Barry Manilow “Copacabana” charted

Copacabana (At the Copa) Barry Manilow

Writer(s): Barry Manilow, Jack Feldman, Bruce Sussman (see lyrics here) First Charted: June 10, 1978 Peak: 8 US, 10 CB, 6 HR, 7 RR, 6 AC, 22 UK, 7 CN, 1 DF (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): 1.0 Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 1.0 radio, 16.2 video, 62.35 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Singer/songwriter Barry Manilow was born as Barry Alan Pincus in New York City in 1943. He rose to fame in the 1970s and while he was never a critics’ favorite, he landed 13 songs atop the adult contemporary chart, released thirteen platinum albums, and has sold more than 85 million records worldwide. He built his career mostly on the strength of easy listening ballads such as “Mandy” and “I Write the Songs.” However, “Copacabana,” the third single from his fifth album, Even Now, was an uptempo disco song. It was inspired by a conversation between Manilow and Bruce Sussman, one of the song’s lyricists. They were at the Copacabana Hotel in Rio de Janeiro and wondered if there had ever been a song called Copacabana. Once back in the United States, Manilow suggested to Sussman and fellow lyricist Jack Feldman, who was known for writing music for the stage, that they write a story song to which Manilow supplied the music. The lyrics refer to the nightclub as “the hottest spot north of Havana,” and tell the story of a showgirl named Lola and a bartender named Tony who worked at the club. He is shot in a confrontation and still grieves for him thirty years later when the club has become a discotheque. Now middle-aged, she still dresses in her showgirl attire, but is now a customer who “drinks herself half blind.” WK While the song takes place in the Copacabana district in Rio de Janeiro, there was also a famous nightclub in New York City named after it which did become a disco in the 1970s. SF Manilow had been a regular visitor to the New York City nightclub WK which also had high-profile entertainers such as Frank Sinatra. A 1947 film called Copacabana starred Groucho Marx and Carmen Miranda. SF The song earned Manilow his only Grammy – for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. It also became the basis for a full-length, made-for-TV musical in 1985. In the 1990s, it was expanded into a two-act stage musical which has seen more than 200 productions worldwide. Resources: SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 9/7/2022.