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| February 11, 2006 | Canada.com | "Manilow tops pop chart with love standards" by Bruce Ward, The Ottawa Citizen |
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| Ladies, prepare to be romanced. Gentlemen, start your blow dryers. Barry Manilow is back on top. Manilow's new album of love songs from 50 years ago has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard pop chart this week, zooming past hip-hop stars, foul-mouthed rappers, and venerable rockers U2. It is Manilow's first No. 1 album in nearly 29 years, making it a cultural phenomenon of sorts. Only Elvis Presley managed a similar feat, but Elvis had to die first to boost sales. The album -- titled The Greatest Songs of the 1950s -- arrives just in time for St. Valentine's Day. It is a pre-rock collection of songs made famous by crooners Johnny Mathis ("It's Not For Me To Say") and Tony Bennett ("Rags To Riches") and by harmony groups such as the Four Aces ("Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing") and the McGuire Sisters ("Sincerely"). Billboard reports that Manilow's album sold more than 156,000 in its first week in U.S. stores, outselling Mary J. Blige, Jamie Foxx and Eminem. It's unlikely that Manilow's fans from his 1970s heyday will have memories of The Greatest Songs of the 1950s, unless they raided their grandparents' record collection. "In a way it's not a total surprise," said Geoff Mayfield, Billboard's director of charts. "Look at how much success Rod Stewart has had with the Great American Songbook albums. Personally, Rod's approach to that material is not how I want to hear those songs. Yet it appeals to somebody because those albums sold millions. It has been a remarkably successful franchise. So producer Clive Davis, who also produced the Manilow record, has already done something similar with an even more unlikely character in Rod." Sales have also been boosted because Manilow's hardcore fans are "mature consumers" who do not typically download songs from the Internet, Mr. Mayfield said in a telephone interview yesterday from Los Angeles. "The music that appeals to adults doesn't suffer as much from digital piracy. Peer-to-peer file sharing and copying CDs seems to be more endemic of the young consumer than the older one." Older consumers also tend to be loyal to performers like Manilow, who turns 60 this year. "I have a suspicion that he might have been one of those artists who always have appealed to older consumers. This is a different passel of material from Rod's Great American Songbook albums, but it has still got that nostalgia thing and the material is strong." Most of the song lyrics on the Manilow album celebrate the glories of romantic love and first became hits in an era when intimacy was a private matter. "The quiet walks, the noisy fun / The ballroom prize we almost won / We will have these moments to remember," the Four Lads sang on "Moments To Remember," a No. 2 hit in 1955. Manilow scored his first No. 1 in 1974 with "Mandy," a self-effacing sort of girl judging by the line "Oh Mandy, you came and you gave without taking." Manilow's last No. 1 album was a live concert recording released in 1977. His other hits include "I Write The Songs" and "Copacabana (At the Copa)." Ottawa's favourite crooner Dick Maloney said Manilow has caught the ear of "a certain segment of the public that is not being serviced" by radio stations. "They're sort of in between jazz and the Sinatra album concept. They want to hear hummable songs that bring back a memory. That's what Barry is pitching." |
| February 11, 2006 | Dallas/Fort Worth Star-Telegram | Barry, Barry good |
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| As Mariah, Kelly, Gorillaz, Fiddy, Kanye and their ilk grab the pop-music headlines, look who's at the top of the charts: Barry Manilow. The crooner/composer's new CD debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart this week, his first such showing in 29 years. And what's he throwing down? The Greatest Songs of the Fifties. Manilow was inspired to sing 1950s pop classics because "it seemed to me that they had been neglected," he told Associated Press Television. Barry's last No. 1 debut was 1977's Live. |
| February 11, 2006 | SoundGenerator | Barry Manilow enjoys first US No.1 since 1977: The popular singer back at the top this week |
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| Barry Manilow's "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties", which includes covers of popular standards like "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" and "Unchained Melody", had landed the star his second Billboard 200 No.1 this week. The veteran star, who is reportedly already recording the follow-up - "Greatest Songs of the Sixties" - last hit number one in 1977 with a double-disc live album, reports Billboard/Nielsen SoundScan. |
| February 11, 2006 | San Jose Mercury News | Manilow is Back Atop Pop Charts |
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| Songster Barry Manilow topped the U.S. pop charts for the first time in nearly 29 years Wednesday with an album of pop evergreens released in time for Valentine's Day. ``The Greatest Songs of the Fifties,'' featuring versions of such tunes as "Unchained Melody" and "Love Is a Many- Splendored Thing," sold 156,000 copies in the week ended Feb. 5, according to Nielsen SoundScan data. Manilow's only prior chart-topper came in July 1977. |
| February 11, 2006 | Buffalo News | Manilow, unchained... |
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| A Barry Manilow album is topping the charts for the first time in 29 years. Manilow's new "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, followed by Mary J. Blige's "The Breakthrough" and Andrea Bocelli's "Amore." The album, 13 standards such as "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" and "Unchained Melody," has sold more than 156,000 copies in the United States since it arrived Jan. 31. His previous debut chart-topper was the 1977 concert recording, "Live." |
| February 11, 2006 | Miami Herald | Manilow gives Divo the heave-ho |
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| Crank up the band -- it's party time at the Copacabana. In a battle of retro pop and opera for chart supremacy, Barry Manilow fended off Andrea Bocelli and knocked off Il Divo to score his first No. 1 debut, reports E!Online. Manilow, whose career spans 30 years and more than $75 million in album sales, accomplished the feat with Greatest Hits of the Fifties, which moved 156,000 copies for the week ended Sunday, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The purveyor of Muzak mainstays like Copacabana and Mandy previously hit No. 1 29 years ago with Barry Manilow Live, but that disc didn't open in the top spot. For his latest release, Manilow rendered such classics as Beyond the Sea, Unchained Melody. It's All In the Game, Young at Heart and Are You Lonesome Tonight? |
| February 11, 2006 | The New Zealand Herald | "Golden oldies get Manilow back in charts" by Andrew Gumbel |
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| The king of easy listening is back. It's been 29 years since Barry Manilow last had a No 1. album, but this week he has pulled off the old magic one more time. Manilow's new compilation of golden oldies unexpectedly soared to the top spot in the US Billboard chart in its first week of release, to the delight of his middle-of-the-road, predominantly female audience... The album title says it all: The Greatest Songs of the Fifties. The tracks - "Are You Lonesome Tonight?," "Beyond the Sea," "Unchained Melody" - are tried, true and indestructibly safe. But no matter: Manilow's eyes are still blue. His hair and face have a Cliff Richard air of eternal youth. And he still holds that microphone up to his mouth like a man whispering his most intimate secrets to a cherished lounge cushion. Back in the 1970s, [he] was the man you either loved or hated, but certainly couldn't get away from. His hits, from "Mandy" to "Copacabana" to "I Wanna Do It With You," were on the radio, in the office lift and even in the dentist's waiting room. He was Rod Stewart without the rocker edge or the raspy voice, Tom Jones without the demonic sexual undercurrent, a sort of male Barbra Streisand. He was roasted by the critics and lampooned by comedians, but still his albums sold by the [millions]. The past 20 years or so have been considerably quieter, as he has popped in and out of Las Vegas, packaged and repackaged his old songs and helped oversee Copacabana: The Musical. But he never entirely went away, as boy bands from Take That to Westlife hit paydirt by covering his old hits ... At this week's Grammys in Los Angeles, Manilow was celebrating with manager Clive Davis. His outfit: a burgundy crushed velvet jacket, black shirt and black tie. |
| February 10, 2006 | El Imparcial (Mexico) | �lbum de Manilow debuta en primer lugar de listas |
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| Barry Manilow escala al tope de la lista musical con su disco mas reciente, 29 a�os despues de su exito previo. "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties", de Manilow, debut� en el primer lugar de la lista Billboard 200. El �lbum, con 13 temas conocidos como "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" y "Unchained Melody", ha vendido m�s de 156.000 discos en Estados Unidos desde que sali� al mercado el 31 de enero. Su �ltimo �lbum exitoso fue "Live", de 1977. Y su �ltimo disco, "Scores: Songs From Copacabana and Harmony", tuvo un recibimiento fr�o en 2004, llegando s�lo al n�mero 47 de la lista. Manilow dijo que se inspir� para cantar los cl�sicos de la d�cada de 1950 porque estas canciones merecen m�s atenci�n. "La raz�n por la que me relacion� con ellas es cuando mire a lista de canciones que salieron de los 50, me pareci� que hab�an sido desatendidas", dijo a la AP Televisi�n. |
| February 10, 2006 | Yahoo! News | "Oldies good to Manilow" by Melinda Newman |
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| LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Barry Manilow went back to the '50s to deliver his first No. 1 record in almost three decades. "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" marks Manilow's first No. 1 since 1977 -- only Elvis Presley and Ray Charles had a longer span between chart-toppers, and both accomplished the feat posthumously. Incredibly, it is Manilow's first studio album to top the charts; 30 years ago "Barry Manilow/Live" hit the summit. "Here's proof that if you live long enough, anything is possible," Manilow says with a laugh. BMG North America chairman Clive Davis -- who conceived the Manilow project and the similar series of Rod Stewart albums that limn the great American songbook -- says the success of these albums is due to a compatible marriage among the artist, song, arrangement and production. "I love the fact of the dual association of how long an artist can last and reinvent himself and with the right copyright and arrangement, how many ways a song can be reinvented," Davis says. The album reunites Davis and Manilow, one of the first artists signed to Arista when Davis started the label in the early '70s. They had last worked together six years ago. And it appears the collaboration will be ongoing. "We've already begun the '60s," Davis tells Billboard. For the next installment in the series, Davis will pull together a list of 1960s hit songs appropriate for Manilow, who will have final say on what makes the cut. MATCHING ARTIST TO MATERIAL ... A number of newer artists are finding success with the same idea, [but] pairing an artist with classic material does not necessarily mean a free ride up the charts ... For the project to succeed, Davis says the album has to be tailor-made for the artist. "You have to be careful and pick the artist right, pick the material, consider if it's an artist that can still be on the radio or if it's a concept that works." And that the artist believes in. Manilow originally dismissed the idea of cutting '50s songs when Davis presented it to him. "I didn't get it when he suggested it, but I got it when I started studying the idea," he says. Manilow revives such mainstream memories as "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing," "Moments to Remember" and "Rags to Riches." "You have to find the dignity and beauty in these songs," he says. "You can't do them campy, you can't try to copy the originals." |
| February 10, 2006 | Billboard.com | "Manilow, Davis Look To '60s For Next Set" by Melinda Newman |
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| Barry Manilow could turn the chart-topping success of "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" into a series. "We've already begun the '60s," BMG North America chairman Clive Davis tells Billboard. Davis, who masterminded and co-produced the initial Arista set as well as the similar in nature "American Songbook" for Rod Stewart, will pull together a list of hit songs appropriate for Manilow, who will have final say on what makes the cut. Davis says the success of these albums is due to a compatible marriage among the artist, song, arrangement and production. "I love the fact of the dual association of how long an artist can last and reinvent himself, and with the right copyright and arrangement, how many ways a song can be reinvented," he says. Manilow admits originally dismissing Davis' idea of cutting '50s songs. "I didn't get it when he suggested it, but I got it when I started studying the idea." The album features renditions of such mainstream memories as "Love is a Many Splendored Thing," "Moments to Remember" and "Rags to Riches." "You have to find the dignity and beauty in these songs," Manilow says. "You can't do them campy, you can't try to copy the originals." As previously reported, "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" bows this week at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 with sales of 156,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It is Manilow's second trip to the top of the chart, and first in nearly 30 years. A wave of television appearances has much to do with the big greeting the album received upon arrival. "I've done just about everything to get the word out to show this album is alive and well," says Manilow, who has appeared on everything from the syndicated "Ellen DeGeneres Show" to ABC's "Dancing With the Stars." "I'm a media slut right now," he quips. "Don't be surprised if you find me on the Weather Channel." |
| February 10, 2006 | Seattle Post-Intelligencer | Barry Manilow may make 'Greatest Songs of the Fifties' into a series |
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| Barry Manilow could turn the chart-topping success of "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" into a series. "We've already begun the '60s," BMG North America chairman Clive Davis told Billboard. Manilow will have the final say on what songs make the cut. "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" bows this week at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 chart with sales of 156,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It is Manilow's second trip to the top of the chart, and his first in nearly 30 years. |
| February 10, 2006 | The Desert Sun | "Manilow debuts at No. 1 with '50s album" by Bruce Fessier |
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| Palm Springs resident Barry Manilow has returned to top of the Billboard charts for the first time in 29 years. "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties," Manilow's first album with his old mentor, Clive Davis, for Arista Records, beat out such contemporary recording artists such as Mary J. Blige, Jamie Foxx and Eminem to hit No. 1 in the Billboard Hot 200 chart. It also placed No. 1 on the The Top Internet Albums. Manilow's CD of pop-oriented hits from the 1950s sold 156,000 units in its first week. It was his first No. 1 debut and his first time on top of the charts since July 1977. "I swear, if you live long enough, anything is possible!" he said in thanking the "fanilows" who put him back on top. Manilow's fan club members had been feeding what it called a "media frenzy" by urging fans to buy his album by Saturday, when the survey period for the Billboard charts closed. Manilow had been making radio appearances in Los Angeles and appearing on such national television programs as "Entertainment Tonight" and "Dancing With the Stars." His publicist said his busy personal appearance schedule will probably continue now that his album has hit No. 1. He's scheduled to perform a PBS TV special in March and a benefit for the AIDS Assistance Program May 6 at O'Donnell Golf Club in Palm Springs. "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" features remakes of pop songs not generally associated with that golden age of rock 'n' roll, including the Everly Brothers' "All I Have To Do Is Dream" and Bobby Darin's "Beyond The Sea." Manilow told The Desert Sun that Davis approached him about working together again last year as he was disassociating himself from his jazz-oriented label, Concord Records. Davis suggested he remake these big pop ballads and up-tempo songs even though Manilow said he didn't see their hit potential. But Manilow said that was how they worked together in the 1970s, too. Davis brought Manilow songs such as an English ballad called "Brandy," and Manilow would re-arrange them to bring out their hit potential. "Brandy" became their first big hit, "Mandy." Manilow, who will be 60 in June, was joined on the top 10 album chart by such other unlikely modern hit-makers as opera stars Andrea Bocelli and Il Divo. Manilow's recording comeback is being compared to that of another '70s icon, Rod Stewart, who has been recording covers of songs from before the 1950s. But Manilow had been recording standards, including an album of Frank Sinatra music, since the mid-1980s. He called himself a "freak for the '40s" in a Desert Magazine interview in December. Manilow's songs from "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" are a departure from the recent trend of Great American Songbook recordings of Stewart, Steve Tyrell and Michael Buble'. Then Manilow said, "I've found myself in them, and I've found the dignity in the songwriting." This is Manilow's 31st album to chart in 31 years, going back to his 1974 launch of his first Arista album, "Barry Manilow II." His previous best debut was the No. 3 opening of "Ultimate Manilow" in February 2002. |
| February 10, 2006 | Fox News | Manilow Tops Chart First Time Since 1977 |
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| NEW YORK � Barry Manilow has landed on the top of the charts with a just-released album for the first time in 29 years. Manilow's "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, followed by Mary J. Blige's "The Breakthrough" and Andrea Bocelli's "Amore." The album, 13 standards such as "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" and "Unchained Melody," has sold more than 156,000 copies in the United States since it arrived Jan. 31st. |
| February 10, 2006 | Baltimore Sun | Looks like Manilow has made it again |
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| After 29 years, Barry Manilow is back at the top of the charts. The campy crooner shouldered out the likes of Mary J. Blige, Jamie Foxx and Eminem to land at the top of the Billboard chart with his new album of covers, The Greatest Songs of the Fifties. The new album sold 156,000 copies in its first week. It was Manilow's first No. 1 debut. "I swear, if you live long enough, anything is possible!" he said in thanking the "fanilows" who put him back on top. The Brooklyn native, who will be 60 in June, last topped the charts in July 1977 with a live album. Manilow has sold a whopping 75 million albums in the past three decades, chiefly on the strength of hits like "Can't Smile Without You," "Copacabana," "Mandy" and "I Write The Songs." |
| February 10, 2006 | Salt Lake Tribune | Grabbing the Headlines |
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| Barry Manilow has landed on the top of the charts with a just-released album for the first time in 29 years. Manilow's "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, followed by Mary J. Blige's "The Breakthrough" and Andrea Bocelli's ''Amore.'' The album, 13 standards such as "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" and "Unchained Melody," has sold more than 156,000 copies in the U.S. since it arrived Jan. 31. |
| February 10, 2006 | News 24 South Africa | Manilow's album tops the charts |
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| New York - Barry Manilow has landed on the top of the charts with a just-released album for the first time in 29 years. Manilow's "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties," debuted at No 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, followed by Mary J Blige's The Breakthrough and Andrea Bocelli's Amore. The album, 13 standards such as "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" and "Unchained Melody," has sold more than 156 000 copies in the United States since it arrived on January 31... |
| February 9, 2006 | ABC News | Barry Manilow's New Album Opens at No. 1: For First Time in 29 Years, Barry Manilow's Latest Album Opens at No. 1 |
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| NEW YORK (AP) - Barry Manilow has landed on the top of the charts with a just-released album for the first time in 29 years. Manilow's "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart ... The album, 13 standards such as "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" and "Unchained Melody," has sold more than 156,000 copies in the United States since it arrived Jan. 31st. Manilow said he was inspired to sing the 1950s pop classics because he feels they deserve more attention. "The reason I connected with it is when I looked at the list of songs that came out of the '50s, it seemed to me that they had been neglected," he told Associated Press Television. "Nobody seems to have done 'Unchained Melody' or 'It's Not for Me to Say' or 'Beyond the Sea,' any of these songs that were wonderfully written that came out of the '50s. So that turned me on. I dove in." |
| February 9, 2006 | CNN.com | Who has the No. 1 album? Barry Manilow: 'Greatest Songs of the Fifties' his first chart-topper since 1977 |
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| NEW YORK (Billboard) -- Barry Manilow topped the U.S. pop charts for the first time in nearly 29 years Wednesday with an album of pop evergreens released in time for Valentine's Day. "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" (Arista), featuring versions of such tunes as "Unchained Melody" and "Love is a Many Splendored Thing," sold 156,000 copies in the week ended February 5, according to Nielsen SoundScan data. His lone prior chart-topper came in July 1977 with the double LP "Live." His last album, "Scores: Songs From Copacabana and Harmony," released on the Concord jazz label, peaked at No. 47 in 2004. "It's not only a genuine thrill to see the album enter the charts at Number One, but it's truly an historic occasion for both of us," said a statement from Arista Records founder Clive Davis, who first worked with Manilow in 1974 on the Grammy-nominated "Mandy." Added Manilow, "I've had some pretty amazing experiences in my career, but this one tops them all ... I swear, if you live long enough, anything is possible!" |
| February 9, 2006 | BBC News | Manilow's 50s album tops US chart |
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| Singer Barry Manilow has topped the US album charts for the first time in nearly 29 years. The Greatest Songs of the Fifties sold 156,000 copies in the week ending 5 February. The album features songs such as "Unchained Melody" and "Love is a Many Splendored Thing." Manilow said: "I've had some pretty amazing experiences in my career, but this one tops them all... if you live long enough, anything is possible!" His only previous album chart topper was the double LP Live, in July 1977. Manilow's last album, Scores: Songs From Copacabana and Harmony, peaked at number 47 in 2004. "It's not only a genuine thrill to see the album enter the charts at number one, but it's truly an historic occasion for both of us," said Arista Records founder Clive Davis, who first worked with Manilow in 1974 on the Grammy-nominated "Mandy." |
| February 9, 2006 | New York Times | "Manilow Back at No. 1" by Ben Sisario |
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| Barry Manilow has scored his first No. 1 album in 29 years with "The Greatest Songs of the 50's" (Arista) � featuring tunes like "Unchained Melody" and "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" � which sold 156,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. His last album to reach the peak position on the Billboard chart was "Live" in 1977. |
| February 9, 2006 | Chicago Sun-Times | Manilow's 'Fifties' album leads Billboard's list |
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| Looks like he made it -- finally. For the first time in nearly 29 years, Barry Manilow tops the Billboard album chart with his latest release, "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties." The CD sold 156,000 copies in the United States, jumping past discs by Mary J. Blige, Jamie Foxx and Andrea Bocelli. It was Manilow's best sales week since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking data in 1991. The album features Manilow revisiting evergreens such as "Unchained Melody" and "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing." His lone prior chart-topper came in July 1977 with the double concert LP "Live." |
| February 9, 2006 | New York Daily News | "Number 1 Barry can smile again" by Helen Kennedy |
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| Another sign of the Apocalypse? After 29 years, Barry Manilow is back at the top of the charts. The campy crooner shouldered out the likes of Mary J. Blige, Jamie Foxx and Eminem to land at the top of the Billboard chart with his new album of covers, "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties." The new album sold 156,000 in its first week. It was Manilow's first No. 1 debut. "I swear, if you live long enough, anything is possible!" he said in thanking the Fanilows who put him back on top. The Williamsburg, Brooklyn, native, who will be 60 in June, last topped the charts in July 1977 with a live album. That was the year "Star Wars" came out, disco was huge and "The Love Boat" was a brand new TV show. Manilow has sold a whopping 75 million albums in the last three decades, chiefly on the strength of hits like "Can't Smile Without You," "Copacabana," "Mandy," and "I Write The Songs." Manilow's album features remakes of classics such as the Everly Brothers' "All I Have To Do Is Dream" and Bobby Darin's "Beyond The Sea." |
| February 9, 2006 | The Detroit News | "After nearly three decades, Manilow tops album chart: "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" bows at No. 1" by Katie Hasty |
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| NEW YORK -- For the first time in nearly 29 years, Barry Manilow tops The Billboard 200. "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" bows at No. 1 with sales of 156,000 copies in the United States, giving the artist his best sales week since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking data in 1991. The Arista album features Manilow revisiting such evergreens as "Unchained Melody" and "Love is a Many Splendored Thing." The artist's lone prior chart-topper came in July 1977 with his double concert LP "Live." His last album, "Scores: Songs From Copacabana and Harmony" (Concord), peaked at No. 47. |
| February 8, 2006 | United Press International | Barry Manilow tops U.S. albums chart |
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| LOS ANGELES, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- Barry Manilow's "The Greatest Songs of the '50s" is No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, giving him his first chart topper in 29 years. Mary J. Blige moved up two spots to No. 2 thanks to a 24 percent sales increase for her album, "The Breakthrough," with Andrea Bocelli at No. 3 with "Amore," his highest position ever on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Jamie Foxx's "Unpredictable" is No. 4 followed by Tony Award-winner Heather Headley's "In My Mind" at No. 5. Il Divo's "Ancora" fell from last week's No. 1 to No. 6 while Eminem's "Curtain Calls: The Hits" moved up a spot from last week to No. 7. Carrie Underwood's "Some Hearts" is No. 8, James Blunt's "Back to Bedlam" is No. 9 and Train fills out the Top 10 with "For Me, It's You." Overall U.S. album sales were up 11 percent over the previous week. |
| February 8, 2006 | Press Release
SOURCE: ARISTA RECORDS | Looks Like They Made It: Barry Manilow's Greatest Hits of The Fifties Debuts at Number One - Marks the First Number One Debut in Singer's Career |
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| NEW YORK, Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- In a career spanning more than 30 years and over 75 million albums sold worldwide, Barry Manilow broke brand new ground this week when his new Arista Records album, Greatest Hits of the Fifties debuted in the Number One position on the Nielsen SoundScan charts, moving a remarkable 155,630 copies in its first week of release. This is the first time in the singer's career that one of his albums has debuted at Number One and marks only the second time a Manilow album reached the top spot on the chart --1977's Barry Manilow Live was the first. The 29- year stretch between Number Ones is virtually unprecedented, having only been exceeded by Ray Charles and Elvis Presley, according to Billboard Magazine. The groundbreaking sales week was made all that much sweeter due to the fact that the Greatest Hits of the Fifties is a reunion between Manilow and Arista Records founder Clive Davis. It was in 1974 that the duo first worked together on the Grammy nominated "Mandy," Manilow's debut Number One single as the first artist signed to Arista by Davis, the first year of the label's existence. "Over the years Barry and I have had many incredible, memorable moments together, but none to match this one," said Mr. Davis. "It's not only a genuine thrill to see the album enter the charts at Number One, but it's truly an historic occasion for both of us." "I've had some pretty amazing experiences in my career, but this one tops them all," said Manilow. "My deepest gratitude to the brilliant Arista marketing team, my supportive fans, my own management staff and most of all to my colleague, friend and mentor, Clive Davis. I swear, if you live long enough, anything is possible!" THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE FIFTIES is a veritable jukebox of 13 Number One hits from one of the most beloved periods of popular song. Any one of them would be a thrilling addition on any new Manilow album - from his remake of the Four Lads' "Moments To Remember" (1955) and the Everly Brothers' "All I Have To Do Is Dream" (1958), to Bobby Darin's "Beyond The Sea" (1959) - but to hear them all on one collection is a treat that has resonated deeply with a wide variety of fans. The project (just like the era it emulates) cuts across musical genres, from Frankie Avalon's "Venus," to Johnny Mathis' "It's Not For Me To Say"(1957), to Tommy Edwards' "It's All In The Game" (1958), and Dinah Washington's signature "What A Difference A Day Makes" (1959). Some of America's greatest artists are evoked on songs that are forever associated with them, for example, Tony Bennett on "Rags To Riches" (1953) and the Four Aces on the motion picture title tune hit "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing" (1955). The spirit of Frank Sinatra imbues "Young At Heart" (1954) and Elvis Presley is remembered with "Are You Lonesome Tonight." "Unchained Melody" (1955), which is the album's first single, remains one of the most- recorded songs in contemporary popular music. The album is available as a CD and DualDisc release, featuring behind-the-scenes footage of the making of the record. |
| February 8, 2006 | USA Today | "Manilow back on top" by Edna Gundersen, USA TODAY |
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| Barry Manilow's "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" revisits a peak of the '70s when he topped the Billboard chart with the 1977 concert album Live. He reaches No. 1 for the second time after selling 156,000 copies, his best SoundScan sales week. |
| February 8, 2006 | Billboard.com | "After Nearly Three Decades, Manilow Tops Album Chart" by Katie Hasty |
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| For the first time in nearly 29 years, Barry Manilow tops The Billboard 200. "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" bows at No. 1 with sales of 156,000 copies in the United States, giving the artist his best sales week since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking data in 1991. The Arista album features Manilow revisiting such evergreens as "Unchained Melody" and "Love is a Many Splendored Thing." The artist's lone prior chart-topper came in July 1977 with his double concert LP "Live." His last album, "Scores: Songs From Copacabana and Harmony" (Concord), peaked at No. 47. |
| February 8, 2006 | Rolling Stone | "Manilow, Blige Top the Chart" by Alex Mar |
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| Mellow crooner, R&B diva dominate Adult contemporary crooner Barry Manilow topped the chart this week with his American classics collection The Greatest Songs of the Fifties. The compilation, in the vein of Rod Stewart's successful Great American Songbook series, sold 156,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. While this marks the Brooklyn native's eighth Top Ten album on the pop chart, it is only his second Number One in a three-decade career. In second place is R&B diva Mary J. Blige's former chart-topper The Breakthrough (123,000), up two spots ... This week's Top Ten: Barry Manilow's The Greatest Songs of the Fifties; Mary J. Blige's The Breakthrough; Andrea Bocelli's Amore; Jamie Foxx's Unpredictable; Heather Headley's In My Mind; Il Divo's Ancora; Eminem's Curtain Call; Carrie Underwood's Some Hearts; James Blunt's Back to Bedlam; Train's For Me, It's You. |
| February 8, 2006 | E! Online News | "Manilow Gives Divo the Heave-Ho" by David Jenison |
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| Crank up the band, it's party time at the Copacabana! In a battle of retro pop and opera for chart supremacy (now there's a phrase we don't write often enough), Barry Manilow fended off Andrea Bocelli and knocked off Il Divo to score his first ever number one debut. Manilow, whose career spans 30 years and more than 75 million in album sales, accomplished the feat with Greatest Hits of the Fifties, which moved 156,000 copies for the week ended Sunday, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The purveyor of Muzak mainstays like "Copacabana" and "Mandy" previously hit number one 29 years ago with Barry Manilow Live, but that disc didn't open in the top spot. Only Elvis Presley and Ray Charles have had longer stretches between number ones, while both Santana and the Isley Brothers went 28 years between chart-toppers. For his latest release, Manilow rendered such classics as "Beyond the Sea," "Unchained Melody" and "Young at Heart." (Like Rod Stewart, who reenergized his flagging career with his American Songbook series, the third volume of which became his first number one in 25 years in 2004, Manilow's cover album was masterminded by music legend Clive Davis.) He's been all over the place promoting the album, including a high-profile performance on last Friday's Dancing with the Stars. "I've had some pretty amazing experiences in my career, but this one tops them all," said Manilow in a press release. "My deepest gratitude to the brilliant Arista marketing team, my supportive fans, my own management staff and most of all to my colleague, friend and mentor, Clive Davis. I swear, if you live long enough, anything is possible!" |
| February 8, 2006 | Entertainment Weekly | Manilow tops charts for first time in 29 years |
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| NEW YORK (Billboard) - Barry Manilow topped the U.S. pop charts for the first time in nearly 29 years Wednesday with an album of pop evergreens released in time for Valentine's Day. "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" (Arista), featuring versions of such tunes as "Unchained Melody" and "Love is a Many Splendored Thing," sold 156,000 copies in the week ended February 5, according to Nielsen SoundScan data. His lone prior chart-topper came in July 1977 with the double LP "Live." His last album, "Scores: Songs From Copacabana and Harmony," released on the Concord jazz label, peaked at No. 47 in 2004. "It's not only a genuine thrill to see the album enter the charts at Number One, but it's truly an historic occasion for both of us," said a statement from Arista Records founder Clive Davis, who first worked with Manilow in 1974 on the Grammy-nominated "Mandy." Added Manilow, "I've had some pretty amazing experiences in my career, but this one tops them all ... I swear, if you live long enough, anything is possible!" |
| February 8, 2006 | MTV | Mary J. And Jamie Are No Match For No. 1 Manilow |
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| Barry Manilow sings about writing songs that make the whole world sing -- the songs, he's claimed, that make the young girls cry. But this week, R&B diva Mary J. Blige might be the only one sobbing -- thanks to a collection of songs that Barry didn't write. It was a close race to Billboard's winners' circle, but in the end, The Greatest Songs of the Fifties -- a collection of hits from the golden years produced by none other than Clive Davis -- bests Blige's The Breakthrough by a formidable nose. According to the latest SoundScan totals, sales of Manilow's album -- which were helped along by the pop icon's appearance last week on ABC's Dancing With the Stars -- came in at just under 156,000, to secure The Greatest Songs of the Fifties the top spot on the albums chart. Despite a 25 percent hike in retail mobility, Blige's The Breakthrough couldn't keep up and finished at No. 2 with 123,000 scans. The next closest threat to Manilow's reign came from Tuscan-born tenor Andrea Bocelli and his Amore, which opens at No. 3 with week-one sales of 113,000... |
| February 8, 2006 | NewKerela - India | Barry Manilow tops U.S. albums chart |
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| LOS ANGELES: Barry Manilow's "The Greatest Songs of the '50s" is No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, giving him his first chart topper in 29 years. Mary J. Blige moved up two spots to No. 2 thanks to a 24 percent sales increase for her album, "The Breakthrough," with Andrea Bocelli at No. 3 with "Amore," his highest position ever on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Jamie Foxx's "Unpredictable" is No. 4 followed by Tony Award-winner Heather Headley's "In My Mind" at No. 5 ... Overall U.S. album sales were up 11 percent over the previous week. |
| February 7, 2006 | About.com | "Review: Barry Manilow - The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" by Bill Lamb |
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| It has been nearly 30 years since Barry Manilow hit #1 on the pop albums chart with his Live album in 1977. He has not reached the #1 spot again since. However, early data seems to indicate his newest album Greatest Songs of the Fifties may be perched at the top when Billboard releases its chart data later this week... Barry Manilow has recorded an album similar in approach to Rod Stewart's bestselling set of Great American Songbook albums. However, Manilow is more tightly focused on the 1950's, and he avoids any attempts at cute gimmickry resulting in a straightforward, pleasing, if unspectacular, collection. It will be difficult to avoid singing along. One of the best aspects of Barry Manilow's exploration of classic songs from the 1950's is that it reminds us all that rock 'n roll was only one part of the pop music of the decade. The 10 years that gave us Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Buddy Holly is also the same period that gave us such evergreen tunes as "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing," "Young at Heart," and "Sincerely." Manilow covers a collection of songs that were squarely in the mainstream of pop music 50 years ago. One of the most frequent criticisms leveled at Barry Manilow's classic hit songs such as "Mandy", "I Write the Songs", and "Even Now" is that they are overwrought, over-produced, and even bombastic in tone. His approach on this album is to reduce the layers of crashing sound in favor of focusing on the melodies present in the songs. Compared with the classic Phil Spector production of "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers, Barry Manilow's version is mellow and introspective. Top Tracks From the Album: Unchained Melody
Love Is a Many Splendored Thing
Sincerely / Teach Me Tonight
Are You Lonesome Tonight?
Young at Heart
Although Greatest Songs of the Fifties is unlikely to convert the legions of Barry Manilow skeptics, it is a rewarding album to hear with a number of pleasant surprises. The McGuire Sisters' Phyllis McGuire makes a guest appearance to turn in a solid reading of "Sincerely," a tune made famous by she and her sisters over 50 years ago. Barry Manilow's arrangement of "Are You Lonesome Tonight" drops the sticky sentimentality of Elvis Presley's version in favor of an elegant production reminiscent of Henry Mancini's classic movie themes. Whether this album will gain new followers or simply satisfy the solid fan following Barry Manilow has maintained over the past 30 years is an open question. However, it is worth noting that the collection Ultimate Manilow debuted at #3 on the album chart just 3 1/2 years ago. Perhaps the world is ready for a bit more Manilow magic. |
| February 7, 2006 | Undercover | "Barry Manilow Tops US Chart" by Paul Cashmere |
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| Barry Manilow is back in a big way. The 70s crooner [is] this week having the biggest comeback since Rod Stewart and doing it the same way. His new album "[Greatest] Songs of the 50's" is a sure bet to debut at number one in the USA this week. Manilow is expected to [sell] more than 140,000 units this week and push out Il Divo, Mary J. Blige and Jamie Foxx. It is a marvelous feat for Manilow whose last major hit, coincidentally also a cover, was "Let's Hang On" back in 1981. Manilow started his career writing and performing advertising jingles. In 1971, he accepted a job as musical director for Bette Midler. In 1973, he signed with Bell Records [which later] became part of Arista Records which is how Manilow became involved with record guru Clive Davis. It was Davis who suggested he cover the song "Brandy" by Scott English. Manilow changed it to "Mandy." It became his first global hit. By 1978, Manilow was a superstar. His album "Even Now" sold more than 3 million units that year and featured the hits "Can't Smile Without You" and "Copacabana." The track listing for "Greatest Songs of the Fifties" is: 1. Moments To Remember
2. It's All In The Game
3. Unchained Melody
4. Venus
5. It's Not For Me To Say
6. Love Is A Many Splendored Thing
7. Rags To Riches
8. Sincerely/Teach Me Tonight (Duet with Phyllis McGuire)
9. Are You Lonesome Tonight?
10. Young At Heart
11. All I Have To Do Is Dream
12. What A Diff'rence A Day Made
13. Beyond The Sea
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| February 5, 2006 | Daily Variety | "Davis eyes Grammy-week grand slam: Manilow means business for Davis" by Phil Gallo |
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| Barry Manilow's reunion record with Clive Davis, "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties," is expected to sell about 150,000 copies in its first week and debut at No. 1 when Nielsen SoundScan releases its sales data Wednesday. It would be Manilow's first chart-topper since his "Live" album hit No. 1 in 1977. Davis' RCA Music Group is expecting Heather Headley's "In My Mind" to debut high in the top 10 and could be looking at four discs in the top 10. Jamie Foxx's "Unpredictable" should sell 90,000-plus, and Carrie Underwood's "Some Hearts" is likely to do more than 70,000... The true payoff is that the RCA/J Records/Arista Records camp will be sitting pretty right when all eyes are on the music industry and its stars during Grammy week. The announcement that Manilow's album is No. 1 will come out the same day as the Grammy ceremony. With the Grammys moved to early February -- following the date change made by the Oscars -- early February has become a sales bonanza thanks to Grammy results and appearances plus Valentine's Day... Davis reacts to the situation more as a proud papa than an alchemist who has seen his formula validated, reminiscing about starting Arista Records with Manilow as his first artist more than 30 years ago as well as the events that led up to Manilow making the new album. Davis, chairman-CEO of the RCA Music Group, went to Las Vegas to see Manilow's lauded show at the Las Vegas Hilton and presented him with a list of songs he thought could make a great record ... "He's a timeless artist though not everybody may know it," Davis said, taking a break from planning last-minute details for his annual pre-Grammy bash. "He and Rod (Stewart) had something in common -- they still have great voices. And on this record his is co-starring with copyrights that are timeless. The sales show he has moved well beyond (his main demographic), but it's not clear if it's parents buying it for kids or kids buying it for parents." Manilow is among the artists scheduled to perform Tuesday at Davis' annual pre-Grammy party at the Beverly Hilton. Rod Stewart, Davis' other legend that he lined up with "classic copyrights," as he calls them, is also on the list of performers. |
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