# Pretty Flamingo > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Pretty_Flamingo > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Pretty_Flamingo.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Flamingo > Source revision: 1353303344 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Infobox song | name = Pretty Flamingo | cover = Manfred man pretty flamingo.jpg | alt = | caption = Norwegian picture sleeve | type = single | artist = [Manfred Mann](/source/Manfred_Mann) | album = | B-side = You're Standing By | released = {{start date|1966|04|15|df=y}} | recorded = 18 March 1966 | studio = [EMI](/source/Abbey_Road_Studios), London{{cite web |title=Old Melodies ...: Manfred Mann – Down the Road Apiece: Their EMI Recordings 1963–1966 |url=http://allmusic-wingsofdream.blogspot.com/2018/06/manfred-mann-down-road-apiece-their-emi.html |date=5 June 2018}} | venue = | genre = [Sunshine pop](/source/Sunshine_pop) | length = {{duration|m=2|s=31}} | label = [His Master's Voice](/source/His_Master's_Voice_(British_record_label)) POP 1523{{cite book |last=Rice |first=Jo |title=The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits |publisher=Guinness Superlatives Ltd |location=Enfield, UK |edition=1st |year=1982 |pages=100–101 |isbn=0- 85112-250-7}} | writer = [Mark Barkan](/source/Mark_Barkan) | producer = [John Burgess](/source/John_Burgess_(record_producer)) | prev_title = [If You Gotta Go, Go Now](/source/If_You_Gotta_Go%2C_Go_Now) | prev_year = 1965 | next_title = You Gave Me Somebody to Love | next_year = 1966 }} "'''Pretty Flamingo'''" is a song written by [Mark Barkan](/source/Mark_Barkan), which became a hit in 1966 when [Manfred Mann](/source/Manfred_Mann)'s recording of it was released as a single. This single reached number one in the [UK Singles Chart](/source/UK_Singles_Chart) on 5 May 1966,{{cite web |title=Official Singles Chart UK Top 100 |url=http://www.theofficialcharts.com/all_the_no1_songs.php?show=2 |publisher=Theofficialcharts.com |date= |access-date=6 April 2014}} and was a minor hit in the United States where it spent eight weeks on ''[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))''{{'}}s [Hot 100](/source/Billboard_Hot_100) chart, peaking at number 29 during the week of 6 August 1966.{{cite web |title=The Hot 100: August 06, 1966 | Billboard Chart Archive |url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/1966-08-06/hot-100 |publisher=Billboard.com |date= |access-date=6 April 2014}} It was also successful in Ireland; it was number one there for four weeks, keeping [the Rolling Stones](/source/the_Rolling_Stones)' "[Paint It Black](/source/Paint_It_Black)" at number two. ==Song profile== The narrator of the song describes a woman—whom "all of the guys call [...] 'Flamingo', 'cause her hair glows like the sun and her eyes can light the sky"—for whom the narrator has fallen, and his plans to win her affection. Songwriter Mark Barkan's daughter said that this was based on a girl who lived above a parking lot in his neighborhood: Barkan and his friends used to call out to her.{{cite web |last=Barkan |first=Bridget |title=Last Word |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000j9km |website=BBC Radio 4}} The original demo of the song was recorded by New York City–based American vocalist [Jimmy Radcliffe](/source/Jimmy_Radcliffe), stylized for [the Drifters](/source/the_Drifters); but Barkan was dissatisfied with the overly produced results, and had Radcliffe recut the song with a pared-down arrangement.{{citation needed|date=March 2016}} The Manfred Mann recording featured future [Cream](/source/Cream_(band)) bassist [Jack Bruce](/source/Jack_Bruce), who briefly joined the band in 1965; the flute solo was played by [Lyn Dobson](/source/Lyn_Dobson). The recording was engineered by [Geoff Emerick](/source/Geoff_Emerick) – then only 20 years old – who eventually became well known for his work with [the Beatles](/source/the_Beatles). After Barkan's death in 2020, [Paul Jones](/source/Paul_Jones_(singer)) of Manfred Mann said: "I'm a little bit ashamed to admit that not only did I never meet him, but I never even got in touch with him and said thank you for the song.  But I would like to thank him posthumously."{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Paul |author-link=Paul Jones (singer) |title=Last Word |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000j9km |website=BBC Radio 4}} ''[Cash Box](/source/Cash_Box)'' described "Pretty Flamingo" as an "easy-going, teen-angled item about a rather fickle young gal".{{cite magazine |title=CashBox Record Reviews |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-06-11.pdf |magazine=Cash Box |date=11 June 1966 |page=18 |access-date=12 January 2022}} In its review of Tommy Vann's contemporaneous single release, ''Cash Box'' described the song as a "romantic ode all about a fella who aspires to one day snare a real special gal".{{cite magazine |title=CashBox Record Reviews |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-06-04.pdf |magazine=Cash Box |date=4 June 1966 |page=8 |access-date=12 January 2022}} ==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- !scope="col"|Chart (1966) !scope="col"|Peak
position |- |Canada ''[RPM](/source/RPM_(magazine))'' 100{{cite journal |date=1 August 1966 |title=100 |journal=[RPM](/source/RPM_(magazine)) |volume=5 |issue=23 |format=PHP |access-date=7 June 2011 |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.5792&type=2&interval=20&PHPSESSID=m89iq841abagb37ld9c0fdc1f3}} |style="text-align:center;"|2 |- | align="left" |Finland ([''Soumen Virallinen''](/source/The_Official_Finnish_Charts)){{cite book |last=Nyman |first=Jake |title=Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja |publisher=Tammi |year=2005 |isbn=951-31-2503-3 |edition=1st |location=Helsinki |page=201 |language=fi}} |style="text-align:center;"|28 |- {{single chart|Ireland2|1|song=Pretty Flamingo|artist=Manfred Mann}} |- {{single chart |West Germany|12|song=Pretty Flamingo|artist=Mann, Manfred|songid=15313|year=1966}} |- {{single chart |Dutch100|15|song=Pretty Flamingo|artist=Manfred Mann}} |- |New Zealand ([Listener](/source/New_Zealand_Listener))http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=NZ%20listener%20charts&qyear=1966&qmonth=Aug&qweek=12-Aug-1966#n_view_location |style="text-align:center;"|1 |- {{single chart |Norway|3|song=Pretty Flamingo|artist=Manfred Mann|year=1966|week=22}} |- |Rhodesia ([Lyons Maid](/source/Lyons_Maid) Hits of the Week) |style="text-align:center;"|1 |- |Sweden (Kvällstoppen){{cite book |last=Hallberg |first=Eric |title=Kvällstoppen i P3 |publisher=Drift Musik |location=Sweden |edition=1st |year=1993 |isbn=91-630-2140-4}} |style="text-align:center;"|6 |- {{single chart |UK|1|song=Pretty Flamingo|artist=Manfred Mann|date=1966-05-07}} |- {{single chart |Billboardhot100|29|artist=Manfred Mann|}} |} ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.theofficialcharts.com/all_the_no1_songs.php?show=2 Official UK Chart website] *[http://www.manfredmann.co.uk/ Official Manfred Mann website] {{Manfred Mann}} {{Authority control}} Category:1966 singles Category:Manfred Mann songs Category:Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Category:UK singles chart number-one singles Category:Songs written by Mark Barkan Category:His Master's Voice singles Category:Song recordings produced by John Burgess {{1960s-pop-song-stub}} --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Pretty Flamingo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Flamingo) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Flamingo?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.