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| December 22, 2012 | The Desert Sun | "Barry Manilow shares the love" by Betty Francis |
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| Let’s face it: We’re spoiled. Living in paradise among philanthropic angels, celebrity superstars and world leaders, we tend to take "the best" for granted. But is there another hometown in the world where some guy down the street throws a bunch of Christmas parties, invites all of us, and then gives every penny of our contributions to other neighbors-in-need a little further down the street? That’s just what our guy down the street, Barry Manilow, did in 2009, with his first series of benefit concerts, "A Gift of Love" at the McCallum Theatre. Then, last week, he did it again, with Gift of Love II -- only bigger and better. These performances, with tickets priced from $25 to $250, generated over $1 million, which will soon be disbursed to 27 local charities. Part of the proceeds will also go to Manilow’s own national charity, The Manilow Music Project, which has already provided thousands of instruments to hundreds of schools which would otherwise have no music programs. Saturday night’s performance was opened by Jim "Fitz" Fitzgerald of KJJZ-FM 102.3, who introduced Manilow saying, "This is an example to the rest of the country as to what can happen when people come together." With that, the curtain rose with Manilow wearing a red jacket and a big, happy smile, singing as he strolled down a couple of stair steps between two groupings of about 20 musicians. The first five rows of the theater erupted into a throbbing mass of standing, swaying, screaming, cheering, glow-stick waving fans. Finally, after a delightful medley of "Happy Holidays," "White Christmas" and other favorites, Manilow spoke to the audience in a voice that rang with sincerity when he said, "It’s great to be home – home for the holidays – instead of some hotel room in Kalamazoo." Gift of Love II was a brand-new and different show from the prior one, although they both contained an enchanting mix of old and new, Christmas and standards. Manilow’s back-up singers and some of his musicians were also different. Several numbers in this show featured some smooth choreography not present in the last one, possibly because the previous concerts were performed just months after his hip surgery. As usual, Manilow accompanied himself on piano, switching effortlessly from playing to singing to chatting. After hitting one exquisite high note he instantly switched to chat mode saying with a grin, "I’ve still got it!" Our hometown boy also invited some kids down the street to his party. About a dozen 6- to 12-year-old darlings from the Washington Charter School Honor Choir and another dozen from the Choirs of Cathedral City High school joined a big, robust Santa in his sleigh for a mini-concert of their own with Manilow. Manilow also invited the director and CEO of Desert AIDS Project, David Brinkman, on stage to say how many families affected by AIDS/HIV have been helped by this event and this community -- the giving capitol of the country. YES, WE'RE SPOILED: The concerts drew hundreds of people from out of town, out of state, and several foreign countries. It also drew many Fanilows who bought tickets to [all] performances. But to many desert dwellers, it was just another week in paradise. The weather was what we old-timers describe as "Palm Springs perfect" -- warm enough for comfort, cool enough to wear our fur! But for the show’s closing, the forecast could have been "snow followed by rainbows." During his final numbers, as Manilow sang "White Christmas," thick, white confetti snow showered the first ten rows of laughing theater guests. Then, minutes later, as he closed with "Counting My Blessings," down came another deluge of rainbow-colored streamers. Perfect. |
| December 17, 2012 | NPR | Why Barry Manilow Loves Christmas Music |
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| With Christmas looming and the traditional soundtrack to the holiday becoming unavoidable, pop legend Barry Manilow -- who has recorded three albums of Christmas music and just released a compilation of them, called The Classic Christmas Album -- spoke with Morning Edition host David Greene about the season. Manilow says he's recorded so many Christmas songs because most of them come from the Great American Songbook -- written by people like Irving Berlin and George Gershwin. "Whenever I get an opportunity to do an album full of standards, I jump at it because I miss it," he says. He uses the opportunity to stretch the definition of a "Christmas song," saying one of his favorites is "Violets For Your Furs." "I thought, 'Well, it's a winter song, it's close enough.' And people should hear songs like that!" Manilow says. "It's a lovely song, Sinatra did it on one of his earlier albums. My stepfather showed it to me, and I never quite got over it." Manilow says there's something in that song that's missing in a lot of contemporary music. "It's a great idea for a song: 'I bought you violets for your furs in December,' and now it feels like spring, because he's in love with her," he says. "The melody is just delicious, the chord changes are something from heaven and the melody is so memorable. We don't hear this anymore; we just don't hear it anymore." Manilow says he doesn't think "Violets" is melancholy. "I think it's romantic. If you listen to the lyric, it's a lovely idea: that in the middle of winter, it turned to spring for them. On that song, since Sinatra did it -- I'm a friend of Barbara Sinatra, his wife, and I knew that he had done that. When I finished doing the record, I brought it over to her house, and I said, 'Hey, listen to this, Barbara.' And she put it into her CD [player], and she stood there crying. She told me this story that they were in New York at Rockefeller Center, and he bought her violets and sang the song to her standing in front of the Christmas tree." Manilow considers Joni Mitchell's "The River" a Christmas song by a similarly unorthodox rationale. "It's not really in the same world as "Jingle Bells" but, you know, it's about a breakup during the Christmas season." He says he's always loved the song, and wanted to do it his own way, in a pop version. "I wonder whether Joni would like it," he says. "She's like a lion protecting her cubs when it comes to her catalog of music, and she should be. I changed it around a little bit, but I hope she knows that I did it out of love and respect." Manilow is returning to Broadway next month, and hoping to bring the musical he wrote, Harmony, to the Great White Way next year.
[ NPR Morning Edition: Listen Now! ] |
| December 17, 2012 | The Desert Sun | "Barry Manilow takes minds off Newtown" by Bruce Fessier |
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| Barry Manilow’s decision to postpone his Friday "Gift of Love II" concert after the Newtown, Conn,, shootings caused some fans to miss his McCallum Theatre shows last week. But, on the whole, it was a smart decision. Marilyn Benachowski, concert mistress of Desert Symphony, said her daughter couldn’t stay in town through Barry’s rescheduled show on Sunday afternoon. So she brought her son, who was thrilled by the concert. Barry told me after the makeup concert on Sunday he just couldn’t do his special Christmas show after news of the 26 kids being massacred saturated the air waves all week. The program included the feel-good "Because It’s Christmas (For All the Children)" with the Cathedral City High School and Washington Charter School choirs joining him on stage. That would have been too tough. He said he considered singing "I Am Your Child," which he often performs in concert, for his Saturday night show after taking off Thursday and Friday nights. The lyrics say, "I am your chance/ Whatever will come, will come from me / Tomorrow is won by winning me / Whatever I am, you taught me to be." But Barry said he sensed when he got on stage [Saturday] night that the audience didn’t want a song that might remind them of the massacre. He decided on the spot that he would go on with his regular "Gift of Love" program and not sing "I Am Your Child." Fans I talked to who had been to all four of his benefit concerts until then said the tragedy back East didn’t really affect their enjoyment of the shows. One fan said the shootings made Barry’s affection for the children on stage seem a little more poignant. But there was no mention of the tragedy and the fans said that’s what they wanted. One of the joys of hanging out at the McCallum after two "Gift of Love" shows was talking to Fanilows from around the world. I took photos of about 15 of them Tuesday night. They were from as far away as Japan, Germany and Australia. I talked to two women from Australia Sunday afternoon about a mass shooting in their country that devastated them 10 years ago. Mostly, they just talked about how much they loved the shows and the Coachella Valley. Alan Silberlight, who had seen Manilow more than 400 times, said watching Barry perform his hits and Christmas songs in the intimate McCallum Theatre made for one of his best Manilow experiences ever. Barry ended his show crooning "Count Your Blessings," another song that couldn’t help but make a parent feel lucky that Newtown didn’t happen in our town. "I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads," Barry sang, "and one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds." There were reminders of Newtown if you wanted to hear them. But Barry kept the spirits positive, which is how most people wanted to celebrate the Christmas season. |
| December 14, 2012 | The Desert Sun | "Barry Manilow postpones McCallum show after school shooting" by Bruce Fessier |
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| Barry Manilow has postponed his "A Gift of Love II" benefit concert at the McCallum Theatre on Friday in light of the Connecticut school shooting. The sold-out concert will be made up at 2 p.m. Sunday. "We are all deeply hurt and saddened by the tragedy that has occurred in Newtown, Conn.," Manilow said in a statement. "Our hearts go out to the families that have been devastated by the loss of their loved ones. We are sorry for any inconvenience this might cause, but trust that you share in our feelings of devastation. Perhaps this small gesture of solidarity will help support these families on this terrible day." Patrons holding tickets for tonight’s performance should bring their tickets for admittance to Sunday’s 2 p.m. show. Those who are not able to attend the Sunday afternoon performance may seek a refund from the point of purchase by 2 p.m. Sunday. Manilow is scheduled to perform two other concerts at 8 p.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday. The McCallum Theatre Box Office will be open at noon Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday. Information: (760)340-2787. |
| December 14, 2012 | The Press-Enterprise | "Barry Manilow postpones McCallum show" by Stephanie Holland |
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| To honor victims of the shooting in Newtown, CT, Barry Manilow has postponed Friday’s show at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert. The concert will now take place Sunday, Dec. [16] at 2 p.m. "We are sorry for any inconvenience this might cause but trust that you share in our feelings of devastation. Perhaps this small gesture of solidarity will help support these families on this terrible day." said Manilow in a press release. Tickets will be honored for Sunday’s show, however, fans needing a refund can obtain one at the point of purchase by Sunday at 2 p.m. The McCallum Theatre box office will be open at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15 and at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 16. |
| December 14, 2012 | KESQ | "Barry Manilow Cancels McCallum Concert Due to School Shooting: Plans 2nd show for Sunday at 2 p.m." by Rich Tarpening |
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| PALM DESERT, Calif. - The concert by Barry Manilow, scheduled for tonight, Friday, December 14th is being postponed until Sunday, December 16th at 2:00 PM, announced the McCallum Theatre late Friday afternoon. At 2:03 PM Friday, Mr. Manilow released the following statement: "We are all deeply hurt and saddened by the tragedy that has occurred in Newtown, Connecticut. Our hearts go out to the families that have been devastated by the loss of their loved ones. In their honor, we have cancelled tonight's concert performance and have rescheduled the concert for this Sunday at 2pm. We are sorry for any inconvenience this might cause but trust that you share in our feelings of devastation. Perhaps this small gesture of solidarity will help support these families on this terrible day." - Barry Manilow Patrons holding tickets for Friday's performance should bring their tickets for admittance to Sunday's 2:00 PM show. Those who are not able to attend the performance on Sunday afternoon may seek a refund from the point of purchase by Sunday at 2:00 PM. The McCallum Theatre Box Office will be open Saturday at Noon and on Sunday at 11:00 AM. The McCallum Theatre Box Office phone number is (760)340-2787. |
| December 11, 2012 | The Desert Sun | "Barry Manilow's charity shows a global ticket" by Bruce Fessier |
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| The pilgrimage to see Barry in the desert has begun. Palm Springs resident Barry Manilow performed the first of five shows in six nights at the McCallum Theatre Tuesday as part of a series titled "A Gift of Love II." For international fans and 27 local charities, it was an early Christmas. The concerts, continuing tonight and Friday through Sunday, are virtually sold out and Manilow and his manager, Garry Kief of Stiletto Entertainment, expect to raise $750,000 with the help of more than a dozen local sponsors. The proceeds will benefit charities ranging from Advancing the Interests of Animals to United Cerebral Palsy, Inland Empire. Fans came from all over the world to see the best-selling adult contemporary recording artist of all time mix his hits with holiday standards in a setting that included a Christmas tree surrounded by presents that will be donated to Toys for Tots. Cathedral City High School and Washington Charter School choirs helped bring the festivities to a close after Manilow delivered an upbeat program that was similar to his 2009 "Gift of Love" concerts, but uniquely different from any shows he’ll perform anywhere else, including the Broadway concerts he’ll begin next month. Cathy Voss and Caroline Dinnen came from Sydney, Australia, to see all five shows, just as they did in 2009. Only this time, Voss was on crutches and she and her friend brought a large box of distinctively Australian toys, such as stuffed kangaroos and panda bears, to give back "to the community he loves so much." They’ve seen Manilow perform more than 100 times, but they said flew they across the Pacific Ocean to see these shows because of their memories of the last "Gift of Love" concerts. "From the moment Barry appeared on stage and seeing his beaming smile and sensing his energy, we knew the long trip was worth it," said Voss, "as we were in for a night of Manilow classics and seeing Barry doing what he loves doing - making people feel his music and lyrics." Stiletto officials said they have sold 75 tickets to Manilow fans coming from out of state and a McCallum box office director said they sold 25 tickets to Canadians alone. President and CEO Mitch Gershenfeld said people from the U.K. and Germany are coming to the shows, as well as contingents from Los Angeles and Orange County. Ellie McAuley and her sister Ann Forbes of Marin County said they’re coming more than 500 miles for the closing night concert on Sunday. It will be the sixth time they’ve seen him in roughly two years, including Manilow’s show Thursday night at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, which McAuley called "magic." "You can’t see him too often," she said. Alan and Linda Silberlight, who have seen Manilow 411 times, flew in from New York after their home was damaged by Hurricane Sandy. They’ve purchased tickets to all five concerts and they said they really enjoyed the Christmas music and the venue on opening night. "This venue is one of the most exquisite places that we’ve seen Barry perform," said Alan Silberlight. "A perfect evening: Barry Manilow songs and Christmas songs." Manilow, wearing a maroon coat to match the red poinsettia on stage, performed big hits such as "Mandy," "Weekend in New England" and "Looks Like We Made It" along with Christmas classics including his recent hit recording of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," featuring some classic 1940s harmony. But Voss said it was more than just the Christmas decorations and music that put her in a festive spirit. Just Manilow’s presence on stage provided that chestnuts-roasting-on-an-open-fire feeling. "It doesn’t matter how you’re feeling," she said. "If you’re feeling down, he picks you up - just from hearing his voice." |
| December 10, 2012 | Examiner.com | "Phoenix concerts review: Barry Manilow makes magic – Dec. 9, 2012" by Traci Baker |
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| There are some shows that I just have to see... whenever the great Barry Manilow comes to town, I am there! Barry Manilow is an all time great legend with hit after hit after hit. The kind of songs that make you swoon, sing-along, dance and cry – he writes them all! [He] was born to perform and every time I see him, he seems more at home on stage than ever. At 69 years old, he is dancing, joking and singing as beautifully as he did in 1975 when he did "Mandy" for the first time on Midnight Special with Clive Davis doing the [introduction]. He showed this clip during the show and while he does look a little different, that voice is unmistakable. The Comerica Theatre was full when Manilow and his band took the stage at a few minutes past 7:30 p.m. With an energetic prelude that included an instrumental medley of his hits, the stage lights revealed a giant arch that served as both a great stage piece and light rigging. With two outstanding backup singers (a man and a woman) and a band that included keyboards, a drummer (whose percussion tools included bongos and all sorts of other goodies), guitars, bass and lots more, this was looking like it was going to be a fun night. As Manilow took the stage with, "Its a Miracle," thrilled fans knew it was the first of many great hits to come. The 22-song set was filled with songs that not only took the audience down memory lane, but Manilow as well. Between songs, he’d share stories of a childhood in the roughest part of Brooklyn, his high school orchestra that allowed him to live his dreams and his Russian immigrant grandfather who saw in him not just a little boy, but a five-year-old with a musical gift. One of the more poignant [stories] he told was when Grandpa Joe would take him to the city to a shop that had booths where you could record your own voice. Manilow dedicated "This One’s For You," to him and when the song ended the big screen flashed a photo of the young Barry and his grandpa. Very sweet. "Bandstand Boogie," was great to hear and was one of the many songs where Manilow used the big screen to pay homage to those who’d inspired or helped his career. Of course, the great Dick Clark was prominently featured. Some of the more fun images were of the old record albums and outfits from the '70s. A self-deprecating Manilow poked fun at his profile on the "Even Now" album and said that he looked like Mona Lisa on the cover of his 1973 self-titled debut record; joking this might have been why it only sold a few copies... Set highlights for me included "Can’t Smile Without You," "Even Now," and "Weekend in New England," "I Am Your Child," "Mandy," and "Copacabana." But these are just a few – I mean my goodness, there are so many. But I have to say the song that still slays the crowds is the great, "I Write the Songs." As the opening notes to this song began, an audible gasping sigh could be heard among the swooning [crowd]. Manilow joked and told stories throughout. While introducing "Can’t Take My Eyes Off You," from his '60s tribute to great hits record, he joked that his albums paying tribute to the '50s, '60s, '70s and '80s were all big hits, but that he decided to stop at the '90s as he figured no one wanted to hear his version of Bootylicious. With people singing all the words to almost every song and hands swaying back and forth to the all-time great Manilow classics, I can honestly say this was a good old fashioned great time. Even better, he managed to pack all those hits into just under an hour and forty-five minutes, which made great for a Sunday night. Thanks to the great Barry Manilow for bringing his tremendous energy, beautiful voice and love of performing to the stage, still after all these years. His songbook of beloved music will always be in the hearts of music lovers and fans alike. I would be remiss if I did not share Manilow’s plea to help Phoenix-area music-inclined youth. His "Manilow Music Project," funds new musical instruments for high-school youth all over the country. During this tour stop, Manilow give a piano to a Phoenix-area high school and partnered with Allegro Music Stores in Phoenix and Peoria to accept donations from fans who may have used musical instruments they can donate so that young people, who may not otherwise get an opportunity due to cuts in the arts programs at many schools, have the chance to play. If you have an instrument, please consider donating it, you never know when or where the next Barry Manilow will come from. Set List - Barry Manilow, Dec. 9 2012 – Phoenix; Comerica Theatre (Special thanks to Jason on the mixing board and Amber on the show’s production staff for the set list and their kindness) It’s a Miracle / Could it Be Magic (uptempo) / Somewhere In The Night / Looks Like We Made It
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Can’t Smile Without You
Bandstand Boogie
The Old Songs / Stay
Even Now
Brooklyn Blues
I Am Your Child
This One’s For You
New York City Rhythm
Weekend In New England
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
Christmas Is Just Around The Corner
River
Tryin' to Get The Feeling Again
I Made It Through The Rain
Mandy/Could It Be Magic
Copacabana (At The Copa)
I Write The Songs
It's A Miracle (Reprise)
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| December 10, 2012 | The Press-Enterprise | Palm Desert: Barry Manilow returns with holiday charity concerts |
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| Barry Manilow brings his "A Gift of Love" concerts back to Palm Desert, turning the McCallum into the place where Santa meets the Copacabana this week. The concerts benefit a number of area charities, including United Cerebral Palsy-Inland Empire, Desert AIDS Project and the Temple Isaiah Fund, among dozens of others. I went a couple of years ago when Manilow did this for the first time and it was a really fun show. That year there were also local students who performed with him. 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11, Wednesday, Dec. 12, Friday, Dec. 14, Saturday, Dec. 15 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16, McCallum Theatre, Palm Desert. Visit www.mccallumtheatre.com for tickets and more information. |
| December 9, 2012 | The Desert Sun | "Barry Manilow: Keeps on giving" by Bruce Fessier |
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| It’s Barry Manilow week at the McCallum. Fans from throughout the country are attending Manilow’s five "A Gift of Love II" benefit concerts at the theater starting Tuesday. But they’ve also responded in droves to a Desert Sun request for questions for Barry. The queries showed considerable interest in rumors that Manilow might record a sequel to "2:00 AM Paradise Café," the 1984 Grand American Songbook album featuring premier jazz musicians and lyrics by the legendary Johnny Mercer. So the consensus first question was: Are you planning a return to "Paradise"?
Barry Manilow (BM): I did mention something a couple months ago that if I do another original album, I was thinking of doing "Paradise Cafe, Volume 2." I’m still thinking about doing an album with that feel to it, but I’ve gone away from calling it "Paradise Cafe 2" because I don’t think I can top the first one. It was just a perfect album with those wonderful musicians that are gone now. Fan (Linda Foster): How many lyrics you received from Mercer’s wife, Ginger, and if you are creating melodies for more of his lyrics to release.
BM: I’ve finished putting melodies to everything she gave me -- 35 Manilow-Mercer songs. About 10 or 11 of them I did for the Nancy Wilson album ("With My Lover Beside Me," 1991), which is a beautiful album. But there are more and they’re all done, and I don’t know what I’m going to do with them. I was thinking about artists that would treat them well, but I haven’t pursued that yet. You’re not thinking of recording them yourself?
BM: Well, it’s in my head. I could. I think there are better singers than me that would treat these songs more authentically, someone like Curtis Stigers. He’s very interested in doing them. I sent him a few. Fan (Janice Michalik): [Do] you have any other melodies without lyrics stashed away?
BM: No, I don’t do that. I write when I know I have something to write for. I’m not one of those guys who just have melodies in my head. I write on demand. I learned that when I was doing jingles. Fan (Hallie Ranta): How many more songs are in the "Manilow Vault" and will we get to hear them?
BM: They would be outtake ideas with melodies and unfinished lyrics for a project. I do have a lot of those. But they’re not developed and I can’t imagine ever going back to them. I do play them and I usually say, "Oh, now I know why I didn’t make that. It’s not good enough!" Fan (Irene Van Gunst): [Will] your "Live On Broadway" shows include a "Gonzo Hits Medley" similar to what you sang at the Gershwin Theatre?
BM: No. Ken and Mitzi Welch put that together and it lasted 25 minutes. For some of my fans who come over and over, that medley lasted a looong time. I’m not sure they’d like that every night. But, for the (others), it was phenomenal. It got me the longest standing ovation in my career every night. What was in that medley?
BM: Every hit I hadn’t sung up until that moment in the show. That show was kind of autobiographical and I did a lot of album cuts and songs from the latest album, "Swing Street." By the time I got to that moment, I didn’t feel I had given the audience all the hits they wanted, so I called Ken and Mitzi and said, "I’m going to give you a list of the songs I didn’t do. Could you possibly make it into a segment?" They did it, and they did it beautifully. It was a wonderfully written medley and I think it gave the audience what they really had come for. Fan (Natalie Price): When you listen to music for your own entertainment or attend a concert as an audience member, does your expertise as an arranger and musician enhance your enjoyment of the performance or distract you from getting lost in it?
BM: If it’s great, like any audience member, I find myself lost in whatever it is. But mostly it is distracting. I say, "Why didn’t they do this, why didn’t they do that, why didn’t they interpret the lyric better." What was the last music you really got lost in?
BM: It was the Sondheim show that goes backwards ("Merrily We Roll Along") or Barbra (Streisand) on YouTube doing "Make Our Garden Grow." Yesterday I got a DVD of an old performance of Frank Loesser’s "Most Happy Fella." It’s one of my favorite scores of all time. Fan (Kimberly Allison): Love Radio Manilow. Where you get all of the information about the songs. Do you talk off the top of your head or use Google?
BM: Most of these songs are songs I love and composers I know about. I have another series in Britain on BBC 2 Radio, it’s called "They Write the Songs," and I do 10 weeks with a different composer every week. It’s so successful, they gave me 10 more to do this year. So I know the history of the 20 composers -- Harold Arlen, George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Leonard Bernstein. I’ve read all of their biographies. And certainly I know about the Beatles and my other favorites. Sometimes I get stuck and I go on Google and see what I can find. Before I start my radio shows, I study. What they love about "They Write the Songs" is, I know what I’m talking about. Then I play piano and demonstrate and deconstruct some of the songs and show why Irving Berlin was Irving Berlin. He didn’t know how to speak English when he got [to] America. He could hardly play an instrument and yet he gave us some of the most gorgeous, sophisticated songs we’ve ever known. Fan (Mary Flick): What made you change the lyrics to "Looks Like We Made It?"
BM: "Looks Like We Made It" is a confusing song. People for years looked at it as a theme for graduations and football games because of the title. But, if you see the second line, it’s about, "We left each other on the way to another love." I did it night after night at the Paris (Hotel in Las Vegas) and it was always confusing even to me as a performer. So I called Bruce (Sussman), who’s a wonderful writer, and said, "You’ve got to give me a new lyric." So he wrote me a draft and I put my stuff in and I changed the lyric so it’s more about, "We made it together." Fan (Angela Washington): Have you composed a contemporary classical piece we’ll ever hear?
BM: I had a big project I had started. I was going to call it "Variations" and there were going to be songs or pieces of concertos by some of the great classical writers. I’ve got a huge trunk of albums and CDs and sheet music, and I was digging through these big pieces for a melody and I started it. And I threw the whole thing away. I’ve got big these big trunk loads of classical stuff that I probably could dive into. |
| December 9, 2012 | The Desert Sun | "Songs of love" by Bruce Fessier |
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| Barry Manilow is ready to take some chances again. The man who has performed benefit concerts for almost every major Coachella Valley charity in the past 15 years will perform his second "A Gift of Love" series benefiting 25 local charities over five nights starting Tuesday at the McCallum Theatre. The shows will feature a mix of hits and holiday classics, but, as usual for a local Manilow concert, they will be different from his usual concert program. He’ll probably include his recording of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town," from his "The Classic Christmas Album." In November, that became his 50th entry on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. Only Elton John (68), Barbra Streisand (64), Neil Diamond (58) and Elvis Presley (53) have had more Adult Contemporary hits. But even Manilow’s publicist and manager don’t know what the singer will do this week. They’re already looking forward to Barry’s next big adventure. On Jan. 18, Manilow will return to Broadway for the first time in two decades for an indefinite "[Manilow] On Broadway" run at the St. James Theatre. After that, the Palm Springs resident will return to his schedule of "part-time touring." Las Vegas casino residencies and months of one-nighters are a thing of the past. Manilow’s now looking forward to playing smaller cities — as long as he only has to work on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and can be back home in the desert by Sunday. Manilow, 69, loves his sprawling, lushly landscaped compound near the Indian canyons. He does two radio shows from there -- Radio Manilow on iHeart.com, and "They Write the Songs" on BBC Radio 2 — and recently gave a remarkably in-depth interview in that room. A live Judy Garland album playing on a pristine sound system and wall hangings featuring personal photos and two Native Ameican paintings given to him by his friend, Bill Edelen, created a unique vibe of East Coast meets West Coast culture. Manilow was born and raised in Brooklyn and began his career as an accompanist for Broadway singers. But he found personal harmony following his 1970s superstardom amid California’s natural settings, including the waves of Malibu and the canyons at the foot of the San Jacinto Mountains in Palm Springs. He’s returning to Broadway, he said, to re-live the experiences of his youth. "I’ve done it twice and I thought, just one more time," the singer-composer said wistfully. "I played in the pit for every singer that auditioned when I was a young guy. I played for Donna McKechnie when she auditioned for ‘A Chorus Line.’ That was my life. Now, all these years later, I’m still alive. I’m still working. I just thought this would be really a deep experience for me. I’ll get an apartment in New York and just go back to my early days." Manilow received a "Heart of Hollywood" award Nov. 1 in Los Angeles at a benefit for the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute’s Stem Cell Center. He was glad to lend his name to a worthy cause, but said "Heart of Hollywood" is "about the last thing I am." Forty years after creating a sensation playing the New York bath houses with Bette Midler, Manilow still considers himself a New Yorker. That’s why he’s excited about playing a small Broadway theater. He’ll be able to interact with his own. But Manilow has a unique love affair with his fans from all over the world. The "Fanilows," as they often call themselves, come from all over the country to the "Gift of Love" concerts. Manilow used to dislike it when people called his fans "Fanilows," but now, he said he’s accepted fans using that epithet for themselves. "It bothered me for a long time," he said between drags of an electronic cigarette. "But, when people say that, they’re so proud to tell me that and I know what they’re saying. They’re saying they like my music and they’re proud to call themselves fans. It puts a smile on their face to call themselves a Fanilow. In the beginning, I thought it was a joke on fans and I thought it put down fans. But, I don’t think that anymore. I see what people feel about that term and I’m OK with it."
[ Barry Manilow interview ] |
| December 9, 2012 | The Desert Sun | Barry Manilow chats with beloved 'Fanilows' |
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Fan (Sue Custer): When can we expect the next segment of your autobiography, "Sweet Life"?
Barry Manilow (BM): I’m working on it now. But I’m working on two books. One is an addition to "Sweet Life." I’m either going to start the book with a new section or end the book with a new section. The second one I’m thinking about doing is a coffee table book about the tours, about each show. It will have pictures, anecdotes, memories, interviews and all that stuff. So there are two I’m looking at now.Fan (Terri English): Will we be able to see "Harmony" (Manilow’s original musical on a Nazi Germany-era Jewish singing group) on Broadway any time soon?
BM: "Harmony" is alive again. We haven’t announced it yet but it looks like we’re going to go to a regional theater, like La Jolla. We had a terrible history with this beautiful show. We’ve tried to mount it with various producers over the last 10, 12 years and, after the La Jolla run, we got great review. The word of mouth was this was going to be a piece of cake when we took it to New York. But we were signed with a producing company that let us go. That means, he didn’t follow up. We signed with him for three years and he just dropped the ball. It never had anything to do with the show. We were in that world of trying to raise $11 million, $15 million and it always had to do with the producer not being able to raise the money or people he had to deal with. Finally, I just said, "We have to stop. We have to make the pain go away." So we put it in a drawer for the last couple of years and I thought, I just want to see it up one more time, and the best time we ever had with it was at the La Jolla. It was a modest production, but well done, beautifully acted. So Bruce (Sussman, the lyricist) and I decided we would go back to a regional theater and we found one. I think it’s going to go up next year. On the West Coast?
BM: I really don’t want to say where until the contract is signed because the fans are going to go nuts. Fan (Suzan Oberle): Do you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah? And, is there a particular holiday memory or tradition that is especially meaningful to you?
BM: I don’t do religious (ceremonies). The Christmas season for me is all about giving and friends and family and being together. It’s the only time of the year people stop hollering at each other for about a week and I like that part of it. We celebrate the feelings of that part of the year. Holiday memory? The only thing I can remember is when I was in Brooklyn. I come from a Jewish household. Willie Murphy was my step-father. He brought in the Irish part. I remember the first Christmas he brought in one of those aluminum Christmas trees with blue balls. I thought that was the most gorgeous thing I had ever seen. Nothing will ever top that Christmas tree. That’s my favorite memory. Fan (Linda Foster): Can you tell us what the word Christmas means to you and was there any gift you received, either as a child or an adult, that meant the world to you and why?
BM: Hmmm. The gifts I like the most are when people either make them or come up with something that is more emotional or personal. Like my darling Lorna (Luft). We all stayed in the Hamptons this summer. I got her out of the heat of Palm Springs, and she gave me a thank you gift. As a background note, I just got a new dog. He was a guide dog. He didn’t make it (through graduation) because the law says he has to be perfectly healthy, but I connected with him, so he’s mine now. He’s a big chocolate lab and he’s gorgeous. I’m so in love with Max. So Lorna dug in with the Guide Dogs (of the Desert) people and gave me a book that she put together of Max as a puppy, of getting a little older and turning into the dog I have at 2 years old. There are captions underneath it, and that is my favorite kind of gift. That kind of thing is more important to me than expensive things. Fan (Helen Holdun): You always seem to exhibit boundless energy, enthusiasm and pure joy. Do you attribute that to living a healthy life or your passion for your craft?
BM: Passion is a good word for me. If I don’t have it, I can’t do it. I’m older than I ever intended to be. I’m going to be 70 in June. When my grandfather was 70, he didn’t look like this. These days, we take care of ourselves, but I’m just lucky. These hips are not in great shape, and that was because of the running around I’ve done, I think. Other than that, I feel like I’ve always felt. I feel the way I did 35 years ago. Does your friend, Suzanne Somers, influence you?
BM: She tries to. But, in order to follow her suggestions, you have to live that life. It’s 30 pills a day of all kinds of vitamins and hormones. You give yourself shots, you watch what you eat and I have no patience. We had dinner with her (recently) at Le Vallauris. We finished dinner and she took out a baggie. There must have been 60 pills in there and, as we were finishing, she was swallowing 60 pills. And she does this three times a day. I can’t do that. Fan (Linda H.): You talked to the British press earlier this year about switching to electric cigarettes to quit smoking. Is that working?
BM: Yeah. I haven’t smoked a real cigarette since at least a year ago. I started smoking when I was 9 years old. Back in Brooklyn, everybody smoked. And by 1970-something, I was on three packs of Pall Mall non-filtered a day. I was a great smoker! I have burns on the old piano. Eventually I woke up one morning and I was coughing and I said, "OK, I’m going to stop." And I couldn’t. So one of my background singers and I, every week we would go to a lecture with an organization called SmokeEnders. We did it for six weeks and they said I would stop on my birthday, June 17. I went every week and did what they told me to do and, on June 17 of that year, I stopped. And I didn’t smoke for 30 years. Then I did the Hilton in Las Vegas. One night we went to the bar and everybody was having a great time and somebody said, "Do you want a cigarette?" I said, "Oh, sure." Once again, I was back. Not three packs a day — I never even went to a pack a day again — but I was hooked. About six months into it, I realized again I couldn’t stop. I went back to SmokeEnders (online), but I didn’t go to the two-hour meetings because there weren’t any here. I tried to do it myself and I couldn’t do it. A million things came up on Google and one of them was these electric cigarettes. I ordered one and I got it and I put it together and I took one drag and that was it. I threw my cigarettes away and never smoked again. This is all water. It’s vapor! Actually I think it’s good for my voice! There’s a little tiny dollop of nicotine if you want it, but I’m down to nothing. |
| December 7, 2012 | KNAU Arizona Public Radio | Barry Manilow On Singing Standards And His Real Job |
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| Pop legend Barry Manilow spoke with Morning Edition host David Greene about the Great American Songbook, Broadway and "Mandy." David Greene (DG): So, you've recorded three Christmas albums over the years.
Barry Manilow (BM): I have. For a Jewish guy, I've recorded a lot of Christmas albums. DG: What got a Jewish guy into recording Christmas albums?
BM: First of all - I love the time of the season. It's the only time of the year that everyone stops hollering at each other, so that's one thing. And everybody thinks about giving and receiving, and I love the whole feel of this time of the year. But, musically, the reason I love these Christmas songs is that these songs, most of the standard Christmas songs, were written during the era that we call the Great American Songbook. These songs were written by composers and lyricists who knew how to write a song. They knew how to write a melody, they knew how to write a lyric, and we don't do that anymore these days. I am a big fan of the Great American Songbook, with people like Irving Berlin and George Gershwin and the rest. You find that kind of songwriting in the catalog of Christmas music, and I so love that, and I love arranging and producing songs like that. I was born too late, I was. So whenever I get an opportunity to do a Christmas album, I jump at it, because you know, recording Irving Berlin's "Happy Holiday" or "White Christmas" or "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" - these are beautifully written songs, and I just love diving into them. DG: You don't think, in general, that a lot of musicians know how to write songs these days?
BM: No, and it's very sad to listen to the pop radio, because writing a melody and a lyric is gone out the window. What we hear now is great-sounding records with great-sounding grooves and loops. And the sound of these records is irresistible, but the craft of songwriting is just about over. That's why, whenever I get an opportunity to do an album full of standards, I jump at it because I miss it. DG: What defines a classic Barry Manilow song?
BM: Well, it needs to have — as a musician, you'd think I would say it's gotta have a great melody. And it does. But as a performer, it really needs to have a lyric that I can crawl into. And I think that's the difference between what I do and what a lot of other people do: I tell the story of the lyric. You know, when I did American Idol the three times, I tried to tell these kids you have to tell the story of the lyric. Otherwise, closing your eyes and trying to show us how many notes you can fit into a bar, no one's gonna feel — no one's gonna care about it. But, if you tell the story of a lyric, then I think you've got a chance of connecting with an audience. So, I think that's the difference between the kind of songs that I've been doing all of my career. I listen to the lyric of "Mandy," I try to put myself in that situation, and then I sing the song. DG: Can I confess something to you?
BM: Oh, all right. DG: "Mandy" is my go-to karaoke song.
BM: Oh, I can't wait to hear that. Do you try to hit the high F at the end - "And I neeeeeed yooooooooou"? Do you do that? DG: I do, and I kind of squeal a bit - "And I neeeeeeeed yooooooou."
BM: Oh, I see, you go into your falsetto. Very good, very smart. DG: Does that work?
BM: Yeah, sure. DG: I've read a - you've made me speechless by critiquing my version of "Mandy." I don't know what to do with myself. I read an interview with you from The Guardian newspaper earlier this year, and there was a quote that stuck out to me. You said, talking about your routine when you're on the road: "I'm in a hotel room, sold out at Radio City, private plane, 30 years of hotel rooms by yourself." What keeps you going?
BM: What keeps me going? I love music. I love any opportunity I have to make music. You know, people ask me, "What do you do to relax?" and I'm so boring, because I go up to my studio and I create. I'm a creator. DG: That doesn't sound boring.
BM: Well, maybe to other people it might. They might expect me to say I go play golf. I don't do that. My passion - and I found it as a young man, and I was very fortunate to find my passion at a young age. I knew that that's what I wanted to do with my life, and that's what I do. That's what I do. I love working with my band; I love working with musicians. I tell you something, the part that I like the least is the performing part. DG: Really?
BM: Yeah. You know, that's the job. And I've learned how to do it, because I never started off wanting to be a performer. I always wanted to just be a musician or a songwriter or an arranger. That performing opportunity came out of the blue, and as a big surprise. I was terrified for so many of the early years, and I didn't know what I was doing on that stage. Over the years, I've learned how to do it, and I've embraced it, and I've learned how to to love it. But pin me to the wall, and I would be happy playing in a band. DG: Do you still enjoy the performing, though, when you're out there, or is it really just a job?
BM: I do. I'll tell you what changed for me: I found gratitude. About 15 years ago I found the gratitude in this, an unbelievable career. And that makes everything different for me. I'm a very grateful man that there's still an audience out there that is interested in hearing what I have to say. So really, I look forward to the performances. But in the beginning it was so confusing. I really didn't know why they were applauding. DG: You're still here, and you're returning to Broadway next month, as I understand, for the first time in maybe two decades.
BM: Yes, how 'bout that? I just wanted to do it one more time before I croak; I wanted to play a Broadway theater one more time. I come from New York, and before the performing and record career hit, I was in the pit. I was in the pits of all the Broadway theaters. I was the piano player. I played for every singer's audition. I was either on the stage playing the piano for them, or in the pit playing the piano for shows, and I know that world so well. I'm looking forward to walking into the stage door every night of this Broadway theater called the St. James, and then walking out of the stage door and going to Joe Allen's - a theatrical restaurant that everybody goes to after their shows - and being in New York, in the theater world of New York, because that's where I began. DG: And before you croak - I don't want to use that word, but you did - what else is on the Barry Manilow bucket list beyond Broadway?
BM: There's one more thing that I'm really hoping I can do this year. There's a Broadway musical — speaking of Broadway musicals - that I've written over the years. We've been trying to get it up on the stage and we have; we've been pretty lucky now and again. But every time we try to get it into New York, there's always something that goes wrong. And this year, it looks good. We're going out in a regional theater somewhere at the end of the year. It's called Harmony, and it's the best writing I've ever done in my entire career. So that's the one more thing that I need to do, and hopefully it'll happen this year. DG: Before I let you go, you wouldn't fulfill my bucket list and sing a bar or two of "Mandy" with me, would you?
BM: With you? [They play "Mandy"] Well, you're in tune! DG: Wow, that's a good thing! You're very generous.
BM: That was great! DG: Thanks. You were great too, Mr. Manilow.
BM: Thanks. Call me Barry. |
| December 7, 2012 | Contra Costa Times | Review: Barry Manilow was the `Justin Bieber of the '70s'" by Jim Harrington |
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| Barry Manilow has been around for so long that one can forget just what an incredible force he once was in pop music. On Thursday, the 69-year-old vocalist-pianist reminded folks at the HP Pavilion in San Jose. "I was the Justin Bieber of the '70s," Manilow proclaimed to the roughly 8,000 fans in attendance. "Really, I was. Ask your mother." No need to ask mom. Manilow provided all the evidence necessary during this evening, which was packed full of fan favorites from his heyday in the '70s. "I bet you are going to know every single song we do tonight," Manilow said early on. Well, maybe not every single one, but darn near close. The show lasted just over 80 minutes, yet it's hard to imagine that many attendees walked away complaining about the songs that weren't played. It was a very Vegas evening, quite similar to the production performed during the singer's two-year residency (2010-2011) at the Paris Hotel in Sin City. Yes, contrary to what you've heard, not everything that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. That's a good thing, at least in the case of Manilow, since this revue translates quite well to the arena. He took the stage just after 8 p.m. sporting a fuchsia-colored suit coat, the kind that only Manilow and a few other performers could get away with. He immediately led his top-notch band through a medley of two of his best up-tempo offerings, "It's a Miracle" (from 1974's "Barry Manilow II") and "Could It Be Magic" (from 1973's "Barry Manilow"). He then slowed things down with another medley, of "Somewhere in the Night" (from 1978's "Even Now") and "Looks Like We Made It" (from 1976's "This One's for You"). He followed with a seasonal offering, "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," which let's just say differed greatly from the version that Bruce Springsteen sang recently at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. The concert was light on special effects, but strong on personality. Manilow is a natural born storyteller, which is probably one of the reasons why he's also such a capable songwriter, and the tales told in San Jose were often quite charming. He delivered a bizarre mix of bravado and self-effacing humor - with the latter working best for him. Indeed, the finest joke of the night came at his own expense, after the album cover from "Even Now" was flashed on the overhead screen. He looked at the picture, which shows his face and a distant New York skyline, and exclaimed, "God, my nose looks like one of the buildings!" This night was about hearing all those old favorite songs -- like "Mandy," "Can't Smile Without You" and "Copacabana (At the Copa)" ... Even after all these decades in the business, the singer still seems to give his all when he delivers the hits. "I swear I never get tired of singing these songs," he said. "They bring back such great memories for me. They must do that for you as well." Judging from the reaction from the crowd in San Jose, the answer seems to be yes. |
| December 4, 2012 | 23ABC KERO | "The Manilow Music Project aims to donate instruments to local schools with free concert" by Lauren Titus |
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| You have a chance to see a big name performance this Friday for free, while also helping our local music programs. The Manilow Music Project offers two free tickets to Barry Manilow's local shows for every one instrument you donate. Manilow is scheduled to play the Rabobank Arena Friday night. The program has been going on for five years now and 23ABC spoke with the famous singer/songwriter about the successful project. Manilow explained the process, "if they're gently used (instruments) then we fix them up and we divide them up among the schools that need them." Hundreds of schools around the country have been helped over the years, this week is Bakersfield's turn. 23ABC spoke with Bakersfield City School District Visual and Performance Arts Coordinator, Michael Stone, about the extreme need for donations. Stone says, "the problem is we have so many more children who could be participating if we had more instruments." You can drop-off your new or gently used instrument at Rabobank Arena's business office and earn two free tickets to Manilow's show Friday at 8pm. |
| December 4, 2012 | San Francisco Examiner | "Barry Manilow enjoys more than 15 minutes of fame" by Tom Lanham |
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| The audience was stunned at first. It wasn’t expecting chart-topping pop artist Barry Manilow to suddenly stop his show at the Sleep Train Pavilion in Concord with an offbeat observation like, "I tell ya, folks — the older you get, the slower you pee!" But gradually, laughter erupted, then spread. It was funny, his devotees decided. Funny because it was true. In a recent interview, the former TV commercial jingle writer recalled that incident from years ago -- and other quirky impromptu observations -- and chuckled at his own temerity. "Hey, I just say what I feel," he explained. "I’ve never been trained as a performer, so I just didn’t learn the rules." Manilow, playing San Jose this week and supporting his Manilow Music Project (which donates instruments and works to reinstate music curriculums in underfunded schools), has made some serious gaffes. He says he no longer spoofs other performers since he got a letter from Johnny Mathis, who was offended by one of his comments. "It happens night after night," he adds. "It’s either something that I think is funny that they don’t, or something like me getting the name of a city wrong. There were some nights where I’ve yelled ‘Hello!’ someplace, and I wasn’t there, and it took me a good half-hour to get that audience back." But the humble singer has had a stellar four-decade career. He has won a Tony, a Grammy, two Emmys and even a Clio for his 1970s advertising work (such as McDonald’s "You deserve a break today" and Band-Aid’s "I am stuck on Band-Aid" tunes, which he used to incorporate into his gigs as the "Very Strange Medley"). He just logged his 50th Billboard Top 40 adult contemporary hit with "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." His last album, 2011’s "15 Minutes" -- a study of fame set in the Williamsburg neighborhood apartments in Bronx, N.Y., where he grew up dirt-poor -- was one of his highest-charting, and best-reviewed, albums. "But I started off all those years ago just wanting to be a composer, an arranger or a conductor," Manilow says. "So the performing part came at me out of the blue, and I resisted it for years. So I never really learned what you’re supposed to do on that stage. I don’t know how to be anybody else but me." With his first 1974 smash, "Mandy," the star was warned about the brevity of a showbiz life. Five years, tops, is what industry chums predicted. "And I always thought that it would stop," he says. "But the public out there still seems to be interested in what I’ve got to say. So I’m a very grateful guy!" Barry Manilow. Where: HP Pavilion, 525 W. Santa Clara, San Jose. When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Tickets: $19.20 to $194.28. Contact: (408) 287-7070; www.livenation.com. |
| December 3, 2012 | Billboard | Barry Manilow [Returns] To AC Top 10 |
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| Manilow lands his first Adult Contemporary top 10 since 1989... As the format continues to focus heavily on holiday music, Barry Manilow collects his first Adult Contemporary top 10 since 1989. Manilow's "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" zooms 13-2 as the chart's Greatest Gainer. The song ranks behind only Rod Stewart's "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow," which leads for a second frame after last week becoming his first AC No. 1 since 1993. Manilow had last ranked in the AC top 10 with the No. 7 hit "Keep Each Other Warm" in July 1989. "Santa" marks his 28th top 10 on the survey, tying him with Kenny Rogers for the sixth-best sum in the chart's 51-year history. Elton John leads with 38 top 10s, followed by Neil Diamond (37), Barbra Streisand (35), Elvis Presley (31) and Dionne Warwick (29). "Santa" represents Manilow's highest rank since "Read 'Em and Weep" logged a six-week reign in 1983-84. "Santa," Manilow's milestone 50th AC hit, appears on his new holiday compilation, "The Classic Christmas Album." Manilow scored his first 22 AC top 10s with his first 22 singles promoted to the format (excluding the No. 33-peaking holiday single "It's Just Another New Year's Eve" in 1977), beginning with his introductory two-week No. 1 "Mandy" in 1974. His 13 career AC No. 1s trail only Elton John (16) and the Carpenters (15). |
December
2012 | Palm Springs Life | "Barry’s Home: Our neighbor the superstar presents a special gift to the community" by Steven Biller |
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| It’s a humid Monday morning at the end of an unusually sticky-hot desert summer, and Barry Manilow -- who was performing a day earlier in London -- walks into a cool, new, modern-design house in Palm Springs’ Las Palmas neighborhood. "Does anybody live here?" he asks, surveying the crisp, minimal interior. On this day, the house designed by Vance Burke is the backdrop for the photo shoot celebrating Manilow’s five performances this month at McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert. The shows, which he calls "A Gift of Love," benefit 27 charities in the Greater Palm Springs area. Manilow continues onto the back patio, admires the azure pool and towering palm trees, and raises his arms with excitement. "This is Palm Springs!" he says in his classic, show-stopping fashion. "Should I be in the pool?" The crew might have been thinking about the pool, but no one would suggest it. After all, Manilow, 69, had hip surgery only nine months earlier. "I should be in the pool," he says. "Let’s see how it looks." Manilow tells his assistant to get in the water - only a few steps in - while he and the photographer frame up the view and shoot a few test images. "That’s superstar!" he says. "That is the cover of Palm Springs Life." Right. The pop icon goes back inside to pick out his signature black shirt, black pants, and white jacket and perfect his hair and makeup. In front of the camera, Manilow exudes pure energy. For him, it’s natural, seemingly effortless - and always passionate. Manilow, who has sold more than 80 million records, began a seven-year run of shows in Las Vegas (five years at the former Las Vegas Hilton and two at Paris Las Vegas) after 30 years of touring, winning over audiences with any of his 47 top-40 hits. You know them: his 1975 debut "Mandy" and other timeless favorites such as "Copacabana," "Could It Be Magic," and "Looks Like We Made It." "I had to get off the road," he says, referring to "all those years of living out of a suitcase, waiting for planes, and eating bad room service [food]." With the Vegas gigs, Manilow could keep his band together and sleep in his own bed in Palm Springs — at least for a few months. "In the beginning, I flew home every night," he says. "It was a 20-minute flight. That was great - until I saw the bill." Then he took occupancy of the Hilton’s Elvis Presley suite. "I don’t remember one bad show there," Manilow says of more than 700 performances in the showroom that Presley made famous. "We celebrated at the end of every show. It was a very creative time. The costumes and everything would change. Every six months, we would change out songs." "Then at Paris, we started from scratch," he continues. "We came up with great, gorgeous settings. The problem was I couldn’t change anything. Everything was dependent on everything else: the video, lights. It was the same show every night. I wasn’t as free as I was at the Hilton." Ironically, Manilow found freedom in his occasional performances on the road -- from Atlantic City to London. He also continued to put out records. Before his show opened at Paris, the Las Vegas hotel, he was inspired by the romance of Paris, the French city, and released The Greatest Love Songs of All Time, surveying music from the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. At the end of his run at Paris, Manilow had corrective surgery on his hip muscles in Los Angeles and eventually returned to performing three shows every other weekend in different cities. Back to California Manilow returned to Palm Springs in late September to rest for a couple of months before his next run of shows, which begin this month with five performances at McCallum Theatre. And he seems remarkably at ease. "I like the people here," he says. "Palm Springs protects its celebrities. The police are always watching out for me. The restaurants are always watching out for people with cameras. I’m very grateful for the people in this community." Manilow, his manager, and collaborators have re-created "A Gift of Love" (a show he did in 2009) to benefit 27 charities in Greater Palm Springs. "It was a great idea. It’s a real interesting way of giving back to the area that’s been my home," he says. "It felt good to me. I wish I could do this in every city where I perform; but I live here, so I can do more [here]." The holiday-themed show is loaded with great songwriting - including songs from Barry Manilow: The Classic Christmas Album, released in October. "I’ll squeeze in hits as I can," he says. The show also marks the return of his big band. "I had a 14-piece band in Vegas, and it was great," Manilow says. "Then I performed at the Hollywood Bowl with the [Los Angeles] Philharmonic, and it changed my life. Every city we played, we worked with their orchestra." He scaled down from 75 to only six musicians for a series of "one-nighters" in different cities. "It was as intimate as I’ve ever done," he says. "I talked to the audience more than I ever have. They were very happy with me talking to them. And I enjoyed it. The audience was wilder than ever. It was a big lesson. I never believed [a small production] would work. But it sounded just as big as I can get it. And I could change songs whenever I wanted. You can’t do that with [an orchestra]." Manilow will have about 30 musicians with him for the McCallum performances, as he did on his Christmas albums. "This is my way of saying thank you." An Instrumental effort With every concert Barry Manilow performs, he adds to his war chest for Manilow Music Project, which he launched in 2008 when he donated $500,000 worth of musical instruments to 21 schools in the Greater Palm Springs area. He has since done the same in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, concerned over dwindling budgets for music programs in schools. "You see something going wrong and think, 'How can I help?' I would have wound up in music somehow, but it was orchestra class that made me realize what I wanted to be. I was really good, and I made friends. It can’t happen for these kids unless they have instruments to play." Visit www.manilowmusicproject.org. Manilow 'Minutes' Barry Manilow knows some of his audience will flee to the concessions when he utters the words, "Now I’m going play a song from my new album." This does not deter him. "Audiences want to hear hits, so I’m very delicate about that moment," the singer/songwriter says. "Fortunately, the new songs are going over great." In 2011, Manilow released 15 Minutes, a concept album about early fame. The title comes from Andy Warhol’s declaration that everybody will be famous for 15 minutes. "No one knows how to sell a record anymore, especially one that tells a story with a beginning and an ending," Manilow says, referring to the way fans now download individual songs instead of complete albums. With 15 Minutes, he says, "You need to listen to all the tracks. These songs need to be heard." The album’s story follows a young musician who gains fame, enjoys it to excess, and loses everything. It’s a commentary on Manilow’s own experiences in the world of reality television, where he appeared as a mentor on American Idol and saw kids becoming household names overnight. "How do you treat people [when you’re suddenly famous]? And what kind of person are you? How do you handle that?" he wonders, adding that when "Mandy" came out, he was 29 and "blown away" by its reception. "That’s what this album is about. These kids didn’t pay their dues playing in bars. And suddenly they’re famous, wearing Armani. You wait for them to show up on TMZ because they did something - because they’re kids!" For 15 Minutes, the adult contemporary legend had to write songs for the guitar. "It’s the closest to a rock and roll album I’ve ever made," he says. |
| December 4, 2012 | KTVU | Barry Manilow |
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| One of the most popular singer-songwriters to emerge during the 1970s, Barry Manilow got his start writing and arranging for Off Broadway shows in New York City, but his first real success came as a commercial jingle writer. Manilow's jingles included tunes for State Farm Insurance ("Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there...") and Band-Aid ("I am stuck on Band-Aid, 'cause Band-Aid's stuck on me!") that were ubiquitous on television. He later earned singing-only credits on commercials for Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, and the famed McDonald's "You Deserve a Break Today" campaign. Manilow first came to fame as Bette Midler's pianist and musical director during her star-making stint performing at the Continental Baths in New York. Manilow would also help producer her first two albums -- The Divine Miss M and Bette Midler -- before kicking off his solo career in 1974. His second album Barry Manilow II featured his first major hit "Mandy." songs was the start of a string of hit singles and albums that lasted through the rest of the 1970s to the early 1980s, coming from the multi-platinum and multi-hit albums Tryin' to Get the Feeling, This One's for You, Even Now, and One Voice. Despite being a songwriter in his own right, several of Manilow's commercial successes were with songs by others. Among hits he did not write or compose are "Mandy", "Tryin’ to Get the Feeling Again" (by David Pomerantz), "Weekend in New England" (by Randy Edelman), "Ships" (by Ian Hunter), "Looks Like We Made It" (by Richard Kerr and Will Jennings), "Can't Smile Without You" and "Ready to Take a Chance Again". Ironically, another one of his hits that Manilow did not write or compose himself was his number 1 "I Write The Songs" (by Bruce Johnston of The Beach Boys). Manilow would remain a major concert draw and perennial hit-maker on the adult contemporary charts through the '80s, though he would sometime show off his love for jazz through collaborations with such vocal legends as Sarah [Vaughan] and Mel Torme. Over the past two decades, Manilow has further explored big band and swing sounds with tribute albums to Sinatra while still reveling in his love for pop with his series of albums focusing on the greatest songs of the '50s, '60s, '70s and '80s. Manilow offers up an overview of his greatest hits when his current live tour comes to San Jose. Barry Manilow. Thursday, Dec. 6, 7:30 p.m. $8.75-$172. HP Pavilion. |
| December 3, 2012 | The Chaparral | "Celebrity Spotlight: Barry Manilow - 'A Gift of Love' concert series to benefit C.O.D. and other local charities" by Danielle Kedzior |
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| Acclaimed singer,songwriter, and philanthropist Barry Manilow is set to grace the stage of the McCallum Theatre, December 11-16, to perform in a concert series named, "A Gift of Love." In 2009, the series made its debut and raised nearly a half a million dollars for various local charities. This December will be Manilow’s second time performing the series. The series will benefit twenty seven charities within the Coachella valley each performance. Manilow told KESQ that he’s "looking forward to creating an emotional experience" through the concert. Touching peoples hearts, minds, and senses should make for an enthralling performance by Manilow. "There are just great people here in the Coachella valley and I’m happy to be able to do this kind of thing five nights to say thank you to the community." Manilow has a heart for the desert and looks for ways to step up and help out his community. Barry Manilow has sold more than 80 million records wordwide and "is ranked as the top Adult Contemporary chart artist of all time, according to R&R (Radio & Records) and Billboard magazines" according to barrymanilow.com. "To have such a musical icon step up for our desert is phenomenal." says Dorothy Thies, a resident here in the Coachella Valley who purchased tickets to the show. The concert series seems to be an immensely popular show. Thies praised the concept of a fundraiser concert series. "It's so rewarding to not only see Barry Manilow, but also to see that my money is going to benefit such wonderful charities," Thies said. She describes herself as an avid "fanilow" - a witty term used to describe avid Barry Manilow fans. "I would have gotten more (tickets) if they were available," Thies said when talking about how popular his concert was." I got the last two handicap seat tickets." Thies was "ecstatic" that she snagged those seats. "I’ve always wanted to see him in concert." she adds. For the ultimate fanilow, there are VIP Gold tickets available, priced at $750, which assures seating in the first 4 rows of the McCallum Theatre and a picture with Manilow. $500 of the proceeds from each VIP Gold ticket will be donated to the COD Foundation. There are also VIP Platinum tickets available for purchase that provide a front row seat for the show, as well as allow the ticket holder to attend a pre-show champagne reception and photo with Manilow. These limited VIP Platinum tickets cost $1500, $1000 of which will also be donated to the College of the Desert Foundation. For information about these VIP tickets, please call 760-346-3363 or visit the COD Foundation website. For general ticket information, please visit mccallumtheatre.com or call (760) 340-ARTS. |
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