Elliot Lurie Interview - Co-Lead Vocalist and Guitarist of Looking Glass

On this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack is joined by Elliot Lurie, co-lead vocalist and guitarist of Looking Glass. 

Looking Glass formed in the late '60s while its members were attending Rutgers University in New Jersey. The band became popular on campus, and after graduating, they decided to take a year off to do music full-time. They rented a farmhouse and got to work writing songs and recording demos. The band was signed to CBS Records and began recording for the label. During their time in the farmhouse, Elliot wrote a song called "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)." It was this very song that the head of CBS Records, Clive Davis, insisted be released as the band’s debut single. However, the band opted instead for "Don’t It Make You Feel Good." 

This first single failed to chart, but it was perhaps a CBS promotions executive named Robert Mandel who saved the band’s career. Mandel took an acetate of Looking Glass' debut album to a disc jockey at a Washington, DC, radio station. The DJ put the vinyl on the turntable and played track two, "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)," on the air. It had an instant reaction from listeners, with the radio station phones lighting up. CBS knew it was going to be a hit and pressed the song as Looking Glass' second single. The single would reach number one in the U.S. and number 10 in Australia. In 2017, the song would see further success when it became a main feature in the blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. 

In 1973, the band released their second and final album, Subway Serenade. It brought the group a Top 40 hit with the single "Jimmy Loves Maryanne." As a single, "Jimmy Loves Maryanne" reached number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. and number 75 on the charts in Australia, making Looking Glass by no means a one-hit wonder. Elliot left the group in 1974. 

Today, Elliot collaborates and plays live gigs with Yacht Rock Revue. Yacht Rock Revue is a band that mainly plays covers considered part of a genre called "yacht rock." The group has also done some original work, with a recent single, "Tropical Illusion." Elliot co-wrote the song with a member of Yacht Rock Revue, and it would be the lead single off their 2024 album Escape Artist. 

Jack Zoomed with Elliot to discuss his early days, the impact rock and roll had on him, the formation of Looking Glass, how the name Looking Glass came to be, the group’s early popularity around Rutgers University, the band's time writing demos, the writing and recording of "Brandy," the band's first single, how "Brandy" became a hit, what it was like having "Brandy" in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the band’s second album, and Elliot’s work today with Yacht Rock Revue. 

"We were sitting in my car, a Chevrolet, all four of us, and we were probably a little high at the time, haha, and we were trying to come up with a name for the band. We were staring at the rearview mirror in the car, and somebody said, 'What about The Mirrors?' We kind of liked the concept of the mirrors because we thought of ourselves as regular guys, and we were a reflection of our audience, but we didn’t like the name 'Mirrors.' Since it was like the psychedelic era, I said, 'Well, what’s like a mirror? How about like a looking glass?'" - Elliot Lurie on this episode of Vinyl Vibes talking about how the name Looking Glass came to be 

Episode Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins 

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