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| September 27, 2007 | Las Vegas Review-Journal | "Manilow hitting the road again" by Mike Weatherford |
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| When Barry Manilow announced his deal with the Las Vegas Hilton in late 2004, exclusivity was a big part of the coup. "After 30 years of living out of suitcases, I just wanted my life back," the easy-listening king said back then. "Wouldn't it be nice if I could continue to make music and entertain audiences but didn't have to go on the road?" The entertainer will be packing his bags again for a brief December tour of arenas in New York, New Jersey, Cleveland and Detroit. The Hilton considers it an album promotion, not a breach of the exclusivity. "We're fine with that," says Hilton spokesman Ira Sternberg. The arena dates "build excitement to come see him in Las Vegas." The Hilton should be fine with anything Manilow decides to do. Signing him turned out to be one of the smartest moves on the local entertainment scene. At the outset, the hotel had no guarantee their star would receive any exposure that wasn't bought and paid. But since he began performing there, Manilow has delivered a trio of top-selling albums. "The Greatest Songs of the Seventies," his third in a decade-by-decade series of remakes, arrived last week. Last year, the "Sixties" album hit No. 2 on Billboard's album chart, and the "Fifties" set the year before charted at No 1. The new one debuted at No. 4, with first-week sales of 113,000. Manilow will have another album out in early November, the jazz-flavored "In the Swing of Christmas." He reopened at the Hilton on Tuesday and has 34 more shows scheduled this year. |
| September 26, 2007 | Press Release
(Source: Arista Recording) | Barry Manilow's The Greatest Songs of the Seventies Debuts at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 and #1 on the Internet Chart: The Third in the Decade Series Following Other Chart Toppers Greatest Songs of the Fifties and Greatest Songs of the Sixties |
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| NEW YORK, Sept. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Could it be Magic? Arista recording artist Barry Manilow enters the Billboard charts at #4 with a Nielsen Sound Scan debut of 113,149 copies sold. THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE SEVENTIES is his 18-song tribute to #1 hit songs of the decade that launched his career, which arrived in stores September 18th and is the third CD in his decade series which kicked off last year with The Greatest Songs of the Fifties and The Greatest Songs of the Sixties. The Greatest Songs of the Fifties, released January 31, 2006 entered the chart at #1 and is certified RIAA platinum and Greatest Songs of the Sixties, released October 31st, 2006 at #2. THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE SEVENTIES is Manilow's 33rd charting album, his 11th Top 10 and his 10th Top 10 debut, and he is the only artist to have three Top 5 debuts on the Billboard 200 chart since 2006. These three musical tributes to the Fifties, Sixties, and Seventies mark the winning reunion in the studio for co-producers Manilow and Clive Davis, Arista founder and BMG Label Group Chairman and CEO. Davis has been Manilow's hit making collaborator on virtually all his recordings, since they first worked together on "Mandy," his debut #1 single as the first artist signed to Arista by Davis in 1974, the first year of the label's existence. The two co-produced The Greatest Songs Of The Fifties and The Greatest Songs Of The Sixties, and that magic has carried over to the new album, as well. The decade series, whose cumulative sales with Ultimate Manilow, has surpassed 5 million units within the last two years. THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE SEVENTIES is a fan's dream wish-list of favorite #1 hit singles, from The Beatles' "The Long And Winding Road," to Elton John's "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word," as well as a duet with Melissa Manchester on Carole King's "You've Got A Friend." Other selections include Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," the Hollies' "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," The Carpenters' "(They Long To Be) Close To You," and Albert Hammond's "It Never Rains In Southern California," the first single from the album. Manilow's tributes are flawlessly performed and arranged, with an homage to the Barbra Streisand's "The Way We Were," Frankie Valli's "My Eyes Adored You," the Bee Gees' "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart," and the seminal decade hit Christopher Cross "Sailing, among others. With worldwide record sales exceeding 75 million, his work as a singer, songwriter, arranger and producer over the course of more than 40 albums has earned Barry Manilow the highest honors. He sits on the Board of Governors of the National Academy of Jazz, and in June 2002, he was inducted into the National Academy of Popular Music's Songwriters Hall of Fame, alongside Ashford & Simpson, Michael Jackson, Randy Newman, and Sting. In addition to his own foundation, the Manilow Fund for Health and Hope, other involvements include The Prince's Trust, United Way, the Starlight Foundation, numerous organizations fighting the battle against AIDS, and many others. He is the national spokesperson for the Foundation Fighting Blindness, Honorary Chairman of the Palm Springs Art Museum and a Founder of the Music Center of Los Angeles. |
| September 18, 2007 | ABC-7 Chicago | Press Release: Barry Manilow Greatest Songs of the Seventies |
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| September 18, 2007 - Barry Manilow's latest album, The Greatest Songs of The Seventies, will arrive in stores on September 18th, 2007.
THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE SEVENTIES is a fan's dream wish-list of favorites covering both sides of the Atlantic, from The Beatles' "The Long And Winding Road," to Elton John's "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word," as well as a duet with Melissa Manchester on Carole King's "You've Got A Friend. Other selections include Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," the Hollies' "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," The Carpenters' "(They Long To Be) Close To You," and Albert Hammond's "It Never Rains In Southern California," the first single from the album. Manilow's tributes are flawlessly performed and arranged, starting with an homage to the Barbra Streisand's "The Way We Were," Frankie Valli's "My Eyes Adored You," the Bee Gees' "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart," and the Christopher Cross masterpiece "Sailing," produced by Walter Afanasieff. The 18-song single CD package of THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE SEVENTIES presents Barry Manilow's new versions of 12 classic songs by other artists from the '70s, plus first time ever, 6 stripped-down acoustic versions of six of his own titles. These range from "Mandy," "I Write The Songs," and "Even Now" to "Looks Like We Made It," "Weekend In New England," and "Copacabana." The two-disc deluxe package of THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE SEVENTIES includes a Dual Disc (CD + DVD) with four additional Manilow songs not found on the standard CD package. Also included as a special bonus is "The Making of the Album" video with Barry reflecting on the great music and the decade. The bonus audio tracks are acoustic recordings of "Somewhere In The Night," "Can't Smile Without You," and "This One's for You," plus a Trevor Horn-produced dance mix of "Could It Be Magic." THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE SEVENTIES follows two hit albums released last year: The Greatest Songs Of The Fifties (released January 31) and The Greatest Songs Of The Sixties (released October 31), making 2006 the first year since 1981 that Manilow had two albums of new material top the charts and certified platinum and gold, respectively, in the same calendar year. Barry Manilow: THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE SEVENTIES (final track listing)
"The Way We Were," 1974
"My Eyes Adored You," 1975
"Bridge Over Troubled Water," 1970
"How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?" 1971
"It Never Rains In Southern California," 1972
"You've Got A Friend" (duet with Melissa Manchester), 1971
"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," 1970
"Sailing," 1979
"The Long And Winding Road," 1970
"(They Long To Be) Close To You," 1970
"If," 1974
"Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word," 1976
Barry Manilow (Acoustic Hits):
"Mandy," 1974
"Weekend In New England," 1976
"Copacabana," 1978
"Even Now," 1978
"Looks Like We Made It," 1976
"I Write The Songs," 1975
Deluxe Package Bonus Dual Disc
CD Audio Side:
"Somewhere In The Night," 1978
"Can't Smile Without You," 1978
"This One's For You," 1976
"Could It Be Magic (Trevor Horn Dance Mix)," 1973
DVD Side:
The Greatest Songs of the Seventies "Making of The Album" video
With worldwide sales of more than 75 million records, the success of Barry Manilow is a benchmark in popular music. His concerts and night club performances sell out instantly. He is ranked as the top Adult Contemporary chart artist of all time, according to R&R (Radio & Records) and Billboard magazines. Rolling Stone crowned him "a giant among entertainers& the showman of our generation," and Frank Sinatra summed up Manilow best when Ol' Blue Eyes told the British press, "He's next." But as high in the musical pantheon as he reigns, Barry Manilow is just as big a fan of the popular music of the day as the rest of us. On September 18, 2007, the multi-platinum superstar will revisit the songs of the decade that launched his career with the release of his new Arista album, The Greatest Songs Of The Seventies. This eagerly awaited collection - the 30th original album recording of Manilow's career - is the next chapter in the best-selling series of tributes to popular music which includes the RIAA platinum The Greatest Songs Of The Fifties (released January 31, 2006) and RIAA platinum The Greatest Songs Of The Sixties (released October 31, 2006). The Greatest Songs Of The Fifties became his first #1 debut on the Billboard 200 album chart and first #1 album since the 1977 triple-platinum double-LP Barry Manilow/Live and The Greatest Songs Of The Sixties entered the chart at #2 and was the all-time highest first sales week number debut chart entry of Manilow's career. With the Sixties chart entry, Manilow became the first artist since 1981 to have two albums in the top two positions in one calendar year on the Billboard chart. This juggernaut of success continues with The Greatest Songs Of The Seventies. It is the third collaboration between Manilow and Clive Davis, BMG Label Group Chairman and CEO, since the singer's return to the Arista label after a five-year absence (which was distinguished by new albums on Concord and Columbia). As the founder and president of Arista Records for its first 25 years, Davis was a perennial collaborator with Manilow on virtually all his recordings. They first worked together on "Mandy," Manilow's debut #1 single, after he became the first performer signed by Clive Davis to Arista in 1974, the first year of the label's existence. The two produced The Greatest Songs Of The Fifties and The Greatest Songs Of The Sixties together, and that magic has carried over to the new album as well. "No one can reinvent the great classics better than Barry Manilow," comments Davis. "He breathes new life and vitality into these truly wonderful songs and they sound fresh and timeless. We continue on the mission to bring to a new generation the great songs of a different era." That goal has been the creative spark for several Manilow concept albums that have interpreted music of earlier decades. Among the titles are 1984's groundbreaking 2:00 AM Paradise Caf� featuring jazz legends Sarah Vaughan, Mel Torm� and Gerry Mulligan. Swing Street (1987) featured guest appearances by Stan Getz, Phyllis Hyman, Kid Creole, and Diane Schuur. Later came Showstoppers (1991), spanning nearly a century of Broadway show tunes. On 1994's Singin' With the Big Bands, Barry was paired with the orchestras of Les Brown, Duke Ellington, Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Harry James, and Glenn Miller on a glorious set of Swing Era standards. Most recently, there was 1998's Manilow Sings Sinatra, which paired Barry with Grammy-winning producer Phil Ramone, paying homage to the great songs made famous by the legendary Frank Sinatra. Clive Davis called it "an enriching, exciting and fulfilling album" that complemented the earlier Manilow concept recordings. Barry Manilow played a major role in defining the decade of the '70s at the start of his career, just as he went on to become a core artist - onstage, in the recording studio, on television, and in motion picture soundtracks - throughout the '80s, '90s, and '00s. Now he honors his formative decade on The Greatest Songs Of The Seventies. The new album is a fan's dream wish-list of favorites covering both sides of the Atlantic, from The Beatles' "The Long And Winding Road," to Elton John's "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word," as well as a duet with Melissa Manchester on Carole King's "You've Got A Friend." Other selections include Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," the Hollies' "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," Albert Hammond's "It Never Rains In Southern California," and The Carpenters' "(They Long To Be) Close To You." Manilow's tributes are flawlessly performed and arranged, starting with an homage to Barbra Streisand's "The Way We Were," Frankie Valli's "My Eyes Adored You," the Bee Gees' "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart," and the Christopher Cross masterpiece "Sailing," produced by Walter Afanasieff. The 18-song single CD package of The Greatest Songs Of The Seventies presents new versions of 12 classic songs by other artists from the '70s, plus first time ever, stripped-down acoustic versions of six Manilow titles. These range from "Mandy," "I Write The Songs," and "Even Now" to "Looks Like We Made It," "Weekend In New England," and "Copacabana." There is also a two-disc package of The Greatest Songs Of The Seventies which contains a Dual Disc (CD + DVD) with new versions of 12 classic non-Manilow on the audio layer, and, on the video layer, "The Making of the Album" with Barry reflecting on the music and the decade. The bonus CD contains stripped-down acoustic versions of four additional Barry Manilow titles - "Somewhere In The Night," "Can't Smile Without You," "This One's For You," and a Trevor Horn produced dance mix of "Could It Be Magic." The Greatest Songs Of The Seventies is only the latest example of Barry Manilow's timeless appeal to every cross-section of society from the working girl to the sophisticated pop fan, from teens to teens-at-heart. As the charter member of the Arista artist roster, Manilow has won a unique place in the pantheon of American performers. Barry Manilow's roots are in his native Brooklyn, where music was an integral part of his life. By the age of seven, Barry was taking accordion lessons and playing on a neighbor's piano. He chose a career in music while still in his teens, and attended New York College of Music and the Julliard School of Music while working in the mailroom at CBS. He subsequently became musical director for a CBS show named "Callback" which led to a lucrative sideline on New York's advertising jingle circuit. In 1971, Barry Manilow met Bette Midler and became her music director, arranger and pianist. The following year, Manilow signed with Bell Records to record his debut solo album. In 1974, Clive Davis founded a new label, Arista, along with Columbia Pictures. Davis had the right to choose any artist on the Columbia Pictures-owned Bell Records to bring to Arista. Davis chose Manilow and the rest is history. He famously brought Barry a recent U.K. hit song entitled "Brandy" (by its writer Scott English). Clive changed the title to "Mandy" so it wouldn't be confused with the Looking Glass U.S. hit "Brandy." When Barry's Arista single reached Number One in early 1975, it ignited one of the most incandescent careers in pop. Barry Manilow is ranked as the top Adult Contemporary chart artist of all time, according to R&R (Radio & Records), with no less than 25 consecutive Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1975 and 1983. The list includes all-time favorites that Barry still sings today: "Mandy," "It's A Miracle," "Could It Be Magic," "I Write the Songs," "Tryin' To Get the Feeling Again," "This One's For You," "Weekend In New England," "Looks Like We Made It," "Can't Smile Without You," "Even Now," and the Grammy Award-winning "Copacabana (At the Copa)." All of these songs (and more) were anthologized on the commemorative 1992 four-CD boxed-set, Barry Manilow: The Complete Collection And Then Some. To date, twenty-four albums by Barry Manilow have been certified gold. Half of these titles have been certified platinum, while Barry Manilow/Live (1977), Even Now (1978), and Greatest Hits (1978) are each certified triple platinum. Albums produced by Barry Manilow for other artists - including Bette Midler, Nancy Wilson, and Dionne Warwick - have been nominated for Grammy Awards. A winner of Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Awards, Manilow's film credits include the Oscar-nominated song "Ready To Take A Chance Again" (from 1978's Foul Play), production of Bette Midler's "Perfect Isn't Easy" (from Walt Disney's Oliver and Company), and the soundtracks for the animated features Thumbelina and The Pebble and the Penguin. Highlights of Manilow's theater career range from his Tony Award-winning Broadway debut in 1977 (in the same year that ABC-TV presented "The Barry Manilow Special" to an audience of 37 million) to an SRO eight-week run on the Great White Way in 1989. Beginning in 1997, Barry Manilow's Copacabana - The Musical, an elaborate two-act spectacular, played to packed houses in London's West End for 18 months before touring the U.S., Australia and Asia. June 2001 saw the opening of Could It Be Magic? - The Barry Manilow Songbook. The singer has made countless television appearances ranging from Emmy-winning network specials to cable concerts, and released such best-selling long-form home videos as Live On Broadway and Because It's Christmas. His two-hour 1996 A&E special, "Barry Manilow: Live by Request" was the highest rated music show in the network's history. Manilow has also appeared on the highly rated TV series "Murphy Brown," "Ally McBeal," and "Will & Grace." In 2006, Barry received his fifth Emmy nomination and an Emmy win for the PBS special "Manilow: Music and Passion." The broadcast celebrated Barry Manilow's 100th performance at the Las Vegas Hilton, where his gala "Music and Passion" show opened in February 2005. Produced by Stiletto Television, the Rhino DVD of the PBS special was soon certified triple platinum. In June 2002, Barry Manilow was inducted into the National Academy of Popular Music's Songwriters Hall of Fame alongside Ashford & Simpson, Michael Jackson, Randy Newman, and Sting. Barry Manilow is a member of the Board of Governors of the National Academy of Jazz. His autobiography, Sweet Life: Adventures on the Way to Paradise, was published by McGraw-Hill in 1987. In addition to his own foundation, the Manilow Fund for Health and Hope, other involvements include The Prince's Trust, United Way, the Starlight Foundation, and several leading organizations for AIDS prevention and research. Barry Manilow is the national spokesperson for the Foundation Fighting Blindness and a member of the Music Center of Los Angeles. (September 2007) |
| September 18, 2007 | The Journal Gazette / Tucson Citizen / Houston Chronicle / The State / Summit Daily News | "He's got it covered: Manilow's 'Seventies' includes his own songs" by Nekesa Mumbi Moody;
"Manilow covers himself on CD of hits from '70s" by Nekesa Mumbi Moody;
"Manilow reaches back into the past on '70s disc" by Nekesa Mumbi Moody;
"Manilow does '70s" by Nekesa Mumbi Moody;
"Manilow reaches back into the past one more time" by Nekesa Mumbi Moody |
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| Las Vegas (The Associated Press) � On his last two albums, Barry Manilow tackled songs made famous by Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Frank Sinatra and other greats. But his new album presented a real challenge: covering himself. "Trying to redo 'Mandy,' trying to redo 'I Write the Songs' - it was the most complicated thing I'd ever done in my life," he says. It was inevitable Manilow would end up redoing songs from his own career, given his recent artistic direction. In January 2006, he released "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" - which promptly debuted at the top of the charts and sold more than 1 million copies. Months later, he was at it again, this time with "The Greatest Songs of the Sixties," also a top-seller. Today, he reaches into the past again with the release of the two-disc "The Greatest Songs of the Seventies," which includes songs made famous by the likes of Simon & Garfunkel, the Carpenters and Carole King. "These songs that I'm doing on the 'Seventies' album, they were competition (then)," Manilow says. "It was kind of an interesting experience for me, because a lot of these songs, we were battling it out up at the top of the charts. Now I realize how wonderfully written they are." But given that his career-defining hits also helped define that decade, Manilow performs Manilow as well. "I had to redo mine, and I decided I would do it like an 'Unplugged,'" Manilow said last month, sitting backstage after a performance of his Las Vegas revue. Manilow's voice hasn't changed much since his initial recordings, but he thinks that audiences will still hear a difference: "I think there's a maturity there that wasn't there 30 years ago. Thirty years ago it was a young boy singing a pop song." Though the album features a range of songs, it doesn't feature a range of styles - most notably, there are no disco songs, even though the genre defined that decade. It wasn't for lack of trying, at least on Manilow's part: He admits he really wanted to sing K.C. and the Sunshine Band's classic "Get Down Tonight." But music mogul Clive Davis, who co-produced the album with Manilow and David Benson, wasn't having it. "Clive had a lot of trouble with me doing disco," Manilow says. "('Get Down Tonight') was a great idea, but it just didn't make it. A lot of them are great ... I'm so disappointed they just didn't make it." Davis wasn't the only one who had input on the album's direction. Manilow sent an e-mail list of about 200 songs to "everybody that I had ever met in my life," he jokes - a list that included Jay Leno, Martha Stewart and Rosie O'Donnell. "I said, 'Pick your 13 favorite songs' and they all answered me ... and they I tallied them all up. What is emerging out of all the songs we recorded is a very intimate, romantic album," he adds. And, perhaps, another hit album, if the "Seventies" album follows the trend of its predecessors. At 61, Manilow is excited to still be in the pop mix. "It was fun going up against 'Hannah Montana,'" he said. "I hadn't even heard of 'Hannah Montana,' but it was fun!" |
| September 18, 2007 | The Desert Sun | "Barry channels the '70s" by Bruce Fessier |
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| Barry Manilow's third tribute album to the greatest songs of a decade, "The Greatest Songs of the Seventies," hits stores nationwide today. The CD includes six new acoustic versions of Manilow hits, plus covers of such classics as "Bridge Over Troubled Waters," "The Way Were" and "It Never Rains in Southern California." The Palm Springs resident sang the latter song Monday on "The Today Show," where he told Matt Lauer he chose songs for the album that had great melodies. "The Greatest Songs of the Sixties" opened with the best sales week of any Manilow album and "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" opened at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. |
| September 17, 2007 | BBC | "Barry Manilow, The Greatest Songs Of The Seventies" by Michael Quinn |
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| Barry Manilow. The Greatest Songs of The Seventies. Put them together and what do you get? Well, apart from Barry Manilow singing the greatest songs of the Seventies - apparently there were 14, by the way, 23 if you include Mr Manilow's own era-defining contributions - you find yourself thinking that the decade of Glam Rock and the sickly saccharine ballad actually wasn't that bad as far as quality songs go. Which may surprise, if not un-nerve, some listeners. Even more astonishing, however, will be the revelation that on this most unexpected of Proustian exercises, you suddenly find yourself quietly marvelling at the sheer (and occasionally sublime) artistry of a musician who not so long ago was the brunt of much sneering and dismissive disdain among informed musos and, for that matter, practically everybody else. I say unexpected, but given that this trip down musical memory lane was preceded by The Greatest Songs of The Fifties and The Greatest Songs of The Sixties, a return to the decade that launched Manilow's own career could possibly have been predicted without the aid of a darkened room and a Ouija board. But however contrived the concept might be, the end result is something that happily exceeds expectation and goes some considerable way towards convincing the listener that the material is worth revisiting. Manilow's performances go well beyond mere homage to the kind of new-minted freshness that shows him to be an eloquent and endlessly nuanced musician. This is an impeccably delivered package (by far the most successful of the series), with Manilow always respectful of the original material, the new arrangements unfailingly elegant and smoothly executed. So you'll find a bombast-free "The Way We Were", a nocturne-like "Solitaire" full of brittle beauty, a diaphanous rendition of "If" and a perfectly proportioned "Long And Winding Road" infused with aching yearning. And surrounding those, standards by Simon & Garfunkel, The Carpenters, Elton John, Carole King ("You've Got A Friend" in a captivating duet with Melissa Manchester), among others, all of which are delivered with a consummate ease and unerring musicality. A more than pleasant bonus is the four acoustic versions of Manilow classics, with "Mandy" full of sweet sincerity, "Weekend in New England" blissfully bittersweet and "Copacabana (At The Copa)" suddenly revealed to be an altogether sassy and sexy proposition. For those who love Manilow, this is a must. For those who don't, this could well be the disc to make them change their minds. |
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