Singles and song reviews

I’m Mandy Fly Me (1976)

A follow-up of sorts to “Clockwork Creep” (from the Sheet Music album), “I’m Mandy, Fly Me” is a superbly detailed and supremely dippy romance set around — what else? — a plane crash. Composed by Eric Stewart (who takes the lead vocal), Graham Gouldman, and Lol Crème, and built around spiraling multi-tracked acoustic guitars, smooth harmonies, and a classically dreamy pop melody, “I’m Mandy” even begins with a snatch of that earlier song, before zeroing in on the glamorous “I’m (insert pretty stewardess’ name here), Fly Me” billboards which were a staple of ’70s airline advertising. Mandy seats the singer, feeds him, caters to his every need, and, when the jetliner crashes into the shark-infested ocean, she pulls him to safety. It’s only once he’s rescued that he discovers he was the only survivor.

The second single from the group’s 1976 How Dare You album (the last to feature all four original members), “I’m Mandy” reached number six in the U.K. and number 60 in America. It remained in the band’s live set for the remainder of their career — a fine version is included on 1977’s Live and Let Live concert LP.

I’M MANDY FLY ME (THE WOMAN HUNTER VERSION WITH BARBARA EDEN, STUART WHITMAN & THE LATE ROBERT VAUGHN)