 2025 |
: Scott English admitted he fabricated the dog story to get a pestering reporter off the phone.
: The original by Scott English was more "rock and roll" and uptempo. Manilow and producer Ron Dante initially struggled with it until Manilow sat at the piano and slowed it down, finding the "love song hiding" within the arrangement.
Before it became Barry Manilow’s career-launching ballad, "" began its life as a faster-paced rock-pop track titled " Brandy ," written and recorded by American musician Scott English in 1971 . While English’s version was a top 20 hit in the UK, it was Manilow’s reimagining that turned it into a global classic. The Evolution from "Brandy" to "Mandy" : Scott English admitted he fabricated the dog
: Manilow’s version omitted two lines from the fourth verse: "Riding on a country bus / No one even noticed us" . The Myth of the Dog
: Scott English initially "hated" the changes Manilow made, but he grew to love the version because the massive royalties "bought him houses". The Myth of the Dog : Scott English
For years, an urban legend persisted that the song was about a favorite dog.
: When Clive Davis suggested Manilow record the song in 1974, they changed the title to "Mandy" to avoid confusion with the popular Looking Glass hit, "Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)" . reaching #1 in the UK.
: The song found a new generation of fans in 2003 when the Irish boyband Westlife released their version, reaching #1 in the UK.
