Looking Glass (band)
{{short description|American pop rock band}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Looking Glass
| image =
| caption =
| background = group_or_band
| years_active = 1969–1974, 2003–present
| origin = New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
| genre = Pop rock, soft rock, country rock, Jersey Shore sound
| website =
| label =
| current_members = Elliot Lurie
Jeff Lehman
Craig Williams
Eric Mackey
Colton Truman
| past_members = Lawrence Gonsky
Pieter Sweval (deceased)
Jeff Grob
Brendan Harkin
Michael Lee Smith
Richie Ranno
| associated_acts = Tracks
Stories
Fallen Angels
Starz
Hellcats
Richie Ranno's All Stars
}}
Looking Glass is an American pop rock band formed in New Jersey that were active during the early 1970s. They are known for their chart-topping 1972 hit song "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)", which reached No. 1 on both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100 charts, remaining in the top position for one week. They were part of the Jersey Shore sound.
Career
The group was formed in 1969, at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The original version of the band broke up after college, with original members Elliot Lurie and Larry Gonsky recruiting two new members to form the classic Looking Glass lineup:{{cite web|last=Eder |first=Bruce |url=http://new.music.yahoo.com/looking-glass/biography/ |title=Looking Glass Biography – Yahoo! Music |publisher=New.music.yahoo.com |access-date=2012-11-11}}
- Elliot Lurie (lead guitar and vocals)
- Jeff Grob (drums)
- Larry Gonsky (piano and vocals)
- Pieter Sweval (bass and vocals){{cite book| first= Joseph| last= Murrells| year= 1978| title= The Book of Golden Discs| edition= 2nd| publisher= Barrie and Jenkins Ltd| location= London| page= [https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/315 315]| isbn= 0-214-20512-6| url-access= registration| url= https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/315}}
The group had the #1 hit single for the week of August 26, 1972, with "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)", written by Lurie; and also a Top 40 hit "Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne" (1973), subsequently recorded by Josie Cotton. "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" was released in the US in June 1972. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 for one week and remained on the chart for 16 weeks. This disc, their only million seller, was certified gold by the RIAA on August 9, 1972.
Guitarist Brendan Harkin joined Looking Glass in early 1974, and Lurie left soon afterward to pursue a solo career, 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 by late 1975, Fallen Angels's name had changed once again to Starz. Lurie appeared as a solo artist with "Your Love Song," an entry on Billboard's "Easy Listening" chart in 1974.
Sweval died on January 23, 1990,{{cite web|url=http://www.utopiaartists.com/bio_looking_glass.htm |title=Looking Glass Bio |publisher=Utopia Artists |access-date=2012-11-11}} having succumbed to AIDS.{{cite web|url=http://themusicsover.com/2010/01/23/peter-sweval-starz/|title=>>Died On This Date (January 23, 1990) Peter Sweval / Looking Glass; Starz|website=TheMusicsOver.com|date=January 23, 2010 |accessdate=December 31, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://starzfanzcentral.yuku.com/topic/380/Remembering-PIETER-SWEVAL|title=Remembering PIETER SWEVAL in Original Starz Board Forum|date=June 12, 2007 |accessdate=December 31, 2015}}
New York radio station WPLJ-FM reunited Looking Glass, along with several others acts as part of a "70s Reunion Concert" on March 24, 1995. It was held at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden. Among the acts who took the stage at the sold-out concert were original lead singer Elliot Lurie and members of Looking Glass, Three Dog Night, Rupert Holmes, Andrew Gold, Alan O'Day, Ian Lloyd (lead singer of Stories), Sonny Geraci (lead singer of the Outsiders and Climax), and Robert John.
In 2003, Lurie reconstituted the group with new musicians.{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}
Discography
=Albums=
| class="wikitable" |
| scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album ! scope="col" colspan="2"| Peak chart positions |
|---|
| style="width:40px;"| US {{cite web|title=Looking Glass - Awards|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/looking-glass-mn0000228715/awards|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=November 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820001943/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/looking-glass-mn0000228715/awards|archive-date=August 20, 2014}} ! style="width:40px;"| AUS |
| 1972
| style="text-align:center;"| 113 | style="text-align:center;"| 56 |
| 1973
| style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| — |
=Singles=
| class="wikitable" |
| scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Song ! scope="col" colspan="6"| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Certifications |
|---|
| style="width:40px;"| US ! style="width:40px;"| US Cash Box ! style="width:40px;"| US Adult |year=1993 |publisher=Record Research |page=143}} ! style="width:40px;"| AUS ! style="width:40px;"| CAN ! style="width:40px;"| UK |
| rowspan="2"| 1972
| "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 7 | style="text-align:center;"| 10 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 55{{Efn|Chart position is from the official UK "Breakers List".|name=fn2|group=upper-alpha}} | |
| "Golden Rainbow"
| style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| 75 | style="text-align:center;"| 37 | style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| — | |
| rowspan="2"| 1973
| "Rainbow Man" | style="text-align:center;"| 104 | style="text-align:center;"| 94 | style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| — | |
| "Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne"{{cite web |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.4918&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=6f06s7icu164cmvecg8iitjbi0 |title=RPM 100 Singles|date=3 October 1970 |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |access-date=2015-08-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023001308/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.4918&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=6f06s7icu164cmvecg8iitjbi0 |archive-date=October 23, 2014 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}
| style="text-align:center;"| 33 | style="text-align:center;"| 31 | style="text-align:center;"| 16 | style="text-align:center;"| 75 | style="text-align:center;"| 21 | style="text-align:center;"| — | |
| 1974
| style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| — | |
| colspan="9" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
Notes
{{notelist-ua}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.superseventies.com/sl_brandy.html Lyrics to "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)"]
- {{discogs artist|Looking Glass}}
- {{imdb name|3058587}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Musical groups from New Brunswick, New Jersey
Category:American pop music groups
Category:Rutgers University alumni
Category:Jersey Shore musical groups
{{US-pop-band-stub}}