Barry Manilow, whose real name is Barry Pincus, is an American singer-songwriter who can boast of having ranked no less than 51 titles in the Top 40 of the American Adult Contemporary Charts, including 13 that will finish No.1 ! But he can also boast of having had 13 Platinum-rated and 6 Multi-Platinum-rated albums and to date have sold around 85 million records alone !
Artist who began his musical career in the mid-1960s when he was asked to rearrange certain songs from the musical 'The Drunkard'. To the great astonishment of the sponsor, he will not be content simply to rearrange the titles but he will completely rewrite the entire score. A rewrite that will allow the new version to be played for almost 8 years !
We find him later in the creation of advertising jingles, a field in which he will also excel for several years.
It was at the end of the 1960s that his singing career took off when he was signed by the Columbia/CBS Music label to write songs for the group 'Featherbed'.
Then we find him alongside Bette Midler at the start of the 1970s, a fruitful collaboration that will last nearly 4 years.
The solo career as for it starts in 1973 with the release of a first eponymous album, album which will know a nice success of esteem but without however succeeding in producing the least classified title.
On the other hand, this album contains a title which will go unnoticed to say the least but which will be talked about again a few years later and in what way ! A certain…“Could it be magic”…
New album "Barry Manilow II" a year later in 1974, album with certain success and especially which will produce the first hits of the singer and not the least in particular with the enormous "Mandy". The title will be a real global hit and project the singer to the forefront of the international music scene in a sensational way to say the least.
Success confirmed the following year in 1975 with the re-release of "Could it be magic" (a title actually inspired by the Prelude in C minor No. 20 Opus 28 by Frederic Chopin...), a version which this time does not go not go unnoticed, far from it !
The same title which will be cover a year later by a certain Donna Summer who will also make it a huge success thanks to an oh so successful Dance version...
At the rate of one album a year now, it is the turn of "Tryin' to get the feeling" which was released a year later in 1975, an album which confirms that the singer has become one of the phenomena of the moment. Album carried at arm's length by the very large caliber single "I write the songs".
It was the turn of "This one's for you" to be released in 1976 album which will know its heyday mainly with the title "Looks like we made it" the following year in 1977.
The consecration, the real one, came in 1978 when the album "Even now" was released, an album with 3 huge singles, which are "Copacabana (At the copa)", "Somewhere in the night", but also, and above all, "Can 't smile without you'.
Many albums will be released thereafter but none will be able to match the enormous success achieved by "Even now"...
This will not prevent the artist from recording many successes on the singles side during the 1980s...
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others…) :
Sweet water Jones 1973
Could it be magic 1973
Mandy 1974
It’s a miracle 1975
I write the songs 1975
Tryin’ to get the feeling again 1976
This one’s for you 1976
Weekend in New England 1976
Looks like we made it 1977
Daybreak 1977
Can't smile without you 1977
Even now 1978
Copacabana ( At the copa) 1978
Ready to take a chance again 1978
Somewhere in the night 1978
Ships 1979
When I wanted you 1979
I don’t want to walk without you 1980
Bermuda triangle 1980
I made it through the rain 1980
Lonely together 1980
The old songs 1981
Somewhere down the road 1981
Let’s hang on 1982
Oh Julie 1982
I wanna do it with you 1982
Memory 1982
Some kind of friend 1983
Read 'Em and weep 1983
You’re looking hot tonight 1984
When October goes 1984
Run to me 1985
In search of love 1985
I’m your man 1986
Brooklyn blues 1988
Keep each other warm 1989
Please don't be scared 1989
The one that got away 1989
If you remember me 1990
Another life 1992
Let me be your wings 1994
I’d really love to see you tonight 1997
I go creazy 1997
Turn the radio up 2001
River 2003
Unchained melody 2005
Love is a many-splendored thing 2006
Christmas is just around the corner 2008
Everything's gonna be all right 2011
Blame it on my youth 2014
This is my town 2017
Downtown/Uptown 2017
When the good times come again 2020
Dancin' in the aisles 2022
Clips :
1973... friendly and playful beginnings but which will not bring him more than that. He will have to work a little longer to hope to stand out from the crowd...
1973...who could imagine that behind this title hides one of Chopin's most famous pieces, not many people, that's for sure. This 1973 version will go unnoticed but be a real hit when it comes out 2 years later...
1839...the original ! The young singer is going to revisit this prelude in an astonishing and above all particularly brilliant way, but it is above all Donna Summer's version that makes the Dance adaptation even more incredible...
1974...it's a cover of Scott English's title dating from 1972, and released not under the name 'Mandy' but under the name 'Brandy', which will finally allow the young singer to make a start room in the sun. HU-GE !
1975...he took a while to take off but now that it's done the rise in power will be impressive to say the least. With a flood of top hits to come...in addition to those already obtained...
1975...covers bring him luck, it has to be said. He revisits here the title of Captain & Tennille released the same year and will make it the most successful and above all the most successful version...
1976...surprisingly, as soon as he goes back to original compositions, the success is less. Afterwards, even if the success is less, it is still consistent, isn't that the main thing...
1976...a year 1976 composed only of original titles. He will have needed covers to launch his career but now he wants to exist on his own and rightly so...
1976...a year 1976 mainly Intimist, a field that he likes at first sight. But it could be that he also has some good surprises in store for us in the field of Dance...
1977...the year 1977 starts again on the same Intimist bases as the year the year 1976 but with a higher level of success. Like what it was worth persevering in this area where he obviously excels. MA-GIC !
1977 ... a title between 2 modes which will necessarily bring him less. It's not easy for the public to situate a title that is half Dance, half Intimist, hence a slightly more mixed result in the Charts...
1977...it's another cover that will bring him a new prestigious star to add to a prize list that is already starting to count a few. All thanks to this revisited version of David Martin's title dating from 1975...
1978...a know-how in the Intimist which continues year after year even if this title will only experience an average level of success. It's an original composition, this may explain it...
1978...the Dance surprise, here it is ! While he had hitherto been content to stay in his Intimist comfort zone, here he is venturing into a more perilous musical register concerning him. And yet, he will make sparks there and make this title one of the best known of the decade. MAS-TER-FUL !
1978... drive out the natural, it comes back at a gallop. We suspected that the Dance parenthesis would not last very long. Back in finesse and lightness mode but with a much lower level of success...
1978... suddenly, he said to himself that a good old cover would be welcome and here he is revisiting a title released by several artists in 1975. In the end he will have had once again damn right to take it back because it is his version that will obtain the biggest success with the public...
1979...once again his talent in the Intimist works wonders and allows him to produce this kind of titles. We definitely want more !
1979...rarely has an artist produced so many so-called 'emotional' titles. It must be said that it would be a shame not to take advantage of it when you have a writing talent in this area that is clearly above average...
1980... he gives us here a title that is surprising to say the least as a passage to the following decade. He revisits here a title dating from 1941 and whose style does not correspond in any way to the aspirations of the young generation, that's clear...
1980 ... it seems not to have taken the measure of the latest musical developments of the moment. He will therefore have to be careful not to lose sight of the front of the leading pack because it could happen to him faster than expected...
1980...the Intimist domain being timeless, he prefers to take refuge there. Easy solution that he will not be able to use for very long, otherwise the rest of his career may be complicated...
1980...for the moment it still works and the level of success in the Charts remains sufficient to keep him in contact with the best. Watch out for the stall though...
1981... he continues to trace his path as he sees fit and above all without taking into account the world that evolves around him. Rightly or wrongly, that's something else...
1981... history proves him right at least for the moment because the public is always present at his side. It must be said that the quality of his titles remains constant and avoids him relegation to the lower division...
1982...it's time to get back in shape and here he is playing it for us as a luxury cover with this revisited version of the Four Seasons title dating from 1965. Moreover on a tempo that is unexpected to say the least, which does not spoil nothing, quite the contrary !
1982...the year 1982 will be a year of covers with this time the revisited version of a Shakin' Stevens title dating from the same year. Nice cover but nothing more...
1982...it's an uninterrupted series of covers, this time with this revisited version of John Paul Young's title dating from 1977. Good work once again but still no major upturn in sight...
1982...a year 1982 decidedly focused mainly on covers with this time the revisited version of a title by Andrew Lloyd Webber composed for the musical 'Cats'. Very few creations during this year 1982, it is clear...
1983...after a somewhat sluggish start to the 80s, business will finally pick up again in 1983. Starting with this title which allows the singer to remind the general public that he still exists !
1983... covering Meat Loaf from 1981 here is a bold bet when you see the respective universes of each. And yet, the revisited version will manage to sublimate this title and make it a huge success, that's for the good news. For the bad, it is that it will be the last of the artist...
1984... the relapse will be violent, to say the least. The fall in the Charts will be quite dizzying and this time the singer will only go up the slope very punctually...
1984 ... the singer is not demotivated in any case and still believes in it. We're not going to lie to each other, the best years are now behind...
1985 ... one could have imagined that the association of the 2 would make sparks. Unfortunately, the sum of the 2 talents will not produce a miracle, which is paradoxical to say the least...
1985... the production of titles remains consistent but the level of success in the Charts melts like snow in the sun. Hard law of the trade...
1986 ... he will still manage to make a few big hits here and there but without reversing the trend. Always better than nothing as they say...
1988...after an empty year in 1987, surprising fact concerning him, here he is back in this year 1988. Back in a form that we will qualify as relative given the lack of success achieved by this title...
1989... covering Bucks Fizz dating from 1986 starts from a good feeling. On the other hand, it is the end result that will be disappointing to say the least...
1989...a complicated end of the decade to manage for the artist with more and more titles with the most limited success. Times are getting tougher...
1989...now remains to be seen whether he will be able to bounce back the next decade. But he's the only one who can answer this existentialist question...
1990...so far the switch to the new decade has not been very successful. It is clear that the singer is doing more and more some figuration now...
1992...new empty year in 1991. Here he is back in this year 1992 once again in a relative form since he will only release one title that year and to the success of the most modest...
1994...the year 1993 will only see him resume some of his old titles. The year 1994 will be a new mono-title year all on the soundtrack of the film "Thumbelina"...
1997...there was a time when covers brought him luck. Which is no longer really the case when we see the result achieved in the Charts by this revisited version of the title of England Dan & John Ford Coley dating from 1976...
1997 ... he persists in luxury covers even if it no longer pays him. Here it is, taking up the title of Paul Davis from 1977 and once again, the result in the Charts will be very minimalist...
2001... we will lose sight of him for nearly 4 years and here he begins his 4th decade of career with a title that is playful to say the least. Good initiative but which will not interest the general public more than that...
2003...he covers Joni Mitchell here from 1971 but like all his covers of the previous decade, it won't bring him more than that. And yet, he puts good will into it every time, it is clear...
2005...he tries everything by covering this now legendary title dating from 1955 and originally present on the soundtrack of the film 'Unchained'. It is far, very far, from equaling the incredible version of the Righteous Brothers dating from 1965 and which will remain as the most famous of all...
2006...he revisits here the title of the Four Aces dating from 1955 but will not succeed once again in making a version superior to the original. Nice try though...
2008...come on, when nothing goes a good old Christmas title and everything goes back to how it was. Unfortunately, it won't work as expected...
2011...an ultra Dance register to which he hadn't really accustomed us. And my faith, the result is far from being ridiculous, it is clear !
2014... almost nothing will happen during this decade, at least on the Singles side. Because on the album side, several will come out which will experience significant success, including this one...
2017...an album in the form of a tribute to his favorite city. Paradoxically, while it should have interested mainly Americans, it will also be popular with the English...
2017... here he revisits Petula Clark's flagship track from 1964. Although composed by an Englishman, the song is actually about New York. Still need to know...
2020...and here he is again ! He will go until the end of the adventure and it does not matter the weight of the years and the success - or not - met by the released titles. A desire to believe in it to the end that necessarily commands respect...
2022 ... so we imagine that this title will surely not be the last because with him nothing is ever over. To be continued...
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Official Website :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :