Songfacts®:

• This song is not about a flamingo of course, but is a sort of love song about an unspecified though particularly attractive young woman. It was written by Mark Barkan from a short-lived psychedelic band from Philadelphia, called The Deep. Barkan also wrote songs for many other artists including The Archies and The Monkees, and was a musical director for the television show The Banana Splits. >>>

  Suggestion credit:
  Alexander - London, England
• It was Manfred Mann's record producer, John Burgess who introduced the group to the song. Vocalist Paul Jones recalled in 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh:
  
  "'Pretty Flamingo' was the first song that was brought to the band from someone other than ourselves. I didn't like it much as it didn't have a black flavour, but I see now that it could have been done by The Drifters. Ben E King could have done a great job on it."
• Jack Bruce played bass on this. It was the only occasion in the legendary musician's career that he played on a UK #1 hit single.
• When producer John Burgess brought "Pretty Flamingo" to Manfred Mann, Paul Jones dismissed it outright. "You're losing your touch," he told Burgess. As Jones later recalled to Mojo magazine, Burgess simply replied, "Do me a favor, just sing it once."
  
  Jones humored him. "I thought, How would Sam Cooke sing this? Which is a bit silly, really, because Sam Cooke's voice is about half as high again as mine."
  
  The joke was on him: "Pretty Flamingo" shot to #1 in the UK. "I was absolutely wrong," Jones admitted.