Barry Manilow, Mandy | Throwback Vibez

In the 13^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2026), we reflect on “Mandy” by the gifted, Grammy-winning pop musician, Barry Manilow.

Can you feel those vibes, those surefire Throwback Vibez?! Throwback Vibez is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past. Ah, there is nothing like a good oldie to get you fired up! The records featured in this column feature gems from the 20^th century, with a few exceptions. All genres of music are welcome. In the 13^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2026), we recollect and reflect on “Mandy” performed by Barry Manilow.  

Barry Manilow (Barry Alan Pincus, b. 1943) sings in the third verse of his beloved song, “Mandy”.  The talented, theatrical performer adds, with incredible sincerity, “Caught up in a world / Of uphill climbing.” “Mandy” is the third track from Manilow’s 1974, platinum-certified album, Barry Manilow II. Scott English (1937 – 2018) and Richard Kerr (1944 – 2023) penned “Mandy.” Manilow and Ron Dante produced it.  Notably, “Mandy” is a cover.  The original, “Brandy”, was recorded by English in 1971.  Even so, it is Manilow who made the song a big-time hit.  “Mandy” peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.  It was nominated for the Grammy for Record of the Year at the 18^th Annual Grammy Awards.  It lost, but Manilow eventually won a Grammy thanks to “Copacabana (At the Copa)”.

A gorgeous piano intro sets the tone for Manilow’s vocals. “Mandy” commences as a piano ballad, which is fitting given the tenor of the song. When Manilow enters, he sings with expressiveness, radiance, and sincerity. You buy what he is selling, easily. He is the main attraction, but the backdrop is sweet, too. The record does not stay a piano ballad.  The bass adds more body once it enters. Soon enough, the musical accompaniment fills out even more with drums, lush strings, and additional orchestra touches.  There are glorious melodies during the verses and the chorus. The lyrics are none too shabby either. “I see a memory / I never realized / How happy you made me,” he sings at the end of the second verse. The chorus, specifically, is the section to beat:

“Oh, Mandy
Well, you came
And you gave without taking
But I sent you away
Oh, Mandy
Well, you kissed me
And stopped me from shaking
And I need you today
Oh, Mandy.”

As awesome as the chorus is, the bridge section is ultra-powerful, arguably the best moment of the song, not named the chorus.  “Yesterday’s a dream / I face the morning,” Manilow sings, and adds, “Crying on a breeze / The pain is callin’.” A few more notes about “Mandy.” I love how the pianist digs in as the song intensifies.  The same can be said about how the French horns up the ante ahead of the bridge section.  Adding to the theatre, the drama of it all, is the modulation towards the end of the record. It is utterly sublime! By the end of “Mandy,” those strings are turned all the way up, and Manilow keeps the same energy with his high-flying vocals. “Mandy” is a timeless classic from Barry Manilow.  He gives his all with some help from stellar songwriting, orchestration, and production.

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Barry Manilow » Barry Manilow II » Arista Records LLC » 1974

Barry Manilow, Mandy: Throwback Vibez No. 13 (2026) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Arista Records LLC; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Gordon Johnson, schubinger from Pixabay]

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