You begin again....

Barry partners with Sanofi Aventis on Atrial Fibrillation Awareness

2011-09-12T10:44:00.001-04:00

A few months ago I was asked by Sanofi US to help them make the public more aware of the dangers of a serious heart disease called atrial fibrillation, or AFib. AFib is a type of irregular heartbeat that causes your heart to race and beat out of rhythm. I was happy to do this since I’ve had this disease for the past 15 years.

When I get an episode of atrial fibrillation, it feels like my heart is skipping a beat and if I don’t treat it, it gets nuts! My heart starts to beat real fast. Man, I feel like I’ve got a flounder in my chest! Crazy!

Very scary. And very dangerous if you don’t work with your doctor to manage it.

Many people ignore the symptoms, but being out of rhythm with AFib can cause really serious problems like permanent heart damage.

I’m really honored to have been asked to make the more public aware of this serious heart disease.

You’ll be hearing about my involvement in this real soon, but I wanted you all to know that I am in great shape and for all of you not to worry about me. I work with my doctor to take care of my AFib and I lead an active life.

I want to make others more aware of AFib and the importance of getting back in rhythm.

Check out www.GetBackInRhythm.com to learn more about the campaign!

Love from my heart,

Barry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm giving this one an online Standing-O.

Sanofi - Aventis is a phramaceutical firm that I had the priviledge of working with "back in the day" when I was drawing a regular salary. They have invented a number of drugs, both OTC and prescription including anti-allergy, treatment of auto-immune disorders, long-acting insulins for both types of diabetes, chemotherapy, and, as Barry's note indicates, heart conditions including atrial fibrillation.

I see a lot of people in entertainment try to get involved in advocacy for a health cause because they experienced it themselves. One of the earliest posts on this blog 3 (!!!) years ago was about my first "Hollywood Party" held in Beverly Hills - a fundraiser for an advocacy group. There are two kinds of these groups: the completely grass-roots type by well-meaning individuals who have had their lives changed but don't have a whole lot of knowledge on their subject and tend to go off the rails once in a while; and the individuals who want to organize, but at the same time know what they don't know and surround themselves with advisors who are true experts. Barry seems to be leaning toward the latter: Sanofi is a legitimate expert on the subject of AF and the information they produce is going to be solid enough to stake your life on.

Way to go, Barry! Good choices and commitments all around on this one!

We Live On Borrowed Time

2011-09-09T17:34:00.001-04:00

Sorry I haven't posted in so long, folks. I haven't gone anywhere. School starts in early August here and work picked up. (Which means I can pay bills and tuition.)

Barry, I just heard.
I am so sorry.
You'll be in my thoughts and prayers.

YBA

Barry Song Journal on YouTube #2

2011-08-01T16:03:00.000-04:00

Great to see another episode, gang!
So how about bringing back Episode 1? There was nothing wrong with that, 'K?

(And no, it is NOT "almost rap". Hush. Now. Really.)

Winner Go Down - Amy Winehouse Dead at 27

2011-07-23T19:49:00.002-04:00

http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/stopthepresses/392228/police-singer-amy-winehouse-dies-at-age-27/

This is going to strike a chord with anyone even remotely familiar with Barry's record. Winehouse was mentioned briefly in "Winner Go Down". Although I don't think anyone "loved" to see this news. On the contrary, I think everyone familiar with her was rooting for her to have a positive, happy ending, just like "Everything's Gonna Be Alright". It would have been a welcome change from watching one tragedy after another in the entertainment news.

From the article above:

Winehouse shot to fame in 2006 with the album "Back to Black," whose blend of jazz, soul, rock and classic pop was a global hit. It won five Grammys and made Winehouse - with her black beehive hairdoand old-fashioned sailor tattoos - one of music's most recognizable stars. But her personal life, with its drug and alcohol abuse, eating disorders and destructive relationships, soon took over her career..

I've heard the story a million times but I'm always still amazed when the "fame" story always follows the same plot, block by block, just like a macabre ~~comic book~~ graphic novel. Doesn't matter who the star is.

Last month, Winehouse canceled her European comeback tour after she swayed and slurred her way through barely recognizable songs in her first show in the Serbian capital of Belgrade. Booed and jeered off stage, she flew home and her management said she would take time off to recover.

Even Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew would have been a better outcome. At least those souls have a chance.

"I didn't go out looking to be famous," Winehouse told the Associated Press when "Back to Black" was released. "I'm just a musician.".

Now this is a departure. But it still sounds familiar. Right, Barry?

But in the end, the music was overshadowed by fame, and by Winehouse's demons. Tabloids lapped up the erratic stage appearances, drunken fights, stints in hospital and rehab clinics. Performances became shambling, stumbling train wrecks, watched around the world on the Internet.

The "Trainwreck" mention is too obvious.

She acknowledged struggling with eating disorders and told a newspaper that she had been diagnosed as manic depressive but refused to take medication.

That explains almost everything. From what I understand from people in the field, the sense of "ten feet tall an bulletproof" - the feeling that you dont' need your medication anymore when you reach a high point, is actually a symptom of the disease. Ironic - and deadly - as hell.

I think Barry and Enoch are wrong in "Winner Go Down". "They" (however you define it) don't "love to see" this. It's horrible to watch. Even for the seeming vultures in the media reporting the info because deep down they know, if not for the Grace of God (or whatever deity you acknowledge) it can happen to anyone.

Rest in peace, Amy.

15 Minutes: The Girl Wearing Yellow Down Front

2011-07-19T20:58:00.000-04:00

"Letter From a Fan". The one song (almost) no one is talking about.

The one song about the one aspect of fame that we in the peanut gallery have something to say about because... it's us.

There are all kinds of ways a fan can react to this song. So far I've seen classic denial ("That's not me") relief ("Thank God that's not me"), and judgement ("I know people like that")

I think the reason we're not talking about it is because it puts us on the defensive. Enoch and Barry are acting out what they see when they look at us. The defensiveness comes in when (a) we don't like what we see in that portrayal, or (b) we know that what they seem to see is not what we intend, and we had no idea that's how we're coming across, or (c) we know in the bottom of our gut that the portrayal doesn't apply to us personally.

Everyone who heard "Letter From A Fan" first describes it as "creepy". It's not the words that make it creepy, it's Nataly Dawn's performance. First thing I thought of was the lullaby-like theme from Poltergeist. Hence why I wanted to sleep with the lights on - and the closet door open.
This song raised more questions than answers for me.
"Is this really what they (they = Barry, TPTB, any successful musician on a stage) see in their fan base?"
"Is this what they see/hear when they read a fan letter?"
"Do they think we're all obsessed?"
"Can they tell the difference between someone who is innocently venting, versus someone dealing with issues, versus, a serious, true threat?"
"Do we really sound like this, or is it a result of the pressure described in 'So Heavy, So High'?"

Let's take a look, phrase by phrase.

remember I sent you a picture
I know all the names in your band
I was the girl wearing yellow down front
I was the first one to stand

OK - is there a problem here? None that I can see, but I'm not the dude on stage. She's describing what stood out to her at the show, what she thinks will stand out to him. Lots of naivete - maybe. Sometimes dude on stage notices these things, so I've heard from a few of them.

it's silly to think you'd remember
it's silly pretending you'd care
but I want you to know I was there last night
I was there.....

Again, where's the problem? So far we've just got stream-of-consciousness naive fan going on. Even she can see she's being naive. But something in the music and performance created a similar creative response and the need to express it.

sometimes I think we're connected

Yeah, this is naivete too. But if you break it down, music *does* form a type of connection by inspiring an emotional response. So technically, it's accurate. But I doubt if our Chickieboo is looking at it that way.

I dreamed we were talking last night

Again, people dream of weird shit all the time. Pete dreamed of talking to Richard Attenborough's character from Jurassic Park once. That's how the brain works.

day to day stress just undoes me sometimes
but listening to you makes it right

Show me ONE fan who hasn't used their favorite music/musician as a stress relief.
[crickets]

I'm positive someday you'll see me
and love me just like it was planned
I feel all the sorrow you're trying to hide
you'll realize I understand
oh how I understand

Yeah, naivete again. I can think of some artists who chafe at this. Or blow it off. Again, we see that the music has created an emotional response, which means it was successful. But what does it mean for the artist? You can't tell if it's a kid being naive, or if it's someone who's going to steal rocks from your driveway. Or just write real-person fiction of the pornographic persuasion on your fan network. Maybe if you ignore it, it will go away?

So far, we're not hearing anything totally bizarre, word-wise. But something about the presentation, the tone, the inflection, you can't put your finger on it but the girl is just.....    off.

Fascinating how the songs are almost mashed up. The fan POV is juxtaposed with the star's in "So Heavy, So High". He's in hell, just doesn't want to admint it yet.

another room
where the lights are too bright

I seem to remember stories about someone having tin foil in the hotel windows to make it dark enough to sleep during a hectic schedule. Very effective for keeping the room dark. Also effective for telling God and everyone what hotel and room you're in!!!

there's too many touching me
keep 'em away

Our boy is having a rough day. Even something innocent from a fan feels like a cheese grater. But the fan doesn't realize this, so they don't know to not take it personally if the star doesn't want to deal. Hence the final verse coming up.

just turn off the pager
I tell ya the well has run dry
too tired to sleep
too wired to try

And this is why I said in an earlier post that the employees aren't the slaves, the star is. He's "property". The "asset". The "talent". His protests are so much hot air to the real owners looking to make money from our Girl Wearing Yellow.

I've wondered from time to time, why would ANYONE want to work in this field as an artist? It's indentured servitude on a good day. For example the thousands of people auditioning for American Idol may as well wear "For Sale" signs and price tags. And if they think for a minute that Coke, and AT&T and Ford, as well as 19 Entertainment aren't going to claim a stake in their ass, they've got another surprise waiting.

The rest of "So Heavy, So High" expresses the same idea over and over in different words until the last verse of it:

hey I feel the moon breathin'
I hear electricity
I know the size of the sky

He's not feeling great here.   I see someone suffering from galaxy-class sensory overload. He'd avoid this like the plague if his bargain allowed for it. He never banked on this being a success side-effect.

And our little Yellow fan doesn't know what to make of our star's behaviour

you never waved back at the airport
I covered your poster in mud
I cut out the eyes on the photo you signed
I wrote you a poem in blood....

Before anyone says, "OH, that's totally crazy, No one I know would do that", I would redirect you to a BMIFC convention in the early 1980s. I believe it was 1984 in Washington DC. (Someone please post a correction in the comments if I have that wrong.)
Barry was supposed to appear in person, but didn't. (I understand he was a day late.) The best word I can use to reflect the first-hand descriptions I heard was "postal". Posters defaced, fans packing and leaving early, cursing every step of the way. A series of angry confrontations with one Mr. Garry C Kief who probably wanted to be anywhere on the planet except that location.

Were all of these people certifiably insane? Or were they just venting? I'll bet my next paycheck that answer is in the eyes of the beholder.

There are so many different fans out there - some I've met, some I've been, some I've only heard about - that it is hard for the song to make sense.    Everyone knows someone who has expressed the same emotions here at different times or places, but not all at once.

Here's how to make it make sense: everything for our star is running together. He can't differentiate many things from each other. Why should the fans be different? It's just more continuous noise. So imagine, if you will, that each line or phrase, or repetition (I was there... I was there... I was there) is not one fan, but a different one. All of these different people, personified by someone whose reality is blurring, as one not-quite-on-the-rails person.

This way in spite of the differences in style and POV, it comes together as one song, one perspective.

OK, back to #Manilow chat on #Twitter!

Manilow Twitter Chat on 7/19 @ 5 and 9 PM ET

2011-07-17T21:47:00.000-04:00

Blatantly stolen from Manilow Musings So here are a couple of articles from that blog to get the word out. Get on Twitter and I'll see you there!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What is a #Manilow Chat on Twitter?

Think of a Twitter chat as an online flash mob where a group of people convene at a certain time and engage in a form of choreographed mass communication before a group of unsuspecting bystanders. It's exciting, interesting, and captivating. At times, you don't know where to look! You can either choose to stand by and watch or, in the case of a Twitter chat, join the insanity. Chats typically last one hour.

The easiest way to join or follow a chat is to use a Twitter tool to track the tweets by the chat's designated hashtag (ex: #Manilow). The most important thing to remember to do is to use the chat's hashtag when you want to join the dance - contribute to the conversation.

To make things simple, here is what you do:

TweetChat  

Use TweetChat to stream tweets by the designated hashtag for a particular chat. For example, to join #Manilow, go to TweetChat.com, sign up with your Twitter account id, enter the name of the hashtag to follow (Manilow) and converse in real time. All of the related tweets will appear in a TweetChat Room on your screen. When you submit a post/tweet, TweetChat will automatically append the chat's hashtag so you don't have to remember to do so.

What's the number one mistake a newbie makes during a Twitter online chat? Forgetting to add the hashtag to the post. But if you use TweetChat, you won’t have to worry about it!

Thanks to Kelly Queijo of Smart College Visit and the creator of #CampusChat for this simple explanation of a Twitter Chat. She’s going to join us next Tuesday so introduce yourself and welcome her into the Manilow world!

Here are some of my tips:

Don’t worry about keeping up with every single post. Respond to the ones that interest you.

Don’t forget to RT (retweet) often to help with the trending and to let others in your feed see the conversation.

If it goes too fast for you, don’t be too concerned. Just read, RT and enjoy the conversations. You don’t have to converse with everyone and you can even make your own statements related to the topic (Barry’s new CD).

Follow the lead of the co-hosts (myself and Patti) and comment on any questions we ask or comments we make.

That about covers it. If you have questions, simply ask during the chat, and someone will answer and help you.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
Tuesday, July 19, 5PM and 9PM ET

#Manilow Twitter Chat

Our Goal: Talk about the new album and get #Manilow to trend on Twitter, thus creating a buzz about 15 Minutes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How can we get Barry trending on Twitter?

@Franaway was so kind to pass this article along to me about Trending topics:

How Twitter Trending Topics Work and How to Influence Them

Take some time and read it, but here are the key points:

EVEN THOUGH THE VOLUME OF TWEETS DOESN’T MATTER WHEN TRENDING TOPICS ARE CONCERNED THE NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE TWEETING ABOUT A SUBJECT DOES MATTER

Put simply it’s far better to have 100 people tweet the same hashtag consistently over a longer period of time then to have 10 people constantly tweet the same hashtag. There is a simple reason why this is true and why it happens which is because it gives a better over view of what the world is talking about, not what a few are interested in.

THIRDLY CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY!

Strong trending topics are created by lots of people talking about the same thing consistently over a long period of time, seems simple doesn’t it? Of course it does but most importantly it’s a very natural way to register what the world is really talking about.

AND LASTLY TIMING IS EVERYTHING

Major events and popular TV shows monopolizes the trending topics and for good reason, these are talking points that unite and divide people and encourage conversation, they also meet every single criteria set out above as they promote consistently large amounts of tweets from a large volume of people over a prolonged period.

Looks like we're meeting ALL the criteria. Pass the word along and get as many people joining in as you can.

Barry's 15 Minutes Video Journal

2011-07-07T21:20:00.001-04:00

OK, the video was removed. Anyone want to let us know why? TPTB, I'll prioritize your comments if there's an answer here.

This is great!!! A brief chat on each song. I'm loving the more interactive PR - between this and RadioManilow (link above in the nav bar) it's like having Barry over for dinner to chat whenever you want. You now have no excuse to not bookmark the official Manilow YouTube channel (link below, right)

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-03T22:06:00.001-04:00

Many thanks to TPTB for putting this clip on YouTube. My DVR had a bad day and this was one of the videos I lost.
Have a great day tomorrow, everyone!

15 Minutes - The Faustian Bargain

2011-06-27T16:54:00.002-04:00

During Piers Morgan's interview with Barry last week, he asked (while discussing Spears' issues with the papparazzi) "How much of this did she bring on herself?" It's an elephant-in-the-room question because "celebrities" rely on exposure via the news media - including freelance papparazzi - for their sales. Morgan is of the opinion that if one is going to benefit from the enterntainment news media, one needs to pay the piper in some way. Like in revealing personal details, etc.

I was flipping through some DVDs in the TV room the other day and ran across a favorite: the 2001 remake of "Bedazzled" with Elizabeth Hurley as the Devil. It's not exactly "From Here to Eternity", but it was a fun date-movie with my then-fiance. New retelling of an old version of the story: Lead Sap is obsessed with one thing (usually a girl), Mephistopheles slides up to him at exactly the right time, tells him everything he wants to hear, but nothing he needs to hear, Lead Sap gets what he wants, hates it, and risks eternal damnation.

There's a million retellings of this. First one I remember is Gounod's Faust which has been done to death at Lincoln Center. (In fact, I think it's been banned!) There's the original Bedazzled with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, the one that was remade about 10 years ago. Even the Christian redemption story runs parallel to it: humanity went its own way, apart from the one that was planned, and a price had to be paid to redeem them. One in pop culture that is almost buried is the third in the "Oh God!" movie series, Oh God, You Devil, with George Burns in both parts. That last one is different. Lead Sap already has the girl. He's a struggling musician who states out loud that he's willing to sell his soul to be successful.

Sound familiar?

That's me within a blaze of glory / I'd sell my soul in order to succeed

Good thing you brought that forward. Because that's exactly what's going to happen.

Every tale about someone so driven to success or otherwise gaining something for themselves follows this same tack and all have a few things in common:

They're inherently unhappy with their lives.
They feel if they just get That. One. More. Thing. their lives will become suddenly perfect.
They are self centered to some degree
They're vulnerable to suggestion and easily manipulated.
It isn't until they achieve what they want that they realize how much work isn involved. More often than not, they can't handle it.
When the world they've created falls apart, they find themselves in their own personal idea of Hell.

Whether you believe in the Devil as a real person (albeit a spiritual one) or a symbolic idea, the real-life story often mimics Faust. Although it's not quite so obvious as George Burns or Elizabeth Hurley offering you your dreams on a platter. The person whose priorities are out of whack are their own worst enemy.

I don't think these parallels were intentional here. As usual I could be wrong but that's how it looks from my chair.

In 15 Minutes, the character thinks that fame is everything, the one thing that will make his life satisfactory. ("15 Minutes") All that matters is being famous - his own wants, no one else is as important. The people he's auditioning for don't even have names. ("Work the Room") The wife isn't mentioned until the 3rd number and only after he's had his first stage of success. Just enough reward to lure him into the trap ("Bring on Tomorrow")   He gets off to a good start but when he thinks everything is fine, he gets derailed by the usual traps ("Wine Song")

Now that the drugs, groupies, and whatever trinkets and beads his handlers have thrown him have tilted reality, the payment is due. He gets trapped in a spiral, practically an addiction of needing applause and approval, and feeling lost without it.   ("He's a Star") His friends are gone and the one person in his life he should have been paying attention to has also drifted away. ("Written in Stone"). He's paid for his fame with his soul.

Next comes Hell.   ("Letter From a Fan/So Heavy, So High") If it's not bad enough that he can't give any more of himself and his owners keep trying to take from him, you have the fans who have absolutely NO idea what his reality is like. Even their innocent letters and reaching out is a thorn in the side. He's surrendered his immortal soul, now he's going to experience damnation. ("Everybodys Leavin") It was there all along, disguised as a party ("Wine Song").

Even though he offered to sell his soul, he wants to renegotiate. He wants some control back. ("Who Needs You") But it's hopeless - he can't control anything of what was created in response to his wish. ("Winner Go Down") That's how deals with the Devil always work out.

Rock bottom. He's given up and admits his failures and his fate. ("Slept Through the End of the World")

At the last minute, he is offered salvation. ("Reflection", "Trainwreck") He gets to start over and if he has a brain cell left, he'll not make the same mistakes again. ("15 Minutes - Reprise") Maybe he's figured out that the price of fame doesn't have to be so high. He doesn't have to offer as much as his soul in exchange. Negotiate a little this time. Offer so much but not one bit more. That and getting his priorities in life straight and it might just work out better. ("Everything's Gonna Be Alright")

Or, just like in the CD player in my car, the cycle will repeat....

Like I said in an earlier post, there's enough going on in this album to talk about for years.

15 Minutes - The YBA POV Part 2

2011-06-26T00:43:00.000-04:00

What can I tell you, life intervenes. We wore out the kids so I'd have time to work. So the deadlines are met and the fires are put out, the bills are collected and I can get back to what's important.

So here's where I left off....

Letter From a Fan/So Heavy, So High is one of the songs that's going to get its own post in due time. The character is in WAY over his head, he can't handle the push and pull of his new life anymore and he has fewer and fewer outlets to vent and people to lean on.

Everybody's Leavin'
Genius recording strategy on this one. All echo - like he's talking up an empty well. He's completely separated from reality, especially himself. He wanted to spend all his time, energy and attention on himself, and now that's all he's got left. Except for the "enemies and slaves". Got a little problem there, pal - they're not the slaves. You are. The ones you think are "slaves" are really your caretakers and owners. And no, they won't leave you alone until you've worn out your usefulness to them.

Who Needs You
Ten feet tall and bullet-proof! And more straight-ahead pop but more of a rockabilly slant a la The Fabulous Thunderbirds, or even Jerry Lee Lewis. Methinks Barry took notes when he was working with Reba McIntire a couple of years back. The character seems to be in between completely believing his own publicity (I know where I'm headed / I know what they like) and salvaging the last vestiges of his self-esteem (In tight with me - right / you come when I call). My children have tantrums like this. Especially the two-year-old who has the most legendary temper. Sure I come when she calls - she can't change her diaper by herself. She may want what she wants but I put her toy on the top shelf and close the gate to the stairs so she doesn't tumble on them. But she's in charge, by God, in her own mind. Like at bedtime tonight, she threw a fit because she didn't think she was tired. Five minutes in her crib she's unconscious. Yeah, she really knows what she wants. Same thing.

He's so wound up he can't even believe in the sincerity of a friend (concerned as a friend / yeah I know what you mean / I'm nobody's friend / I'm your money machine) so if he wants to lean on someone for support, he can't.

Best line in the song: I'm everywhere 'cause I'm God!

Oh yeah, he's gone.

Next best line in the song: I can stop when I want to

Who's he trying to convince?

Winner Go Down
Another single-post-worthy song. Anderson packed a lot into these lyrics - there's a lot to think and write and talk about and he's getting these ideas across in only a few words.
How much of the thoughts in this song are "in the moment, as they happen" and how much are retrospective, after the fact?

"They love to see a winner go down"

Who exactly, is "they"? The network news media? The audience? The fans? The non-fans who don't like his music? The girl in yellow down front? The record company execs? iTunes? Amazon? Half-assed self-important critics from Rolling Stone? Someone else?

I'm going with the news media since (simulated? real?) news clips are layered over the fadeout. But the single post would come with exploring the other "theys".

The visual I have with this song is someone bitterly watching Entertainment Tonight or something like it with a story about himself. The editors focused on something outrageous, got most of the facts wrong, exaggerated what little they got right, and used the result to boost their ratings. At the character's expense. And there's nothing he or anyone can do if they want. Unless the story is completely fabricated and he can prove it in court (like Carol Burnett in 1981) it can't be fought. The news media will wrap themselves in the First Amendment all the way to the bank. If he didn't realize before that he was a piece of meat, it's impossible to avoid now.

Slept Through the End of the World
Strong contender for the most profound song on the record. All of the character's defense mechanisms, tantrums, rationalizing, avoidance, and sheer denial are useless. He has no choice but to look himself in the mirror and see what he has become. It's the key turning point of the story: he can either go to further lengths to avoid the truth (which is where people drink or drug themselves to death), he can literally lose his mind and go insane. Or he can choose to build himself up. You can't really tell at this point what his choice will be. He's wallowing in the stench of reality. Focusing on himself not only did not improve his life, it ruined it. (I'm tellin the shadows and echoes / shoulda told you / but I was wrapped up in me) You can't help but feel how exhausted he is - like he barely has the strength to strum the guitar.

Reflection/Trainwreck
Acceptance. His mind has made the choice. He's going to acknowledge the mistakes he's made and put himself together because no one is going to do it for him. From a mental health standpoint, the healthiest thing he can do, but also the hardest. Now he's looking back at the mistakes he made and seeing them as mistakes (Maybe I played too hard / maybe I ran too fast) For once, his pride is going to be his strength rather than his undoing, if he stays in control of his life in the future (something to prove now / they say you're through).

15 Minutes (Reprise)
The work ethic is back. The sleeves get rolled up again and he gets back to work. But is he really going to plan his life better? Or is he suffering from the "smartest guy in the room" phase again? What is he going to do differently this time around? What choices are different? Do those changes make that much of a difference in the long run? Has he really changed his attitude about pursuing fame with lines like "been there once / I know the road to glory / watch me fly!" Hmmmmm......

Everything's Gonna Be All Right
It looks like success is back but life is better this time around. Besides, ever since "Copacabana", you just have to have a dance number, no matter how serious the record is. (Just like "They Dance" on Mayflower.) I'd still like to know what it takes to go headlong into fame - 2nd, 3rd, whatever time around - and avoid the pitfalls.

Congrats Barry ( and Enoch and everybody else who made this record) There's so much here, and yet so many open doors we're going to be talking about this for years. And congrats all around (again) for the Top Ten debut. No one else deserves it more.

Defying Gravity

2011-06-23T23:48:00.001-04:00

According to TPTB on the newsgroup, 15 Minutes debuted at #7 on the Top 100 chart. That's not a typo. Not 70. Not 17. **SEVEN**

So everyone who thought that Barry couldn't make a successful new record of all new material in this day and age, please take a moment to suck it.

Barry--we knew all along you could do it! That's why we were all over your case when you were announcing more compilation and covers records. You're better than that, we always knew that. Do you believe us now??

By the way, belated Happy Birthday!

MUAH!
YBA

BARRY SANG "IF I SHOULD LOVE AGAIN" ON PIERS MORGAN!!!

2011-06-23T23:33:00.000-04:00

http://piersmorgan.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/23/barry-manilow-shares-his-secret-to-coming-up-with-hit-songs/

But they're not putting it on the website. AAARRGGGHH. That's what DVRs are for.
There's some other clips but we'll have to stalk YouTube for the entire episode.
It was great, even if he did sing the chorus to deflect a question... ;-)

There are so many videos and clips and interviews in the past couple of weeks and they come up so fast I can't get to them all (not right away, anyway). So the best place to find out about the latest interview, etc, is on the alt newsgroup - link is to the right toward the bottom.

15 Minutes - Piers Morgan

2011-06-19T23:16:00.000-04:00

So I have work to do last Friday (Happy Birthday, Barry!!) and I set my DVR to catch Piers Morgan Tonight thinking I would follow up on Barry's interview at my leisure.

Well color me pissed. It's going to air on June 23. At least I didn't miss it.

If you're like me you can't wait so as soon as I heard about a clip on Morgan's blog, I had to snag it.

Major kudos to Morgan for this quote when Barry talks about Britney Spears and her run ins with papparazzi: "How much of this has she brought on herself?" Piers, I want to kiss you on the mouth and make a scene. I have an epic post on that topic coming up. Funny that no one is talking about it, rather they're focusing on Barry's last quote of the clip. ;-)

So enjoy the clip and stick around the last 20 seconds or so, especially.

Direct Link

15 Minutes - the YBA POV

2011-06-14T14:57:00.000-04:00

A few things....
First, this is going to take more than one post.
Second, some songs are going to get their own post. (Give you 3 guesses which one and the first 2 guesses don't count.)
Third, thank God Barry was finally willing to try something (else) new and different and outside the safe little stereotype box that he's been put in all these years. In every case those projects have been incredible.
Fourth, this is the first time anyone has created a concept record dedicated to the concept of fame that also tells the story of how someone experiences it, first-hand, seemingly as it happens. There have been other records or songs that convey similar messages but always in an objective, retrospective approach. 15 Minutes is shown through the eyes of the main character, as events happen to him and how he feels at the time. Makes it easier for those of us "great unwashed" to understand.

Let's get down to it....

15 Minutes
Nice use of the harmonica in the beginning. Gives you a feel of manual labor, almost like a chain gang, feeling trapped. Funny how a musician who's been working for years at his craft is still blinded by an artificial vision of glory where everything is blissful and wonderful and achieving that height of fame will make his life wonderful and solve all his problems. You would think that after that much time, at that low a level in the industry would open your eyes to a thing or two. Or maybe he just thinks it will be different, and he knows better so he can work the system in a way everyone else can't. Anyone else see any parallels with Katy Perry's "Firework" in the imagery?

Work the Room
For someone who focuses more on melody than rythms, Barry does a great job of knocking out a highly-rythmic song with a more simplistic melody to it. When the clip was released my head popped up when I heard it the first time, thinking "Wow!! It's about time he let this type of song out!" Anybody who's ever had to meet a group and sell themselves cold can relate to this. The song style paints the picture of thinking fast, being nervous, one face after another, wondering if you're saying the right thing to the right person at any given time. Anderson has obviously worked with a lot of musicians going through these motions because the subtle details that would be overlooked by a layman are crystal clear. ("Suit 1 shakes my hand but it takes him a beat to recall my name.") Intentional or not, there's a foreshadowing of the character's relationships as a musician later on; he wants everyone to know his name, but he doesn't take the time to know anyone else's. The people he wants to impress and hire him are delegated "Suit 1", "Suit 2", and "Big Suit".

Bring on Tomorrow
Even Barry has said in interviews (Gayle King, this morning) that he wanted to put one of his more typical ballads on the album. He did, and most of all, it works beautifully with the theme. When anyone makes a breakthrough, or achieves a goal, it doesn't dawn on you and you don't "feel" the relief until all of the sounds and sights have faded and you've got some time with your own thoughts. It always seems to happen and night when the world has retired until morning. This is one of the few songs on the record that can be a single - because even though it fits with the concept/theme, the lyrics stand on their own as their own story. Not an easy feat on a concept album.

Now it's For Real
Every serious fan of Barry's knew that he could, if he wanted to, knock out good pop/rock four-on-the-floor, syncopated hits. The key is wanting to. Now it's For Real is the "getting down to business" number. You can feel the sleeves being rolled up and smell the midwestern work ethic. He got the job (corner office with windows, for those of us in the corporate world) so he can do what he's always wanted to do. It's a relief even as it's a challenge.

Wine Song
Drugs and groupies. They go along with a successful musician just like Swiss cheese goes along with a ham on rye. I've met a number of musicians over the years and Every. Single. One. Of. Them. has fallen into this trap to some degree. Some just smoked a joint here and there and moved on. Some had hideous drug addictions that took years to overcome if they survived. Some had a one-night stand followed by a "Come to Jesus" session with their spouse. Others have had more wives/girlfriends/one-night-stands in the few years of their careers than most men have in a lifetime. How does everyone fall into this trap? (And it is a trap, not a benefit like everyone seems to think it is.) Either the noob rolls into town on a truckload of turnips and doesn't know any better, or the city slicker thinks he's seen it all and can "handle it" better than anyone else. Either way once the threshold is crossed, he's on his way down. It's only a matter of time and how far he's going to fall. You'll notice the distinct absence of "Without you it's nothing/why else would I climb/together forever/Hearts beating in time." In its place is a "warped" sound in the music - the character's world is becoming surreal; fantasy and reality are blurring. More foreshadowing.

He's a Star
The only song that takes a 3rd-person objective view of the character, as opposed to 1st person. Probably because Barry wrote it years ago for another project. In spite of our hero's experience and probably learning from other musicians, he's figured out that being a star or being famous isn't the life panacea he thought it would be. Instead of all of his problems being solved, he's got more piled on. The fantasy life of the stage, the story he's selling to the fans is nothing like real life and his brain hasn't clarified those boundaries, or isn't able to yet. "He's left with no companions / only enemies and slaves." Will he figure out before the end of the record that the biggest slave in the story is himself?

Written in Stone
Oh, right - the wife. He didn't forget, really. Yeah, that's the ticket.
Every once in a while he remembers his other half (I'm using the word "wife" for simplicity here, but it could be a girlfriend, partner, other kind of SO, etc.) He doesn't understand why she's not having a good time and enjoying his new life along with him. "It's your party too, babe / come on for the ride" Because he can't see that he's only focused on himself and any relationship requires paying attention to the partner. I just celebrated my 10th anniversary and my husband and I lasted that long (so far!) because a day doesn't go by that we each don't do something to build our friendship, make the other's life easier, or continue the love affair. The image of water wearing away stone is brilliant. Nothing lasts forever if you just leave it and don't take care of it, no matter how solid it seems. The married artists I've met over the years who kept their families intact by ensuring their other half had a place in "the life". Some brought families on the road with them. Some had spouses playing a managerial role (No "Spinal Tap" jokes, please.) Others had spouses with enough backbone to set boundaries and followed their lead when they said, "That's enough. You've got to come off the road." Without that role, the marriage/partnership inevitably died.
Interesting ending with a refrain of "Bring on Tomorrow" - not hopeful this time but sad, even regretful.

Letter From a Fan/So Heavy, So High
We all know this is creepy as hell, so I'll just get that statement out of the way and we can move on with the analysis. But I will say after hearing this song all the way through the first time, I wanted to sleep with the lights on last night.
There is no way Barry could have performed this song himself. The point of the record is seeing these experiences through the character's eyes. If he had done "Letter" himself it would have been a 3rd person retrospective. Nataly Dawn captured the innocence of the fan's intentions beautifully. Even as the 3rd verse gets disturbing - for reasons that deserve their own post - the intentions and emotions are still innocent. They have no idea they've crossed the line because they don't know where the line is. Or even that there is a line. Or even that if they communicate these thoughts to the object of their affection that they will scare the living shit out of him. The scariest part of all is, we've all encountered someone like this. Many fans have even experienced some of these emotions to lesser degrees. No one can tell by looking who's just honestly enthusiastic and whose soul has been touched by the music, and who's going over the edge and is potentially dangerous.
What makes this track particularly brilliant is that it is merged in almost a medly with So Heavy, So High. Each of the songs on its own is just OK. But together they display the dichotomy that is the character's life. He's cracking under the pressure. He was able to handle the public scrutiny for a time but it wore him down. He's so innundated with the mental noise of being a public star that he can't even hear the little girl and her innocent letters.

This song needs its own post so I'll pause it there and pick it up when the rest of the main review gets out of my system.

I'll be back later tonight - enjoy for now!

15 Minutes - Really, I'm working on it

2011-06-14T10:49:00.000-04:00

Passed out from exhaustion last night before I got back to the 'puter.

I cracked it open at the same time the Gayle King interview came on.

Everyone interviewing Barry (Gayle King included) decries the paparazzi and how they hound these poor innocent people (but only the ones we find sympathetic.....) and how they invade entertainers' privacy... then launch into DOING THE EXACT SAME THING! Right after she goes in to how she doesn't have to deal with being hounded as much as her buddy Oprah, and how terrible it is that stars are being hounded, she starts asking Barry all of the personal questions that even an orangutan knows he isn't going to answer.

She asks how he's able to keep out of the public eye, then comments on how much research she's done, and makes Barry tell her "No, I'm not answering that."

Either these interviewers are really really stupid, or they're staging their questions deliberately to underscore the theme of the record. I still think it would be a great selling point to use Barry's own interviews about the record to promote the theme of it. The entertainment "news" industry is making it too easy.

This interview is definitely getting the Lightman Treatment from Pete when he gets home.

OK, getting to work on the real POV.

15 Minutes - POV in Progress

2011-06-13T21:45:00.000-04:00

Work has picked up, the kids are, well ... kids, and I would pay anything to get a day of quiet with the piles of paper on my desk magically squared away.

But instead, I got my Starz.bz preorder of 15 Minutes! That'll do!!!

But not just the new CD. When I opened the package, hidden behind the packing slip was an additional CD booklet - with Barry's autograph on it. So Barry, Chris, Garry and whoever else might have had a hand in that little surprise, thank you!! You made my day just as much as getting the CD itself.

There's pictures from today's CD signing at Radio City Music Hall too - check out Suzanne's blog at texasfanilow.blogspot.com

I'm taking a break from a project due tomorrow at lunch time to put together my "to do" list before I can sit and listen to this record in peace and do some serious (and sincere) mental gymnastics with it.

Cook dinner and deal w/ the dishes and kitchen (done)
Get the kids outside to play for a while (done)
Get toddler to bed (done)
Hand eldest and baby off to their father for him to deal with (done)
Pay bills and balance the checkbook (as done as it's going to get tonight)
Catch up on email, especially client questions (avoiding it like the plague, need to get the blog post off my chest first)
Put a big dent in and possibly finish the task on the group project due tomorrow (tools booted up, ready to rock)

Checklist for optimum appreciate of 15 Minutes
(Don't laugh, you only get a first listen once and we've all waited so long for Barry to create new music I want to make this one count)

Get that autograph behind glass so the kids don't get their grubby little mits on it.
Finish up as much work/housework/laundry as possible so my wonderful husband doesn't have anything to bitch about and thus, interrupt
Bottle of pinot noir (La Crema, Sonoma Valley, 2009)
Chocolate (Lindt 70% cacao, to go w/ the wine)
Extra pillows on the floor next to the fireplace in the bedroom
Candleabra lit in said fireplace.
Make sure the lock on the door works (I don't care if the baby is finally crawling, or how many times the toddler takes her diaper off, or if the eldest calculated the square root of pi. If get interrupted during this CD, someone had better be dying.)
Rip CD to iTunes, transfer to iPod, break out the good speakers.

Will see you back here soon....

Barry on "Extra"

2011-06-10T19:46:00.001-04:00

Direct Link

Missed this one because it didn't show up on my grid. Damn.

Stick around, there's a parade of videos coming from all of these appearances once my desk is clean(er) and I track them all down.

Enjoy!

Interview w/ Mario Lopez

"I've been up, I've been down...." Barry on George Lopez

2011-06-10T11:45:00.000-04:00

Direct link: http://youtu.be/gBrFMd_Wsas

The TV appearances just keep getting better and better. What this video doesn't show is the opening monologue where Lopez used a twitter question to sequence his guests via a ticket counter at a deli (or the DMV). Barry got into the act by holding the next ticket and having to wait in line. It was obvious everyone had a REALLY great time and it was worth it to me to lose an hour of desperately needed sleep to watch this live. Great performance of "Bring on Tomorrow" and Barry wasn't shoehorned into the last 5 minutes plus credits.

Never been a Lopez fan per se, but this was one great episode.

15 Minutes - Get Famous

2011-06-08T15:00:00.000-04:00

The Powers That Be just posted an update to the contest. You can enter from anywhere in the world (not just the US anymore). Get it in gear because you only have until 6/14 to enter.

Post a comment to troll for votes. A few submissions are already up so you can check out the competition. I'll come up with my own endorsement after some more ~~victims~~ entries appear.

In response to about a dozen emails, the answer is NO, I am not entering in the contest. I was tolerated in high school chorus and drama club. Today I only sing in church on Sunday because there, they have to forgive you. No one needs to hear that.

Who's next?

~~(Update from TPTB on Wednesday: ONE vote per person. No Chicago-style voting. Choose wisely!)~~

THE final update - you can vote more than once, up to 100 times per hour. Robo-voting will be of limited value, use your fingers. It's Chicago-style voting, full throttle.

CONTEST: Submit your video and win time onstage with Barry!

2011-06-06T16:13:00.001-04:00

This is going to be hilarious!!! I was going to post that I hope to see all the submissions somewhere but that was already taken care of. You can view and vote on the candidates.

Make sure when you sign up to use a legit email - you have to confirm your subscription before you can log in to the site.

So - who has the guts and (lack of?) pride to enter?? Leave a comment if you want loyal YBA-ers to vote on you.

The Sunday Conversation: Barry Manilow

2011-06-05T15:19:00.000-04:00

Barry Manilow's first album of original songs in a decade, "15 Minutes," hits stores June 14. The 67-year-old crooner is based in Las Vegas, where he's the resident headliner at the Paris Las Vegas.

Your new album, "15 Minutes" — everyone knows the reference, but what inspired it?

First of all, I've been having a wonderful run of luck with cover albums, songs I didn't write. I had five pop cover albums and two Christmas albums, and they were all very successful. But I did miss writing. So I looked around, and what I saw was a lot of young people becoming famous very quickly, overnight. I've done three "American Idols," and it was an amazing thing to watch these young talented people becoming household names within months. And I remember when I got hit with it, with "Mandy," that I was an adult. And yet when "Mandy" hit, it knocked me for a loop. It turned me into a person I didn't like.

Read the rest at The Los Angeles Times online

ALBUM SIGNING - Radio City, NYC

2011-06-03T16:08:00.000-04:00

From Barry's Facebook page today
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150291164884913

Get 15 MINUTES, Meet Barry, AND See Him in Concert at Radio City!
by Barry Manilow on Friday, June 3, 2011 at 12:16pm

Mark your calendar!

Barry will be at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Monday,
June 13 for an exclusive 15 MINUTES album signing! And, we want to
see you there!

The signing goes from 6 – 8 PM on the 13th. Upon arrival, you will be
able to purchase 15 MINUTES one day before the release day and have it signed in person by Barry!

Then, after Barry signs your album, you can walk (or crawl) over to
the Radio City box office. Why? Because they will be offering you
tickets to Barry’s upcoming shows on February 10, 11, and 12, 2012 at
Radio City! That’s right…….this is a sneak announcement about
upcoming concerts at Radio City…….and you’ll be the first ones able to get tickets……once you’ve had your CD signed…..and only at the Radio City Box Office.

So…you will leave with (1) a signed copy of 15 MINUTES and be able to have it before anyone else AND (2) you will leave with tickets in hand
to the February concerts…before anyone else! How cool is that?

In order for us to ensure that Barry has enough Sharpies and Radio
City has enough tickets printed, please let us know if you are going
to be attending. Shoot us a quick email at RadioCityJune13@gmail.com.

See you at Radio City!!!!!!!!

P.S. The BMIFC on-sale date will be after the 13th and will be
announced soon. Please stay tuned to the Hotline and facebook.com/
barrymanilow for the on-sale date.

If you go, post stories and pictures for those of us NOT making out of state trips any time soon. We have to live vicariously through you down here!

"One bathhouse. We played one bathhouse." Barry's Interview with Vanity Fair

2011-06-02T14:40:00.000-04:00

One of Barry's best interviews in a looooong time! I would LOVE to hear the audio of this interview.

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2011/06/barry-manilow-qa.html

Here are three things I didn’t know about Barry Manilow prior to conducting this interview: First, his fans are called “Fanilows,” and each and every one has beautifully feathered hair. (1) Only by you dweebs in the media and not by choice. (2) I gave up my "jersey mall hair" before I was married. Second, he didn’t write the song “I Write the Songs,” which makes it the third-least- accurate song title of all time, after Alanis Morissette’s “Ironic” and Madonna’s “Like a Virgin.” And third, Manilow’s new album, 15 Minutes—available everywhere (literally everywhere) on June 14—is his first original material in a decade. I honestly can’t say whether it’s more surprising that he took 10 years to make an album, Chinese Democracy–style, or that he isn’t churning out more Lite FM standard covers, Rod Stewart–style. I called Manilow to talk about 15 Minutes, and he picked up the phone in mid-laugh. His raspy chortle sounds eerily like a Bill Clinton impression. He began our conversation by asking what he’d have to do to get on the cover of Vanity Fair, and exactly how shirtless he’d have to be. (I'll bet this would involve a definition of "media slut" not previously signed off on by Stiletto's client. But just for grins you could always use that old 8x10 from the Bell records days that Jimmy Kimmel likes to have on hand)

Eric Spitznagel: This is your first album since 2001. What took you so long? Were you locked in your bedroom obsessing over every song like Brian Wilson?

Barry Manilow: No, I was just on a good roll with the cover albums. We started with the greatest songs of the 50s and then we did the 60s and the 70s and the 80s. My last one was the greatest love songs of all time. I got a Grammy nomination for it. So I didn’t want to stop it. It was an honor to sing those classic songs, but I missed writing my own material. I missed that part of making a record.

15 Minutes is a concept album based on Andy Warhol’s over-referenced quote about fleeting fame. Are any of these songs autobiographical?

I started out writing about a fictional character who wanted fame, got it, blew it—like so many of these young people do—and is starting over.
But as I wrote it, I realized that I had lived every experience in these songs, except I never went down as far as this guy does. I never had to pull myself up and start over. I actually got the idea for this record back when Britney Spears was being attacked by the paparazzi. Remember that year when they were driving her crazy?

The year she stopped wearing panties?

Yeah, all of that. I said to Nick, my co-writer, “Is that the price of fame? Is this what it’s become? They won’t leave you alone and you can’t have a life?” It was a lot different when I was coming up. There was no TMZ, and the paparazzi weren’t everywhere. You could have some privacy.

But in your defense, you never shaved your head or spent time in a psychiatric ward. That’s like chum in the water for tabloids.

Yeah, but fame got to me in other ways. I turned into a person that I didn’t like. These days, with American Idol and all the other reality shows, young people become famous overnight, and that can be very difficult to handle, the way photographers follow you around and study your every move. You say something stupid and the next morning you’re in the headlines. That never happened to me, but it happens all the time now.

You debuted the new album last week on QVC. That seems like a curious choice. Is it because the people who love “Weekend in New England” also love wholesale jewelry?

I never thought of it that way.

When I buy your album, will I also get a juicer?

[Laughs.] I don’t think so. QVC has been very good to me. They did the same thing for my last three albums. They let me come on the show and talk with the gal and sing a few songs off the new album. Then the public calls in and buys it if they like it, and if they don’t, the phone doesn’t ring. We’ve had very good fortune and we’ve broken a few sales records. I like doing it this way because really, how the hell do you sell a record these days anyway? There aren’t any more record stores! Where’s Virgin? Where’s Tower? Where are they?

I’m pretty sure they went out of business. You have heard about iTunes and Amazon, right?

I try to keep out of that. We’re releasing this album on my own label but we’re signed up with Universal, and they’ve got a lot of young people working for them. All those young people know the Internet. They live and breath the Internet. That’s how you sell a record these days, so I just trust them. I do what I can do. I’ll go on the morning shows and sing wherever I can. But that’s as much as I know how to do. I don’t know how to sell a record anymore.

Most artists work out the kinks on their new songs by playing them in concert. Will your audience let you get away with that, or do they start rioting if you don’t sing the hits?

I try to slip in one or two songs from the new album. It was easy with the last few, when we were doing the greatest hits of the 50s and 60s. The fans knew most of those songs anyway, so they weren’t as resistant.
On this album, I’m been playing the single “Bring On Tomorrow,” and it’s going over very well. They’re really loving it. If I keep getting this reaction, I may drop in another one from this album. But I have to respect the fact that they are there to hear the old hits. I don’t want them running down the aisles in the middle of a tune, heading to the lobby to get some orange juice from the concession. “Just give me two minutes!”

Are you sick of singing “Mandy” yet?

Noooo! Noooo!

Come on, Barry. It’s just you and me. Admit it, you hate that song.

Never! Never!

Well, what’s your least favorite song, the one you wish could be burned from our collective memories? “Copacabana,” maybe? “I Made It Through the Rain”?

I must say, now and again, something like “Looks Like We Made It” feels a little stale to me. When that happens, I take the song out of the show and give it about six months. Sure enough, when I sing it again, it feels fresh.

Do you ever mix it up with different arrangements or completely different lyrics? Maybe “Mandy” becomes a song about a transgendered man named Randy?

I can’t do it. I changed arrangements around and audiences hated it. They want to hear the original arrangement on the record that they bought when it was a hit. Don’t fuck with it now! Leave it alone!

I was shocked to find out you didn’t write “I Write the Songs.” When you sing it, do you ever think, I’m living a lie? (Every time someone says this I remember Barry joking around about it back in the first TV special in 1975 (76?) Better late than never catching up on the basics.)

No, because the song isn’t about me or anybody else. It’s about the spirit of music. The first line says, “I’ve been alive forever,” so it can’t be about me.

Or a vampire songwriter who’s lived for several centuries and drinks the blood of the innocent to fuel his muse.

That’s one interpretation. It’s not mine.

You may not have written “I Write the Songs,” but you have written dozens of commercial jingles, everything from “Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm Is There” to “I Am Stuck on Band-Aids.” Is that a creative muscle that disappears, or can you still knock off a jingle in your sleep?

It was never easy. Writing jingles was a very competitive field. You had to write the catchiest melody in 30 seconds or less and make it better than the other guy’s. I learned a lot about orchestration, about song structure and arrangement. I think State Farm still uses my jingle.

Have you heard the Weezer version of “Like a Good Neighbor”?

I haven’t. What’s their name? Weezer?

I had no clue the song had more verses than the “Like a good neighbor” part.

Oh yeah, I wrote a whole song. I really got into it. They only used a small part of it for the commercial, but it was a proper song.

Some of the lyrics are weirdly poignant. “We all hope the good times never leave us behind / We face our tomorrow with some peace of mind / No man has a promise of a life without care.”

That’s the one. I haven’t heard those lyrics in ages. That was nice.

You did the “You Deserve a Break Today” jingle for McDonald’s back in the 70s. If they asked, would you write a new commercial jingle for them?

I sure as hell would, man. I got two CLIO Awards a few years ago. You know what that is? The advertising awards? They found out that I’d written all those jingles so they gave me an award. I sat through their whole ceremony, and it doesn’t seem like people are making commercials with memorable melodies anymore. Some of them can be beautiful and very expensively produced, but they don’t have those jingles that you want to sing along with like they used to. I sat there and watched them pass out awards to all the new commercials, and there was nothing, at least nothing as catchy as “You Deserve a Break Today.”   (Probably because with the Internet this is a greater focus on visual communications rather than audio background.)

If McDonald’s were to pay you a large sum of money to write for a new commercial campaign, would you find a way to include the lyric “Sorry about the diabetes”?

You’re funny! Sure, I’ll try.

I read somewhere that when you met Bob Dylan, he hugged you and called you an inspiration. Are you sure he was being serious?

I wish I knew, but that’s what I remember him doing. We were at a Seder at Burt Bacharach’s place, and he walked right up to me and hugged me and said, “Don't stop what you’re doing, man. We're all inspired by you.” It was very important for me at the time, because those were the days when the critics were just killing me. They would have annihilated me if they had the chance.

I’m sorry, I’m still trying to digest the idea of you and Bob Dylan and Burt Bacharach at a Seder. (Why? How is that hard to imagine? Don't get it. The string of Christmas albums and stuff is harder to digest.)

Isn’t that great? Frank Sinatra also said a kind thing about me around that same time. Somebody asked him about me and he said, “He’s next.” That meant a lot. Despite what the critics were saying, I did what I could do and I made the most beautiful music I knew how to make.

Speaking of legends, you’re about to tie an Elvis Presley record, aren’t you? Seven years of performing in Las Vegas?

How about that? I’ve been having a great time. I did five years at the Las Vegas Hilton and now I’m on my second year at the Paris.

Do you have your eye on any other Elvis Presley records? How many peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches can you eat in one sitting?

What are you talking about? I’ll stick with the Vegas record. I only did it because I wanted to get off the road. The road is a young person’s gig. Now when I’m out on tour, all I can think about is coming home. I wasn’t done performing. I wasn’t done with my band. And I didn’t want to leave my crew. I had just had it with the road. I wanted to get away from the room service and the planes and the noise. Even with the Vegas show, my life is so full of noise. There’s the band behind me and the audience is in front of me. When it’s all over, I need to go home, where it’s peaceful and quiet.

Do you never feel nostalgic for the bathhouses you played with Bette Midler in the 70s?

One bathhouse. We played one bathhouse. (:::snicker:::)

Really? I thought you were touring bathhouses all over the country.

No, it was only ever that one bathhouse.

You’re starting to sound like a politician who got busted by his wife. “It was just one bathhouse, baby, I swear.”

[Laughs.] I played with Bette at the Continental Baths [in New York City]. They had a cabaret stage, and they hired me as the house piano player. They asked me, “Hey, do you want to play piano here full-time?” And I was like, “Sure, why not?” I played with all the acts that came through, all the singers. Bette was the best of them. She was the best one, so I stayed with her.

There’s an old show-business trick that if you ever get stage fright, just imagine that the audience is in their underwear. What do you do if your audience is dressed entirely in towels?   (Wait a couple of seconds and they'll take them off. Next...?)

That’s a great question. Personally, I don’t really get stage fright. And in any case, I wasn’t really the focus of attention during those shows. It was all about Bette. She was fucking brilliant. I mean it. You never saw anything like it. It topped anything Lady Gaga is doing today. And she did it without any stage tricks or fancy effects. It was just Bette and me and a drummer.   (OK, I was thinking up until now that the "Lady Gaga" mentions were just a passing fancy but I'm beginning to think it's a set part of the schtick, all but required when an interview is scheduled. I can just see Garry or Marc whispering into someone's ear or over the phone, "Look, if you want this scoop, you have to talk about Lady Gaga. Don't ask why, just do it or the meeting is off!")

Since you mentioned Lady Gaga, I feel like I should ask you about her, but I feel weird about it.

What’s to feel weird about?

Why would you care about Lady Gaga? She’s so different from you aesthetically, and from a different generation. Asking you about her feels like asking my mom to explain how e-mail works. It’s just mean. (HA!)

I love Lady Gaga! I think I was the first guy on my block to discover her. You’d be surprised by what’s on my iPod.

Tell me what you like about Gaga. Are you a fan of the music, the alien-Egyptian-dominatrix costumes, the sacrilegious videos?

I think it’s the whole package that really impressed me. She has such an individualistic style. I was sold on that from the beginning. Later I realized that on top of everything, she’s a good musician and a great singer. That was it, that’s what sold me. This girl is the real deal.
During your show at the Paris in Las Vegas, do you, at any point, get hatched out of a gigantic egg?

It’s a little different. I come out of a Gefilte fish. (I double dog dare you!!! Do you have a show on April 1 next year? Work it in!)

This is a race with TexasFan

2011-05-26T21:19:00.000-04:00

So we're each watching Barry debut 15 Minutes on QVC and tweeting back and forth about how incredible this record is going to be. We're hearing a few cuts, though not all of the record. So the great question is, can we wait until we have the actual CDs in our hot little hands before we blog on it?

Ummmm..... no.

So we're in a race to see who can blog first.

If you missed the QVC debut, stop and kick yourself NOW. After "Bring On Tomorrow" runs its course on radio, I say make "Work the Room" the follow up single. If you don't tell the station manager's that it's Barry, they won't realize it until you point it out to them. It's that different for him but he makes it work. Which is not a shock to anyone who can tell the difference between an average project and one he's got his heart in. Where has this record been all my life??

BTW, according to his post on Twitter, Garry Kief is going to contribute $1 for every CD sold on QVC to Sig Ep Foundation. So preorder now and make him break out the checkbook a couple of times!

(Damn, TexasFan just beat me. Aw hell.)

Trying to be cool until 6/14.

Video PR for 15 Minutes Begins

2011-05-24T20:16:00.000-04:00

All of these were given from the same remote location (NYC?) And be ready to block a ton of ad cookies. This is why I rarely frequent TV News websites.

Barry Manilow comments on new album

From "Good Day LA"
Someone wake me when a talking head can interview Barry without using the word "fanilow" in the first 5 seconds.

From Fox affiliate, Tampa Bay, FL

Warning: lousy video stream server-side. But better interview.

Looks like he's making the rounds of the "Good Day" circuit. Easy format and it works. If he was on "Good Day Atlanta", I missed it. :-(

Now from WGN...

Nice tie-in with the city and Barry's early history. Best of the bunch.
No musical. Shit.

DVR ALERT - The Joy Behar Show tomorrow night at 10 PM (ET) in advance of the QVC presentation. Check your cable/satellite/whatever listings.

And if you REALLY can't wait, QVC.com is taking orders and includes the famous "bonus disc". (Yeah, I'm a sucker for that too.)

Have fun, kids!

Lots o' Tasty Goodies from 15 Minutes!!!

2011-05-23T00:58:00.000-04:00

Listen to 30-second clips of all of the tracks on 15 Minutes!

Even a few clips lay out the story. This is good.

Barry's been telling the story of what is going to be in this record for months (years?) Even the clips have an intimacy to them that I don't think any fan has seen/heard before. I can think of a half-dozen records and singles that talk about fame as an entertainer. I've had Joe Walsh's "Life's Been Good To Me" stuck in my head for a while. ("It's hard to handle this fortune and fame. / Everybody's so different I haven't changed.")

But every other song that has been recorded about fame always takes an objective view, like someone trying to explain what they've learned or describing it for someone on the outside looking in. 15 Minutes is like looking through the eyes and feeling through the heart of a person dealing with these experiences as they happen. That takes a few things the average joe doesn't have, even if they're successful in music:

1) They've had to have had that sudden "big bang" of major success.
2) They've had to have survived the fall. There's always a fall, whether it's hard, or whether you roll with it depends on the individual.
3) They have to have enough mental stability to look back on the ride without losing their minds either to insanity or drugs/alcohol.
4) They have to be able to find the words to describe how they felt at each step of the way - high and low - concise enough to fit the hook and make it rhyme. This is harder than it sounds. Most songwriters will lose something in the translation. It's a special type of gift to be able to get the WHOLE point across without losing anything. By comparison in literature, think C. S. Lewis and the Chronicles of Narnia. It's similar to that.
5) Finally, they have to have the balls to do all of the above with all of the brute-force honesty they probably aren't used to getting themselves.

First impressions before I get to sink my fangs into the entire CD when it's released:

I cannot WAIT to hear the rest of "Work the Room".
I have never worn yellow to a show - ANYONE'S show - and I don't intend to start now.

I think this record is going to be genius.

More: "Bring on Tomorrow" live from Vegas.
That's got to be why this song grabbed me so much. Over the past few months our family has started to feel that the worst of some tough times were over. You can't help but smile about it.

More Conversations:

The four shows at the 02 in London were better than any of us could have ever dreamed they would be. The huge and wild audiences in front of us and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra behind us was surreal. I never wanted the shows to end. Thanks to everyone who was there.

And now, here we go!

The single "Bring On Tomorrow" comes out in America this week. The album in a few weeks.

Just send Garry out to the newsgroup or something with marching orders, we'll do what we can to help it along.

Creating "15 Minutes" has been such a fulfilling experience. Working with such great musicians, and with Michael, Marc, Garry, Nick, and getting so much encouragement from everyone who has heard it, is so great, that sometimes I wish we didn't have to release it to the reviewers, and the charts, and the radio, etc!

I felt the same way right before "2:00 AM - Paradise Cafe" was released - and right before "Here At The Mayflower" was released.

It shows. I've said this, you've heard it elsewhere, even a novice like me can hear the difference between a project that your heart and soul are poured into, and one you're doing either for the paycheck or to fulfill a contract. 15M is obviously the former. In my not so humble but still embarrassingly amateur opinion, this will blow Paradise and Mayflower out of the water, even as great as they were.

I bet every artist feels like this right before they show their work to the world. It must be like what parents feel like when they show off their newborns.

Bingo. Especially the first one. I just happen to not do it on Facebook. Too many weirdos interested in pictures of kids. >:-P And not just when their kids are born, there's ultrasounds and the new baby stuff. I'm on my third and the house is wall-to-wall kid crap and we're just screaming from the rooftops about school and preschool and when the hell is the baby going to crawl. So if it's on that level, I can relate.
All you can do is create the most beautiful work you can create and hope for the best.

If your heart and soul are there, you don't have to hope. I think you already know that tho. ;-)

Thanks to everyone on line who has been so enthusiastic about the album. We have all been floating on your positive posts.

They're all true. Can't speak for anyone else but if it sucked I would have said nothing. I'm not going to shut up about this one. Hope you don't mind.
Now wish us luck everyone................Here we go !

Dude, just promise us one thing, OK? Don't work *so* hard at it that you get yourself sick or injured. Pace yourself, OK? It's not good PR if you wear yourself out to the point you can't do a show. It can't be worth it for you in the long run so try to be reasonable. Try. 'K? Please?

But if your PR schedule allows a lot of people would be thrilled if you dragged your happy ass back to the ATL. Florida is not the same thing and it's been 3 years.

And if my regulars are still here and you live anywhere near the northeast, consider yourselves lucky you have tickets to shoot for in the morning. Niters!

Now It's For Real (15 Minutes)

2011-05-03T20:52:00.001-04:00

BARRY MANILOW TO RELEASE ALL ORIGINAL
NEW ALBUM ENTITLED 15 MINUTES

Guitar-Driven Pop Album Explores Fame’s Double-Edged Sword

(MAY 3, 2011—LOS ANGELES, CA)

15 MINUTES, the first original album from singer-songwriter Barry Manilow, is set to be released on June 14th.

Manilow is releasing 15 MINUTES through the independent label STILETTO Entertainment and in partnership with FONTANA, the award-winning independent marketing and sales company of UNIVERSAL Music Group.

More than two years in the making, Manilow teams up once again with lyricist Enoch Anderson for this latest work.

After having recorded six critically acclaimed albums of songs written by the greatest songwriters of all time – from Gershwin to Bacharach, as well as two Platinum Christmas albums, Manilow returns at last to his true passion –songwriting.

Inspired by the Andy Warhol quote that “In the future, everybody will be world famous for fifteen minutes,” this exciting guitar-driven pop album explores the perils and pinnacles of fame’s double-edged sword.

“Fame and success are something we all strive for, and yet when we get it how do we behave? That question jumps out at us daily from magazine covers, TV news and online gossip sites. In my world of entertainment, I’ve watched perfectly decent and talented people achieve the success they’ve been striving for only to crash and burn as their star rises. It happens in every walk of life, not only in the entertainment field; in sports, in politics and in daily life when the assistant manager gets promoted at the grocery store. It’s something that continues to fascinate us, and for me it represented an interesting musical journey to explore,” explained Manilow.

“There are very few things that you can count on in life, and one of them is Barry Manilow delivering an incredibly soulful, dynamic and reflective album like 15 MINUTES,”stated Ron Spaulding, President of Fontana. “Songs in this collection are quintessential Barry, soaring vocals and true craftsmanship. We’re delighted to be playing a part in the next chapter of his already storied career.”

Making a guest appearance on 15 MINUTES is young Nataly Dawn, lead singer of the white-hot group “Pomplamoose.” Her rendition of “Letter From A Fan” is both innocent and eerie.

Manilow is scheduled to debut 15 MINUTES during a very special QVC® Presents Q Sessions Live broadcast on Thursday, May 26 at 8pm (ET). QVC will be among the first to offer this new album, which will feature a special bonus disc of additional tracks.

15 MINUTES, produced by Manilow and Michael Lloyd is a captivating tale of someone who achieves fame, blows it and begins again. 15 MINUTES is being released by STILETTO Entertainment and distributed by Fontana in association with the Universal Music Group as part of a multi-product partnership.

Track List:

1. 15 Minutes

2. Work The Room

3. Bring On Tomorrow

4. Now It’s For Real

5. Wine Song

6. He’s A Star

7. Written In Stone

8. Letter From A Fan / So Heavy, So High

9. Everybody’s Leavin’

10. Who Needs You?

11. Winner Go Down

12. Slept Through The End Of The World

13. Reflection

14. Trainwreck

15. 15 Minutes (Reprise)

16. Everything’s Gonna Be All Right

###

15 Minutes

2011-04-29T13:34:00.000-04:00

The intro from The Man Himself

Whatever you're dreaming it's no longer on hold

2011-04-21T01:43:00.000-04:00

OK, I've had one of those spells where every afternoon I think, "I'll sleep when I'm dead." It's killing me that I missed some of "They Write the Songs" and I have a ton of catching up to do on ManilowTV. Seriously, the BBC series - for you guys over at TPTB office, 'cause I know you're going to read this in about 20 seconds - if these episodes were available via podcast or CD, so help me I'd buy them on the spot. It's just been insane and unless I'm working I can't be tied to the computer. And I've been doing too little work at my desk as it is.

I'm just glad to see the light at the end of the tunnel with the new record. Here's the latest "conversation". The original post is on Facebook.

Lots of people are wondering what label “15 Minutes” is going to wind up on. Here’s the final information about this:
My long tenure with Arista and the genius Clive Davis is over.
What a ride it’s been. I will forever be grateful to this man for all the support and love he has given me. If you only knew how hard he’s worked and dedicated he is to me and my career, nobody would ever say one negative word about him. I have been the grateful recipient of this man’s genius. And I will never, ever be able to thank him enough.

It almost seems that you feel bad about that. I wouldn't, if I were you. Birds gotta fly, fish gotta swim. Entertainment collaborations that last for that many years are few and far between. Besides, we know you can do a lot more than the covers records and it's high time to kick the world's ass with it.

Before I began writing “15 Minutes”, my goal was to release the CD on my own label and sign with a major distributor who could get the album out to everyone.
And that is exactly what is happening.
In the United States, the album will be released by STILETTO Entertainment and will be distributed by Fontana Distribution and the Universal Music Group.

Your best work was always done when you were given the liberty to plant yourself in the driver's seat. Paradise Cafe and Swing Street and Mayflower are proof of that. I grabbed "Bring on Tomorrow" as soon as the guys in the office (Chris?) put it on your website. You made that trademark "Manilow ballad build" really work and I can imagine how it fits in with the story based on the song titles already. You've got nothing to prove, and nothing to lose. Do you have any idea how free you are on this project???
As for me, I will once again become the “media slut”! I will say ‘yes’ to any station that is interested in helping me to promote the album. I’m even interested in going on The Weather Channel if that’s what it will take! (Not really The Weather Channel, but you know what I mean).

No one's stopping you from visiting the ATL again. Last time was 2008. No one has forgotten. At least it will be summer and the ice won't slow things down. Seriously, do a jazz club date, use a pseudonym, see who shows up, it would be classic! That appearance would make the news the next day. Just don't do Channel 11, the NBC affiliate. You might get stuck in a rotten interview with someone like that loudmouth cow, NeNe. No, she's not really a housewife, yes, she's bigger than you are, a lousy interviewer and the type of person most normal humans wouldn't share space with, even at gunpoint. But any other venue in town, I'd be there on the spot.

QVC has been very supportive and generous to me, so that’s where we’ll start.
My band and I have been rehearsing a presentation of the songs from
“15 Minutes” and I think it’s sounding pretty great.

Bring it! I hope you're bringing a sampling of different songs and different styles. We've always known you can do it, we're just waiting for you to make the decision.
Stay tuned for announcements about other appearances.
Thanks for all of your interest in this new adventure.

Are you kidding?
Almost forgot - you're thinking of making this into a musical, aren't ya???Here we go again!
Barry

Didn't know where to fit this so I'm sticking it at the end. Here's why the classic ballad buildup works for me on "Bring On Tomorrow". When you go to the movies or watch TV at every big climactic turning point, there's something loud, like an explosion or other noise, and the London Philharmonic blaring in the background. Real life isn't like that. Whenever you have a big realization or breakthough, or back when I was drawing a regular salary, a major discovery, it always seems so quiet. This huge thing just happens, you just realize it, and for a few magical moments you're the only one who knows. The big build is between your ears until you're able to make your face move and tell someone. So now I'm really dying to see what's on either side of that song.

OT - RIP, Ms Taylor

2011-03-23T18:02:00.000-04:00

My favorite role of hers was as Kate in Zefferelli's adaptation of Taming of the Shrew. It was the one Shakesperian play that I read for enjoyment, not just because my English teacher was holding my grade over my head.

Anyone else see this? Anyone else think it was no accident that Richard Burton played Petruchio? Anyone else think the "will you, nill you, I will marry you" sequence wasn't acting? Rather just reciting the lines during one of their usual fights?

Whatever it was, it was a great performance.

They Write the Songs

2011-03-15T22:38:00.000-04:00

Thanks to whoever it was on the alt newsgroup who reminded me about this radio series on the BBC. Hard to get the time straight with the time zone difference anyway.

Anywho, no commentary on these. Not because I don't love hearing Barry's expertise, but because I'm going to do myself a favor, sit down, shut up, crack open my brain and my ears and hopefully learn something from someone who knows more about music than I could hope to learn in several lifetimes.

I'll post the links as they pop up. No guarantees as to how long they will be available so get them while you can.

Gershwin edition: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00zczf9/They_Write_the_Songs_George_Gershwin

Bring On Tomorrow

2011-03-14T11:21:00.000-04:00

First single from the new record 15 Minutes

Get your download here. Feed your iPod. Keep your music library happy and it will keep you happy.

This song is a great teaser. My usual overanalysis to come after the kids are in bed.

MUAH! Thanks Barry and TPTB for starting the week off right!

Starting Again

2011-03-12T20:26:00.000-05:00

It's a good feeling to have so much stuff to catch up with. Here's the first go-round.

Hi everyone

Hope you all had a great New Year’s Eve.
Now and then I think back to those wild New Year's Eve shows that we used to do at Radio City in New York and at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles. They were such fun.

The Florida gigs were very exciting. If you were there – thanks for coming. Being accompanied by Florida’s Charlotte Symphony Orchestra was thrilling. They were so good, I nearly stopped singing and just listened to them!

Feel free to put some of those on ManilowTV. You were so close and yet so far. Not able to take out of state trips for a while. But I know there were a lot of happy people in Florida. Congrats!

Thanks for the nice things some of you wrote about the shows and the great photos too.

The shows at Paris Las Vegas keep getting more and more exciting. We rehearsed a new batch of songs for the show and I’ll be including them now and then. For this show, it’s very difficult to just choose a song and drop it in the way I’ve done at the Hilton or on tours. This magnificent production is so dependent on production (lights, video, moving parts of the stage) that it’s really impossible to just throw in a song here and there without the possibility of people getting hurt. So whenever I want to throw in a new song, it takes hours and hours to re-do lights and all the moving parts. But this week we spent three days inserting songs and they look and sound great.

Is the show that complicated that you can't do more than one version for exactly this scenario? If you have different songs or sequences you want to include on occasion or just want to switch it up once in a while, how about just rehearsing different versions of the show? No, I have no idea what I'm talking about, just throwing it out from how it looks in the audience.

Michael (Lloyd), my co-producer and I are done with the “15 Minutes” album. Fifteen original songs by Enoch Anderson and me with a very current idea – Fame…Can You Take It?
Here’s the liner notes that will be included with the credits of the album:

Fame... Can You Take It?

That’s the question jumping out at us daily from magazine covers, TV news, and online gossip sites. In my world of entertainment, I’ve watched perfectly decent and talented people achieve the success that they’ve been striving for, only to crash and burn as their star rises.

But it happens in every walk of life, not only the entertainment field. It happens in politics, in sports and in daily life when the assistant manager at the grocery store gets promoted.

Fame. Success.

When and if we get it, how do we handle it? Gratefully and inspiringly – or do we choose to go the other way and treat people badly and ourselves destructively?

This original album of songs, written by myself and the brilliant Enoch Anderson, tells the story of someone who wants fame, gets it, blows it and begins again.

Will he make better choices the second time around?

Who knows if he will? That’s for another album.

I hope you enjoy this album. Maybe you’ll see yourself in it. I do.

Barry Manilow

This is a great intro. It's even more timely now for the population at large because of the growth of the internet - Facebook, websites, blogs (like this one), YouTube - and "reality" TV, where people put all of their business on TV. People believe the line of shit show producers sell them, as well as their own fantasies, that all of their problems will be solved if they become famous by any means necessary. You know better than anyone who reads this blog that none of that is true. I wonder - was it ever frustrating talking to fans or whoever in the public who seem to think they know all about your life and think it's perfect and they really didn't have any idea?

The release date remains somewhere between March and May. Stay tuned.

Feel free to narrow that down some. I'm listening to your little stint on Chris Evans as I type this and I'm working on my next commentary. Yes it's good, make sure you stop by. As usual, more analysis, more questions. I seriously want to hear the rest of this record.

I also wanted to let you know that we lost one of our two beloved pups on New Year’s Eve. She was only five. It’s killing all of us, the family, the band, the crew, the singers. Terrible. Please donate to your local animal shelter.

I am really sorry to hear this. I understand. I'm more a cat person and one time we had 3 in the house. I had to make the call to put down the oldest about 3 years ago when she showed the first stage of multi-organ failure. My husband didn't think I had the guts to do it. My eldest daughter was only 2 at the time and didnt' understand why Mommy was trying not to cry and telling her to "say goodbye to kitty". We had a great vet - they all signed a sympathy card for the family. Point is, I understand and my heart goes out to you.

Until next time,

Ditto

Love,
Barry

YBA

We Now Return You to Our Regularly Scheduled Program, Already In Progress

2011-03-12T19:07:00.000-05:00

I'm back! The crisis known as life is past and I can finally take a break and get back to what's important.

The drought is over, hell has frozen and we have new material to discuss!

Stay tuned!

MUAH!!!

It Is Impossible for Anyone to Exactly Discuss Someone's Music

2011-02-06T15:44:00.000-05:00

WHAT??? Have you been on the Internet lately??? That's all anyone does is discuss music!

Not exactly. And here's why....

Music, more than any other art form, is more a creative exercise of the heart and soul, than of the mind. The musician compiles something based on what's in their own soul. I've met a number of musicians who sit wringing their hands when they release their record or single or MP3 or whatever it is, based on the decade, waiting for the responses. (Disclaimer: I'm talking about people I've met personally. I have no idea if Barry fits this description, I've never met the man.)

There are all kinds of responses. Some truly love what they hear. Some will say they love it without really paying attention because they love the musician's image, and/or are trying to suck up to him. Some hate it, but are afraid to say so; they are concerned that anything not gushingly positive will hurt the musician's feelings, or will get an outraged flood of emails in their box. Some hate it and say so with gusto. A few others are unfazed; you couldn't pay them enough to give a shit.

Some of these guys hear the responses and think, "Wait, that's not what I wrote! Where are they getting this? They're describing something totally wrong!"

They're half right. The part that's right is the listeners are not responding to what they wrote. They're responding to what they heard. When someone hears a new piece of music they have no choice but to bring a part of themselves to it - what they hear is a combination of the creation and their own experiences. The music becomes something new for each person who hears it.

So when someone genuinely loves a piece of music, the musician found a way to connect with them on an emotional level that a lot of people can't. That's why some of the most personal songs (the ones almost too personal to release) are the most successful. Think "Faithfully" from Journey (never intended to be released) or Barry's "All the Time" - a song that dares to spell out isolation and vulnerability in terms most people are afraid to admit.

On the other hand, if someone hates a piece of music, you can't blame the musician for that, necessarily. No one has any control over the experiences that each person brings to the listening. So if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. You also can't blame the listener for not parotting back what the musician was thinking, or intended. Two different souls hear (feel?) two different things.

The ultimate in a musician connecting with an audience - whether they love the creation or hate it - is if it inspires the listener to create something in response. Look around - YouTube videos, blogs (including this one), karaoke (including the American Idol auditions, which I'm being subjected to as I type this....). Even if the response is critical, or "negative" as some of my musical acquaintances call it, it's still an inspired response. I don't know how many times I had to say it, "Look you got a reaction out of them! Most times they wouldn't care!" It doesn't seem to help but it is the truth.

With the Internet, said musicians can see the writing or video or other "inspirations". How many times do they think, "Geez, is THAT what they got from what I did???"

And the cycle repeats.

Big Fun...!

2011-02-06T13:42:00.000-05:00

It looks like Fifteen Minutes is really going to happen and soon!
How about getting a few clips out to the public and REALLY get some buzz going???
(I'm volunteering!)

From Barry's Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/barrymanilow )
compiled via the newsgroup

From Barry's Facebook page:
Today, Barry invited his management team, agents, BMIFC staff, and

friends to a special listening party of FIFTEEN MINUTES in Hollywood,

CA.
Here is what some of the attendees said about the new album after they

heard it:

“WOW! Not what I was expecting…I can’t wait to hear it again!”
“I was so excited to hear an album of Barry’s with all new and

original songs. It’s energetic and daring, it’s a fantastic pop album

that is sure to be a hit!”
“It’s not often these days you get to listen to a whole record and

enjoy every song… this was one of those records, hands down”
“The album’s story is so very real…I was emotionally invested

throughout!”
“Immensely creative and incredibly relevant to today's world of

celebrity.”
"I kept getting goose bumps! Sometimes it was a touching lyric,

sometimes from a beautiful melody, sometimes from a powerful guitar

solo. I loved that there were so many different elements to the songs,

I was constantly being surprised."

You Rang?

2011-02-01T22:42:00.000-05:00

Time got away from me these holidays so my traditional sappy New Years post is going to come on Groundhog Day after General Beauregard Lee looks for his shadow. I figured I had to get back on the bandwagon after my visitor log showed some old friends stopping by that I hadn't seen in a while. (You know who you are, you left-coasters, you.)

I had a hard time looking at the feedback from Barry's Florida shows. So near and yet so far. I couldn't help crossing the line from happy for the people who got to go to green with jealousy. Best fan synopsis was by Peachy: http://peachysplace.blogspot.com/2011/01/helloooooo-jacksonville.html

And regarding certain "other" reviews.....
First, please see my original post from WAAAAAAYYYY back when I started the blog.
The Critics
Second, when I see wholesale stupidity in the name of entertainment journalism, I think back to when I was a teenager. As a kid, I went to science fiction conventions with my Dad who was a part-time rare book dealer. (Not those "media" cons that center around TV shows and movies, we're talking real science fiction by serious writers of the golden age.) Major authors gave talks, fielded questions, etc. I got to meet Isaac Asimov a few times at these gatherings. He liked putting on a show, so I learned to prefer to see him from a distance. He was a five-star pervert, I was a fifteen-year-old girl. Enough said.

Anywho, like any great artistic creator, there was always a time when someone panned him. It seems no matter how great an artistic creation, or how esteemed the track record, you're going to get the occasional Bronx cheer from some douche who Just. Doesn't. Get. It. Asimov was no exception. My favorite quote of his was his stock response to those who created negative reviews. I recreated it as a calling card below. I strongly recommend having something like this made up in fine linen stationery, engraved ink, matching envelopes, and distribute where necessary. Gets the point across and feels classy at the same time.

Just got done seeing February's installment of Manilow TV. Hey, it's going to be a while before I see a live show so this is what I've got. Not to beat a dead horse, but the "Sinatra" album release party was nothing short of orgasmic. I could live on bread and water and that type of show. Barry puts his heart into a performance but the Sinatra record, Paradise Cafe, Mayflower, all show a completely different part of that same heart that doesn't come out as much in the shows showcasing his own hits. Dont' know the word - it's just different. All the more infectious.

Have a great week, kids. Try to stay warm and/or dry if you're on the east coast anywhere.

LIVE FROM OSLO

2010-12-12T18:27:00.001-05:00

Courtesy of assorted posters in Europe who got the footage of the Nobel Peace Prize concert on YouTube.
For as long as TPTB allow it to stay. (Come on guys, make an exception for this, OK? Please? The world won't end and more will see the HUGE impact Barry's music has made at yet another level.)

(I KNEW IT!!! I KNEW HE WOULD SING THIS ONE!!!)
Barry's the master of arranging. This presentation in this setting are the ultimate. Nothing is going to beat this version. I don't want to say retire it, but every performance from now on will be compared to this one.

Dammit. You sonofabitch.... I said in posts before that I wasn't going to let you make me cry and now I'm crying. Shit. You win. ;-)

Gotta lighten up a little bit. What good is hope and freedom without joy and fun for the helluvit? This would have been a good time to reinstate the random duet.

Barry, I wonder how many times when you were making these "commercial" songs written by someone else you wondered what the point was. From a Chinese dissident winning the greatest honor bestowed on this planet, to the misfits on the alt.newsgroup and the blogs (like this one....) telling stories of how a song or two turned their lives around, every note made a difference. Our little fan stories may not be as great an honor as the concert you gave here, but it still meant the entire world to each of us. Even if it was just a simple commercial song or yet another typical show that you didn't think much of at the time.

So now that you've performed in honor of the Nobel Peace Prize, do you believe us now???

Here's more....

More Conversations

2010-12-09T20:51:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone

Well, I’m alive!!

:-)

This horrible flu/bronchitis/head cold was a real big one. It’s gone through the band and crew like wildfire. It’s going through all the shows in Vegas. Even Donnie and Marie had to cancel their show.

Doesn't surprise me in the least. Those resorts are petri dishes, I swear. The older ones are the worst. I have come home with something every time I stayed at the Hilton. I won't set foot in the Sahara.

On Thursday, I came in especially to light and stage the new Christmas segment with Chris Medvitz, my media/lighting designer.

Keely and a few of my crew told me that during the two weeks between Paris weekends, they were in bed feeling awful.

The whole country has it. I won't bore (or sicken) you with the details of what it was like when three kids in the same house catch the same bug with different results.

But I was feeling fine all day Thursday. On Friday, I was still okay and started run-through’s with the adorable children’s choir from the schools in Vegas.

At 5:30 I did the very last run through with the kids and as I got to the last few notes of “Because It’s Christmas” I could feel my chest and vocal chords tighten up.

Within one hour –ONE HOUR- I had 102 degree fever, and I could barely speak, no less sing.

I will do anything not to cancel a show. I have performed with fever, flu, broken toes, death in the family, hurting hips – but if bronchitis hits a singer, there’s nothing to be done.

Two doctors said to me: “Barry. Go home.”

Ya didn't listen to the first one, did you? He had to call in reinforcements to get you to rest?

So, feeling horrible Jewish Guilt, I canceled the show. And the entire weekend.

Just like when I passed on my "Vegas Bug" to my eldest and she came down with walking pneumonia. Excet that was Catholic Guilt. Same guilt, different holidays.

I want to apologize to all those people who planned on seeing our show. I am so sorry I had to cancel that weekend.

When you're sick, you're sick and since no one wants to watch you barf or pass out on stage, an apology isn't necessary. But it's nice to hear it and the words mean a lot to those who had to miss you.

We all came back and did last weekend, but by the way, half of the band and crew are still suffering with this nasty strain of flu. Thanks everyone, for understanding.

I read that BMI printed the titles to the songs on Fifteen Minutes. The only titles that are part of Fifteen Minutes are the songs that were written by Enoch Anderson and myself.

Hey, we need something to chew on until the big unveiling. Do you blame us?

The album is moving along. Very exciting.

Speaking of albums, Sony in Australia, is releasing a CD of all of my duets over the years. Listening to them all back to back is very entertaining and pretty powerful. From singing with Sarah Vaughan on “Blue” to Bette Midler on “Slow Boat To China” to Lily Tomlin on “The Last Duet”. The list goes on and on and it’s such an honor to have been able to write, arrange and sing with these great talents. I hope you like this CD.

Any chance it will hit iTunes in the USA? Or maybe on starz.bz as an import? "Slow Boat to China" is my favorite in that list.

And by the way, the duet with Elaine Paige is out and I think it’s great. A beautiful song (“The Prayer”) and Elaine is just wonderful on it. I loved singing the song and singing with her.

I finished doing a very interesting project last week.

The BBC2 in Britain offered me to host my own series about great composers of the Great American Songbook. I’m calling it “They Write The Songs”.

Ten weeks. Tuesdays at 10:00PM.

Each week I talk about the life of a great composer – Leonard Bernstein, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, etc. – play their music sung by great vocalists and play and sing now and then as I describe why their songs are different and lasting.

It was like writing a thesis on each composer, but I learned so much about these talented men who gave us some of the greatest songs ever.

It begins airing in the U.K. and on line in March. If you can find BBC2, check it out. I love it.

This is going to be great! For the Yanks, bookmark this and listen online: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/ Someone post when they go up, 'K?
I'm glad you're into these types of shows. I listened to your stint on "Desert Island Discs" as many times as I could before it was pulled from the BBC site. I can't tell whether you were just talking or trying to teach the crowds something more about music than they (we) casually here, but I learned a lot from it. In your book you talk a lot about Laura Nyro and well..... I had no f*cking idea what you were talking about. On the radio when you're describing what you liked and why, and the impact the music had on you, it made a lot more sense. I can hear why she's one of your favorites. I don't have the words, they probably exist, but it's something that even someone like me can hear. Because of the music you made, new worlds opened up to me and others like me who otherwise wouldn't pay attention to these types of music that are outside of the mainstream.

Have a great holiday, everyone and thanks for another wonderful year.

Same to you - especially that last part. I think you're in Oslo now for the Nobel Prize presentation. (Or lack of presentation. We'll be perched by the news seeing how that plays out.) Congrats also on the Grammy nomination! You've gotten so many is it something that becomes routine? Or that you get tired of? Or is it still exciting when your name is on the list in the press release?

Just got an email from your people at Stiletto about your performing at the Grammys as well. Not that you need any ideas but these "insider" type of shows would get a good response on Manilow TV. Somehow it's easy to imagine that you perform differently for your peers and other "industry people" than you do for the average fan audience.

We're not going to forget about "Fifteen Minutes". If your heart is in that work the way it was in "Paradise Cafe" or "Mayflower" it will be incredible. That's the way it always is with your music. I know you're not going to "rest" so I'll just say I hope you have a good holiday season (whatever you're celebrating) with family and friends.

Love,
Barry

YBA

Giving Thanks Down Under

2010-11-24T15:44:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of TPTB via Hotline.
There's going to be a lot of happy Australians in April! Great deal, considering "tours" allegedly don't happen anymore. Whoever's going, make sure to post your story somewhere!

After 15 years, Barry is returning to Australia with his brand new orchestra show!

Starting on 7 April, Barry, his band, and singers will be travelling to various cities in Australia and performing with local orchestras in each city. That’s right…Barry…his band…his singers…60 musicians….all of the hits….and you!

Here is the complete schedule:

Brisbane
Performing with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Thursday 7 April 2011 - Brisbane Entertainment Centre

Sydney
Performing with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Saturday 9 April 2011 - Sydney Acer Arena

Melbourne
Performing with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Monday 11 April 2011 - Rod Laver Arena

Adelaide
Performing with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
Wednesday 13 April 2011 - Adelaide Entertainment Centre

Perth
Performing with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra
Saturday 16 April 2011 - Perth Sandalford Estate

BMIFC members always get the first chance to buy the best seats in the house before they are available to the general public. BMIFC Tickets are available on Wednesday, December 1 at 12 PM (Eastern Australia – Sydney) and 9 AM (Western Australia – Perth) and Tuesday, November 30 at 5 PM (Pacific – Los Angeles). BMIFC tickets are only available by calling 0011-1-310-957-5788 or going to www.starz.bz/bmifc.

Front Row tickets will also be available on December 1 ONLY at http://www.frontrowmanilow.com/!

Barry can’t wait to see all of his Australian friends and share this incredible new concert with them!

So, don’t delay, grab your great seats before they are available to the public!

See you down under!

All it Takes is One Voice

2010-11-17T21:48:00.000-05:00

From the Washington Examiner:

Manilow, Jamiroquai to perform at Nobel peace concert

Associated Press

11/16/10 6:21 PM EST OSLO, NORWAY — Barry Manilow and Jamiroquai have joined the lineup of artists to perform at the annual Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo.

Organizers say Indian musician A.R. Rahman, who did the score for "Slumdog Millionaire," will also feature in the Dec. 11 show honoring this year's peace laureate, imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo.

Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington will host the concert, which is always held a day after the prize ceremony.

Previously announced performers include British pop band Florence and the Machine, U.S. pop singer Colbie Caillat, pianist Herbie Hancock and singer-songwriter Elvis Costello.

A quick bio of Liu Xiaobo

"One Voice" and "Let Freedom Ring" are the obvious choices for this performance, unless Barry has something else up his sleeve.

Every year, we bitch and moan about politics in the USA. We complain about how "uncivil" politics are, but only when the politicians WE support are on the receiving end. (Those we opposed, well - who cares how they get treated, right?) For nearly ten years, the USA has become more and more divided along party lines and the news media has abandoned any illusion of objectivity. But our political system is still a beacon of hope that others around the world give their lives every day to attain. We all have the right to bitch and moan. In public. On blogs. On street corners, even. The news media has the right to be biased if they want, or if their business model encourages it. Media personalities can hold rallies right in Washington. New movements can start (like the Tea Party) and they can be derided by those in disagreement (like MSNBC). The worst anyone has to worry about is the court of public opinion. No one ends up in a labor camp in Siberia, or in a shithole prison in the armpit of China.

I think we're frakkin' spoiled over here. It takes a spotlight on an activist such as Liu Xiaobo to remember how fortunate we are - even as we complain about USA politics and politicians.

The Power of Reminiscing

2010-11-13T10:48:00.000-05:00

Late night, the first time I've been able to check into ManilowTV for a while. This month's video is a special made for VH1 promoting the Summer of '78 record. Guess who didn't have cable at the time?

I never get tired of this type of show - up close, a very intimate feel, lots of storytelling. Serious fans know most of the anecdotes Barry was telling in this episode but there always seems to be something new that gets thrown in. (If anyone is taking requests, I'd get a giggle out of the "Richmond, Indiana" story.)

After blogging for going on 3 years, I've learned there's a fine balance in telling personal stories. Some things are just too personal, complicated, or embarrassing to put out there. Or so I think - it's always worse to me than it is to people reading it. On the other hand, taking the time to develop personal stories for public consumption is cathartic. There were some serious tough times that just would NOT go away for me, until I organized them into chapters and put them out for 6 billion people to see. Now it's over and I don't have to think about it anymore. Unless I want to - and it's easy.

But I always hold something back. Whether it's names or specific places or something like that. In my mind that small barrier makes being open about myself easier. It's like being open without being vulnerable.

I wonder if it's the same or even similar for anyone in entertainment when they decide to tell personal stories.

M&G Contest from the Desert Sun Newspaper

2010-11-11T11:33:00.000-05:00

Short and sweet:

The Desert Sun newspaper in Palm Springs is hosting a contest. The prize is a weekend in Vegas including Barry's show and a spot in the meet and greet.

Here's the main link

Here's where you can sign up

(To the Desert Sun web folks - not *everything* has to open in a new window, K? Just my 2 cents. Otherwise great site!)

Good luck to everyone jumping at this chance. Post your story if you win for the rest of us!

Conversations with.... part deux

2010-11-07T19:38:00.001-05:00

Second verse, same as the first. Original from Barry - black/normal. Me - bold/red

Hi everybody,

Thanks so much for all the answers to my last post.

You know we love it.

"Fifteen Minutes” is really moving along.
Next week, we’re going to put background vocals on every song. That’ll be a fun couple of days. Then Michael and I will be pretty close to being finished.

It’s so ironic about mixing records. After spending months and months with the top musicians in the top studios with the top equipment, you wanna know where we listen to the final product,? In our cars!

YOU DO THAT TOO? (I mean, listen to music in the car.) That's the only place I can really enjoy music these days. My "office" is wherever my laptop plugs in and it's not always possible to kick back with the iPod wherever I happen to be sitting. So drive time is the only place I have an excuse to pop in something new/soothing/familiar/whateverI'minthemoodfor.

We mix the song, make a CD, and all of us run out to someone’s car, and play it in the car. And usually if there are any mistakes or imbalances they will come through loud and clear being played in your car.
Then we run back into the studio, make the fixes, make a CD, run back out of the car, listen to it and take notes and do the same thing over and over and over until the album is done.

So - do you just take spins around the driveway or actually take a serious ride? Because the mood that the music brings out is much different at 70 MPH on the freeway than tooling around the neighborhood at a dead crawl. Or even parked in the driveway. You have to know what I'm talking about....

“The Talk” was a great opportunity to talk about the Manilow Music Project, and “Fifteen Minutes.”

That segment sounded really good too. Gotta love AT&T Uverse & DVR.

You know, this Manilow Music Project is so moving to me. I thank you all so much for donating to the Manilow Fund for Health and Hope and for visiting with me during the platinum hours.

As fortunate as the kids and schools are to have your donations of instruments and accessories, they're equally fortunate to have a school board that is going to make the most of it. I've been harping on this for a while on this blog because our local school board and system has crashed and burned in the past few years. It kills me to say this but until the school boad pulls its head out of its collective ass, all the donations, fundraisers, and supporters aren't going to help. Donations go to waste. I'm glad you're not contributing instruments here, because they won't be cared for. How pathetic is that???

All of my eldest's preschool teachers (she's going on 5 - just for reference. The TOLF from past posts) are warning me to get her into private school by any means necessary because she'll otherwise be lost in the shuffle in public school. At least she'll get formal music as part of the regular curriculum, starting in kindergarten. She's already learned some basics of reading music by playing on a bathtub toy xylophone. So she's on the right track.

The point of that rant is it's obvious the students, teachers, and parents in the Las Vegas school district understand and appreciate what you've done. I just wish everyone did.

The Platinum hours are turning out to be so interesting. I’m meeting such interesting people, characters, people with great senses of humor, couples that tell me that they’ve been with me for so many years, people quoting lyrics from songs that I thought no one even paid any attention to.

We reminisce about a concert here or a TV show there. It’s turned out to be my favorite Friday evening half-hour. And of course I double what ever we bring in on those Fridays and Yamaha and Hal Leonard send over brand-new instruments and music stands and sheet music and we give away brand-new musical instruments to kids that need them.

I've heard all kinds of stories from folks who got to visit with you during Platinums, both at the Paris and the Hilton. You're braver than I am. I have to meet new people all the time at work but your Platinum scenario sounds (from the outside) like it could be wonderful or it could be the worst kind of awkward for everyone. If you can make that work every week, more power to ya!

We did this in Las Vegas a few weeks ago and let me tell you that it was one of the most moving experiences I’ve ever had in my life. I thank you so much for being involved in this with me. I received box-loads of thank you notes from the kids, but listen to this letter that I received from a teacher:

Dear Mr. Manilow and the Manilow Music Project:

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your generosity. My students are so excited to have new instruments! When they walked in and saw all of the boxes the excitement was palpable! They opened those boxes with the joy of youth, it was like Christmas morning!

I was surprised to find music stands there too! Thank you so much, we have a big music program and stands are always needed.

Some of my beginning students had been playing on some very old flutes, when they tried their brand-new beautiful flutes they exclaimed, “it’s so easy to play now!” They sound great and I wish you could see the smiles on their faces.

Imagine my surprise to find two boxes this morning filled with sheet music! They were the exact method books we use as well as jazz ensemble books and pep band music. We are so excited to put all of this to good use.

We feel so blessed here at Brown Junior High School and cannot express our gratitude enough.

Sincerely,

Amy Sue Rich

Isn’t that something?

Not in the least bit surprised. When teachers are given the freedom to do their jobs by their overlords in the local system, and they have the tools to do it, it's like they can watch the world unfold in front of their eyes as the kids learn. Growing up I went to schools from 3rd grade through graduation with every possible music ensemble and opportunity to take some kind of music class. Now I have to work harder to make sure MY kids have the same opportunities. The teacher that wrote you that letter sounds like the teachers I had growing up and there's no doubt her kids will benefit just as much.

Okay.
Gotta go.
Oh, one more thing!
When we come back to the Paris in November, were going to be doing Christmas songs!
I know it’s early, but Christmas Is Just Around The Corner and I so love our Christmas arrangements and songs.
So if you’re in the Las Vegas area, come see us and celebrate an early Christmas.

Never too early to work in Christmas songs. It's the one thing that gets people to perk up and not look at working through the year as a drudge.

All my best,

Ditto.

Barry

YBA

Feedback time!

2010-10-28T22:56:00.001-04:00

Looks like Barry is venturing out onto the MMN. Good for him, and good for everyone who can now follow up with his thoughts as they happen. Since this is the Internet, it's going to get leaked. I found it on the alt newsgroup. (Thanks to whoever reposted - you know who you are.) This post went public while I was still in the hospital so I'm just getting around to it now.

Here's the post. My comments are bold and red.

Thanks

Posted by Barry Manilow on September 29, 2010 at 9:54pm in Manilow TV
Hi everyone

I wasn’t going to post so soon after the first post, but the beautiful responses and questions are encouraging enough to write again. And I’d like to answer a few questions that kept coming up in your posts.

First – Just because I said that the CD is “guitar driven” doesn’t mean I’M going to play the guitar!! I don’t even know how to hold the thing!

Didn't think so. Yes, I remember the 3rd TV special. ;-) Really looking forward to this because there's been so much more guitar in more recent records than years back. The redux of "Copa" on the 70s compilation, a big chunk of Mayflower ("Tito", especially) and a lot of the tracks on the 80s record. There's no question you can do this guy, we just want to hear it. We've been getting teasers up til now.

The guitar work on this CD will be done by some of the finest guitar players in L.A. So, no, it won’t be me playing the guitar.

One of the great things about delving back into Barry's music is discovering the talent that he's worked with. He doesn't work with "just anybody". (That unfortunate interlude on LOGO channel with "Nemesis" notwithstanding....) I've discovered all kinds of great stuff that will never make the bland not-even-vanilla crap on the radio that has stretched my mind and given me new things to figure out. Before my latest inpatient trip, I made sure to download the latest from Straight No Chaser, Culbertson's XII, and I'm waiting to see if Dave Koz' latest has made it to iTunes yet. Just when you think your music discovery days are over, someone comes along with something new to reawaken you. At least we can be sure that we're not going to be stuck with some three-chord wonder trying to fake his way through the songlist.

Thanks for all notes of encouragement about this new CD.

You know we're behind you when you're doing something new. Just find a blog, newsgroup, or whatever. We haven't gone anywhere.

One of the questions that kept popping up was about “Everything’s Gonna’ Be All Right”. As of now, it closes the entire CD. I mean, after taking our hero through this dramatic trip, I had to bring everyone back up with a song that says, “stick with it”. So, as of now, yes, it is scheduled to close the album.

It'll be a while before I get back to Vegas to hear this myself. All of the comments I've heard start with "Wow!" :::sigh:::

Ok, I have a question for all of you.

Hit it...

You know, we’re heading across the Pond in May to do shows at the fantastic ’02 Arena.

Not to mention a nice little Florida circuit. So close and yet so far. There will be a lot of happy people down there too.

We might record it – a DVD and/or a CD of the shows. Don’t lock me into that statement, please! You never know what will happen between now and then.

I thought you recorded everything? I know, there's a difference between personal recordings and professionally taped stuff for release. But consider this: some of the best video was what you never intended to release in the first place. Hence why the "First" DVD of "First & Farewell" is in my constant personal Top 10 list of videos.

But, IF we do, (or if we don’t!), I’d love to know what rare songs you’d like to hear us do. Songs that we haven’t done in a long time. “If I Should Love Again”, “No Other Love”, “Some Kind Of Friend”. Songs like that. What would you like to hear done live?

Oh geez, how many times do I have to say it??? You'd have to sop up half the room with a mop if you worked "If I Should Love Again" into your set list. Especially since these gigs are "full blown orchestra" shows. IISLA is one of those "if you've got it, flaunt it" numbers. It would stop time.

Also heard that "Some Kind of Friend" is in the Vegas set, at least once in a while. I don't believe in bootlegging so that is killing me. Yes include that one.

If you're going for upbeat numbers - how about "Riders to the Stars", "Beautiful Music", "Let's Hang On, and "It's a Long Way Up"

And if we're talking about really rare, I'd give a whole lot to hear "Let Me Go" and "I Was A Fool to Let You Go". Call me crazy, I'm just partial to anything with a blues progression in it. Go figure.

And, if I were to do a duet with someone, who would you like to see? Elaine Paige? (our duet came out GREAT!). Lulu? Shirley Bassey? John Barrowman? Lorna Luft? Anyone else you guys can think of?

Dude you are so missing the obvious... Susan Boyle would put asses in seats in a heartbeat.

I'm going to assume that the duet thing is something the Brit fans look forward to, so I'm not going to knock it. IMHO, you don't need a duet. But if that's the direction you want to go in, you've already answered your own question above. If Elaine Paige did that well, it would be successful again. I have a hard time imagining duets so I can't help with some of your suggestions. Except two: if you're going to team up w/ your buddy Lorna, you could have a shitload of fun with "Me and My Shadow". I dunno about Barrowman. I mean I love the guy - I have my DVR set to record "Torchwood" all the time. And I about peed myself when I saw him do "Springtime for Hitler." But from the video I saw of the Proms last time you were there, something about that duet just didn't work for me. Can't put my finger on it. Don't shoot me for that, it's just one girl's opinion.

But I'll bet Boyle would be a really popular choice.

I’ll post when I get a minute.

Same here. Minutes are hard to come by in my house these days. Lots of thoughts rattling around, not enough hours in the day to put them down.

Later…

Barry

YBA
------------------------------------
I am really looking forward to the next post. This was the most fun I've had in a while!

The Talk is Cheap

2010-10-27T16:49:00.001-04:00

From CBS.com (http://www.cbs.com/daytime/the_talk/ )

Barry Manilow is scheduled to appear Live on The Talk

CBS, Monday, November 1, 2010

(11am, CBS Studio, Studio City, CA)
Attention Barry fans: To be in the audience, please contact jeff.cook@cbs.com (Audience Coordinator, The Talk) directly for VIP tickets.

Check your local listings. In the ATL, it is on at 2 PM.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
OK, folks, a new show on a new network that has a very similar format to a certain other show on another network that has had Barry on numerous times but the last time didn't go so well. In other words, the situation couldn't have been fucked up worse than if everyone tried their best at it.

So here are some suggestions for ground rules. Make yourselves very happy and consider them.
1) With this many people and the obvious format of the show, opinions and ideas are going to be exchanged. Some may be different from yours.
2) Get over #1. You will not melt like the Wicked Witch of the West in water if you share space with someone who has a different POV on a topic than you.
3) Set your priorities. If you want to fight, then fight. Be ready for some negative fallout. If you want to be loved as a wonderful human being, be a warm fuzzy wonderful human being.
4) If you get pinned down on a topic that makes you uncomfortable, it is possible to be both tactful and straightforward. To get out of it altogether, a good stock response is "I'm really not comfortable talking about that topic. Let's move on to something else." Then zip your lip. The other option is to just give your opinion, making it very clear that this is your POV and others are entitled to theirs.

Really simple, right? I think so too. Why? Because these are more elaborate versions of the rules TOLF is learning in pre-K. All based on the Golden Rule itself.

Now - have a great time in your slot on a new show! Break a leg!

Altered Reality

2010-10-21T04:02:00.000-04:00

Psst. Hey you. Yeah, YOU. Wanna be on TV? We can make you famous! Everyone will see you. Will they think you're cool? Uh.... sure! Why not? We're doing a show about Barry Manilow fans so let us film you and you'll have a great time. Honest!

It's that time again. Another production company developing a "reality show" is casting. Details here: http://www.realitywanted.com/call/8864-casting-barry-manilow-fans

The alt newsgroup had a discussion on this. According to one of the posts, Garry Kief commented on this at the ManilowUK Ning site.

Fans On TV
Posted by Garry Kief on September 1, 2010 at 6:25pm

I've heard rumors again of fans being contacted to be on TV. This has
happened in the past....when TV companies have gone directly to
fans....and all have promised to be respectful etc. Unfortunately, it
has never worked. I've talked to countless fans in tears about how
they were portrayed on camera, how the program was edited, and how
they had been been manipulated to look like idiots. Even though we
always ask production companies to first contact us and explain their
real intentions....they never do. I'd encourage everyone to be very
cautious before they consider getting involved.

Looks like it's more than just a rumor this time.

Here's my comments, also from the alt newsgroup:

Garry basically took the words right out of my mouth.

"Reality" shows (I prefer the term "unscrpited" to reality) are not
altruistic endeavors out to glorify their subjects for their benefit.
They're going to exploit you to make money. Period. If you sign on
for this and understand what you are dealing with (perhaps by watching
a few reality shows to get the hang of their goals) then knock
yourself out. There are a few people who figured out how to
"manipulate the manipulator" - like Dr. Will on "Big Brother" - and
were comfortable enough with themselves and the scenario to use it to
their advantage. If you think the production company is going to make
you look like the hero of your own story, get the Kleenex ready.

If you go on one of these shows (not just one about Barry's fans but
ANY reality show) I would heed the insight I heard about from a
production crew member. (I think it was aired on the old now-defunct
Fox Reality channel but I'm not sure so if I need to attribute this
later, I will.) "Reality shows depict you as you are, even if they
are edited. With editing, ou can make a good person better. You can
make a bad person worse. But you can't turn one into the other."

Whatever you say or do on camera is going to be amplified. Start with
a factor of 10, just to be safe. What you think is "funny" or "just
being silly" is going to be used to make you appear to be an idiot.
And you're never going to control the court of public opinion. It is
very hard to stay classy 24/7. Composing yourself with a camera in
your face all the time is even worse. Not many people can do it; even
the best people in the world.

When I watch these shows (I admit it, it's my guilty pleasure.
"Amazing Race", "Survivor", "Big Brother", and my favorite of all -
"My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancee". I even watch "The Real Housewives of
Atlanta" but you couldn't pay me to patronize the establishments that
they do after they've been there and I wouldn't spend time with these
people, even at gunpoint.) Where was I? Right - when I watch these
shows, I have to wonder about their judgement most of the time. As
in, if I was in a position to hire one of these "reality show divas"
for a job, would I? Probably not - because if their judgment is so
poor that they allow themselves not only to be sold on the idea of
being a "star" on a reality show, but then fly off the handle and
behave like a fool as well, what kind of employee would they be? Not
one that I would want to manage.

Anywho - long story short, this is advice from Garry that I would
take. If they don't have the integrity or the balls to approach
Stiletto with a pitch for a reality show about the fans of their top
client, you can't expect them to treat the cast that well either.

Be careful out there, folks. Don't be taken advantage of.

NOT Waiting for Superman in Nevada

2010-10-07T15:13:00.002-04:00

The Manilow Music Project kicked off a major donation today in Clark County, NV.

In my little corner of paradise, parents and taxpayers are on the warpath with those in charge of the public schools. Once the RICO indictments rolled out (I blogged on that some time ago) a deluge of news stories hit the fan regarding nepotism, misspending, race-based political manipulation of an order not seen but prior to the Civil Rights era, and forms of incompetence too numerous to count. A member of the school board actually threatened to hit a TV reporter. To her face. On camera. In front of the television crew. And she got away with it, only to receive a hollow written reprimand a month later. No real consequences.

Then there's the story about a teacher in a local elementary school who built up an orchestra program with his bare hands and own blood, sweat, and tears. The principal allegedly engaged in a dick-measuring contest with the teacher, felt that he fell short, then fired him. Bye-bye innovative music program.

While this is going on, the film Waiting for Superman was released. The documentary is one person's POV on public school systems in trouble around the US and explores his idea of a solution. There's been plenty of arguing back and forth regarding the merits and drawbacks of the points presented. Parents are glomming on to the flic because they are just so frustrated they need someone - ANYONE - to say "Yes, I see what you see, and I have an answer."

The filmmaker gave an interview that cut right to the heart of the problem. (Paraphrasing) "Superman" isn't coming to save you, your schools, your community or your children. You're going to have to do it yourself.

That's the point where I connect the dots with the MMP. Barry isn't Superman, and a donation of instruments to music classes isn't going to magically solve all issues in public schools so that parents and elected officials can kick back in their Barcaloungers and think "Whew! Glad that's over! Where's the remote?". Barry is a local businessman who works in the area and is in a position to jump-start interest in public education. He can work out a deal with manufacturers and get kids the tools they need to engage and broaden their minds through music. Kids may find a career path they hadn't considered. Or realize they can do anything they choose to do. Or just enjoy school more so they get better grades. The positive fallout is potentially endless.

But only if parents and the community take the next step. Get on top of the school boards and make sure that a variety of music classes are scheduled in the school. Make sure that qualified teachers are available. Make sure that funding is available for the same. Get your physical plant up to snuff so that instruments and other equipment can be stored safely. Ensure that rehearsal rooms, band rooms, and an auditorium are available so rehearsals and recitals can be their own reward. There's so much that goes into a music program, that instruments are only the start. Don't get so comfy in that warm and fuzzy glow of today that you forget that the work BEGINS tomorrow. Then Barry's (and his fans') fundraising will do the most good.

Photos courtesy of TPTB on Twitter:

One Night Live! One Last Time!

2010-09-29T23:08:00.000-04:00

Finally, the dawn breaks, the fog lifts, and there's news.

On September 26, first thing in the morning, we had our 3rd child "PJ".
Just over 8 lbs and almost 24 inches long. Blue eyes (like Dad!) and he loves to snuggle.

It's going to feel good to start posting again. Hell, even to be able to THINK again!

Please be patient with us. Mom is still sore. If you're on our regular Christmas card list, pictures will go out via mail in announcements and our cards this year.

I hear someone crying to be fed. See you later!

MUAH!

YBA

And the winner is....

2010-09-18T18:04:00.000-04:00

Millie Wilkins

http://wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/50606/voteable_entries/7964130?order=recency&view_entries=1&safari_redirected=1

According to TPTB there will be some modifications before it goes into production but this design got the most votes, that's what they're going with.

Vote for the new Manilow T-shirt

2010-09-08T18:01:00.000-04:00

Submissions are closed and the voting begins!

VOTE HERE FOR YOUR FAVORITE DESIGN

Confirmed via Chris, yes, the winner will have their design printed on an official Tshirt. And the designer gets a bunch of other cool prizes.

YBA endorses and is voting for Jackie's design

Winners will be announced on 9/17.

(OK, really, I'm crawling into a hole now. Without going into TMI, I feel like shit and labor will begin at any time. This is a "wait-and-see-what-happens" scenario according to the doctor - the one that Pete is threatening to wedgie. Wish me luck.)

REVENGE OF THE MULLETS!!!

2010-08-20T23:06:00.000-04:00

(I lied - one more post before I retreat under my rock for a few weeks.)

When Chris announced the current Manilow TV episode was from 1975, I thought of 3 things:
1) Leisure Suits
2) Rhinestones
3) Mullets

I was right. Although the good ole boys warning the audience they were being taped won the Mullet Contest hands-down.

What's cool about this is the set list and chatter are basically the same as the Troubadour show in Los Angeles that was taped a couple of months earlier and that I linked to back in February. (I haven't been back to that link in a while so I don't know if the file is still there or if it's since been taken down.) So at least we not only get the show through "official" channels, there's visuals now.

Warning: not only the dresses got the Ronco rhinestudder treatment. So did the girls' EYELIDS. OUCH!!!

Nobody looked "broke" up there. (Barry's word, not mine.) Although the girls looked like they just walked out of King Herod's scene of Jesus Christ Superstar and everyone and their dog wore flannel shirts, that's just what everyone looked like at the time.

Highlights: again, "Somebody's Baby". I hope he's playing it like this at the Paris. It's one of those songs that doesn't need a lot of window dressing, it stands on its own.

More highlights: the Martha & the Vandellas medley. Those of you who are upset that he's "doing all covers" now, here's a reminder that that isn't a new tack for him.

The VSM reminded me of when I got to see Barry's show for the first time in Atlanta. I didn't know if this would be part of the act or not, so I prayed constantly, "Please, PLEEZE do NOT do the Pepsi or Tropicana things." You see, the venue was three blocks away from the Coca-Cola Global HQ. People are fiercely loyal to that brand (or at least loyal to the stock in their portfolios) and anyone who flaunts that by waving "the other company" around does so at his own risk. TPTB would have to pan the Chattahoochee just to find enough of him to bury.

I love comparing and contrasting these shows from different eras. Not to see what's different necessarily, but how much is similar. Some bits just work - always. You can also see that Barry may have gotten more comfortable with himself and his presence on stage over the years, but the core was always there. Though he may not have known it at the time, or even thought about it. It's just there.

This one is worth the price of admission and fun to watch. That's what grabbed me about the set list, including the songs you don't hear much anymore: it's just fun. You couldn't tell that they were broke, or if someone was pissed off at someone else, or something else was going wrong. The show took all of that away.

If TPTB are taking requests for ManilowTV, I'd be obliged if you'd put this in the queue. How about something from the 80s? Between Paradise Cafe and the purple album. Lots of great music made in those years and not all of us got to see it live. (ahem)

T-Shirt Design Contest

2010-08-20T22:10:00.002-04:00

Now THIS was a great idea!
Design your own Manilow Tshirt, if you win it gets printed and you get free tix to the show.

http://wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/50606

Deadline is September 3. Check out the competition and give it a shot!

UPDATE: SUBMISSIONS ARE CLOSED, VOTING IS OPEN!

And for the record...

2010-08-19T16:52:00.002-04:00

Noticing who visits a blog is NOT stalking!
You do the same thing, pal!

MUAH!

I Deserve A Break Today

2010-08-19T16:34:00.000-04:00

It's been a long month. Lots of great things at the Atlantic City show and online.

Here's the deal: My next (final) due date is a few weeks away and my IQ temporarily dips to that of vegetable matter. You moms out there know what I'm talking about. Getting work squared away, getting everyone as up to date as possible for when I'm taking emergency calls and when I'm REALLY not available. (Would you believe one dude actually emailed me the day I gave birth for a technical question? Talk about not getting the memo!!)

So I'm going to curl up with ManilowTV and lay low for a bit. I'm still here, I'm reading, just not posting in the mean time while I get life organized.

I'll post when the Big Event happens and as usual, my energy and IQ will snap back to normal and I'll go back to shooting from the lip.

Until then, try to be nice out there. And wish me luck!

MUAH!
YBA

Into the Breach

2010-07-24T00:04:00.000-04:00

It's time to address the elephant in the room. Again.

I've blogged here about fan bullying ever since this blog started in 2008. Typical stuff, but if you'd like to review, I'll make it easy:

This Bears Repeating

Who's In Charge of the Manilow Network

The Right Love at the Wrong Time

The Golden Rule - The Hard Way

Every rainbow has to have an end (the source of all of the above)

Cue the "Twilight Zone" theme. "Imagine if you will...."
That those who engage in the bullying described above (and worse) were to engage in what is generally called "Real Person Fiction" of the pornographic persuasion?

It's not a hypothetical question.

Blogilow: Exploiting celebrities: Sexually-explicit fantasy by extreme celebrity worshipers

Aging Groupies

2010-07-21T20:52:00.004-04:00

Brett Michaels and his latest PR efforts are growing on me.

I liked the occasional Poison hit in the 80s - who didn't. But the hair rock bands all ran together. Their careers took off at the same time once they got that third chord straight.

In "Rock of Love", he had his head up his ass. I watched it only for my own self esteem. Whatever was going on in my life, or whatever faults I thought I had, at least I wasn't in this crowd of cows.

Then on "Celebrity Apprentice", he really showed how he had his act together as a creative businessman. I understand that and got some respect back for him. I thought he was a goner when the subarachnoid hemorrhage hit. Then he WALKED onstage for the Apprentice finale. Albeit slowly and dragging one leg. He had the chrome-plated, brass balls to do it. I hope that the latest VH1 "special" (that was supposed to be an entire series before his brain hemorrhage leveled him) gets picked up again. There's just something about that human side and he seems to be one of those parents who tries desperately to balance work and home and keep his kids normal. I know of 3 guys in the music industry who have their priorities set as "family first, music job second", and I've met two of them. Just someone's dad who plays an instrument. It's great.

Then the most classic of all was Michaels' guest spot on Don't Forget the Lyrics where he sails right through "Looks Like We Made It" without stopping to blink or take a breath. Then he crashes and burns on a Quiet Riot song. Priceless!

Brett's video humor has reached a new height. His spoof PDA for the "Do Something Awards" applies to damn near any over-the-top fan base of almost any successful act. So if you see someone you know in these images, or even yourself - don't blame the messenger! (link in case it doesn't appear below)

2010 Do Something Awards Videos and Photos Headlines

Where Do I Begin

2010-07-01T22:48:00.007-04:00

Moonstone found the following interview online and posted it on her blog. This is the best interview we've heard from Barry in a looooong time. Best = most open and most vulnerable.

http://luxurylv.com/2010/07/up-close-and-personal/6230

I didn't blow off the birthday wishes on June 17. Or forget. I always want to come up with something new and nice to say and every year I come up short.

I always go back to the first post I made for June 17.
http://youbeginagain.blogspot.com/2008/06/happy-birthday-barry.html

I've always enjoyed Barry's music, almost as long as I can remember. Whether it was a safe retreat, a daily break, or a major emotional renewal it was there to rely on. But the greatest moment of all was when my eldest child finally understood music for the first time - it was when she caught sight of the 1st TV special.

Variety specials in the '70s were one-shot deals, a passing fad. Everyone and their dog had at least one. And they really were "special" - you could count on seeing them only once. The idea of multiple reruns on dozens of networks via cable or satellite hadn't taken hold yet. The Betamax was on the market but they were huge and awkward and expensive and most people didn't have them - or use them to save their favorite shows.

A lot of good came out of these promo pieces years later.

My favorite line from the above interview as printed: "I’d like my tombstone to read: The only proof he needed for the existence of God was music."

Barry, you're in great company:
"He who sings, prays twice." --St. Augustine

Now THAT'S What I Call Class

2010-06-16T17:56:00.004-04:00

Condensed from the alt.fan.barry-manilow newsgroup

Those of you from the UK who stop by, the news of Lynn Stephens' passing was posted on the newsgroup, then on the ManilowUK.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
From http://manilowuk.ning.com/forum/topics/lynn-stephens
Dear Friends,

It's with great sadness that I write this message. Lynn passed away peacefully in the early hours of the morning.

As many of you may know, Lynn ran the BMIFC UK for close on 30 years before retiring a few years ago and throughout that time she touched many people's lives and hearts and will be greatly missed by all that knew her.

Condolences to her family, loved ones and friends at this very sad time.

With love,

Mark

Mark Worrall
http://www.manilowuk.com/
The Official UK Barry Manilow Website
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WhenI hear of someone passing like this, I always wish their surviving friends and family well in my heart. I didn't comment because I've never been a part of the BMIFC.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The following was posted to the newsgroup this afternoon from ManilowUK. Now THIS is a magnanimous gesture fitting everything I have heard about Lynn and her fan club work:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All of us are saddened beyond words at the sudden passing of our friend Lynn Stephens.
Lynn was a "one of a kind," passionate, strong willed, always looking out for the underdog....with a heart of gold and a wicked sense of humor.
For many, many years she served as a trusted employee at our offices in London, but more importantly, she served as a trusted friend.
Both will be missed by us all.
In her honor, we have established the Lynn Stephens - Manilow Music Scholarship.
Each year, a deserving student will receive a grant from the Scholarship Fund to assist them in their music studies.
In this small way, we hope that by keeping music alive, we will be able to keep her memory alive.
Lynn was quite a gal.
And she is missed......
With love.....
Barry.....and your family at the BMIFC and STILETTO.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All of you lucky UK fans who get to see Barry in May at the O2 will have a chance to celebrate Lynn's life while enjoying the show(s?)

Barry and TPTB - way to go. Your gesture and the letter to the UK fans was perfect.

UPDATE: for those looking to make a donation in Lynn's memory, please visit this link at ManilowUK: http://manilowuk.ning.com/forum/topics/updated-message-from-lynns

Sounds of Silence

2010-06-11T23:43:00.001-04:00

WHYIZZIT....?

That there is almost no news out of ManiLand these days?

When Barry was at the Hilton, there were stories of trips, and set lists and special events (special for someone, somewhere), Platinums, and the whole 9 yards.

But when I put my ear on the ground today, I hear crickets.

Why?

A Time to Give, a Time to Keep

2010-05-26T23:29:00.002-04:00

If you've been following this blog for any length of time (or if you care to use the search function) you'll know I've been a supporter of the idea behind the Manilow Music Fund, keeping music education in the public schools. Barry's comment hit the nail on the head - you'd think the public school system would see to these needs, but they don't. (Paraphrasing) I've said in one of my earlier posts that it is unwise at best to leave all of the decisions regarding education in the hands of any government entity. Parents, plus anyone else interested in seeing children get educated need to keep their hands in and keep control.

Barry's idea of contributing to the schools is great. I support it, I practice it with my local private preschool where my kids are enrolled. (Too young for kindgerarten yet.) But with that said, the needs and the processes are not "one size fits all". Not only are needs different, but the process of ensuring that the money actually goes to the MATERIALS USED IN THE SCHOOL varies widely as well.

Why do I have a bug up my ass about this tonight?

THIS: Former DeKalb Schools Chief, 3 Others Indicted
VIDEO: http://www.wsbtv.com/video/23689551/index.html

Complaints about this school district have been stinking to high heaven for years. While the Board of Ed makes $100K each (including SECRETARIES pulling down upwards of $90K plus benefits) and the "former Chief" banking a cool quarter mil annually, some school buildings are literally falling apart, steps away from being officially condemned. Musical instruments? How about toilets that flush? Many kids are still waiting on the latter! Even in better neighborhoods schools are so old and overcrowded that the school system sets up trailers with port-a-shits in them as mobile classrooms, rather than build or add on to school buildings.

BTW, have a barf bag handy for the part where he used a state-issued purchasing card to vacation in the Bahamas an buy tickets to the Masters. The indictment is for RICO, kids. Racketeering. We're in Tony Soprano territory now, not just swiping a handful of paper clips.

Before you give ANYTHING to your local schools or whatever - and that is not just money, but time and effort as well - do your homework. Make sure that there is a very short distance between your checkbook and the intended recipient. Can the stewards of your donations account for Every. Last. Cent. of your contribution? Is it getting wasted on administrators and other beaurocrats rather than the children they are supposed to educate? If the answers are "No" and "Yes", respectively, maybe it's better to wait. I know a lot of parents who are going to focus on flushing the poop out of the Board of Ed and stop the (now criminal) hemorrhaging of cash in all the wrong places.

Yes, it is important to give to the schools. I intend to when I'm sure my money and time are spent wisely. But for now, the wallet stays shut and my eyes stay open.

Decision From Hell

2010-05-23T15:48:00.003-04:00

OK, folks, here's where I'm at.

Series at the Georgia Tech arts center opens this September. Season opener is Debbie Reynolds. I became a fan of hers when my parents forced me to watch Singin' in the Rain when I was 5. Was hooked on that movie (and movie musicals of the '50s in general) ever since. (Favorite scene: when she pops out of the cake at a bigwig party as a Coconut Grove girl after telling off Gene Kelley for being a lowly silent movie actor.)

The "good" seats include an after-show reception. Now I know I couldn't chew her ear off all night, but I would love to hear how she got to work with Donald O'Connor - the guy could **move** even in his 70s in Out to Sea. What I wouldn't have given for a dance lesson for 5 minutes from him.

And if she felt like telling a story, I wouldn't complain. Movie making seemed so different back then - actors were professionals, and even if they had a "moment" once in a while, you didn't see the temper tantrums every other hour like you do today - and today's actors have so much less talent and skill, IMHO. The timing, the delivery and the physicality of performing, even though there were occasional stunt doubles - people had to WORK for a living in that day!

So here's the issue: the performance is 2 weeks before my due date. My brain tends to stop functioning around that time. It won't turn on until a couple of hours after delivery.

Please leave a comment - do I make my other half grab the tickets or do I let this one pass and wait for a different opportunity when the kids are older?

This Bears Repeating

2010-05-11T14:23:00.002-04:00

Originally posted February 21, 2008
Emphases are new.
Any similarities to the epistle below and the current state of the MMN are purely deliberate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Before I get into the next chapter of this story, I'd like to put out a heads-up to anyone - fan or artist - who is involved in a fan club or collective of some time.

Be careful what you say and do, especially on the Internet.

People get excited, people want to get carried away. Some people will love everything, others will find something to criticize.

Let. It. Go. Whatever it is, it doesn't matter. Unless your career or family are directly affected, it's not worth getting in a lather. Just turn off the computer and go do something else and it will all go away.

Every fan group on Earth either IRL or the Internet has conflicts. Artists, (and management) stay out of it. It's about the fans, it's not about you and you can't do any good by getting into it. Fortunately, Barry seems to be a smart enough guy to realize this. I haven't seen him post in fan-oriented chat boards, he seems to handle that kind of interaction in structured environments to ensure that conflicts don't happen. There is a parade of other artists that can and should learn from his example.

Fans, when you fight about music and the people who make it, you are not fighting with words or keystrokes. Music is about your immortal soul. When you fight with each other, try to get an artist or their management on your "side", that is what will get damaged - souls. Yours as well as your target. Hurting someone with the thing (music) that they love the most and that inspires them in many ways doesn't always get healed. You have to be very fortunate to recover from that kind of battle. Manipulating your way into the temporary good graces of TPTB on a fan website is one example of this. Hurting others by having them eliminated from "your" domain in hopes of sucking up to Barry isn't going to work. You're wasting your time and your karma points.

Do you want that on your conscience?

If you're using Barry and his music as a weapon you're on dangerous ground. Get off while you can.

TPTB - you didn't get where you are, or get your clients where they are, by being gullible. Anyone on MMN whispering in your ear is out for their own good, not yours. Wake up and smell it already.

What the...?

2010-05-07T22:41:00.001-04:00

Did anyone notice that "The Vault" is gone from www.manilow.com?

Just passing by, happened to notice.

What a tease....

2010-05-04T19:58:00.002-04:00

http://wolv.info/coverstory/new-stage-new-show-same-voice

You may know him as the man behind the microphone of such hit songs as “Copacabana (At the Copa),” “Mandy” and “I Write the Songs,” but Barry Manilow has always been much, much more than just a pretty voice. A songwriter, producer, conductor and musician, Manilow has examined every corner of the music industry and found success in each and every one.

He’s written jingles for commercials—the State Farm Insurance “Like a Good Neighbor” campaign, Band-Aid “Stuck On Me” commercial and McDonald’s “You Deserve A Break Today” campaign, to name a few—film scores and produced platinum albums for fellow music legend Bette Midler, not to mention released dozens of his own albums, many of which have gone multi-platinum.

After decades in the limelight touring the world, the Brooklyn, N.Y. native has spent the past five years in Las Vegas, performing at the Las Vegas Hilton. But a new decade calls for a change of scenery and the prolific artist made the move to the Strip for an exclusive, two-year engagement at Paris Las Vegas in early March.

“I’ve had nothing but fun and good times at the Hilton, but the opportunity to play right on the Las Vegas Strip seemed very exciting,” Manilow says of the move. “The theater at Paris Las Vegas is beautiful and perfect for what I do. It’s a large room, but intimate enough for my music. I’m putting a brand new show together—Paris is all about love and romance, so we’re making it very romantic.”
I never even dreamed about a career as a performer. My goal was to be a songwriter, a musician, an arranger, a producer. Never to be the lead. And never, ever to sing.
A trip to Paris, France, once the wheels of the Paris Las Vegas show had started moving, inspired the intimate vibe of the new production, which takes place in the 1,500-seat traditional, proscenium-style Paris Théâtre. Theater and setting in mind, it fits that Manilow sees the show as a “theatrical experience,” more than any production he has been a part of in the past.

“It’s the most beautiful show I’ve ever been involved with. Beautiful, smart, musical and very exciting,” he describes. “We’re doing lots of the hits, of course, some of the album cuts, a few songs from the new CD The Greatest Love Songs Of All Time and some odd songs here and there.”
Beyond getting inspiration for the show from the City of Lights, the show’s direction is the work of Jeffrey Hornaday, a film director and choreographer who is directing the upcoming High School Musical 4: East Meets West (he also boasts choreography credits that include Madonna concert tours and films—Flashdance and A Chorus Line among them). So expect expert set design, new video elements and a Broadway-style feel fitting for the Paris Théâtre’s classic stage.

Of course, Broadway has always been a jumping-off point for Manilow, whose 2001 concept album Here at the Mayflower is nuanced with Broadway style throughout. He also marks his off-Broadway work on The Drunkard as the first time he knew music would be his life’s work.
“I was hired to play piano for [the show],” he recalls. “I was the entire band! I loved that job. I remember thinking, ‘I want more of this.’”

Manilow’s last work of original songs, Here at the Mayflower is also the artist’s favorite of all the albums he’s recorded during his lengthy career, he says, though it doesn’t look to be his last concept album offering.

“Next up for me is an original album of songs called Fifteen Minutes about a young person who wants fame and blows it,” he says.

Manilow might not have much first-hand knowledge of blowing his chance at fame, but despite the indelible mark he has made on stages the world over, it could surprise fans of the performer to hear that Manilow never intended on becoming the entertainer he is today.

“I never even dreamed about a career as a performer. My goal was to be a songwriter, a musician, an arranger, a producer. Never to be the lead. And never, ever to sing,” he admits. “I only sang my original demos because nobody wanted to record them.”

Now, more than 40 years later, it’s hard to imagine a stage that wouldn’t gladly welcome Barry Manilow to it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I think we've had enough foreplay about the new record. When are we getting busy?

American WHY-dol

2010-04-21T21:00:00.039-04:00

American Idol is in serious decline. It's like every season someone just can't resist hitting the "SUCK" button just one extra time. Between the auditions highlighting the trainwrecks and the final three - maybe - is torturous. In our house we have to watch it; that's a really long story.

Every standard on the show is dropping. Ellen DeGeneres is bringing nothing, except for her notoriety as an actress and comedienne. Paula Abdul may have been a goofball but at least she worked in the industry and had some idea what she was talking about. When she was lucid, anyway.

When mentors/guest judges are directly involved there's a glimmer of hope that there's going to be some seriously constructive pointers during the tutorial session, and hard core, experience-based feedback after the performance. In 2004, when Barry took the mentor throne (and again last season when he gave a brief seminar and Q&A with the Hollywood finalists) he gave the same advice that he has always given in interviews and other venues all the way back to 1981: be honest. Convey yourself in the song. Pick a song that expresses you. (I'm seriously paraphrasing here.) Remember the "One Voice" special where he's having a little reivew with the teens from the choir? He said basically the same thing: If you sing it like you mean it, it will work. (Again, totally paraphrasing.)

And every time he gives this advice - AI, Entertainment Tonight, wherever - he's laying out a really easy to follow road map to a successful performance. And almost every time, the dumbass in the spotlight seems to ignore the advice and do whatever the hell pops into their head. More often than not, it's crap.

But why? I realized that the producers at AI are aiming for teenagers in their little show. A number of successful artists (Barry included) will tell you that their careers didn't seriously take off until they were in their late 20s or even 30. This past Sunday on The Celebrity Apprentice, Cyndi Lauper said the same thing - she was 30 before she really made it big. The point was to reassure her project protege, Emily West, that she has time to work on her craft and career and it doesn't have to be right now. Almost a maternal moment for Lauper and I respected how she delivered that advice that can only come from living life in that industry.

But the average AI contestant is in their teens (as young as 16) and their early 20s. The age limit is 28. Most of them do not have a whole lot of life experience. They can't express themselves because they don't know who "themself" is. There aren't too many people that age who have had to find their place in the world and understand themselves due to difficult decisions or circumstances, and then wish to express it through music. A few more trips around the sun and there's a better chance you've seen one or two things that clarify your self-perspective.

For example:
On "Beatles" night (may God have mercy on their souls....) David Archuleta made the usual rookie mistake with Lennon's "Imagine". He starts off right but then he tries to create an emotional build up for the final chorus. Problem: "Imagine" is about a world without passion or emotion. It is inherently nihilistic. So a passionate build anywhere in the song is not only pointless it's contradictory to the lyric. Not in a funky ironic kind of way either, it's just awkward and weird.

Adam Lambert started off strong in the "contest". He was my favorite all the way through the season and I was seriously pissed when he didn't win. Lambert was an exception to the above, at least to start: he knows who he is and he's so happy with it he lets it out when he gets on stage. That's probably why I liked him so much. But as soon as AI ended, he went right off the rails. It wasn't until he came back as an AI mentor this season (Elvis night - again, God have mercy....) that he managed to stop yammering on about his sex life for five minutes in a row.

The Ford-sponsored music videos. I don't know who's managing that account or measuring the ROI of that aspect of sponsorship but I'll bet they don't know how to use a calculator and there's a VP in Detroit just itching to give them a beating if they ever catch that dork alone in an elevator. Celebrity endorsements just don't have the clout that they used to and the producers are holding these "contestants" up as "celebrities". No wonder so few of them can think straight.

Vote For The Worst has become my friend. And I agree with their pic. All appearance, no substance.

Tonight we turn on "Idol Gives Back". I let my hopes get up again, thinking there may be something special here. Nope. No such luck. The opening number was stiff enough to surf on and I swear they're using pre-recorded tracks to beef up the sound on stage. It's another publicity stunt. (Don't make that face at me! If you think for one red-hot millisecond that charity appearances aren't a PR stunt, then let your fingers do the walking through Chapter 8 of Howard Bragman's Where's My Fifteen Minutes. It gets really good starting on Page 85.) It wasn't all bad; I have a very soft spot in my heart for supporting educational efforts in Appalachia and that segment tugged the heart strings. But it is what it is.

Regardless of whether some in my house feel they "have to" watch this ongoing trainwreck, I've decided to find my artistic fulfillment elsewhere. Every time I hear the teasers about who is the mentor, or some unique approach, I watch and get disappointed. Like looking forward to a night of intense and creative sex with James Bond. Only at the last minute you find out that instead of 007, you're getting Mr. Bean. THAT kind of disappointed.

The Year of Living Vicariously

2010-04-06T00:40:00.010-04:00

You weren't going to get rid of me that easily.

Just kidding.

Work picked up and got crazy, the kids have been giving each other the same cold for weeks.
(And the usual first trimester fatigue didn't help either.)

And the cherry on top of that sundae is following the posts on various outlets, including Twitter, and not being able to share it. Sure, living vicariously isn't nothing, but I'm starting to realize there's less to pick apart and analyze and understand that way.

But there's always visualizing. Like the galaxy-class snafu on opening night. Can you imagine the phone calls??? "Hello, Guitar Center? What do you have in a sound board in stock? What would it cost to deliver? Here's the address...."

But once that got squared away (and the dunce in building maintenance installed a better surge protector) we were treated to a parade of Tweets that painted a great picture.

I already claimed a green and yellow glowstick at previous shows. Now I need a red one. Dammit.

On the flip side, drama happens just as something else comes up in life to distract me. In case you forgot, me no likey da drama. My condolences to those who get caught up in those incidents without warning or legitimate provocation. It always sucks ass and it can ruin a lifetime of otherwise fun memories. At least there's a place to vent. But just as I'm sorry that anyone has to deal with that, I'm equally relieved that I didn't.

So my ear is to the ground, listening for more signs of life. Garry tweeted about being on the set of Glee not long ago. You know what that's hinting at.
(Garry - What, no twitpic of a toilet bowl or a pile of cleaning supplies as a teaser? Must have been a busy day.)

Final comment: THIS

Barry's shows grow and evolve as they go on, this one will too. Stuff will be added and taken out.

DON'T. CHANGE. THIS. It's perfect.

35 Years Ago Today

2010-02-25T09:00:00.005-05:00

Barry's mention of "I Want to Be Somebody's Baby" got me thinking.
I ran across an almost-lost gem that was recorded for King Biscuit Flower Hour.
Brace yourself for....

Barry Live at the Troubadour February 25, 1975

You have to register, but it's free and they don't bother you (much) with email.

"...Somebody's Baby" is the second song in the set.

He also debuts "Tryin' to Get the Feeling" with the story about how he came across it, and includes that rare extra bridge you almost never hear.

There are some songs in Barry's catalogue that have that stereotypical mid-'70s vibe that just grabs me. I don't want to hear the song any other way. The list includes "You Ought to Be Home With Me", "Leavin' in the Morning", and (suprise) "I Want to Be Somebody's Baby".

I'm the first to admit I'm no expert; I just know what I like. The above performance of "...Somebody's Baby" is the best. It doesn't need anything, no tweaking, no remastering, nothing. If it gets included in the show, do it just like that. Don't over-choreograph it, over-produce it, or over-think it. Don't fuck with it. Just sit your ass in front of the piano, put your face on the mike, and belt it out with the same clear, uncomplicated sincerity that you did in '75. Even the brain-dead civilians will be bopping their heads.

Enjoy, everybody (as long as TPTB allow it to stand) while we wait for the new show at the Paris!

Barry's Note 2/23

2010-02-24T22:03:00.004-05:00

Emphases added. My comments in red.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Everyone!

Well, we’re in the thick of it!

Rehearsals, rehearsals, rehearsals. Twelve hour days of playing new arrangements, new songs, new choreography, new costumes, new scenery, new lights and most of all a new showroom.

We’re all very, very excited about this new show. As I’ve said before, this show will be the most beautiful one I’ve ever done.

Jeffery Hornaday and his team have helped me to create a new and exciting production and we can’t wait to put it on its feet.

Of course all the hits will be in the show, but I’ve decided to pull out some of the songs we hardly ever do. How about “No Other Love”? Or “I Wanna Be Somebody’s Baby”? HELL YES!!!! While you're on the topic, how about "If I Should Love Again", "Fools Get Lucky", maybe dust off "Riders to the Stars", reinstate "Sandra" (heard it fit right in with the Mayflower theme ), "It's A Long Way Up", "Big Fun" and dealers' choice from Barry Manilow (1989) and Swing Street.

We’ve been rehearsing a handful of songs from my gorgeous “Love Songs” CD and we’ve blown up some of the songs we’ve been doing for years and they sound fresh and very contemporary.

Muffy Hendricks has joined our team! It’s so wonderful to have her back with us. Muffy and I just look at each other and burst into tears! She sounds better than ever and looks amazing.
(Wasn't she working for Tom Jones for a while? Does she have any underwear war stories? Is it going to be a break for her coming back to work for you? As in the stage doesn't look like a clearance sale in Macy's lingerie department halfway through the set?)

We’ve had one full run-through so far and it was great. Next week we get to work on the stage of the Paris so wish us luck.

Hope we see all of you in Vegas.

Love, Barry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Break a leg, gang. I know you'll knock it out of the park.

First Eureka Moment of 2010

2010-02-16T20:54:00.004-05:00

Remember how Barry made an entire musical out of "Copacabana"?

How about doing something similar with Here at the Mayflower? Musical movie or stage musical maybe? All he would need is the libretto, just include all of the songs, including the ones on the bonus discs.

Bonus Eureka:
Not that my opinion on set lists matters but for the new Paris show, how about "I Was A Fool (to Let You Go)" from Even Now... BUT - do it Paradise Cafe style. Dump the horn section, replace it with a single sax. No one could do it like Mulligan (may he RIP) but Barry's buddy Koz could do it well.

Whadaya think? Too far "out there"?

"I can't smile....are those cows over there?" Manilow TV from Rodeo Houston

2010-02-09T20:42:00.036-05:00

There is so much more to the show currently on Manilow TV than just Barry's performance. Rodeo Houston isn't just a sports event, or a concert series. It's a cultural affirmation and anyone is welcome. If anyone is tempted to bitch about how short the clip is this month, don't. Everyone who plays Rodeo Houston gets one hour, including the ride in the pickup (used to be a chuck wagon) to and from the stage through the bull chute. The evening's music is just a drop in the bucket.

As far as the public is concerned, you know when Rodeo is coming when the local news reporters start appearing on camera in traditional western dress on horseback. That's not a typo. Local rodeo clubs will re-enact trail rides from the 19th century, when cattlemen would drive their stock to feeding grounds along the coast, then into Houston for sale. News crews will follow along on their own horses.

On the Friday before Rodeo starts, the trail rides all arrive in town. On the streets. Sometimes during morning rush hour. TV and radio warn drivers to leave extra time, give the animals some room and lay off the horn, and everyone will be happy. Hundreds of cows and horses rest for the night in a major park.

This Friday is officially designated Go Texan/Go Tejano day. Western dress is encouraged at work. Hats and boots included. This translates into everything from honkey-tonk nightclub wear to fuzzy chaps to 1950s Roy Rogers atrocities. Many companies will have mock "arrests" for those who don't get into the Texan spirit and wear their usual clothing. "Bail" becomes contribution to the Livestock Show scholarship fund.

This same night is a massive BBQ cook-off that almost fills the parking lot around the Astrodome. Every major and minor corporation in the county has a tent of some kind. Some will brag that there is no road kill to be found within 3 miles. Western dress is all but required for admission. News crews won't get an interview if they're not in hats.

The kickoff parade through the middle of downtown is the event of the year. EVERY dignitary in town is on a horse, including the Mayor, City Council, Board of Ed. Everybody. Western tack, no wimpy English riding saddles. The trail rides make their final trek and some well-sedated authentic Longhorns are pulling chuck wagons past the old Enron building.

Anyone planning to come to town on business, or to visit a hospital, etc get warned repeatedly - FOR MONTHS - to double check their lodging reservations over and over. There is NOT a hotel room to be found in five counties. People in larger houses will rent rooms or garage apartments for ridiculous amounts. And people WILL pay them. Even some of the competing cowboys crash on someone's sofa to save cash.

If you've seen rodeos, this one is no different in terms of the professional events. Maybe the purses are bigger at this world-class stage but you've seen one guy pray to stay on the back of a pissed-off, 2,000-lb bull for 8 seconds, you've seen them all.

Rodeo Houston is officially called the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. This is about raising money so kids can get an education in Texas. Over the past 50-odd years they've handed out almost $150 million. The money is where the mouth is. This rodeo pays special attention to agricultural education with the 4-H Club and Future Farmers of America (FFA) whose members are showing their animals in competition, then selling them at auction. There's even kids rodeo events!

Hush, it's not what you think. For the 5-year-old tykes, there's Mutton Bustin'. Grown men (sometimes women) ride untamed horses. The kids ride a big sheep. They wear protective gear, they're close to the ground if they fall, there's lots of wool to hold on to, it's hilarious.

For the teenagers, it's the Calf Scramble. 30 kids, each with a piece of rope. 15 calves. All turned loose in the main arena. The goal is to catch a calf. Bare-handed. Tie a halter on the calf with the rope. Drag the animal across a finish line. For the fifteen that accomplish this, the calf is theirs. They raise it and show it in the next year or two at the Livestock Show. Selling it at auction earns them money for college. If their animal is judged a Champion, the auction price goes up. Some Grand Champion winners get a free ride to college this way.

Finally, there's AG-venture Plaza. Do you realize how many kids don't know that chickens hatch from eggs? Or where eggs come from? Or that think meat just comes wrapped in plastic in a supermarket? This is where the public ed takes place. Kids go crazy for the egg hatching incubator.

The concert at the end of the night is only icing on the cake. Some purists insist that there should only be country or Tejano music but that's never been the case. Take a look at the past history of performers and you'll see that Barry is far from the only one to ask "What's that smell?" while trying not to think about the answer. Texas was a nation at one time built by people from all over just making their way in life. Nothing's changed, except for the technology and population density. Everyone's a Texan for these few weeks so all kinds of music gets showcased.

And THIS is what Barry performed in the middle of. This is what is going on for weeks around this month's episode on Manilow TV.

"All of us looked like idiots back then" - Barry on Jimmy

2010-02-07T15:57:00.023-05:00

As far as American talk shows go, Jimmy Kimmel always gets the best interviews of Barry. Bar none. Kimmel approaches anyone in front of him with the same relaxed ease that my husband does when talking with his buddy about the golf course conditions. The interview is a conversation, something that just "is", nothing to stress about. At the same time, he has some fun and just tosses out what's on his mind. (Ask Jay Leno about that one.)

That isn't true of everyone with a talk or news show. The interviews were totally different on Rachel Ray and even The Today Show. The women interviewing him were fans and were having trouble at times putting that aside to do their job and it showed.

At my old job, we had high profile people in all the time. Not just musicians and folks from the entertainment industry - athletes, politicians, you name it. Any time you had to interact with someone this public at work, you had to suck it up and "not react" either positively or negatively. It's hard! A patient was a patient with all of the same fears and vulnerabilities as those who didn't live their lives in public. Now if it was someone you didn't like, as long as you could refrain from spitting in their face you were fine. Any distance could be written off as "clinical detachment." But if it was someone you did have a positive emotional attachment to, well, your job just got a lot harder. Indulging in that, even if it was paying a compliment, was taking away from their care and focusing on your thoughts and feelings. Then at times they had to take their clothes off for an exam. I know some nurses that asked to beg off if their favorite athlete was in their clinic and they were required to take vital signs.

The point is, Kimmel doesn't seem to have this kind of problem with Barry or anyone on his show. Which brings out the best in Barry (and any other guest) which means everyone is having more fun. And this is why Kimmel has one of the top shows on late night and he got away with the schtick in The Man Show. But any time Barry gets to sit and talk in addition to singing makes for a great appearance.

My own tidbits:
Anyone notice the performance stage was surrounded by Budweiser ads? Anyone else think that would have been the perfect setting for the "beer truck story"? The sponsor would have been fine with it, Barry worked for a different brand. 8^D

If the original Bell Records promo 8 x 10 was the only gag that Kimmel pulled, Barry got off VERY easy. Kimmel was right about the shoes. There should have been a law that anyone 6-foot or taller would be barred from wearing heels like that. You look back at your fashion plate 20-plus years later and wonder what the hell you were thinking. Everybody out there looking for new and unusual ways to puncture body parts, or add artwork, or wear jeans so that your boxers or g-string shows, your future awaits you.

Twitter was jumping with questions about whether Barry was lip syncing either of the performances on this show. Personally, I don't buy it. I do believe that he may give that impression because of botox use.

The following will be my one and only comment on this subject: It is time to knock it the fuck off with that useless and potentially dangerous garbage. Barry. Doesn't. Need. It.

Next stop - follow up with the charts to see how the record moves. With V-day and some home-run-out-of-the-park TV appearances, I won't be suprised if #5 improves this week.

When You Were Sweet Sixteen

2010-02-05T19:53:00.021-05:00

You can't imagine how many times I started this post. Greatest Love Songs of All Time has all kinds of good stuff from all eras - many of which I could never connect with. At all. Not for lack of trying. So how can I do the Standard Operational YBA POV on it? I couldn't.

The final track is the sum-total of the album. The "Greatest" anything is what stands the test of time without sounding "dated" or "old" or otherwise out of place. Barry has been saying in every interview that this song is over 100 years old, written by a composer that no one today has ever heard of. Doesn't matter who created it originally, because now it belongs to Barry. I had hoped he would take this approach when doing "another covers record" (Look at the last comment at the bottom of the post.)

The rest of GLSOAT seems to lead up to this track. Which makes it perfect. The other songs on the record "grab" me on TV or video. Especially the Today Show performances when he was reeeeeallllllly playing to the camera. I know he can't do "Sweet Sixteen" on a standard talk show because of the usual commercial PR: it has to be something reasonably familiar or people get bored, blah blah blah. But something tells me Barry's heart is in this song so it would be the best performance of all.

I'm not the only one who thinks so because it debuted at #5 on Billboard!! Congrats, Barry and Crew!!! Another top 10!!! ("Another" - can you imagine how many musicians would be happy with just one???)

The promotion of this record is better this time around too. Two words: Couch Time. On most American talk shows, Barry and his one number are shoehorned into the last five minutes of the show, often while the credits are running. Every show he's on now, the host actually chats for a while. (Twice on The Today Show.) Even if it's routine info that all serious fans know, it's probably new to a lot of people in the audience.

Rachel Ray was a very pleasant surprise. Never been a RR fan. Just annoyed the living hell outta me. But her use of Barry on this last episode was a perfect sequence: Get some couch (ok, kitchen table) time, have a nice chat, and get the audience involved. Plus, the questions from the audience were reasonably well-stated; ute but harmless anecdotes. Everyone seemed to be balanced between the ears. That could have been completely scripted but what the hell - it looked great. THEN put his performance on at the end. Teaser interview, then the goods.

Tonight Barry is booked for Jimmy Kimmel. He's on with Ozzy Osbourne.

Hehehehehehehhehehhe........................

Rachel Ray Teaser

2010-01-28T20:59:00.002-05:00

Grab and Grin from a staffer on the show:
http://twitpic.com/106hci

Video preview from the official site:
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/view/929/

There's a rumor about bowling. Get the DVR ready this might be a keeper.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I've heard from the old-head trivia buffs that Barry's not into cooking? So why in the world is he booked on a show where that's a major feature? I know, I know, marketing to the demographic, I get it.... But still it has to lead to some Awkward 101 moments.

Hi. I Live Under a Rock

2010-01-27T22:36:00.005-05:00

At least that's what I feel like when I miss an interview on a local station.

Here's the link in case the embed doesn't work.

Yes, all of North Georgia thinks Chickieboo is a dipstick. This is why I'd rather let TOLF watch "Sid the Science Kid" on PBS before preschool than watch the local talk shows.

I'll scout around for some more stuff - I understand that they have to do the back-to-basics info for the average person in the audience, even though the serious fans could recite some of these answers in their sleep. Maybe something new and cool will leak out suddenly!

"So...What's New???"

2010-01-25T12:20:00.008-05:00

Just as the TV blitz picks up, so does my job and my "work" writing takes over all of my "fun" writing time. For those of you hanging out and waiting around for whatever I was putting here, thanks!

OK, where were we: Right, Conan!

http://www.tonightshowwithconanobrien.com/video/episodes/#vid=1196131

HE GOT COUCH TIME!!! The subject matter was yesterday's news to serious fans but who cares? Most of the audience learned something new about Barry after he did his one-song gig. Barry has taken a LOT of shots from Conan over the years and if there was a hatchet it got buried tonight and not in anyone's skull.

Songs for Haiti on A&E.

I got ripped off. Uverse started the show at 9 AM ET and Barry's bit was cut. Shit. YouTube here I come.

Even thought I wanted to see this gig, I didn't need a special to remind me about the need for aid in Haiti. My daughter's preschool, and the church associated with it are passing the hat for Catholic Relief Services and Columbian Charities.

Let these specials be a reminder to everybody: there but for the grace of God goes anyone in the world. Natural disasters can wipe out a community at any time. If you are in a position to give, then give. Just pick a reputable organization that you like and hit it. The American Red Cross is still helping Galveston Island recover from Hurricane Ike in 2008. You never know when you'll be on the receiving end of the aid.

The Today Show

Was anyone else nervous when they displayed a split screen of Barry and Ozzy Osbourne at about the 1:30:00 mark? They're both going to be on Jimmy Kimmel too. Someone's going to have fun with that.

The songs that I see live (on TV, same thing) are starting to grab me. When I went through the track list when it came out I didn't have any doubts that this would be good and Barry would do them well, but nothing was a real standout to get my attention. Even when I heard the audio clips. I'm not an Elvis fan, and I'm really not into hippies. (Hear that, Karen Carpenter?) But the Today Show and Conan brought something else out. It's the delivery, the playing to the camera, the reaction from the audience (or host, or stage crew even) that makes all the difference in the world. (Think of "Islands in the Stream" - the album version was good, but the live version with the complex parts for Kye and the girls brought the house down.)

Again, I'm glad to see more couch (OK, bar stool) time as well. The Today Show is always good about that with Barry, and he got multiple times throughout the four hours as well. In the last interview bit, Kristen Chenoweth was doing the honors. She had to dumb it down for the morning coffee klatch crowd but at least she knows her ass from a hole in the ground about performing on stage and was the only one in that room qualified to interview Barry IMNSHO.

So coming up is Rachel Ray (another show I'm really not into but I'd like to see what Barry does with it.) and Jimmy Kimmel (who is funny as hell and always worth staying up for. He's done some great interviews with Barry.)

So that's probably going to make the difference with this new record: live performance. Maybe a video collection or concert footage? Anyone? Beuller?

Fool Me Once, Shame on You...

2010-01-21T20:26:00.001-05:00

OK, tweeps, good ole GCK just cracked one off.

GarryKief
Backstage at conan. http://yfrog.com/1ytn5tj

Now, let's remember the last time he posted a "backstage" picture. He got everyone excited about an exclusive backstage peek. It was a photo of a barstool with a drape behind it. Exactly what he promised, no more, no less.

I haven't looked at the pic yet, but does anyone want to bet $5 that he's playing the same trick again?

More Blitz, Part Deux

2010-01-20T22:00:00.000-05:00

With less than a week left for the release of Barry’s new album, THE GREATEST LOVE SONGS OF ALL TIME, it’s time to hit the air waves and share the new album with you and millions of others!

Set your TiVo…call your friends…and watch Barry perform songs from his new album on the following shows:
TONIGHT (Wednesday, January 20) Entertainment Tonight
Thursday, January 21 The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien
Monday, January 25 The Today Show
Friday, January 29 Rachel Ray
Friday, February 5 Jimmy Kimmel Live

Enjoying the Blitz

2010-01-16T17:11:00.007-05:00

If you're like me you have to live vicariously through others' experiences of the QVC recording and the new opening night. TNLF has six months to go before she's weaned and up to another 6 months more before she's walking completely steadily. This fan isn't going anywhere for a while, so I WANT DETAILS!! Post them anywhere, I'll find 'em, if they're good, I'll link to 'em. Don't leave out any details.

First, the QVC promotional spot on Manilow.com: http://www.manilow.com/qvc.html
(Guys, guys, guys......FLASH video, not Quicktime. Just as easy to encode and controls are more obvious for the visitor, load time is just as fast. :::shaking head::: )

DVR Alerts:
QVC January 19 9 PM ET.
I hope Chickieboo dials it back a notch. Based on my IP reports the folks at Home Shopping Network got a giggle out of her description on this blog. At least let Tim Gunn screen test your outfit before you go live.

Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. January 21. You already know the time and channel.
Who else thinks that NBC renegging on their contracts because Jay couldn't haul his own ass in his new time slot was lower than whale shit (which is on the bottom of the ocean)? You expect Conan's ratings to lag a little bit at first, that happens every time a new host takes over that show. "Whoops! Jay tanked. And we're out of fresh ideas so we're going to screw over all of those staffers that Conan uprooted from NYC to work for him in LA and now are SOL." Conan will land on his feet, he has a contract. The crew he brought with him, not so much. Best commentary ever on this situation was Jimmy Kimmel doing Jay's 10 at 10. (It gets really good at 2:45)

Today Show Concert Series Jan 25 You know the channel and the time is a 3-4 hour range.
It sounds like the usual concert appearance but does anyone else think there could be some "awkward pauses" due to the NBC politicking? I'd like to see Barry toss in a salty word here and there, see if the boys in the control room are on their toes and can remember where the "dump button" is.

One more time, if you're at one of these (and/or opening night at Paris Las Vegas) post your POV. We're counting on you. 8^D

Video Has Come a Long Way

2010-01-12T22:08:00.004-05:00

TPTB sent out a hotline with the new TV spot for Greatest Love Songs of All Time:

As I was watching this, I thought of sitting in front of MTV for the first time. I have no idea why. This is just a TV spot and there is more quality in this 30-second spot than most videos when the music video concept took off.

I can prove it.

Behold. For as long as TPTB allow it to stand.

Let's Hang On

The Old Songs

In Search of Love

Read 'Em and Weep

(The one I was originally looking for was You're Looking Hot Tonight, but that one is really no where to be found. Maybe on Manilow TV someday?)

UPDATE 2/7/10
FOUND IT!!!!

Manilow TV Previews

2010-01-06T22:49:00.003-05:00

If you have wanted a peek at Manilow TV before subscribing, check this out:

They're offering a 6-minute free preview right on the site.

(Holy shit he does "I Wanna Do It With You" at the Manchester show! No way I could have seen this in the US!)

http://www.manilow.tv/preview.cfm

Back on QVC

2010-01-06T16:38:00.003-05:00

From the QVC website...
Barry's back on to promote Greatest Love Songs of All Time on January 19
http://www.qvc.com/ProgramGuide/ProgramGuideWeeklyView.aspx?TimeZoneSelect=2&Range=January 18 - January 24
(Scroll down for the listing at 9 PM.)

I don't normally watch QVC but I tuned in last time Barry was on (for the 80s record) and the group performance of "Islands in the Stream" was a keeper. But the host, Chickieboo, whatever her name is, needs a shot of Haldol.

How about this: I'll pay extra to see Barry whip out a roll of duct tape and seal up her mouth with it so we can hear the music. Is that doable?

Another New Year's Eve

2009-12-31T21:41:00.002-05:00

Wanted to get some thoughts and good wishes out before Pete and I have our private New Year's celebration.

From the Day Late and a Dollar Short Files: anyone else think that "Keep Each Other Warm" would have fit right in at the Christmas shows in Palm Springs and Chicago? There's always next year.

Our household is grateful for a good year. Not because everything was perfect but because we could see the good in whatever happened.

No saying goodbye to the old year via "moon shine". The neighbors won't know what they're missing.

Barry (and everyone else at Stiletto) congrats on an incredible run at the Hilton and thanks especially for the shows I got to see. Break a leg at the new venue. Try to get some rest in between recording sessions and promotional appearances for the new CDs. (We're still going to get Fifteen Minutes, right? I mean the CD, not your PR guy's book! ;-) )

Just when I think that there won't be any more Barry fun for me, something works itself out. So we'll see if a trip to the new show at the Paris happens. It's a night that feels like anything is possible.

Pete and I are settling in with the bottle of Dom Perignon that he promised me after TNLF was born. (1999 - supposedly a good year according to the dude in the wine shop. Not that Dom is ever made in a bad year!)

I hope everyone stopping by tonight has a wonderful 2010 and feels as happy as our family does tonight.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Counting Blessings

2009-12-27T14:01:00.021-05:00

My first few moments of relative peace in about 10 days started.... now!

All that happiness and preparation and scheduling and getting stuff done doesn't give you the time to reflect on what you have.

Fortunately, it didn't take more than a few moments to notice peace in the whirlwind.

During one of the rare days this month that was both warm and dry, I shooed the kids out of the house to burn off energy, even though my energy was long gone. Among the dormant shrubbery were a few azaleas and wild honeysuckle in bloom.

On a morning when I don't think I'll make it through the day with the kids cooped up and cold rain outside, an extended family of eastern bluebirds lines up at the bird feeder like a smorgasboard.

I had new music for my iPod. It had been quite a while since I explored anything new. I noticed that most of it came from acts who either worked with Barry or opened for him. Usually opening acts are something to endure but I became a fan of Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, and Straight No Chaser because of those connections.

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo are coming to Georgia Tech in January. It's been forever since I've seen these guys live and now they're in my back yard. (I hope they do Pas de Quatre!)

Ditto Straight No Chaser. I missed their last visit to Center Stage Atlanta in November but April 2010 will be a different story.

Had a pre-holidays visit with MIL and SIL. This one was important. Pete lost his eldest sister soon after TNLF was born. Those relationships can't be the same anymore so we took some time to rebuild them from the ground up. That was a good week.

This year we were able to contribute to every charity request we came across. Not just bell-ringers for the Salvation Army either. The local police force collected toys and brought the entire community together to serve each other - haves and have-nots alike.

One I'll always remember: a team effort between our church and the county foster care services. The congregation was asked to sponsor foster children who otherwise wouldn't get any presents. Ours was an 8 year old boy, the eldest of three siblings, who only wanted a skateboard and a new coat. How can anyone NOT fulfill that kind of request?? I hope he liked them.

At home this was our first Christmas where TOLF was old enough to understand and participate in what was going on. She's still afraid of Santa Claus, although she wanted him to bring her presents. Even going so far as to make various crafts with paper and glitter and crayons as gifts. But in person, she much preferred the Coca-Cola Polar Bear and the Pink Pig. (You have to be near the ATL to understand that last one.)

The kids are finally in bed and Pete and I can finish leaving "Santa's" calling card: a pile of presents and a half-eaten gingerbread house. I got to write Santa's thank you note. TOLF really believed Santa was there. Her little sister was just bouncing because something exciting was going on. She's a baby, not an idiot, she knows how to have fun.

Finally - I don't have to do laundry this week! The greatest gift of all!

I hope everyone's Christmas/Hanukkah/New Year/whatever you're celebrating was as peaceful in your own way as was mine. I know that some other fans out there have times that are more stressful. I dish out some harsh criticism on this blog when somebody starts acting weird. I won't apologize for what I think of that. But at the same time if I see that someone's truly struggling, know that when I read your story you'll be in my thoughts and prayers, always.

Barry, I hope you got some serious R&R and that your time off was had without papparazzi or other public demands on your private time.

Back to the family. I'll come up for air again some time after January 1.

Happy New Year, everybody!

Greatest Love Songs of All Time First Look

2009-12-17T16:50:00.001-05:00

Stone Soup

2009-12-15T16:50:00.002-05:00

This is what happens when you have a lot of people getting together and contributing some of what they have to a larger whole. This is why there is no such thing as a contribution that is "too small".
Congrats to everyone involved with Barry's shows at the McCallum. You did some great things there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

BARRY MANILOW RAISES NEARLY HALF MILLION IN FUNDS FOR LOCAL PALM SPRINGS CHARITIES WITH SPECIAL HOLIDAY CONCERT SERIES

Palm Springs, CA (December 15, 2009)—Pop culture icon and music legend Barry Manilow, together with the Manilow Fund for Health and Hope, raised $464,750 in much needed funds from “A Gift of Love…,” the five-night holiday concert series that Manilow performed at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, CA. The concert series, which ran December 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th and 9th, honored 25 local charities in Palm Springs, California, the singer’s hometown—each night benefiting five of the beneficiary charities. Manilow performed his hit songs in addition to special holiday songs featured on his new Christmas album, “In the Swing of Christmas,” released October 13th, 2009 and previous holiday releases, “Because It’s Christmas” and “A Christmas Gift of Love.”

“At this time of the year, I couldn’t be happier to give back to this community that I love so much,” states Manilow.

He recently performed his first ever solo concert at the Hollywood Bowl on October 24th, 2009–where, in association with the Manilow Music Project and the Grammy Foundation, he raised a donation of $100,000 in musical instruments for the LAUSD. An avid philanthropist, earlier this year Manilow donated $500,000 in musical instruments to schools in the Palm Springs/Coachella Valley area which with this latest charitable donation takes his efforts over one million.

The legendary entertainer is also currently recording his next album, “The Greatest Love Songs of All Time,” which will be released January 26th, 2010 in time for Valentine’s Day. He will next making music and magic at Paris Las Vegas with a new resident show. On March 5, 2010 Manilow will throw open the doors to the Paris Théâtre at Paris Las Vegas with a re-imagined stage show that will be both more intimate and more exciting than ever before.

With worldwide record sales exceeding 80 million, Barry Manilow is ranked as the top Adult Contemporary chart artist of all time, according to R&R (Radio & Records); with no less than 25 consecutive top 40 hits to his credit between 1975 and 1983, on the Billboard Hot 100. Manilow has worked on over 40 albums over the course of his career as a singer, songwriter, arranger and producer.

“A Gift of Love..” Beneficiary Charities: The Palm Springs-based charities benefiting from Barry Manilow’s “A Gift of Love…” holiday concert include: ACT for MS – Palm Desert, Angel View Crippled Children’s Foundation, Animal Samaritans, Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS of the Desert), Boys & Girls Club of the Coachella Valley, Desert AIDS Project, Desert Arc, Desert Samaritans for the Elderly, Desert Paws, FIND Food Bank, Inc., Gilda’s Club Desert Cities California, Guide Dogs of the Desert, Healthy Family Foundation: The Ophelia Project, Joslyn Senior Center, Mourning Star Center, Olive Crest, One Heartland, Pegasus Riding Academy for the Handicapped, Shelter From The Storm, Stroke Recovery Center, Temple Isaiah Fund, The Living Desert, United Cerebral Palsy – Inland Empire, and Variety Club of the Desert. For information on which night the aforementioned charities were be honored, please visit http://www.starz.bz/agiftoflove/

About The Manilow Fund for Health and Hope: The Manilow Fund for Health & Hope is a nonprofit organization that was created by Barry Manilow to support local, grassroots organizations that promote education, health and care. The fund donates to organizations that focus on cancer, AIDS, children’s issues, victims of abuse, the homeless and music education.

Barry on NBC Nightly News

2009-12-10T21:41:00.002-05:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

He got his album promotion on NBC News as a news story.

Bragman gets a bonus for this one.

Update 12/11/2009:
Jay, there's a reason why your ratings are tanking. You couldn't shoehorn in a few minutes to actually TALK to Barry about his work?

Send in the Clowns

2009-12-09T18:33:00.050-05:00

(Deadline is past and an acquaintance on Twitter advised me to treat myself to something special. So I am - I get to sit, let my mind wander, listen to my iPod and write!)

I hate award shows.

I didn't always hate them. For a while it was fun to see a once-in-a-lifetime showcase by those vying for the honors. But some time in the late '80s it became obvious that awards shows are less about artistic achievements and more about a mutual admiration society hosting its annual public circle jerk.

The best awards/specials performance is now and forever will be Michael Jackson's performance of "Billie Jean" at the Motown 25th Anniversary show in 1983. Every move, however slight, was smooth and perfect. Everything about his presence and performance underscored what he thought was important: the music. Right down to the last sequin on the socks. And that is what made Michael and all of his work so great: it was always about the music first. Everything around it, in the performance, staging, lighting, effects, etc was underscoring the music. There was no other agenda. Anybody remember the Michael Sembello song from Flashdance? There's a line that says "She has crossed into the danger zone/where the dancer becomes the dance". It was like that. He physically became part of the music. This Is It was an extended study in his approach to making this happen.

Not so much these days.

The tipping point for me was in the late '80s when I determined that award shows were a glorified fraud and it can be summed up in two words:

1) Milli
2) Vanilli

There is NO WAY in this time-space continuum that the entire industry, plus the Grammy Foundation itself, did not know that these two knobs were faking it. The only reason the Grammy award was pulled was because they were busted. The AMA awards stood and were never revoked. Hmmmmmm.......

So I lost interest. So did a lot of other people, because the ratings numbers circled the drain for years.

During this time, two things happened: first, MTV/Viacom decided to use the award show format as their sales pitch for new artists on video. Second, the "artists" (and I use that term more and more loosely these days) were less interested in music and more obsessed with just getting attention. Any attention. It didn't matter if it wasn't for music.

So instead of a showcase of the best performances and talent the best performers had to offer, you have a series of freak shows. That is what has given rise to Madonna, Kanye West, Britney Spears, and yes, AL (I'm using his initials here because you already know who I'm talking about and I don't want his nutjob fans who make the worst of Barry's fan base look sane camping out on my blog.)

Which brings us to the 2009 AMAs. You knew I was going there.

Per my usual, I didn't watch the show. I'm interested in music, not freak shows, and the AMAs had been the latter in my eyes for a long time. So when the non-news took up air time on the morning news programs, I rolled my eyes. Who cares? No matter how good a singer he was on American Idol, his focus is not music - otherwise his performance would have focused on that and not just grabbing attention any way he can.

I was relieved when Barry answered on the Joy Behar show (paraphrasing) "I was hoping he would perform a really good song. He missed an opportunity. I just want to hear some really good music, as for the rest of the stuff, I don't give a shit."

YES!! Thank God, someone else thought the same thing I did. I thought I was alone in the universe on that one.

Music is only truly moving when it is the only motivation; when the performance in all of its facets has one focus. Michael Jackson did this. Barry does this (I talked about it in my posts on the LV shows last year). Ditto Bette Midler. (Try and catch her performance on Johnny Carson back around 1973-ish on YouTube.) But there are just too few anymore who are willing to make that commitment. American Idol can be a launch pad for a serious career for some; for others it's a "Look Ma, I'm on TV!" idiotic moment. For most, it's a few days off of work.

There's a very fine line that separates the true diva from a douchebag. The true diva may be demanding of their staff and colleagues when creating a work of art, but they don't demand any more perfection of anyone else than they do of themselves. They always deliver the goods. And it's always about creating the art. The douchebag is the one who may not even be able to sing or perform, but they're making a spectacle of themselves just to get any attention for their own reasons. Even if they can perform their spectacle is all over the place and is disconnected from the music. At worst, they're a liar because they lure you in with the promise of a wonderful creation forged of talent and skill and creative genius, then switch to God-only-knows what's really on their minds. Even prostitutes are more honest than this.

I was about to give up on finding anything new and just keep over-analyzing the artists I've enjoyed my whole life. And not watch award shows. (Duh.)

Then I heard about these guys opening up for Barry at the Hollywood Bowl:

Straight No Chaser is all back-to-basics. They make music. They have fun. They're not idiots. Stiletto was smart enough to play the PBS card again and get their Christmas special on. So if you're losing hope in the music scene today - let this lift your spirits.

Maybe there will be more interest in serious musical creativity with that new acapella contest show on NBC. A girl can dream....

Greatest Love Songs Of All Time

2009-12-09T18:05:00.003-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

BARRY MANILOW TO RELEASE THE GREATEST LOVE SONGS OF ALL TIME
ON JANUARY 26TH ON ARISTA RECORDS,

COLLABORATING ONCE AGAIN WITH CLIVE DAVIS

Features Classic Favorites - “As Time Goes By,” “The Look of Love,” “You Made Me Love You,” “The Shadow of Your Smile,” “As Time Goes By,” “We’ve Only Just Begun,” and More!
(December 8, 2009) Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Award-winning recording artist Barry Manilow teams up once again with his longtime collaborator, Arista Records founder Clive Davis (now Chief Creative Officer, Sony Music Entertainment) to record a brand new studio album entitled THE GREATEST LOVE SONGS OF ALL TIME, set for release on January 26th.

On THE GREATEST LOVE SONGS OF ALL TIME, produced with Michael Lloyd (Somewhere in Time and Dirty Dancing), Manilow presents loving interpretations and arrangements of classic, nostalgic love songs for the Manilow and music fan alike. The album selections include jazz and American standards, as well as songs from the “Great White Way” and silver screen including: “As Time Goes By” (originally written by Herman Hupfeld for the Broadway musical Everybody’s Welcome and re-introduced in the film classic Casablanca), Irving Berlin’s ”How Deep Is The Ocean,” “You Made Me Love You” (written by James V. Monaco), George Gershwin’s “I’ve Got A Crush On You,” Fats Waller’s “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” “The Shadow of Your Smile” (written by Johnny Mandel), “When You Were Sixteen” (written by James Thornton and revived and popularized by Al Jolsen in 1929), “The Theme From Love Story (Where Do I Begin)” (written by Francis Lai), “Nevertheless, I’m In Love With You” (written by Harry Ruby), Gershwin’s “Our Love is Here To Stay,” Johnny Mercer’s “Fools Rush In,” and “It Could Happen To You” (written by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen).
The album also features great renditions of “The Look Of Love” (written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David), “We’ve Only Just Begun” (Written by the songwriting team of Roger Nichols and Paul Williams), and “The Twelfth of Never” (written by Jerry Livingston and Paul Francis Webster).

“The real joy in creating this album was taking these classic songs that everyone knows and using my chops as an arranger to deconstruct then recreate them to make them my own,” explained Manilow.

Comments Clive Davis: “Barry and I have a mission to bring to a new generation the great songs that are the soundtrack of our lives. This album does just that and Barry is sounding better than ever."

Clive Davis has been a perennial collaborator with Barry Manilow on virtually all his recordings, since they first worked together on “Mandy,” Manilow’s debut #1 single as the first artist signed to Arista by Davis in 1974, the first year of the label’s existence.

THE GREATEST LOVE SONGS OF ALL TIME will be released on January 26th, 2010 A special pre-order campaign at the http://www.manilow.com/ website and at Amazon will ensure that fans will receive THE GREATEST LOVE SONGS OF ALL TIME in its very first week of release.
Be sure to tune in this week to see Barry Manilow perform a holiday favorite from his just-released CD IN THE SWING OF CHRISTMAS on The Jay Leno Show on December 10th.
IN THE SWING OF CHRISTMAS, out now, and THE GREATEST LOVE SONGS OF ALL TIME are Barry Manilow’s follow-up to the mega-bestselling series of “decades” albums that he masterminded with Arista founder and co-producer Clive Davis. The series began in January 2006 with The Greatest Songs Of The Fifties, which entered the Billboard 200 album chart at #1 (his first #1 album since Barry Manilow/Live in 1977), and was certified RIAA platinum. The Greatest Songs Of The Sixties (October 2006) entered at #2. When the RIAA platinum The Greatest Songs Of The Seventies entered at #4 (September 2007), Barry Manilow was distinguished as the only artist to chart three Top 5 debuts during 2006-2007. The most recent entry in the series, The Greatest Songs Of The Eighties was released November 2008. Beyond the sensational “decades” series, Arista is the home to Manilow’s biggest hits including “Mandy,” “It’s a Miracle,” “Could It Be Magic,” “I Write the Songs,” “Looks Like We Made It,” “Can’t Smile Without You,” “Copacabana (At the Copa),” “Somewhere In the Night,” “Ships,” “I Made It Through the Rain,” and many, many more.

With worldwide record sales exceeding 80 million, Barry Manilow is ranked as the top Adult Contemporary chart artist of all time, according to R&R (Radio & Records); with no less than 25 consecutive top 40 hits to his credit between 1975 and 1983, on the Billboard Hot 100. Manilow has worked on over 40 albums over the course of his career as a singer, songwriter, arranger and producer.

THE GREATEST LOVE SONGS OF ALL TIME
Complete Track Listing:
1. As Time Goes By
2. How Deep Is The Ocean?
3. You Made Me Love You
4. We've Only Just Begun
5. The Twelfth Of Never
6. I've Got A Crush On You
7. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
8. The Shadow Of Your Smile
9. When You Were Sweet Sixteen (1898)
10. The Look Of Love
11. Theme From Love Story (Where Do I Begin)
12. Nevertheless (I'm In Love With You)
13. Our Love is Here To Stay
14. Fools Rush In
15. It Could Happen To You
16. I Only Have Eyes for You

Manilow Appearances Part Deux

2009-12-03T21:24:00.002-05:00

"Cranberry Christmas" Decmeber 7 and 12 (ABC Family)
TOLF is already asking when this is going to be on.

The Jay Leno Show (NBC) December 10

Please, PLEASE, PLEEEEZE let this be a real interview and not just "letsfindamusiciantofillinthelast5minutesoverthecreditsafterwatchingthewholeshow"

If these aren't enough for you, there is also ManilowTV.
Those of you out there with any doubts at all as to how good the service is, check out this comment from Micks:

http://mwampole.blogspot.com/2009/12/manilowtv-spoiler-alert.html

If this doesn't convince you to tune in, nothing will. (Way to go, Micks!)

DVR Alert 2009 (updated 12/2)

2009-11-30T20:59:00.007-05:00

New Holiday season, new ad blitz.

December 1: The Today Show (NBC). Show airs 7 AM to 10 AM EST. Just record the whole thing, although I'll bet $10 he'll be on in the last hour.

(Update, cross-posted from Twitter: Dear Matt Lauer, Meredith Viera, and NBC: "Ass" is not a curse word. Lighten up.)

December 1: The Joy Behar Show on HLN (not CNN - HLN) 9 PM EST
You can post a question on Facebook. Someone, PLEASE post a decent question on the comments list, most of them are stupid.

(Update, watching the show, waiting for Barry's interview: there is not one bit of difference between this and The O'Reilly Factor on FOX. The sequence and structure of the show, and approach to content are identical.)

(Another update: nice promo for Paris. Amazing she actually used some of the Facebook questions. Not amazing at how dumb they were. Some people wouldn't know a good interview question if it beat them with a stick.)

Fun stuff: backstage clip from Behar's show.

December 2: Christmas at Rockefeller Center. (NBC) 8 PM EST
Barry's not listed on the grid (not mine anyway) so record and see how he fits into the show.

(Update: nice number, fit right in with the variety show-type gig. Everyone looked like they were having a good time. Extra was a dud. Big surprise.)

Manilow in Paris is Official

2009-11-29T13:33:00.001-05:00

It's about time they made this official!

http://www.manilowparis.com/

And they already planned the BMIFC convention!

http://www.bmifcconvention.com/

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bonjour! Barry is Going to PARIS!

PARIS Las Vegas that is!

Surprise!

Over the last few months, Barry and his creative team have been working behind closed doors on a brand new show that will open at PARIS Las Vegas on Friday, March 5! Check out the complete schedule at http://www.manilowparis.com/. Fan Club tickets, Front Row tickets, Fan Club Convention (Friday, July 9 – Sunday, July 11, 2010) packages, and Platinum tickets are all available NOW for performance dates through July 18, 2010 only at http://www.manilowparis.com/!

Las Vegas middle school and high school music programs will benefit from the Platinum Experience tickets! Platinum Experience tickets will include a front row seat, pre-show champagne reception, meet & greet and photo with Barry, and an autographed show program.

Proceeds from Platinum Experience tickets go directly to the Manilow Music Project. The Manilow Music Project is part of Barry’s non-profit, Manilow Fund for Health and Hope and will put instruments into the hands of middle school and high school students in the Las Vegas Unified School District! We are holding spots for Platinum ticket holders who need to re-schedule their Platinum experience from 2009.

They can re-schedule by calling 310.957.5788 on Monday, November 30. Tickets are available to the public on Tuesday, December 1.

Even though it’s the Holiday, and we are not here to help via telephone or email, we wanted you to have the first chance to get tickets by ordering online! Our customer service representatives will be back at work on Monday, November 30.

Is Nothing Sacred?

2009-11-19T19:44:00.004-05:00

Posted today by TPTB on http://www.manilow.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

URGENT ManilowTV Message

Several days ago we started to receive emails from friends who were concerned that a ManilowTV subscriber in Europe had started selling illegal bootleg DVD copies of the Manilow TV broadcasts. Like all of us, they were surprised that someone who pretended to be a fan was really out to rip off Barry and all the other musicians, artists, songwriters, casts, and crews who are involved in the production of these programs. Like all of us, they were offended that someone who had previously agreed not to be a bootlegger, would again try to rip off everyone while pretending to just be a good fan. Right.

This person has again been notified by the legal team and has again promised not to engage in illegal activities. This time, however, we have also notified the authorities in the host country and have blocked all ManilowTV access for subscribers in the host country and for those associated with the bootlegger. Hopefully this will stop the bootlegger and allow ManilowTV to continue.

It’s interesting to note that quite a few European countries have bootlegging laws much stronger than the US. Bootleggers routinely face fines, prison sentences and lifetime denial of internet access for infractions that many in the US would consider minor. Hopefully, our actions and the risk of further action by local governmental authorities will encourage this person to finally stop before we are forced to shut down ManilowTV.

To all of you who took the high road and shared both your concern and your disgust….thank you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I don't keep up with the fan communities as much as I used to (or would like to) because I have to make a living. In fact, I make a living based on what I create. If I created a program and someone stole it, I'd be pissed. That's happened and I was pissed, and I've learned to protect myself.

In this case, it sounds like TPTB asked nicely for this person to cut it out, and they didn't. For the record, I have no idea who this is, and I really don't care. But if you're a fan, and you truly, innocently step over the line, you respect the request to knock it off. If you go back to business as usual, and the business is bootlegging, after getting a polite request, then you get what's coming to you.

If that is what happened here - not cool, kids. Not cool. Don't complain about how "mean" TPTB are when you're the one doing wrong and drawing the fire.

Cat's Out of the Bag

2009-11-19T13:24:00.001-05:00

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/travel/columnists/lasvegasadvisor/stories/DN-webvegas_1122tra.State.Edition1.2ccff9a.html

Legends onstage:Garth Brooks is at Encore. Wayne Newton is at the Tropicana. Carlos Santana is at the Hard Rock. Donnie &
Marie are at the Flamingo. Cher & Bette are at Caesars Palace (no, not together, and Midler's final performance will be Jan. 31). And, as of next February, Barry Manilow will be at Paris. It now has been confirmed that the entertainer, who's currently performing his Ultimate Manilow: The Hitsshow at the Las Vegas Hilton, will move to Paris on Valentine's Day 2010. .....[snip]

Watch your twitters or MMN or your Hotlines. The official word should make its way out any day now. Wonder what other suprises they have in store that we just haven't figured out yet?

He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother

2009-11-10T21:49:00.074-05:00

I was reminiscing today about a position I had years ago before my family got settled and my office was built into my house. Every other job, before and since, has been frought with politics and "dos and don'ts" and political correctness in every possible sense. This one job was completely different and I don't think I'll ever experience anything like it again.

The department was a mini UN, even for the company I worked for. You could walk into the central office and hear four different languages (at least) going on at one time. More than that, when lunch time rolled around, we'd grab something from the cafeteria and sit around chatting.

About everything you're not supposed to talk about at work: money, religion, and politics.

It gets better: all kinds of people, from all over the world, who otherwise could not get along with each other joined in.

Imagine Israelis sitting with Palestinians; Pakistanis with Indians; Venezuelans with Columbians, talking about international politics with Americans. No blood, no arguments, just earnest and polite interest.

Now imagine devout Jews and Muslims, sitting with Catholics and Protestants chatting about comparative religion, or a religious practice they heard about on TV the previous day. Again, no blood, no arguments.

Finally you had anyone who cared to join in yapping about American special-interest politics: abortion, gay rights, political parties, American history, pick one. We didn't just sit around agreeing with each other either - there was a spectrum of opinions and all expressed them.

I swear to God this actually happened on a regular basis. I have to say that because no one believes me when I describe this scenario. We didn't even need the "Vice President of Diversity" to help us out. In fact we told that guy to take a hike because he was killing our mojo. You should have seen the pot-luck parties we had; bring something from your home country. Comfort food, no matter where it's from, always breaks the ice and brings all kinds of people together. And it was AT WORK!

While reminiscing I tried to figure out why we had such an easy communion. It's not supposed to happen if you talk to random HR people. In spite of all of our differences we had quite a lot in common:

Each and every one of us - all of our races, ethnicities, and religions - thought that somebody else was completely, utterly, and totally wrong in their way of thinking or behaviour. No one was willing to compromise what they believed or thought about their own ethics or morality.
Each and every one of us was OK with that. No harm, no foul. Think as you please. Welcome to America. No one was made to feel that they had to separate their faith or other personal ethics from their work life.
Each and every one of us made the choice to care for others as friends, no matter how drastically different their POVs on whatever issue. It was OK to like someone even if you thought they were doing something wrong (or even committing a major sin - there were a lot of devout people here) as long as no one was committing a crime.
Each and every one of us could point to an instance where our ethnicity, race, or religion was misunderstood or maligned in popular culture, or deliberately mischaracterized by the media. We all had extemists and nutjobs in whatever group we identified with but we all knew that was the exception, not the rule. The media and society at large wasn't so forgiving and we all hated it. So rather than assume we knew it all about someone's background, we asked questions. And we answered them. And we accepted the answer, whether we agreed or not. Rather than make rude jokes, we expressed opinions in a way and with timing that let those with a differing one keep their dignity.
In short, we were all patient with each other. Acceptance meant that we accepted that our friends and colleagues had every right in the world to not like or agree with what we said or did. Acceptance meant that they didn't have to change that to be a friend. Acceptance meant that we didn't have to be perfect to be liked. There were occasional raw feelings, but we cared enough about each other to apologize if necessary and to work through it.

Our group worked together because all of these sentiments were mutual. No one was singled out as less than another, more equal than others (to paraphrase Orwell) , and no one was deserving of ridicule because someone else of their faith or ethnicity ran off the rails.

I've been thinking about these times lately because I miss them.

Over the years, I've become more timid about expressing my own thoughts and opinions.

"Yeah, right", you're thinking. "What about this blog?"

You don't see my name anywhere, do you? In my personal universe, if you don't have my name, you can't hurt me. I learned that many, many times, especially as the Internet became more entrenched in our lives. So I chose between expressing my opinion, and giving my identity. One is always private, one is always public, depending upon where I am. It's almost like living a double life.

I've gotten comfortable with that duplicity. Is that OK? Or a sign of something wrong? I usually just go about my life and not think about it. Is it dishonest to not tell everything about myself? Or is it just being judicious?

Well, I know I'm not ready to "tell all" yet. Any leaps I take will be little ones.

I'm a conservative Republican and a practicing Catholic. I carry a GOP membership card and I'm married to a 4th degree Knight of Columbus. I voted the McCain/Palin ticket and I think they would do a better job. I look forward to receiving the Sacraments from my pastor and celebrating Holy Days of Obligation.

There, I said it. The first little leap.

Not everyone is going to like or agree with that little confession above. But I'll ask this:

Don't hate me for it. Or assume you know everything about me or how I live because of the above over some sound bite on the 10 PM news. Get to know me as a person with the above qualities first before deciding who I really am. I'm not a soundbite, or a phrase out of the AP style book. I'm not what random strangers assume. Please try to believe that.

I promise, I'll do the same for you.

Deal?

This is more like it! :-)

2009-10-29T20:03:00.002-04:00

He's not joking about music classes (and similar arts programs) for that matter keeping kids in school, or helping to keep grades up. Formal music lessons, from the time I was in the first grade, made a big academic difference for me even though I'll never be a professional at it. Music was a way of clearing my head and taking a mental break (even if it was a class!) before finishing the rest of my work. It still is! Which is why my kids started music classes in some form already. Even the new baby is joining her big sister in a weekly music-play program. So as I have said billions of times since I started this blog, Barry and I are -->here<-- on that subject.

(And I'm really glad to hear that all seems to be going well at home on the left coast. ;-D )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Message from Barry 10/29/2009

Hi everyone!
I’m recuperating and doing fine.
Thanks for all good wishes.
The Hollywood Bowl show was a fantastic experience for all of us. The crowd was amazing and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra was magnificent. Hearing those beautiful arrangements and orchestrations made me want to stop singing and just listen to them!
The music was definitely a highlight of the night, but a close second was the knowledge that we were raising money to buy musical instruments for kids in the L.A. schools. As you know, because of budget slashes, the Music and Arts departments of the public schools all over the country are being cut.
And even the schools that still have music departments are struggling to keep them going. They’re running out of instruments and the ones that they do have are in terrible shape. They need music stands, sheet music, band uniforms – you name it, they need it. Music classes aren’t just for playtime. Music keeps the kids in school. Really. It keeps the kids coming back to school.
Ask any music teacher and they all say the same thing: when kids are in music classes their grades go up, they learn how to interact with other students and they stay in school.
The thought that the schools don’t have musical instruments or worse, that they may not have Music classes at all is just killing me.
I would like to ask you all to dive in and help me if you possibly can.
It would be so great if you could call your local high schools or middle schools and ask them what instruments they needed and if you could spring it, get the instruments for them.
I’m not suggesting anything near as large as what we’ve been doing of course. Just a trumpet or a clarinet or maybe even one of those Casio or Sony keyboards.
Maybe you’ve got some old music stands in the basement or a set of drums that no one is using anymore up in the attic. Just dust off Aunt Bessie, push her out of the way, and drive the set of drums down to the school!
If you guys could begin to help your local schools by keeping their music classes going, it would be the greatest Get-Well gift you could ever give me.
Once again, thanks for all the get-well wishes.
See you soon.

Love,

Barry

PS……If you don’t have an Aunt Bessie…..and want us to get instruments to schools in need…..you can also go to: http://www.benchmarkemail.com/c/l?A1-672339434 then hit Donate Now………..

Living Vicariously at the Hollywood Bowl

2009-10-25T13:30:00.006-04:00

For those of us who live at opposite ends of the country (or the world) and couldn't make it last night.

Update 10/26/2009: Some really great pictures posted by a fan on the Ning Network (My God, the **lighting**!!! The Bowl must have had some incredible baseline capabilities to work with!) Anyone else think Barry needed a cigarette and a hot bath after the orchestra performed his arrangements?

As usual, I'll keep running updates. Dana, anytime you're ready, dear....

AND HERE IT IS! THANK YOU DANA!!!
http://manilow.ning.com/profiles/blogs/hollywood-bowl-review

I hope we don't have to wait 30 years for this one to make a DVD!

From Twitter, courtesy of TPTB

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Barry Manilow PRESENTS LAUSD and GRAMMY Foundation with majordonation of $100,000 in musical instruments at Hollywood Bowl Concert

At the Special Pre-Concert Gala to Benefit The Manilow Music Project & the Los Angeles Unified School District, Manilow Delivers Gift of Instruments and Education

Los Angeles (October 24, 2009) –Pop culture icon and legendary showman Barry Manilowhosted his first-ever solo concert at the Hollywood Bowl on October 24th, 2009, with manyof the proceeds going directly to The Manilow Music Project and The GRAMMY Foundation®. Starting the evening with yet another act of giving to the Los Angeles community, Manilow surprised attendees by presenting the LAUSD with a donation of $100,000 worth of instruments for its underfunded music program. Manilow briefly spoke about the importanceof music in his own life before presenting yet another donation—two $5,000 Signature School Enterprise Awards to the GRAMMY Foundation®, also benefitting the LAUSD.

“It gives me great personal joy to be able to get these instruments into the hands of theLAUSD’s students. Music has been the foundation of my life and to be able to give that gift to others is both joyous and humbling,” states Manilow.

Superintendant Ramon Cortines commented, “Barry Manilow continues to show his tireless dedication and advocacy by extending the reach of musical education to the children in our community. We are profoundly moved by his continued generosity and support in such tough economic times.”

Manilow, who will end his 5-year partnership with the Las Vegas Hilton this year, regularly performs in arenas throughout the world. He recently performed to a record-breaking, sold-out crowd of 40,000 fans at the BBC Proms in the Park on the world-famous Last Night of the Proms in Hyde Park, London. The event was broadcast live on BBC Radio 2 and BBCTV reaching an audience of countless millions.

In December Manilow together with the Manilow Fund for Health and Hope, will present“A Gift of Love…,” a five-night holiday concert series at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, CA. The concert series, beginning on December 4th, 2009 and continuing on December 5th, 7th, 8th and 9th, will honor 25 local charities in Palm Springs, California,the singer’s hometown—each night benefiting five of the beneficiary charities tickets are available at www.starz.bz/agiftoflove.

Earlier this year Manilow donated $500,000 in musical instruments to schools in the Palm Springs/Coachella Valley area.

The Manilow Music Project
Last year, in response to the needs of public schools and their severely depleted music programs, Barry Manilow gathered some friends and formed The Manilow Music Project as part of his non-profit, Manilow Fund for Health and Hope. The mission statement of the Project highlights the importance of music programs in U.S. schools and donates instruments and materials to school music programs.

The Manilow Music Project is sponsored by Yamaha and BevMo!

Proceeds from Manilow wine purchases at BevMo! retail stores in California go directly to The Manilow Music Project.

The GRAMMY Foundation
The GRAMMY Foundation was established in 1989 to cultivate the understanding, appreciationand advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture — from the artisticand technical legends of the past to the still unimagined musical breakthroughs of futuregenerations of music professionals. The Foundation accomplishes this mission through programs and activities that engage the music industry and cultural community as well as the general public. The Foundation works in partnership year-round with its founder, The Recording Academy®, to bring national attention to important issues such as the value and impact of music and arts education and the urgency of preserving our rich cultural heritage. For more information, please visit http://www.grammyintheschools.com/

Radio Alert: Barry Hosting BBC Radio Show on Johnny Mercer

2009-10-23T18:56:00.004-04:00

Reposted from Moonstone's Shadows of Manilow blog.
This is really worth repeating.

Mark your calendars on November 13, starting at 7:30 PM local (UK) time.
[BBC] Radio 2 to celebrate work of Johnny Mercer
http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/25986/radio-2-to-celebrate-work-of-johnny-mercer

Listen live on the internet here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/
I'll try and calculate what time it will be on in the US time zones. Unless some kind soul would like to comment with that info?

Random Thoughts on a Friday Evening

2009-10-23T18:15:00.003-04:00

To everybody working the Hollywood Bowl tomorrow night - break a leg. If the tweets I heard are any indication you're putting on one helluva show. Enough to make us east-coasters jealous.

Speaking of tweets, if certain twitterers/tweeps/whatevertheword is want to post those photos, I'll be watching. (You know who you are!)

We're getting ready for Halloween this week. I posted about this last year. I would pay to see Barry walk through trick-or-treating as himself. No entourage, bodyguards, etc. He could get away with it too - everybody staring at the decorated houses, people would think he was just another guy in a costume. Except for one neighbor on our street who is a serious fan. I'd have to find a way to shut him up.

Remember Dumbass from my OT post a while back? Well the chairman of the board finally neutralized him. (Think purple slime from Warehouse 13 - REALLY neutralized) I'm breathing easier tonight now that I can steer that ship without some mutant nipping at my heels.

My daughters' preschool music teacher is a Barry fan. And she was pumped to learn about the Music Project. Per my recommendation she's looking into using elements of Manilow Live for instruction for young children. My good deed for the day!

So for everyone going to the Bowl tomorrow (whether working or just having fun), have a good time for me while you're there. I'm going to settle in with Live at the Greek (maybe do the 2nd half of that POV review I've been threatening for weeks) and be with you in spirit.

Have a great weekend, gang!
MUAH!

ETA- can't believe I almost forgot this...
Barry, now that you have some time off, take some extra for some serious R&R, take care of whatever medical issues are hanging over your head, and get some "me" time before the Paris announcement hits the fan. ;-)

Someone likes to be funny

2009-10-19T15:42:00.000-04:00

Hardy har har har

GarryKief Exclusive. Behind the scenes at album cover photo shoot. - http://twitpic.com/m5mpw

And the cat-and-mouse game continues. But which is which?