Scott English facts for kids

Sheldon David "Scott" English (January 10, 1937 – November 16, 2018) was a talented American musician. He was a songwriter, meaning he wrote songs. He was also an arranger, which means he helped decide how the different instruments in a song would sound together. Plus, he was a record producer, someone who helps artists make their music recordings.

Scott English is most famous for co-writing the song "Brandy" with Richard Kerr. This song became a huge hit, reaching No. 1 for Barry Manilow in 1974. Barry Manilow changed the song's title to "Mandy". Scott English had also released his own version of "Brandy" as a single in 1971, and it became popular in the UK and the US.

Scott English: A Musical Journey

Scott English was born in Brooklyn, New York, in the United States. He started his music career in 1960, releasing his first song called "4,000 Miles Away."

In 1964, he had a regional hit with a doo-wop song called "High on a Hill." This song was very popular in the Pittsburgh area and also did well in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Writing Hit Songs

Scott English teamed up with Larry Weiss to write many popular songs. One of their biggest hits was "Bend Me, Shape Me." This song became a top 5 hit in the U.S. for the band The American Breed in 1968. It was also a hit in the UK for Amen Corner.

English and Weiss became good friends. They also wrote other successful songs together, like "Help Me Girl" (1966) and "Ciao Baby" (1967). Another famous song they wrote was "Hi Ho Silver Lining" (1967), which was a hit for Jeff Beck.

Producing Music for Other Artists

Besides writing songs, Scott English also worked as a record producer. He helped other bands record their music. In 1969, he produced a song called "West Virginia" for a band called The Elves. This band later became known as Elf and featured the singer Ronnie James Dio.

He also produced the first album for the famous Irish rock band Thin Lizzy in 1971. Scott English co-wrote the song "Words Don't Mean a Thing" with Lynsey de Paul.

Later Career and Eurovision

In 1998, Scott English was a co-writer for the UK's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. The song was called "Where Are You?" and was performed by Imaani.

In 2014, he appeared on a radio show in London to introduce a new song he wrote called "Holla." Scott English passed away in England on November 16, 2018, at the age of 81.

Scott English's Music: Albums and Singles

Here are some of the albums and singles Scott English released during his career.

Albums

• Scott English (1978)

Singles

• "4,000 Miles Away" (1960)
• "High on a Hill" (1964) (Reached #77 on US Pop charts)
• "Brandy" (1971)
• "Denver Calling" (1971)
• "Waterfall Woman" (1971)
• "Ballad Of The Unloved" (1972)
• "He Was Me He Was You" (1972)
• "Dark Eyed Daughter Of Love" (1973)
• "Rescue Man" (1973)
• "Mobile" (1973)
• "Camp Followin' Rosie" (1973)
• "Moonlight Lady" (1974)
• "Something's Missin' In My Life" (1974)
• "Dance ('Till You're Out Of My Life)" (1978)
• "Stay" (1978)

Songs Written or Produced by Scott English

Scott English helped create many songs for other artists. Here are some of them:

1960s Hits

• Al Martino. "Adios Mexico" (1966)
• Eric Burdon. "Help Me, Girl" (1966)
• The Toys. "Ciao Baby" (1966)
• The Outsiders. "Bend Me, Shape Me" (1967)
• The American Breed. "Bend Me, Shape Me" (1967)
• Jeff Beck. "Hi Ho Silver Lining" (1967)
• Lynne Randell. "Ciao Baby" (1967)
• Amen Corner. "Bend Me Shape Me" (1968)
• James & Bobby Purify. "Help Yourself (To All Of My Lovin')" (1968)
• Mama Cass. "Welcome To The World" (1968)

1970s Hits

• The Glass Bottle. "Wonderwheel" (1971)
• Greyhound. "I Am What I Am" (1972)
• Bunny Walters. "Brandy" (1972)
• Al Wilson. "All For You" (1973)
• The Bells. "He Was Me, He Was You" (1973)
• Barry Manilow. "Mandy" (1974)

1980s and Beyond

• Barry Mann & Carole King. "You're The Only One" (1980)
• Black Lace. "Hi Ho Silver Lining" (1984)
• Slade. "Hi Ho Silver Lining" (1985)
• Lynsey de Paul. "Words Don't Mean A Thing" (1994)
• Alan Parsons. "One Day To Fly" (1996)
• Imaani. "Where Are You" (1998)
• Bob Welch. "Bend Me, Shape Me"
• Westway Beats. "Holla" (2014)