When
 |
Where
|
Articles/Reviews
|
| November 28, 2008 | The Province (Vancouver) | Manilow's got it covered: 'Greatest Songs' series still sells millions for Barry |
|---|
| Thirty-four years after "Mandy" launched Barry Manilow's career, the crooner is still racking up achievements, thanks to his series of decade-themed covers albums. The Greatest Songs of the Eighties, out this week, is the fourth -- and likely final -- installment in an album series aimed squarely at pre-baby boomers. Their zest for all things Manilow offers such slam-dunk promo opportunities as Manilow's regular appearances on QVC, where he is the best-selling artist in the U.S. retail channel's history. In 2006, The Greatest Songs of the Fifties became Manilow's first No. 1 album chart debut, followed by Sixties (No. 2) in 2006 and Seventies (No. 4) in 2007. In total, the three collections have sold more than 2 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Scanning the playlist, Manilow says this was the most challenging of the four albums: "These songs are so well-known, so loved -- perfectly recorded records. With the '50s and '60s, we could play around with the arrangements. The '70s was more difficult, because those arrangements were wonderful. How can you touch 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'? 'You've Got a Friend' was perfectly written and recorded." The new disc is led by the single "Islands in the Stream," a 1983 No. 1 pop, country and AC hit for Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. Manilow's version is a gleeful duet with Reba McEntire. Other selections include Chicago's "Hard to Say I'm Sorry," Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" and Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You." Among the most novel efforts on Eighties is Rick Astley's 1988 No. 1 "Never Gonna Give You Up." |
| November 25, 2008 | The Desert Sun | "Barry adapts 'Manilow sound' for '80s tunes" by Bruce Fessier |
|---|
| "The Greatest Songs of the Eighties" won't win Barry Manilow many young new fans. But, for Manilow CD collectors jonesing for a new product, "The Greatest Songs of the Eighties" will provide a rush of euphoria. One of Manilow's greatest assets is his skill as an arranger who knows the "Manilow sound" and how to achieve it. His own preference may be to adapt to a Johnny Mercer lyric, but he respects the ear of co-producer Clive Davis, who he calls "the Albert Einstein of music" on the disc's liner notes, and he accepts Davis' feel for the type of material Manilow fans will like. With those parameters, Manilow has chosen melodic pop hits such as Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called To Say I Love You," Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" and Van Morrison's "Have I Told You Lately." The opening track, a cover of the Kenny Rogers-Dolly Parton hit, "Islands in the Stream" with Reba McEntire, is the kind of smart merger you wish our government could come up with for the stock market. The song that best utilizes the Manilow formula of power modulations is probably his solo rendering of the Bill Medley-Jennifer Warnes hit, "(I've Had) the Time of My Life." [This] "decades" CD uses that Manilow formula more appropriately than any since his No. 1, "Greatest Songs of the Fifties." Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" could become a high-energy dance production in Manilow's Vegas show ... This is supposedly Manilow's last "decade" CD, but we'll be listening to his varying interpretations in his live performances. |
| November 24, 2008 | The Desert Sun | "Good news, fanilows! Barry's CD of '80s music on sale today" by Bruce Fessier |
|---|
| Barry Manilow's new CD, "The Greatest Songs of the Eighties," will be released a day early today due to what the Manilow folks are saying is by popular demand. The Palm Springs resident has been building that demand with rounds of television appearances. He'll appear tonight through Thursday on "The Insider" and "Entertainment Tonight," which last week featured clips from his live QVC broadcast from his stage at the Las Vegas Hilton. He'll appear Dec. 12 on "Ellen" and "Jimmy Kimmel." The 12-track album includes the first single, "Islands in the Stream," a 1983 hit for Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, recorded live in studio with Reba McEntire. Other songs from the '80s include Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called To Say I Love You," Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" and Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time." "I didn't want to do karaoke renditions," Manilow told Billboard magazine. "I was intimidated, but I think I nailed them." "Greatest Songs of the Eighties" is available in stores and online. For a video promotion of the CD, go to http://www.jrecords.com/barry_manilow/manilow60_pre_nov19.mov. |
| November 22, 2008 | Billboard Magazine | "He Loves The '80s" by Chuck Taylor |
|---|
| Thirty-four years after "Mandy" launched Barry Manilow and Arista Records -- the then-new label founded by Clive Davis -- the singer is still racking up achievements, thanks to his Davis-directed series of decade-themed cover albums. "The Greatest Songs of the Eighties," due Nov. 25 on Arista, is the fourth -- and likely final -- installment in an album series aimed squarely at pre-baby boomers. Their zest for all things Manilow offers such slam-dunk promo opportunities as Manilow's regular appearances on QVC, where he is the best-selling artist in the retail channel's history. In 2006, "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" became Manilow's first No. 1 album chart debut, followed by "Sixties" (No. 2) in 2006 and "Seventies" (No. 6) in 2007. In total, the three collections have sold more than 2 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. "The good thing with a brand like Barry Manilow is that he's such an icon," says RCA Music Group senior VP of marketing and artist development Scott Seviour. "It's a matter of telling a built-in audience that he has something new." Case in point: Following database marketing of a press release announcing "Eighties" directly to his fans, "the next morning on Amazon.com, advance sales were at No. 8," Seviour says. "Those 50,000 fans can literally drive first-week sales." "Barry's enduring popularity comes from a combination of his songs, which are part of the soundtrack of people's lives -- you see him live and the audience knows every word to 30 songs -- coupled with the fact that he is a great live showman," says Davis, Sony BMG Worldwide's chief creative officer. "On both counts, he has stood the test of time." Manilow returns the kudos: "In my career, I have one thing nobody else does: NostraDavis!" The 12-track "Eighties" is led by the single "Islands in the Stream," a 1983 No. 1 pop, country and AC hit for Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, written by the Bee Gees. Manilow's version is a gleeful duet with Reba McEntire, recorded live in the studio. Other selections include Chicago's "Hard to Say I'm Sorry," Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" and Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You." Scanning the playlist, Manilow says this was the most challenging of the four albums: "These songs are so well-known, so loved -- perfectly recorded records. With the '50s and '60s, we could play around with the arrangements. The '70s was more difficult, because those arrangements were wonderful. How can you touch 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'? 'You've Got a Friend' was perfectly written and recorded." Manilow says he was determined to maintain the original writers' and singers' integrity, while still placing his stamp on the songs. "It took a long time to figure out how to make them my own, to see where I could crawl inside the meaning of the lyric," he says. "I didn't want to do karaoke renditions. Make no mistake, I was intimidated, but I think I nailed them. Once the arrangements were done, it was one big smile after another." Among the most novel efforts on "Eighties" is Rick Astley's 1988 No. 1 "Never Gonna Give You Up." "It has the catchiest little melody, with production from Stock, Aiken and Waterman. How do you compete with that?" asks Manilow, who called on producer Michael Lloyd (the "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack) for assistance. "I think it's going to stand out on the album." To court Manilow's fans, Arista set up a busy schedule of TV appearances, including "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," "Today," Rosie O'Donnell's Thanksgiving Eve special and a week's worth of coverage on "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider." Manilow will also return to QVC, performing five songs in an hour on Nov. 20. Arista has print ads lined up and interviews in People and Ladies Home Journal, with Internet ads on female-leaning Web sites and radio links with syndicated AC shows led by Delilah, John Tesh, Martha Stewart and Casey Kasem. "I had a feeling there could be more, but no idea it would wind up being this big," Manilow says about the new chapter in his career opened by "Fifties." On Jan. 16, he'll begin his fifth sold-out year-long residency at the Hilton. "I figured I'll be there until they throw me out." To Davis, "The fact that Barry can have a successful album at this stage in his career shows how timeless songs last and compelling performers can maintain an audience, even outside of radio and MTV and VH1." |
| November 20, 2008 | Monsters and Critics | "Barry Manilow's 'Eighties' album gets an early release" by Patrick Luce |
|---|
| The Greatest Songs of The Eighties is the next release in a best-selling series of tribute albums of popular music which includes The Greatest Songs of The Fifties, The Greatest Songs Of The Sixties and The Greatest Songs Of The Seventies whose cumulative sales, along with Ultimate Manilow have surpassed 5 million units worldwide. The Greatest Songs of The Eighties continues the productive and successful reunion between Manilow and Clive. Thanks to demand from fans and the Thanksgiving holiday, Barry Manilow's new album 'Greatest Songs of the Eighties' has gotten bumped up to a Nov. 24th release. The album features the Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Award-winning Arista recording artist Manilow putting his own spin on some of the biggest hits from the 1980s – including "Islands in the Stream" (duet with Reba McEntire), "Never Gonna Give You Up," "Careless Whisper," "I Just Called to Say I Love You," "Arthur's Theme (The Best That You Can Do)," "Time After Time," "I've Had the Time of My Life," and "Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)."
The album is Manilow's latest addition to the mega-best-selling series of tribute albums that he masterminded with Arista founder Clive Davis. Davis has been Manilow's hitmaking 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 tribute album series began nearly nearly three years ago with 'The Greatest Songs Of The Fifties.' 'Greatest Songs of the Eighties' track listing includes: "Islands in the Stream" duet with Reba McEntire
"Open Arms"
"Never Gonna Give You Up"
"Have I Told You Lately"
"I Just Called to Say I Love You"
"Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)"
"Careless Whisper"
"Right Here Waiting"
"Arthur's Theme (The Best That You Can Do)"
"Hard to Say I'm Sorry"
"Time After Time"
"I've Had the Time of My Life"
|
| November 17, 2008 | The Desert Sun | "Barry Manilow appears tonight on 'Leno'" by Bruce Fessier |
|---|
| Barry Manilow, whose latest "decades" CD is due for release Nov. 25, will preview a song from the album tonight on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on NBC-TV. Manilow will unveil more of the album, titled "The Greatest Songs of the Eighties," at 5 p.m. Thursday on QVC in a performance live from his stage at the Las Vegas Hilton. This is the Palm Springs resident's fourth album reinterpreting songs from each decade since the 1950s. The first of those albums for his long-time mentor and label chief, Clive Davis, "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties," revitalized Manilow's career in 2006 when in debuted at No. 1. He set sales records promoting his subsequent "decades" CDs on QVC and Rich Yoegel, director of merchandising for QVC, now calls him "our best-selling musical artist of all time." The Grammy, Tony and Emmy Award-winning artist also is considered the best-selling adult contemporary artist of all time. Again collaborating with Davis, now chief creative officer of Sony BMG Worldwide, "The Greatest Songs of the Eighties" includes such movie theme songs as "Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)," "I've Had the Time of My Life" (from "Dirty Dancing"), and "Arthur’s Theme (The Best That You Can Do)." The CD also features a duet with Reba McEntire on the Kenny Rogers-Dolly Parton hit, "Islands in the Stream." "The Greatest Songs of the Eighties" can be pre-ordered at www.manilow.com and Amazon.com to ensure receiving it in its first week of release. |
| November 16, 2008 | The Celebrity Cafe | "Barry Manilow Loves the '80s: Barry Manilow covers '80s hits for new release" by Claudine Paul |
|---|
| Barry Manilow freshens up his career by looking to the '80s for renewed inspiration. Billboard reports that the crooner will release a new title, The Greatest Songs of the Eighties, which will cover songs made famous in the '80s by superstars like Rick Astley, Cyndi Lauper, Kenny Rogers, Chicago, and Stevie Wonder. Some featured tracks included are "Never Gonna Give You Up," "Time After Time," "Hard to Say I'm Sorry," and "I Just Called to Say I Love You." Singer Reba McEntire will also guest duet with Manilow on '80s famed hit "Islands in the Stream." Manilow's new title will be released on November 25, 2008. |
| November 14, 2008 | Press Release
(Source: QVC, Inc.) | All Bets Are On! Barry Manilow to Debut GREATEST SONGS OF THE EIGHTIES on QVC Live from The Las Vegas Hilton |
|---|
| WEST CHESTER, Pa. /PRNewswire/ -- Live from the city of lights, legendary performer and pop music icon Barry Manilow is scheduled to return to QVC to unveil his latest album THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE EIGHTIES on Thursday, November 20 at 8 PM (ET). During the QVC Presents Q Sessions Live broadcast, the Grammy, Tony and Emmy Award-winning artist will give viewers a sneak peek of his much-anticipated new release with a special performance featuring a selection of songs from the album. Fans will also get the chance to order THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE EIGHTIES (Arista) five days before street date with an exclusive re-issue of the 1985 RCA release MANILOW! This special bonus disc will only be available to QVC shoppers and marks the first time that the collection will be offered on CD. "To have our best-selling musical artist of all time performing live from Las Vegas -- the entertainment capital of the world -- is certainly exciting," said Rich Yoegel, director of merchandising for QVC. "This is absolutely a show that viewers will not want to miss." Collaborating, once again, with longtime friend and music partner Clive Davis, Manilow's latest release features an eclectic assortment of hits from both sides of the Atlantic. Standout tracks include Van Morrison's iconic "Have I Told You Lately," Journey's break-through power ballad "Open Arms," and Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time." However, perhaps one of most memorable moments from THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE EIGHTIES is Manilow's playful duet with Reba McEntire on "Islands in the Stream," which pays homage to Kenny Rogers' and Dolly Parton's #1 duet of 1983. "I always love coming back to QVC," said Manilow. "To be able to debut my new album live from Las Vegas makes this experience even better!" Manilow, whose 2006 QVC appearance marked the highest single-day sales by a musical artist in QVC history, also continues to hold the record as the highest single-hour music sales event in QVC's twenty-two year history. THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE EIGHTIES will be available through QVC at 800.345.1515 or http://www.QVC.com, while supplies last. About Barry Manilow
With worldwide sales exceeding 75 million, 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 to his credit between 1975 and 1983, on the Billboard Hot 100. Among these are songs that are now part of the standard songbook, including "Mandy," "It's a Miracle," "Could It Be Magic," "I Write the Songs," "Looks Like We Made It," "Can't Smile Without You," "Copacabana (At the Copa)," "Somewhere In the Night," "Ships," and "I Made It Through the Rain." THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE EIGHTIES continues the series that began nearly three years ago with The Greatest Songs Of The Fifties, which was certified RIAA platinum after entering the Billboard 200 at #1 in January 2006 (his first #1 album since Barry Manilow/Live in 1977). The Greatest Songs Of The Sixties (October 2006) entered at #2. When the RIAA platinum The Greatest Songs Of The Seventies entered at #4 (September 2007), he was distinguished as the only artist to chart three Top 5 debuts during 2006-2007. www.manilow.com. About QVC
QVC, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation attributed to the Liberty Interactive Group (Nasdaq: LINTA - News), is one of the largest multimedia retailers in the world, with annual revenue of more than $7 billion. QVC is committed to providing its customers with thousands of the most innovative and contemporary beauty, fashion, jewelry and home products. Its programming is distributed to more than 166 million homes worldwide. The company's Web site, QVC.com, is ranked among the top general merchant Internet sites. With subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan, West Chester, Pa.-based QVC has shipped more than a billion packages in its 22-year history. QVC, Q, and the Q Ribbon Logo are registered service marks of ER Marks, Inc. |
|
