Barry Manilow: A Retrospective, 1973-1978

Barry Manilow A Retrospective: 1973-1978

Overview: Barry Manilow was born Barry Alan Pincus on 6/17/1943 in Brooklyn, New York. The singer/songwriter has reached the top 40 of the adult contemporary chart 51 times, including thirteen #1’s. He has thirteen platinum albums and six multi-platinum albums. He has sold 85 million records worldwide. Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Barry Manilow BarryManilow.com (official site) Facebook Wikipedia

Awards:

Compilations: G1 Greatest Hits (covers 1973-78, released 1978) Under each album snapshot, songs featured on the anthologies are noted. If the song charted, the date of the song’s release or first chart appearance and its chart peaks are noted in parentheses. Click for codes to charts.

Barry Manilow (1973): Could It Be Magic (6/21/75, 6 BB, 7 CB, 8 GR, 8 HR, 7 RR, 4 AC, 25 UK, 4 CN) G1

Barry Manilow II (1974): Mandy (11/9/74, 1 BB, 1 CB, 1 GR, 1 HR, 1 RR, 1 AC, 11 UK, 1 CN, 6 DF) G1 It’s a Miracle (3/1/75, 12 BB, 10 CB, 9 GR, 10 HR, 11 RR, 1 AC, 1 CN) G1

Tryin’ to Get the Feeling (1975): I Write the Songs (11/8/75, 1 BB, 1 CB, 1 GR, 1 HR, 1 RR, 1 AC, 3 CN, 1 DF) G1 Trying to Get the Feeling Again (3/13/76, 10 BB, 10 CB, 10 GR, 10 HR, 11 RR, 1 AC, 13 CN) G1 Bandstand Boogie G1 Beautiful Music G1 New York City Rhythm G1

This One’s for You (1976): This One’s for You (9/18/76, 29 BB, 21 CB, 22 GR, 29 HR, 23 RR, 1 AC, 28 CN) G1 Weekend in New England (11/27/76, 10 BB, 9 CB, 7 GR, 6 HR, 7 RR, 1 AC, 9 CN) G1 Looks Like We Made It (5/7/77, 1 BB, 3 CB, 2 GR, 3 HR, 2 RR, 1 AC, 8 CN, 13 DF) G1 Daybreak (10/1/77, 23 BB, 21 CB, 17 GR, 27 HR, 16 RR, 7 AC, 20 CN) G1 All the Time G1 Jump Shout Boogie G1

Even Now (1978): Can’t Smile Without You (2/4/78, 3 BB, 2 CB, 2 GR, 2 HR, 2 RR, 1 AC, 43 UK, 2 CN, 29 DF) G1 Even Now (5/6/78, 19 BB, 17 CB, 15 GR, 20 HR, 17 RR, 1 AC, 17 CN) G1 Copacabana (At the Copa) (6/10’/78, 8 BB, 10 CB, 7 GR, 6 HR, 7 RR, 6 AC, 22 UK, 7 CN, 1 DF) G1 Somewhere in the Night (7/29/78, 9 BB, 13 CB, 11 GR, 15 HR, 8 RR, 4 AC, 42 UK, 10 CN) G1

Greatest Hits (aka “Manilow Magic”) Barry Manilow

Recorded: 1973-1978 Released: November 1978 Peak: 7 US, 3 UK, -- CN, 26 AU Sales (in millions): 3.0 US Genre: adult contemporary Rating: 3.323 out of 5.00 (average of 6 ratings)

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

Tracks: (1) Mandy (2) New York City Rhythm (3) Ready to Take a Chance Again (4) Looks Like We Made It (5) Daybreak (live) (6) Can’t Smile Without You (7) It’s a Miracle (8) Even Now (9) Bandstand Boogie (10) Tryin’ to Get the Feeling Again (11) Could It Be Magic (12) Somewhere in the Night (13) Jump Shout Boogie (14) Weekend in New England (15) All the Time (16) This One’s for You (17) Copacabana (At the Copa) (18) Beautiful Music (19) I Write the Songs Total Running Time: 70:52 Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums: Ready to Take a Chance Again (9/2/78, 11 BB, 7 CB, 8 GR, 5 HR, 5 RR, 5 AC, 4 CN, 18 DF) G1 About the Album: Barry Manilow’s first compilation featured a snapshot of his five studio albums released from 1973 to 1978 as well as one cut from his 1977 live album. The collection only featured one new song, “Ready to Take a Chance Again,” which was from the movie Foul Play. Reissues of the collection have sometimes replaced the live version of “Daybreak” with the studio version.

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Barry Manilow Dave’s Music Database: Acts’ Profile Pages and Best-of Lists Wikipedia page for Greatest Hits First posted 12/7/2023.

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.