Looking Glass (band)

Looking Glass is an American pop rock group of the early 1970s that was part of the Jersey Shore sound. Their 1972 song "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" was a #1 hit on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100 charts, remaining in the top position for one week.

Looking Glass
OriginNew Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
GenresPop rock, soft rock, country rock, Jersey Shore sound
Years active1969–1974, 2003–present
MembersElliot Lurie
Jeff Lehman
Craig Williams
Eric Mackey
Colton Truman
Past membersLawrence Gonsky
Pieter Sweval (deceased)
Jeff Grob
Brendan Harkin
Michael Lee Smith
Richie Ranno
Chuck Connolly

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:[1]

  • Elliot Lurie (lead guitar and vocals)
  • Jeff Grob (drums)
  • Larry Gonsky (piano and vocals)
  • Pieter Sweval (bass and vocals)[2]

The group had the #1 hit single for the week of August 26, 1972 with "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)", written by Lurie;[2] 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.[2] This disc, their only million seller, was certified gold by the RIAA on August 9, 1972.[2]

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,[3] having succumbed to AIDS.[4][5]

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.

Discography

Albums
Year Album Peak chart positions
US
[6]		 AUS
[7]
1972 Looking Glass 113 56
1973 Subway Serenade — —

Singles
Year Song Peak chart positions Certifications
US
[6]		 US Cash Box
 US Adult
[8]		 AUS
[7]		 CAN
 UK
1972 "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" 1 1 7 10 1 55[upper-alpha 1]
"Golden Rainbow" — 75 37 — — —
1973 "Rainbow Man" — 94 — — — —
"Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne"[10] 33 31 16 75 21 —
1974 "Sweet Somethin'"[11] — — — — — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Notes
  1. Chart position is from the official UK "Breakers List".

References
  1. Eder, Bruce. "Looking Glass Biography – Yahoo! Music". New.music.yahoo.com. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  2. Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 315. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  3. "Looking Glass Bio". Utopia Artists. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  4. ">>Died On This Date (January 23, 1990) Peter Sweval / Looking Glass; Starz". TheMusicsOver.com. January 23, 2010. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  5. "Remembering PIETER SWEVAL in Original Starz Board Forum". Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  6. "Looking Glass - Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 20, 2014. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  7. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 181. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  8. Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-1993. Record Research. p. 143.
  9. "British certifications – Looking Glass". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 16, 2022. Type Looking Glass in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  10. "RPM 100 Singles". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. October 3, 1970. Archived from the original on October 23, 2014. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  11. "Record World Single Picks" (PDF). February 16, 1974.


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