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February 3, 2004 Playbill.com"Manilow Out of Hospital; Will He and Sussman Regain Control of Harmony?" by Kenneth Jones
Composer Barry Manilow returned to his home in Palm Springs Feb. 1 following an overnight stay in a hospital, where he was monitored for chest pains, Reuters reported. His spokesman said Manilow's discomfort was stress related due to last week's arbitration hearings surrounding Manilow and Bruce Sussman's wish to gain control of their musical, Harmony. Following tests and when the doctors said the 57-year-old Manilow's heart had returned to a normal rate, he was discharged Sunday night, publicist Jerry Sharell said ... The results of the arbitration are not yet known, but are expected to be announced shortly.
February 2, 2004 Press Release
(Source: Barry Manilow)		Manilow Returns Home Following Hospital Stay for "Broken Heart - The Superstar blames NY Court Dates
PALM SPRINGS, Calif., February 2, 2004 -- Barry Manilow returned home after a 24 hour stay at Desert Regional Medical Center to treat stress related chest pains.

Manilow was in high fibrillation and rushed to the hospital late Saturday (31). After a series of test and procedures, his heart rate returned to normal and doctors allowed the superstar to return home.

In New York last week, Manilow and co-writer Bruce Sussman spent two days of arbitration in a lawsuit fighting to win back the rights to their original staged musical "Harmony," from producer Mark Schwartz.

In November 2003, just weeks prior to opening, it was announced that the "Harmony" pre-Broadway run in Philadelphia was canceled - and would not open - due to Schwartz's severely undercapitalizing the production, falling $6 million short of the show's $8 million capitalization.

Manilow issued the following statement from his home earlier today: "This is the true definition of heartbreak," says Manilow. "It literally broke my heart to sit for two days and watch these beautiful people of the creative team testify because of the incompetence of this man who brought down our show," he says referring to Schwartz.

"My heart was broken, but the doctors put it back together and I will continue to fight." Manilow said.

Final decision from the arbitrators determining the future of "Harmony" is expected later this week.

"Harmony" follows the story of the Comedian Harmonists - a group of singers popular during the last days of Germany's Weimar Republic. The show ran in 1997 at the La Jolla Playhouse where Variety called it "A solid show impeccably staged and performed."

Of the Schwartz debacle and subsequent cancellation, Manilow told the New York Post in December 2003, "I don't get knocked down that easily. When all this happened, I lost faith in humanity, and then everybody came running to support me. I was overwhelmed. I believe in people again and I'm ready to fight."

On January 26, 2004 BMG announced it will release Barry Manilow's 2NightsLIVE! two CD set and the two DVD set UltimateMANILOW! on April 6, 2004. Manilow's special one live concert for the year is scheduled for June 5, 2004 at a soon-to-be announced location. Manilow will sufficiently be recovered for the show to go on.

February 2, 2004 The Desert SunLocal Briefs: "Barry Manilow home after hospital stay"
Singer/composer Barry Manilow was released Sunday from Desert Regional Medical Center after being hospitalized overnight after suffering from chest pains brought on by stress, his publicist said. Manilow was hospitalized Saturday after returning to his Palm Springs home from New York, where he and co-writer Bruce Sussman had taken part in "two of the most grueling days of arbitration" in a lawsuit over rights to the musical "Harmony," said publicist Jerry J. Sharell.

The pre-Broadway run of "Harmony" was canceled in November when producer Mark Schwartz could not raise the necessary $8 million capitalization. An earlier production at the La Jolla Playhouse closed after mixed reviews. The show, which has music by Manilow and book and lyrics by Sussman, is about the Comedian Harmonists, a group of singers popular during the last days of Germany�s Weimar Republic. Manilow, 57, has had a home in Palm Springs for the last two decades and has been active in valley charitable activities.

February 2, 2004 Playbill.comManilow Hospitalized for Chest Pains After Harmony Arbitration" by Kenneth Jones
Composer and performer Barry Manilow was hospitalized with chest pain due to stress, the Associated Press reported. His publicist said Manilow was hospitalized Jan. 31 after returning to the West Coast from New York, where he had been participating in ''two of the most grueling days of arbitration'' over his musical, Harmony, the 2003 tryout production of which was thwarted when producer Mark Schwartz was unable to come up with the needed money. Manilow and co-writer Bruce Sussman had been seeking to get control of the property again...
February 1, 2004 Press Release
(Source: Stiletto Entertainment)		Barry Manilow Hospitalized Following Court Days
PALM SPRINGS, Calif., Feb. 1 -- Barry Manilow was rushed to the hospital last night (January 31) suffering from chest pain due to stress.

The superstar had returned to his home earlier in the day from New York here he "endured two of the most grueling days of arbitration in a lawsuit where he and co-writer Bruce Sussman are fighting to get back the rights to their brilliant stage musical 'Harmony,' from producer Mark Schwartz," according to Manilow's publicist Jerry J. Sharell.

Manilow will remain in the hospital under doctor's orders for various procedures and tests to bring his heart rate to normal.

In November 2003, just weeks prior to opening, it was announced that the "Harmony" pre-Broadway run in Philadelphia was canceled due to Schwartz's severely undercapitalizing the production, falling $6 million short of the show's $8 million capitalization.

Commenting on the cancellation at that time, Manilow told the New York Post, "Other than the death of my mother, this is probably the most devastating day of my life. Maybe even more so, because it affects so many other people."

Obviously, Mr. Manilow is unavailable for comment and further up-dates will not be made available until Monday (February 2) afternoon PST.

On January 26, 2004 BMG announced it will release Barry Manilow's 2NightsLIVE! two CD set and the two DVD set UltimateMANILOW! on April 6, 2004.

January 27, 2004 Press Release
(Source: BMG Strategic Marketing Group)		Barry Manilow: April 6 Release of New Hit-Filled 2 Disc Set '2NightsLIVE!' And 2 DVD Set 'UltimateMANILOW!' Mark Start of Multi-Year BMG Strategy For Superstar Entertainer's Catalog of Music - Two CD set to include six previously unrecorded tracks
NEW YORK, Jan. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 6, 2004 BMG will release Barry Manilow's 2NightsLIVE! two CD set and the two DVD set UltimateMANILOW!, both sets from the superstar named "a giant among entertainers ... the showman of our generation" by Rolling Stone Magazine. These major releases follow on the heels of Manilow's platinum-plus smash album, 'Ultimate Manilow,' and heralds the start of BMG Strategic Marketing Group's multi-year strategy for Barry Manilow's music catalog.

2NightsLIVE! was recorded during Manilow's sold out concerts in August 2002 at New Jersey's PNC Arts Center. Each disc is unique and presents a full evening's hit-filled fare from this masterful performer: "Night One" and "Night Two". As a special bonus, 2NightsLIVE! also includes six never before recorded tracks. Manilow's ManilowLIVE 2002! concert tour ranked in the annual TopTen of Concert Tours with more than 840,000 fans in attendance. The concert prompted the London Times to state: "It is entirely without irony that I declare Barry Manilow to be one of the greatest entertainers of the age."

"The songs on 2NightsLIVE! represent a career of tours, albums and songwriting. I'm so happy we were able to record it all. Who would have thought that after all these years, the audiences would still be there for me -- so beautiful and supportive. I'm still stunned by the experience," Manilow said.

UltimateMANILOW! (the two DVD set) commemorates the smash greatest hits CD "Ultimate Manilow," which debuted on the Billboard Top Album charts at a stunning #3, and went on to sell well over a million copies, underscoring Manilow's superstar status. The UltimateMANILOW! two DVD set is based on Manilow's hit CBS television special, taped live at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre in 2002. The exclusive DVD's include the original broadcast version as well as an extended version of the broadcast show, exclusive photos from the taping, commentary from Barry, bloopers and outtakes, show rundowns, song lyrics and much more.

Though Manilow is currently signed to and recording for Concord Records, through the cooperation with BMG, Hal Gaba (Chairman, Concord Records) and Gene Rumsey (GM, Concord Records) agreed for 2NightsLIVE! to be released on BMG.

Promotional support for 2NightsLIVE! is already scheduled with appearances on National TV and Radio programs throughout the US. April TV appearances include Good Morning America, American Idol, The View, Ellen DeGeneres, and On-Air with Ryan Seacrest. A one night only concert titled OneNightLIVE! is planned for early summer with a location to be announced.

BARRY MANILOW is an internationally renowned superstar whose career spans recording and songwriting, television, film and stage. Based on industry charts, he is the undisputed Number One Adult Contemporary Artist of all time, and his record sales exceed 60 million worldwide. He has written hundreds of songs and performed around the world, thrilling millions of fans, picking up a Grammy, an Emmy, Tony Awards, and an Oscar nomination along the way. In 2002 Manilow was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Manilow continues to record current projects for Concord Records under a long-term exclusive contract. His 2001 Concord release, the critically acclaimed "Here At The Mayflower," included his 40th Top 40 hit, "Turn the Radio Up."

Track Listing: 2NightsLive!

Night One

  1. The Walk To The Stage
  2. Gonzo Opening: Ready To Take A Chance Again, Daybreak, Somewhere In The Night, This One's For You
  3. Looks Like We Made It
  4. Can't Smile Without You
  5. Bandstand Boogie
  6. Mandy
  7. Even Now
  8. Dialogue #1
  9. Harmony (from "Harmony") (previously unrecorded)
  10. Turn The Radio Up
  11. Dialogue #2
  12. The Best Of Me
  13. Weekend In New England
  14. Could It Be Magic (Play Off)
  15. Let Freedom Ring
  16. It's A Miracle
  17. Dialogue #3
  18. You're There (previously unrecorded)
  19. We Live On Borrowed Time (previously unrecorded)
  20. Could It Be Magic (Play Off)

Night Two

  1. Fanfare/I'm Comin' Back
  2. Sweet Heaven (I'm In Love Again)
  3. Who's Been Sleeping In My Bed
  4. Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again
  5. Somewhere Down The Road
  6. Dialogue #4
  7. That's Life (previously unrecorded)
  8. Dialogue #5
  9. Every Single Day (from "Harmony") (previously unrecorded)
  10. New York City Rhythm (Intro)
  11. New York City Rhythm
  12. I Made It Through The Rain
  13. She Should'a Been Mine
  14. They Dance!
  15. Dialogue #6
  16. When October Goes
  17. If Tomorrow Never Comes
  18. Copacabana (At The Copa)
  19. I Write The Songs
  20. Old Friends
  21. Forever And A Day (previously unrecorded)

Track Listing: UltimateMANILOW! - 2 DVD set:

Disc One - Broadcast Version

  1. "The Gonzo Opening"
  2. Weekend In New England
  3. Even Now
  4. Turn The Radio Up!
  5. They Dance!
  6. Looks Like We Made It
  7. Mandy
  8. Can't Smile Without You
  9. Copacabana (At The Copa)
  10. I Write The Songs
  11. End Credits

Disc Two - Extended Uncut Version

  1. Producer's Warm Up
  2. "The Gonzo Opening"
  3. Weekend In New England (Take One)
  4. Even Now
  5. Turn The Radio Up!
  6. Weekend In New England (Take Two)
  7. They Dance!
  8. Looks Like We Made It (Take One)
  9. Looks Like We Made It (Take Two)
  10. Somewhere Down The Road
  11. Mandy
  12. Can't Smile Without You
  13. Copacabana (At The Copa)
  14. I Write The Songs

ULTIMATE FEATURES:

Audio Commentary by Barry Manilow
Song Lyrics; Concert Rundowns; Biography; Discography; Photo Gallery

January 3, 2004 Cleveland.comArticle by John Soeder, an interview with Bette Midler, on tour with her latest album co-produced by Barry Manilow
Bette Midler's new CD, "Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook," got a [Grammy] nod in the best traditional pop vocal album category ... The album was Barry Manilow's idea. Before he found fame as a solo artist, he was Midler's piano player. "I hadn't heard from him in years," Midler said. "Suddenly, he was on the phone."

Manilow told Midler he dreamed they reunited to record a tribute to their mutual friend Clooney. Midler jumped at the chance to make the dream come true. "When I was thinking about who could pay tribute to - and at the same time reinvent these splendid songs, which Rosemary first introduced to the world - Bette was my first ... and only choice!" Manilow writes in the album's liner notes. "Right from the start, I knew [Bette] was one of those rare artists who possessed the ability to locate the heart of a song ... and touch the heart of the listener. Rosemary Clooney also had this gift."

Manilow co-produced "Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook" with Robbie Buchanan, who backed Midler on keyboards in the 1979 film "The Rose." Manilow and Buchanan oversaw fresh orchestrations for the material, too, along with several other arrangers.

Midler and Manilow first teamed up in the early 1970s, performing campy song-and-dance routines at the Continental Baths, a gay men's club in New York City. "We usually worked Friday and Saturday nights," Midler said. "It was a nightclub-style show - big opening, big closing and fill in the middle. I told jokes. Barry would back me up and underscore my patter."

It's like old times on Midler's new album, especially when she and Manilow trade one-liners during "On a Slow Boat to China," originally done by Clooney and Bing Crosby.

Working with Manilow again on her next album is a definite possibility. "I've been collecting a whole bunch of contemporary songs," Midler said. "I'm not sure which way I want to go yet. But if I do go, I hope he's going to come with me."

December 11, 2003 Press ReleaseBarry Manilow Scores Highest Rated A&E Live By Request
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- "A Barry Manilow Christmas: A&E Live By Request" became the highest rated "Live By Request" in two years for the network. The special aired on Friday, December 5th and had the crooner joined by special guests including Bette Midler, Cyndi Lauper, and Jose Feliciano live from New York City's historic Kaufman Astoria Studios. Holiday hits were pulled from his certified Platinum "Because It's Christmas," (Arista/BMG, 1990) and Gold "A Christmas Gift of Love," (Columbia/Sony, 2002). A&E repeats the holiday special this Sunday (14) at 10 a.m. EST.
December 5, 2003 New York Post"Shul Meets Yule" by Dan Aquilante
So how does a Jewish kid from Brooklyn grow up to become Mr. Christmas? For Barry Manilow, it's a cultural tradition. "Irving Berlin was a super-Jew, and he composed the greatest Christmas song ever. Berlin wrote 'White Christmas' and the whole world embraced it," Manilow told The Post from rehearsals for tonight's broadcast of A&E's "A Barry Manilow Christmas: Live By Request. Christmas isn't about the religion for me. The holiday season is about joy, togetherness and family. That's why the season moves me," he said.

Manilow, 57, may not have written the Noel melodies, but he recorded two best-selling holiday albums - and he isn't concerned that any viewer's request can stump him. Whatever happens tonight will be easy compared with the past roller-coaster year, one of the busiest in Manilow's life.

He rekindled his friendship with Bette Midler during their collaboration of "Bette Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook," he fractured his famous aquiline proboscis, he learned the pain and pleasure of creating a Broadway musical, and next Thursday he has a cameo on the hit TV comedy "Will and Grace." "I'm in the last scene. The whole show is based on Will trying to get a ticket to one of my concerts. I won't tell you my lines, but the scene takes place in my tour bus and we end up singing 'It's a Miracle.'"

Manilow is easy to talk to. He's passionate about music and seems to want to have fun, even if that means poking a little fun at himself. When called a pop-culture icon, he dismisses the notion, saying, "If you live long enough, anything can happen."

Post: You and Bette Midler hadn't worked together in 30 years and suddenly you guys have a gold record. How did it come about?

Manilow: It started last January. I was in bed and I woke up suddenly from a dream where Bette and I got back together for Rosemary Clooney. I called Bette and told her.

Post: How did she react?

Manilow: Rosemary Clooney was a friend to both of us and we admired her. Bette liked it. I told her I was going to do all the arrangements and set everything up and all she had to do was come into the studio for two days and sing. That's it.

Post: Instant album, just add Midler. You wake up with an idea and then just do it?

Manilow: All of my successes have come out of dreams. The melody for "When October Goes" came out of a dream. I've had ideas for arrangements, for dialogue, for whole albums come out of dreams. When I'm asleep, my editor is off.

Post: After all these years, did you notice changes in Bette and you?

Manilow: Bette is deeper. She uses her life experience in her singing. She isn't as rebellious and out of control as she was . . . she's more mature and it's really beautiful. I'm more mature, too. Over the years, we've always been friendly, but we became friends again with this project.

Post: You've said you don't think of yourself as a performer. What are you?

Manilow: On my passport, where it says occupation, it says, "musician." I think of myself as a musician; the rest was lucky breaks and a lot of work. The musician part came naturally.

Post: I'm going to say a name and a song title. Clive Davis and "Mandy."

Manilow: The Clive Davis/"Mandy" thing was a beautiful, lucky accident for me. I'll never be able to thank him enough for spotting my performing talent. I never saw it in me. I didn't know what he was talking about. I was a writer, a musician, and he said, "No, you're a performer." I didn't believe him, but I'm glad I listened.

Post: Clive is never wrong.

Manilow: I call him NostroDavis. He really can see into the future.

Post: This summer you did the klutziest thing a guy can do.

Manilow: What are you talking about . . . you mean when I walked into the wall?

Post: That's it.

Manilow: It was because I stay in too many hotel rooms and I'm always away from home. I was staying in Malibu. I woke up and had to pee. In Malibu, the bathroom is on the right; at my place in Palm Springs, it's on the left. I took a left and walked into a wall. It's lucky I didn't pee in the closet.

Post: Your nose hit first.

Manilow: Bang. I saw stars. It pushed me back onto the bed. I knew I did something bad.

Post: Did you get medical help?

Manilow: When I went to the doctor, he took an X-ray and there was a fracture, but it wasn't as if Muhammad Ali hit me. I did get black and blue under my eyes. My nose looks the same. I didn't ruin it. I'd never change it and I never had a problem with it. Like my grandmother used to say, "It's my chosen nose."

Post: Late last month, your Broadway production, "Harmony," was shut down in rehearsals - not because it was a stinker, but because a producer ran out of money. You said it was the worse thing that had happened to you since the death of your mom.

Manilow: Right. I still feel that way, but I feel more emboldened because of the unbelievable support of the Broadway community and the public. I've never experienced anything quite like this. As time passes, I know we're getting back on track with the project.

Post: You're a very wealthy man. Why didn't you just write a check?

Manilow: The creator never, ever puts his own money into his own show. You get investors.

Post: Why not break that rule?

Manilow: You don't. I'm the composer of "Harmony." I did my job. The producer's job was to raise money.

Post: Without the money, it'll never get heard.

Manilow: It'll be heard. There are people lining up to get "Harmony" back on its feet. As of yesterday, there was a very good possibility that it is going to happen by January. No one in the cast or crew has taken another job yet - they're all waiting. That's how confident everyone is. They love this show and know how powerful it is. I don't get knocked down that easily.

Post: What's the lesson you've learned?

Manilow: To believe in what you do. It was strange. When all this happened, I lost faith in humanity, and then everybody came running to support me. I was overwhelmed. I believe in people again and I'm ready to fight.

November 12, 2003 CTV.ca (Canadian Television)"New Midler CD pays tribute to Rosemary Clooney", article about Bette's latest CD, produced by Barry Manilow
From music to movies and back again the multi-talented Bette Midler has done it all. On her latest CD the "Divine Ms. M" teams up with Barry Manilow to produce a heartfelt tribute to the legendary jazz singer Rosemary Clooney. Bette Midler Sings The Rosemary Clooney Songbook honours the memory and work of the one of the most talented jazz singers of the 20th century. It was a labour of love for Midler. "I did it because I loved it and I just want people to remember that her music is still out there," Midler told CTV's Canada AM. "She was a great mentor to me. She was a friend, and I have tremendous admiration for her.".

The idea for the tribute came to Manilow one night in a dream. He envisioned Midler accompanied by a full orchestra singing the songs Clooney recorded back in the '50s. The last time the two worked together was in the 1970s when Manilow produced Midler's first two breakthrough albums, The Divine Miss M (1972) and the self-titled Bette Midler (1973).

As well as co-arranging and co-producing her latest album, Manilow sings and plays piano. Midler says this collaboration was blast but it wasn't always that easy. "We were two very wildly ambitious people and both kind of strong willed and stubborn and in the old days ... we used to go head-to-head over every note but we don't do that anymore." Working together again has rejuvenated their relationship. "We really set aside all that old history and questions. We just had a ball. We laughed, we cried, you know, it was very sweet."

The pair wanted to capture the warmth, sincerity and energy of Clooney who died last year at the age of 74 from lung cancer. "Her intonation was impeccable, she never sang a false note ... she radiated intelligence and good humor, and boy, could she swing," Midler writes about Clooney in the album's liner notes.

Midler credits Manilow's arrangement and a great orchestra for doing justice to one of America's greatest voices while still maintaining Midler's charismatic style. "I think that the arrangements helped a lot. The arrangements are somewhat more modern ... some of them are very amusing and sarcastic," Midler said.

She said there were a few songs she was quite nervous about performing. "I thought that the worst ... the most terrifying songs would probably be 'White Christmas' (originally song by Rosemary with her sister Betty for the 1954 movie of the same title) and 'Tenderly' because they're fixed in people's minds. And I was really frightened to sing them." But Midler can rest easy. Clooney's son Gabriel Ferrer has heard the album and approves. Clooney's famous nephew, actor George Clooney, has yet to weigh in on the subject. Midler said she didn't know if he approved of the project or not. "I hope he's heard it. I hope he likes it." [Canada AM: Bette Midler 4:59]

October 16, 2003 USA Today"Divine Miss M back with album, tour" by Elysa Gardner, about the Barry Manilow-produced "Bette Midler Sings The Rosemary Clooney Songbook"
The latest Bette Midler CD is not a Bette Midler CD, at least, not according to Midler. "This is Barry's record," she insists. That would be Barry Manilow, who produced Midler's breakthrough album 31 years ago and recently returned to the studio with her for the first time since the 1970s. The result of that reunion, Bette Midler Sings The Rosemary Clooney Songbook, entered the chart at No. 14 last week, marking the Divine Miss M's highest chart debut in 13 years.

Though Midler was a longtime admirer of Clooney, who died last year of lung cancer, it was Manilow's idea to have his old friend, accompanied by a full orchestra, cover material that Clooney recorded back in the '50s. "When Barry and I first worked together, we fought like cats and dogs," Midler recalls. "We were always at each other's throats because we're both control freaks. But this time, I was grown-up enough to say, 'This is your baby.' I just sang."

In addition to co-producing and co-arranging, Manilow sings and plays piano on the winking "On A Slow Boat To China." Other tracks range from traditional pop classics, such as "You'll Never Know" and "In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening," to the bouncy novelty tunes "Mambo Italiano" and "Come On-A My House."

"Whether she liked a song or not, she sang it like it was the greatest thing ever written," Midler says of Clooney, whom she knew personally. She was full of human kindness that showed in her music. When I first met her, she made me feel like I was a long-lost cousin. Then I discovered she was like that to everybody. She kept going through health problems and everything, and she didn't let you see her sweat. It's really hard to sing her kind of material. You need a beautiful voice and a good ear and breath control, and you have to know what the lyric is about. But she came from the generation of people who made it all look effortless."

Midler will tackle Clooney's repertoire live beginning December 10, when she launches her Kiss My Brass tour, which is scheduled to hit 40 cities before wrapping in mid-February. "I made my name performing live, and I think I do well in that arena," she says. "It can be stressful, but it never lets me down"...

October 11, 2003 Reuters / Billboard"Midler Reteams with Manilow" by Chuck Taylor
Barry Manilow recalls waking from a dream earlier this year with Bette Midler on his mind. "It was the 1950s in my dream, and Bette was singing Rosemary Clooney songs," Manilow says with a smile. "Bette and I hadn't spoken in years, but I picked up the phone and told her I had an idea for a tribute album. I knew there was absolutely no one else who could do this." Midler says, "The concept was absolutely brilliant. I loved Rosemary. I had a lot of respect for her, and I missed Barry. And those songs are magical."

The resulting "Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook," released September 30 under a one-album deal with Columbia, is a loving tribute to the singer, who died June 29, 2002. It also showcases some of the most intimate and cultivated vocals of Midler's lengthy career. The set clearly has connected with fans, too. "Songbook" debuted at No. 14 on this week's Billboard 200, boasting Midler's biggest opening week ever, with 71,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

For Midler, the timing couldn't have been better. Her longtime contract with Atlantic ended in 2000, and Midler hadn't made a record in a couple of years. "It was time. I'm a big believer that coincidences happen for a reason. I just decided it was meant to be; there was no reason to pluck the idea to death and think it to dust," she explains.

Shifting easily from reverent elegance to a loose, frolicsome swagger, the 11-track disc -- Midler's 19th -- covers Clooney's heyday, from 1951 to 1958. It includes her No. 1 Hot 100 hits "Hey There" and "This Ole House," along with "Sisters," originally recorded with Clooney's sister Betty and now a jamming big-band duet between Midler and Linda Ronstadt. For "On a Slow Boat to China," Clooney's pairing with Bing Crosby, Manilow sings playfully with Midler. She also daintily covers "White Christmas," from the 1954 film starring Clooney and Crosby.

"Songbook" opens a new chapter for the world-class entertainer. Her 35-year sojourn in show business has taken her from New York's bawdy bathhouses to an Academy Award-nominated role as a drug-addled blues rocker in 1979's "The Rose." From there, it was double Grammy Award wins for song of the year with power ballads "Wind Beneath My Wings" (1989) and "From a Distance" (1990).

The new project brings Midler full circle. Manilow was her arranger in the early New York days, and he produced her first two albums: "The Divine Miss M," which won her the first Grammy for best new artist in 1973, and "Bette Midler," the platinum follow-up. "Barry was with me for the whole ride up," Midler says. "We didn't talk about what was happening to us at the time. We just kept doing this date and that date. We never once stopped to say how amazing it all was."

The two perfectionists also gained infamy for their fuel-injected disagreements. Midler smiles and recalls, "Epic battles. Very stressful times. We argued a lot, especially during the live shows. There were also some wonderful times, but we ended badly. He sort of stomped off -- really to start his own career -- and I said, 'Ah, let him go,'" she adds, waving her hand. "I was pissed off, and I didn't want to confront what had happened. I figured that if Barry was irreplaceable, I couldn't go on." Manilow adds, "We're both high-strung and passionate and opinionated." And 30 years later, he remains a man with a clear vision: "I put the 'p' in prepared," he says.

Manilow assembled an 84-piece orchestra in Los Angeles and recorded the bulk of the instrumentals in three days. Midler rehearsed and then stepped in to record her vocals in only two days. "Two days!" Midler exclaims. "I tell you, Barry took all of the agony out of it. He chose the material, hired the band, called the arrangers, booked the studio, did the mixes. It was like I was the girl singer -- like Rosemary was at one time.

A central goal was to conjure the magic of Clooney's original songs while gently stamping them with Midler's signature. "I didn't want to annoy anybody by taking on these songs," she says. "But these arrangements are more contemporary. The tempos are quicker. And I added my own humor and sarcasm." Manilow adds, "There is only one Bette. She's just as inventive and creative and as talented as ever ... She was able to interpret these songs so uniquely that you always know she's there."

For Midler, there was also the self-conscious edge that came from being friends with Clooney. The two met in the early 1980s at the Fairmont in San Francisco, where the latter was performing. Midler remembers, "She was kind enough to see me backstage, and we just sat down and started talking and kept on for a couple hours. She was as lovely as they came -- generous, warm, affectionate, with no attitude." Manilow also knew Clooney; they met at a surprise birthday party for her hosted by Midler. She dueted with him on "Green Eyes" for his 1994 album, "Singin' With the Big Bands."

Midler, currently filming Paramount's remake of 1975's "The Stepford Wives", will bring the "Songbook" to life with her upcoming Kiss My Brass tour of North America. It opens December 10 in Chicago and is scheduled to run through February. The tour, her first extended run in four years, comprises 40 dates so far, including two nights at New York's Madison Square Garden.

For Manilow, the creation of "Songbook" with Midler is a dream come true and marks the latest in a line of creative endeavors with some of the world's most-prized divas. Previous collaborations with Dionne Warwick and Nancy Wilson garnered Grammy nominations. Just before reteaming with Midler, he produced (with Eddie Arkin) Diane Schuur's "Midnight," an album of original songs co-written by Manilow for the jazz great.

Manilow is pleased with this latest experience. "Bette is still funny as hell and inventive and just a doll to work with. We laughed, and we learned a lot from each other." And, he adds with a wink, "We're still talking to each other afterward." Midler says, "We had a fabulous, fun-filled time. This album makes me very happy. If Rosemary could hear it, I think she'd say, 'Nice try, kid.'"

October 9, 2003 Associated Press"Manilow Gives $25G to NYC Neighborhood"
NEW YORK (AP) -- Barry Manilow has donated $25,000 to help families who were displaced by a fire on the high holy day of Yom Kippur in the Brooklyn neighborhood where he grew up. The singer made the donation to a fund that the American Red Cross will administer, his publicist and the Red Cross confirmed Thursday.

Manilow, who was born Barry Alan Pincus, donated the money after "he read the headlines in the newspaper about the fire on a street a block from where he lived," said his publicist, Jerry Sharell. "He wanted to help the victims who were left homeless recover."

No civilians were injured in the Saturday night blaze in Williamsburg, which damaged three buildings and a synagogue. Many of the displaced families are Orthodox Jews. Leslie Gottlieb, a Red Cross spokeswoman, said the money will be used for immediate emergency needs, such as food, medicine, clothing and shelter. As of Thursday, she said, the agency had registered 103 people who needed help. She said that number likely would go up.

October 5, 2003 The Desert Sun
(Palm Springs)		"Manilow back from long detour: Palm Springs singer gets raves for jazz album, hasn't caught up on sleep" by Bruce Fessier
Barry Manilow has come full circle. After selling 58 million pop albums, with hits like "Mandy" and "I Write the Songs," Manilow is back doing the things he loves -- writing and arranging Broadway show tunes, songs from the Great American Songbook and jazz. Those '70s songs you probably know him for? Manilow said in a recent interview at his Palm Springs home [was] just part the game demanded of him by his former Arista Records chief Clive Davis, who introduced him to the aforementioned songs.

"I wrote my share of the hits," said Manilow, looking relaxed in his casual black attire and blonde-streaked hair, "but I wouldn't have been writing like that. I would have been going down another musical road if he hadn't said, 'This is where you should be in your young musical life.'"

Manilow, 57, was just passing through Palm Springs after performing a benefit near his Malibu home. He was on his way to New York to appear on "The Today Show" with Bette Midler to hype their new album, "Bette Midler Sings The Rosemary Clooney Songbook." Then it was on to New York rehearsals for his new musical, "Harmony," which begins a pre-Broadway run in Philadelphia Nov. 25.

It's been another whirlwind year for Manilow, who's also getting raves for the jazz album he wrote and produced for Diane Schuur titled, "Midnight." Before that, he toured for nine months in support of two albums, "Here at the Mayflower" and "Ultimate Manilow," which left him so exhausted, he was looking for work that wouldn't require living out of hotel rooms.

In his first interview since completing that tour [he said] it was his switch from Arista to Concord Records two years ago that prompted his career U-turn. He called working for Davis "a dictatorship" compared with the freedom and "total creative control" he now gets at Concord. "In the Clive world, it's all about sales," said Manilow. "There's nothing wrong with that, but, to be led by whether it's going to be a hit or not just made me crazy. I got paralyzed. As my hands got to the keyboard, I didn't know whether to write it or not. Is it going to be a hit? I don't think like that."

Manilow got his start in music writing an original score to the melodrama, "The Drunkard," when he was 18. He also supported himself arranging for bands around New York and writing jingles for such products as Bowlene Toilet Cleaner, State Farm Insurance and Band-Aids.

Midler hired him in 1971 as her pianist and arranger for her repertoire of quirky songs from the 1920s to the '60s and they became such a sensation in New York bathhouses, Johnny Carson hyped Midler to stardom. Manilow earned recognition for arranging all of her vocal parts on the Andrews Sisters classic, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" on Midler's debut album, and putting a new vocal to Glenn Miller's "In The Mood" on her follow-up LP. That was the direction he was going at the time. Manilow never wanted to be a singer or have a solo career when he was with Midler, he said. But he sang on some demo tapes to showcase his own compositions and Bell Records liked them enough to give him a recording contract.

When Midler took a vacation from their tour in 1973, Manilow went on the road to promote his first LP. He toured with the politically-oriented Country Joe McDonald and jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. But, despite the odd billing, something clicked. "They loved it," Manilow said. "From the very first time I walked out on that stage. I'll never forget it. I kept looking around and wondering, 'Why are they shouting?' I knew I was a pretty good musician and I knew I had put a pretty good show together with my band. But there was something else happening in that room, and on that tour. Every night."

The success prompted Manilow to go solo and Midler said Wednesday on "The Today Show" she was furious. "And I was mad for a long time." But Manilow said their relationship was never that bad. "I would say we stopped being that close," he said. "She was in New York, I was out here. Every time we spoke we were always very friendly."

Midler now says Manilow earned his career. But Manilow gives Davis much of the credit. Davis took over Bell Records and changed its name to Arista after Manilow's first tour. He quickly began imposing his will by telling Manilow to record an up-tempo song called "Brandy." Manilow initially refused. "It was so far away from what I wanted to do with my life," he said. But Davis insisted.

"He kept calling, saying 'If you do it right, it's a career-making record,'" Manilow said. "I finally gave in. I looked at the lyric, changed the chords around and made it into a ballad. I still didn't hear it until I looked up and saw him being emotional in the studio. He kept going, 'That's it. That's it.' I couldn't figure out what on earth he was hearing." The song became a huge hit as "Mandy," and Manilow believed in Davis' talent. They would have many disputes about the caliber of music Davis wanted him to record, but Manilow said he played Davis' game. "I saw the wisdom," he said. "If I played the game right, everybody won. And they did."

Manilow eventually wrote enough hits to be honored in 2002 by the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York, where Davis hosted a party for him. The hall cited him for writing "hundreds of songs" and winning Grammy, Emmy and Tony Awards, as well as an Oscar nomination for "Ready to Take A Chance Again" from the 1978 Goldie Hawn film, "Foul Play."

But Manilow didn't see himself as a hit songwriter. He was really an arranger solving puzzles. "I'd put my producer's cap on and say, 'How do I take this song that I would never in a million years think would be a hit and create around it so that I'm proud of it?'" he said. "I did that with 'I Write the Songs,' 'Mandy,' 'Can't Smile Without You.' It came to be like trying to decipher this puzzle because the demo was so flat-footed. I'd say, 'What are you hearing in this thing?' Then I'd crawl deeper into it and sure enough, every single time! This guy couldn't explain it, but he has ears and he knows what the public is going to like, and, if you'd do it right, he'd get you there. I call him Nostro Davis. He's the only one that could predict the future."

Manilow got so wrapped up "playing the game," his record sales in the '70s eclipsed critically acclaimed artists such the Eagles, Led Zeppelin and Stevie Wonder. His fan club members were as devoted as Elvis Presley's. "It got so crazy so quickly," he said, "I didn't know what I was missing -- until like 10 years into it."

His big revelation came in Palm Springs. Manilow had a getaway home there, as did the founders of the Songwriters Hall of Fame: writer Johnny Mercer and publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. Mercer's late wife, Ginger, found a stack of her husband's unpublished lyrics after his death, and gave them to Manilow. He wrote "When October Comes" to a Mercer lyric and put it on an album he said he did for himself -- "2:00 AM Paradise Cafe."

Eventually, Rosemary Clooney recorded it. And when he went to Concord and was given a chance to produce any of its artists, he gave it to Schuur. Manilow had worked with the blind jazz singer before and said he'd "never heard a singer like that." But, by the new century, he thought she needed reining in. He and lyricist Eddie Arkin wrote an entire album for her designed to sound like one of her CDs of standards, except they were tailored specifically to her. He wrote the music in Palm Springs and had them translated into braille at the Braille Institute of the Desert. "My original concept was a smoky club in 1952," he said. "I think we got most of that."

Interestingly, 1952 was when Clooney was recording hit songs for Columbia the way Manilow did for Arista in the '70s. "She had her Clive Davis," Manilow said. "He was Mitch Miller, and Mitch Miller was schtupping her with 'This Old House' and 'Mambo Italiano' and 'Come On-A My House' and 'Botcha-Me' and all of these novelty songs. She was fighting like I fought Clive until she got her way and did 'Tenderly,' 'Hey There' and 'Blues in the Night.'"

Manilow had a dream one night that Midler would be the perfect person to sing Clooney's material. He woke up with arrangements for each song clearly in his mind, he said, and called Midler. In the old days, Manilow said Midler picked all of her own material, but this time she accepted his suggestions.

Manilow said it was great working with her. "It was emotional, both of us getting back together in the same world after all these years," he said, "but it was interesting. We both now are totally different people, two talented adults that respect one another instead of two out-of-control, young ambitious Jews, which is what we were in New York. It was exciting in those days. But I think we had a pretty exciting sound on the album."

Now Manilow's honing another pet project, a stage musical about the 1930s German singing group, the Comedian Harmonists. It premiered in La Jolla in 1997 and he and lyricist Bruce Sussman have edited it to two hours while working to keep the Holocaust-themed story uplifting.

Manilow also has a live album due in February, and he said he's thinking about doing a Coachella Valley benefit, which has become almost an annual tradition. He did a benefit for the AIDS Assistance Program in April, in which he got pals Suzanne Somers and Lorna Luft to perform, and he's also done shows for the Palm Springs Desert Museum, College of the Desert, Desert Regional Medical Center and the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center, to name a few.

About the only goal he didn't achieve this year was to catch up on his sleep. "After the crazy 'Ultimate Manilow' tour, I thought, 'I'm done,'" he said. "But suddenly, it turned into another kind of energy. It was just as exciting and energetic as if I were in Jersey doing 'Looks Like We Made It.' It was another kind of energy."

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