Journale 23

Vielen Dank für Ihr Interesse!

Thanks for your interest!

Super Rock - 1977

The secret of Barry Manilow's sucess lies in his power to write and perform songs which affect your way of feeling. As a result of his power his music has taken on a timeless quality, an essential characteristic of any so-called masterpiece. What continues to be expressed through Barry's songs, regardless of how often you may hear them, is his love of communicating, of sharing his thoughts and feelings with audiences. Therefore, though the words of a particular song are the same each time you hear it played on the radio, and while the music, too, doesn't change, the song is always an enjoyable experience because of the mood that is conveyed. The sensuality of achieving deep communication through music is what Barry Manilow and his success are all about. It was a cozy interview with Barry, each of us sipping soothing, hot coffee during occasional intervals of silence. I was interested in understanding more about his special, almost magical ability of getting audiences involved in his music. How is it possible for a performer to always get into his songs... to keep his mind from drifting while on stage? And what does it feel like to be on stage, an audience full of people who admire you and your talent? "It feels like I'm floating," Barry said, matter-of-factly. "I always get emotional about my songs; I would be gypping my audience and myself if I didn't. I sang "Could It Be Magic" so many times, but every time I do it, I get involved." "I'm very happy about my success. I'm enjoying every second of it. I never really knew where I'd end up, but I was always prepared for it." Barry, in his blue jeans and red and blue madras shirt, sat up in his chair, looking intently, then answered my next question. Could he, I asked, imagine himself presently involved in anything other than music. "I would be doing this no matter what. I didn't care, when I first started out, about being successful. It never entered my mind. All that concerned me was the need to express myself musically. I had to do it. For myself. I would never advise anyone to pursue a career in music unless he or she had something to say. You can't do it for the sake of getting audiences to love you - an ego trip; you've got to do it for yourself." Barry might make it sound too simple to achieve success in the music world; actually, it requires a tremendous effort. Many people feel they have valuable experiences to share ("something to say") and the musical talent to express themselves, but they might discover they lack the perseverance that someone like Barry Manilow must have.

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Barry also pointed out that the decision to make music one's life is limiting in many ways; he, for instance, finds he has no time to become too deeply involved with a woman. He tried it, once, he told me, but the marriage lasted only one year. "It's either art or heart - as the saying goes." Barry smiled, seemingly treating the matter casually, but evidently caring more about it than he wished to show. "... It's so hard. I knew I had to pursue my music, and I had to throw my whole self into it." "I have a wall full of gold records, though, and that's my reward. I'm happy. But it's a life of hard work; I think I've read about it from every artist who has made it to the top." Barry's interest in music began at an early age. At seven, he was already taking accordion lessons, "enjoying it because everyone in the family was getting off on it," Barry recalled. Glancing at me jotting down his last remark, Barry asked what I could possibly find interesting about it. I confessed, slightly embarrassed, that his spontaneous explanation of why he enjoyed the accordion was, I thought, a primary reason for his success; audiences sense that he uses his music for the sake of making listeners happy. And when this understanding between a performer and his audience exists, the music is welcomed, and more easily appreciated. It's fitting that Barry should devote his entire self to his audience when on stage, because outside of his work, he is not at all sociable or communicative; it's as though he stores his feeling solely for either recording his songs or performing them in concert. Only through music, perhaps, can he reach out to people. "I'm not sociable because I chose not to be," Barry said, a bit on the defensive. "I'm much too busy with my work, first of all. Besides, I don't like parties. I don't like being phony and I'm not good at small talk." "When I want to have fun, I see Linda. Linda's my lady. We play back- gammon together; it's relaxing." It doesn't seem that Barry is the type of person who ever experiences any great need to do anything in particular to relax; his personality is naturally calm and easygoing. Born in Brooklyn, Barry spent most of his life in New York. Taking up the piano (soon after he found the accordion to be too limiting an instrument) eventually opened up new possibilities for self-expression; Barry explored different types of music, including jazz, show music, rock and classical. But then, experiencing a need for his own style and his own lyrics to say what he, personally, was feeling, Barry began creating music. I asked what his usual approach, then - and now- was to writing. "Ask any songwriter and you get another answer. There's no sytem to writing a song. Sometimes the lyrics come first; sometimes, the music. It depends. It's impossible to describe. "All I knew at the time I began writing was that many performers didn't seem to be saying enough. And too often the lyrics didn't fit the music. I wasn't moved by many performers." "Arrangers inspired me more. But, I must admit, the Beatles began to get to me." Barry finished his last drop of coffee, then added, "I was not really considering a future - or a career, anyway - in music; at the time, it was just something I had to do." After high school, however, Barry enrolled in a night advertising course at City College of New York - clipping ads at an advertising agency during the day - and the fact that he found the field so unfulfilling prompted his thinking more about music as a means of earning a living. He soon trans- ferred to the New York College of Music, and then to Julliard, one of the finest music schools in the country. I asked Barry whether he thinks it necessary to have a thorough know- ledge about music theory in order to become successful. "It's a definite adventage, but not an absolute necessity. For a singer, it's not difficult to learn a new arrangement just from hearing it a couple of times, memorizing it; he or she wouldn't have to know how to read music." "For an arranger, though, it's important to understand all the possibilities of every instrument you're dealing with and know how to write music, too. It would be hard to arrange without knowing how to write and read music but I suppose it could be done." Recalling the steps that led him to success, Barry sounded as though he accepted each challenge he was offered, never having to stop to question where he was heading. It seems as though his fate was predestined; each step pre-planned. After "Barry Manilow I," his first album, Barry left on his own tour in 1974. The following summer he recorded "Barry Manilow II." In mid-1975 he took time off from his concert schedule to record his third album for Arista, "Trying To Get The Feeling," and his newest album, which he produced with Ron Dante, is entitled "This One's For You." Needless to say ("I have a full wall of gold records!"), Barry's singles and albums sold well. He is a star - whether he likes it or not. And how does someone who never really anticipated success, treat the admiration from fans? "I enjoy it. Sometimes. It's very exciting. At times, though, it is bother- some; I'm not, for instance, thrilled about being asked to sign an autograph just as I'm about to devour a luscious bit of food at some restaurant. I need privacy sometimes, like everybody else." "I supposedly receive three thousand letters a day - or week; I'm not sure - and naturally it would be impossible to read them all. But I do try to read as many as I can. I like to know what people are thinking. I try to get in touch with a lot of people." Barry doesn't owe any apology for not answering his mail; he "gets in touch" through his music and therefore related to people on a close, personal level. Just before the interview ended, Barry confessed his still uncertain selfimage; he cannot yet fully realize who he is or where he is. "Sometimes I try to look at where I am. But all I can see is me, here (pointing to himself), and my success, out there somewhere (pointing out into space). It's me, Barry, and my work - two separate things I can't put together in my mind." But we all know better. In "I Write The Songs," Barry proves he has no trouble whatsoever understanding who he is, and that knowledge has led him to success. "I am music, and I write the songs" Barry sings with super confidence. There can't be anything separate about Barry and his work... he is the love his music expresses. By Jennifer Woods

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Los Angeles Times - 1983

When Barry Manilow comes to town, most reviews drag out their nastiest adjectives and gleefully crucify him. The pop singer/songwriter, who opened in Costa Mesa on Friday night, has been the subject of some of the most venomous notices I've ever read. Most reviewers seem appalled that such a modestly talented artist has become a superstar. Though Manilow's shortcomings have been well documented, his assets are usally ignored. He is a smashing success because he gives his fans, who aren't terribly demanding, exactly what they want - an excess of emotion and a sense that their idol is accessible and vulnerable. On Friday night, he nearly drowned his fans in a sea of emotion. To them, ballads like "Looks Like We Made It," "Mandy," "Could It Be Magic" and "Somewhere in the Night" are extremely moving. His ballads received numerous standing ovations and even moved some people to tears. A typical Manilow ballad starts quietly, buils dramatically and then finishes with a cataclysmic flourish. This is an example of the ABCs of ballad writing. Most songwriters cloak sentiment in subtlety. Such camouflage is foreign to Manilow, whose ballads have flagrant emotional appeal. Manilow was in reasonably good form Friday night. His voice faltered occasionally but his four backup singers easily covered most of those errors. When the show lagged he picked up the pace with one his bouncy sing-a-long tunes or some sprightly comedy. The show included one terrific number - a robust rendition of his rock- oriented "Some Kind of Friend," featuring an exemplary performance by his seven-piece band. This is probably the best song he's ever recorded. He's never going to be a great rock singer - the song does seem a bit beyond his range - but he does deserve credit for venturing outside the dafety of the middle-of-the-road genre. Manilow attracted a full house in the debut of this impressive facility and reportedly did great business on the next two nights. The amphitheater seats 8,000 and can accommodate 10,000 more on the lawn in back of the seating area. The good news is that sound system was marvelous, projecting the music crystal-clear even to the rear of the stage that Manilow looked like a mere speck. The bad news is that it was Manilow's own system, which he utilized for the show. The amphittheater's sound system will have to be judged in future shows. There's plenty of parking on the grounds but, as with most stadiums and amphitheaters, entering and exiting is agonizingly slow because of a limited number of access roads. By Dennis Hunt

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1984

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On A Break From His World Tour, Blue-Eyed Barry Sat Down For A Chat To Give You Some Insight Into Hits Oh-So Winning Ways! Question: Barry, you've been a major success for almost a decade now. Would you mind running through the events leading up to it for your more recent fans? Answer: Of course not! I was 18 years old and working the score for an Off-Broadway play called "The Drunkard." It was really nothing more than a hobby then - my first professional job was as musical director for the CBS series Callback! Then I started writing and singing jingles for Pepsi, MacDonalds and other commercials till I met Bette Midler. I was 26 then and worked with her until my first solo tour in '72 - two years later. "Mandy" was my first hit single. Q: You've received Grammy, Tony and Emmy Awards and platinum album after platinum album. "Here Comes The Night" is your 12th LP - about how many records have you sold altogether? A: I think it's about fifty million. Q: That's quite a feather in your cap! How do you feel about all that? A: I still feel like just plain Barry from Brooklyn, New York. I can't say I haven't changed at all of course, but I haven't gone off the deep and either. Q: Do you feel the critics treated you fairly? A: Well, they've mostly been negative, but they have given me an enormous audience. After a bad review, I get so much mail from loyal fans that it's almost worth it! Q: Bad reviews certainly haven't affected your record or concert sales either! You recently set a box office record for the fastest sell-out (tickets for all 12 performances at the Uris Theater went in just one day!) in Broadway history which will be enteres into The Guiness Book of World Records. This tour promises even more recognition for you, doesn't it? A: Well, I did receive the first Guiness Broadway Gold Ticket Achievement Award for that, but my music hasn't gone round the world as I would have liked it to. Now I'm taking it there personally - especially since I want to make up some European dates I canceled when I came down with pneumonia last year - plus there's Japan, South Africa and Australia to explore! Q: Why haven't you done this type of world concert tour before? A: just because I've always had something else doing. And there's the expense to be considered too - there's a 30 person choir, an 11 piece band, the crew and seven tons worth of technical equiqment to take over there! Q: You've been taking acting lessons for three years now. Have they helped your performance? A: I'm still basically a piano player who sings a little. I never really knew much about the acting craft, but my instructor, Nina Foch, helps me communicate with the audience better. I fly her to my shows to check out how my stage patter's holding up. Q: How about putting those lessons to use on film? A: Right now I've got movie projects in mind - but only in the develop- mental stages. I'd only consider a great script - I won't do junk because I owe my fans the best. Q: How do you feel about being everyone's fantasy? A: I don't really think about my career in those terms. I consider the work - the music, show and costumes - behind the fantasy. I see things strictly from a performer's viewpoint, because you can't try to please any one group; you must do what you must do. Q: Do you think too much is made of your looks? A: Not really, I understand when people take notice - even if it's to criticize. I can't deny my face is out there - it's a kind of a personality attached to the music. When I was growing up, I'd wonder how come everyone looks great and I look awful? But now I see that all those adolescent faults have made me unique. And I think I've turned them into assets. Q: Anything new on the home front? A: Glad you asked - my beagle, Bagel, had a litter! She's staying with a friend of my mom's while I'm touring, along with a new addition - her adorable one-year-old grandpuppy, Biscuit! Q: How do you relax Barry? A: Well, there was my Hawaii vacation - my first in around ten years! - but it rained the whole week. When I'm home in Beverly Hills I usually drive my silver BMW around - it's the only time I get to be alone, listen to music and think. Q: Any other hobbies? A: I enjoy word games and crossword puzzles. I also keep a journal - I write down my feelings and schedules every night. Q: Are there any plans to turn those memoirs into a book? A: Maybe - when I'm old and gray! Q: In the meantime, where can your 16 friends write to you? A: I'd be happy to receive mail c/o The Barry Manilow International Fan Club, P.O. Box 1649, Covina, CA 91722 - and I'm looking forward to seeing my summer audience filled to the brim with 16ers!

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1985

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