How Looking Glass Reacted to ‘Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)’ in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’

What would Marvel movies be without gratuitous pop songs? Looking Glass’ “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” appears in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 to tug on the heartstrings. Here’s a look at why a member of the band disagreed with some of the film’s dialog.

‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ claims ‘Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)’ might be the best song

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 includes a lot of classic songs, including George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord,” the Electric Light Orchestra’s “Mr. Blue Sky,” and Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.” However, the character Ego says that Looking Glass’ “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” might be the finest musical composition in the history of Earth. 

During a 2017 interview with the New York Post, Looking Glass singer Elliot Lurie dismissed the idea that Looking Glass’ “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” was the best song ever. “Far from it,” he laughed. “I would say that is probably ‘Desperado’ by The Eagles!” It’s interesting that he chose an Eagles song that wasn’t even a single.

Lurie revealed what he thought when director James Gunn approached him to use the tune in the film. “When he explained how he planned to use it, I was thrilled,” said Lurie. “I loved the first movie so much — I was actually a little disappointed about ‘Brandy’ not being on that soundtrack.” While “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” wasn’t in the first movie, it still featured other 1970s pop hits like Blue Swede’s “Hooked on a Feeling,” Rupert Holmes’ “Escape (The Piña Colada Song),” and Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love.”

The song was a huge hit before ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’

While Looking Glass’ “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” might not be the best song ever (even though it’s definitely one of the better easy-listening songs of the 1970s), it was a hit. The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits reports the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for a week. It remains the band’s sole hit.

Looking Glass came a long way from their first show, where they performed alongside a diving horse. “We asked the promoter when should start playing,” Lurie told the New York Post. “He was right out of The Sopranos, and he said, ‘You see that horse over there — when you hear that splash, that’s when you start playing.’ That put it all in perspective for us!”

The royalties from ‘Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)’

Lurie discussed how royalties from “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” affected his life. “The income isn’t something you can live on completely, but it makes the good times better, and the hard times a little easier,” he said. His signature song had previously appeared in an episode of The Simpsons and the first Charlie’s Angels movie.

At one point, Looking Glass were opposed to this use of their music. They turned down a $25,000 deal for “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” to appear in a soda commercial. “When we signed our record deal to Epic, our advance was $10,000 to be split between all of us,” said Lurie. “But we thought doing a commercial was selling out!”

Eventually, Lurie would get down with commercialism — and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is all the better for it.