I admit that Barry Manilow is a guilty pleasure for me. I have his albums, I watched his shows. I even know his VSM (Very Strange Medley) of his commercials. And I thought he wrote all his songs. After all he's got a song called I Write The Songs, which surprise, surprise is written by Bruce Johnston. I found several tracks that he did not write and are totally considered Barry Manilow songs, but really he's just a fan. Hence: Fanilow. I ordered the pick like this: First the songwriter's version of the song, then if there was an interesting cover of the song and then the Manilow version. When you listen to them like this, it turns out that Manilow is a great Arranger of songs. It's obvious that he's changed them and for the better. Not just his voice. I still like the songs he did write. I like these for another reason. Listen for the changes, very cool. Pomeranz wrote Trying To Get The Feeling Again for the Carpenters, but they did it later. Batdorf & Rodney had a minor hit before Manilow got to it. Bunny Walters used the original name of the Scott English track and had a hit. Manilow changed it because Looking Glass had a hit out at the same time. I have a hard time hearing the original because I'm so used to changed one.
Barry Fanilow (I Arrange The Songs)
01 Richard Kerr - Somewhere in the Night
02 Batdorf & Rodney - Somewhere In The Night
03 Barry Manilow - Somewhere In The Night
04 Scott English - Brandy
05 Bunny Walters - Brandy
06 Barry Manilow - Mandy
07 David Martin - Can't Smile Without You
08 Barry Manilow - Can't Smile Without You
09 Bruce Johnston - I Write The Songs
10 Barry Manilow - I Write The Songs
11 Gerard Kenny - I Made It Thru the Rain
12 Barry Manilow - I Made It Through The Rain
13 Ian Hunter - Ships
14 Barry Manilow - Ships
15 Randy Edelman - A Weekend In New England
16 Barry Manilow - Weekend In New England
17 David Pomeranz - Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again
18 Carpenters - Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again
19 Barry Manilow - Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again
20 David Pomeranz - The Old Songs
21 Barry Manilow - The Old Songs
thanks for this very interesting comp. Barry also a special guilty pleasure here, back since the Bette Midler days. his tryin' to get the feeling back and weekend in new england alone place him in the highest echelon of all the greats for me, in company with Sinatra, Ella, Joplin, Morrison, Nyro.. and yes, them ol' Bee Gees. the works, the greatest. great site fellow music maniac, a compliment of the highest order from this asylum. best to you. -Tom in NYC
ReplyDeleteGreat performer, learning from Bette, how to keep your audience engaged! Love all that!
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