Ladies & Gentlemen: Barry Manilow

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Emory Songer back here on news radioeleven ten kfab and we always like talking
to great Americans, great legends atwhat they do. And now we are
blessed to be joined by one ofthe greatest musical artists of all time,
Barry Manilo, joining us on ourphone lines. First of all, mister
Maniloh, thanks so much for joiningus today. Sure, and nice to
talk to you. You know,they just told me's nine years I've been

(00:23):
with you guys, since I've beento Omaha nine years. Wow, Yeah,
nine years And perfect timing. Weget a chance to see you one
more time July thirtieth at the cCHI Hell Center, Omaha, and there's
going to be a lot of people. They've been lining up. We actually
gave away tickets as a contest onour radio station months ago, and the
phone's ringing off the hook for achance to see Barry Manilow and Omaha one

(00:44):
more time. So first, beforewe kind of talk a little bit more
about your career as a whole,let's talk about Omaha and kind of what
you are anticipating here with your lastshow here for people who haven't seen you
in a while, how's the showwhen you talk about it being kind of
the last chance to see Barry Manilowlive. What's different than it would have
been nine years ago. Well,first of all, it's a beautiful looking

(01:07):
show. Uh, you know,the people that I work with just makes
it make it just beautiful. Andso that's number one. And most of
all, you know, I'm oneof those artists I happen to have so
many songs that people will recognize thatI can fill up two hours of songs

(01:30):
that everybody knows, well most peopleknow. They're so familiar, you know,
not only the hits, but theother stuff that became familiar. So
it's a real fun show for anaudience because you know, I'm not there
for me, I'm there for them. And over the years, they've told
me what they want to hear,and what they want to hear is songs

(01:51):
that they know and they can singwith. You know, they really want
to hear A cancer Boy without you. When I write the songs that you
know, it's one of those oneof those lucky guys that has a lot
of familiar souls. So that's whatyou'll you'll get and I think you'll have
a real good time. Barry Manilowjoining us on the phone line. Here,
I see the catalog, I seethe record sales. I see how

(02:14):
many of these songs have gone platinum, who have landed on the charts.
It's been quite a ride for you, Barry, and I want to go
back to the beginning, because evenpeople like Frank Sinatra were kind of anointing
you of you know, this isgoing to be the next great male singer
in this country. And this isdecades ago, and you still have continued
that popularity and people wanting to seeyour show, wanting to hear your music.

(02:35):
What was it like though, knowingyou had a little bit more of
that pressure from all these legends sayingthis guy's the next one. You know,
I never looked up. I justkept working. I still do.
I just don't look up. Ijust I just keep on going, you
know, I just do the job. I do the work, and you
know, hopefully people will react towith and that's it. You know,

(02:59):
it wasn't a pressure. I don'tremember pressure. You know, it was
just making another album, going onto her, making another album, going
on tour, making sure that we'redoing the right thing for these people.
It's workaholics are going to be listeningto that saying, you know what,
this justifies everything that I've done inmy life, because a guy who's been

(03:19):
this successful says the same thing.Is any one of the people that you've
gotten in contact with in your industrymeant more than the others When they said,
you know what, you've really madeit very well. You know when
you mentioned that best Sinatra thing,I don't think you can top that one
that came out of the blue.When he said that, I didn't even
know he knew what I did.And then after that he started singing songs

(03:44):
that I had recorded, and itwas not the hits. He had found
some beauties that were on various albums, and I'm at one time I turned
on the Tonight Show when Johnny Carsonwas there, and he had picked out
a song why don't you see theshow again? Though I've always loved it,
I did it in my show nowand again, but not often.

(04:06):
And he found it and he dida beautiful job of it. You know,
gave me clear for having written thesong. Young young composer Barry not
alone. That's how long those youngyoung performers and and he did a beautiful
job of it. So you know, but you know, I don't think
you can top what he has said. Uh. Yeah, anytime you can

(04:28):
be in the same circle as aguy like Frank Sinatra, that's nothing but
awesome stuff there. Uh. WhenI look at the list of songs,
I could ask you about every singlesong. I don't have the five six
hours I would need to get throughthat. But you know, from from
your perspective now, as you arewinding down your touring and you have,
like all of these songs that havehit the charts, all these songs that

(04:49):
have made such an impact on somany lives, are there a couple that
really stand out to you, thatreally meant more to you than maybe the
rest? Well, there's an albumthat I would say meant more to me
than the others because ten years,I guess it was ten years of making
albums up until I got to nineteen. I started in nineteen seventy four or

(05:10):
five. In nineteen eighty four orfive, I said to Clide Davis,
who was a record president of ARISSPresident. I said, Clive, I've
got to do one for me.I've got to get away from the pop
stuff and I've got to do onefor me. He said, yes,
you've earned this. Just give meanything that you want. And I created

(05:31):
an album called two Am Paradise Cafe, and it was a smoky jazz album
that I had written the whole albumwith my collaborators, and I called some
of the top jazz musicians and MelTormay and Sarah Vaughan to dos with me

(05:51):
and we made this album and itwas like the highlight of my life.
It was a dream come true thatreminded me why I had gotten into the
music business in the beginning. AndI didn't think anybody would ever buy it,
and it turned out to be very, very successful. Everybody on the

(06:12):
label was so happy for me,including Klave. Everybody was so happy and
I was, you know, itwas a wonderful Experience's just the one I
don't remember. We're speaking with BarryManilow, obviously a legend in the industry,
and he's going to be in Omahaon July the thirtieth cchi Hel Center,
Omaha. I see so many peoplein the music industry these days,

(06:32):
and maybe it's just me. I'ma younger person, but my dad raised
me on the music of the sixtiesand seventies. In the eighties, you
know what he really liked, andit was for me. You know,
it's tough to hear what the toptens in top forties of yesteryear were like,
and the talent and the musicianship,and then kind of what popular music
is today, as somebody who's beenin the industry for so long Barry is

(06:57):
or what would you say is kindof the state of music these days?
And am I just being too cynicalwhen I kind of critique some of the
new popular stuff that people are listeningto. Well, you know, I
understand your cyticism, but there's alwaysgreat talent out there, whether you like
it or not, whether I likeit or not, whether it's our you
know, whether it moves us ornot. I agree with you. But
what's going on on the radio thesedays is a lot of rhythm. You

(07:19):
know, the country the melody seemsto have taken a nosegive if you want
melody, go to the country stations, and even a good lyrics sometimes on
the country station. But right now, what we hear on the radio is
a lot of rhythm, you know, meaning rap and hip hop and stuff
like that. And that doesn't moveme, you know, and it very

(07:42):
well may be very good. Ican't. I can't, I can't.
I can't hear it. But itmay be very good in its world,
you know, because they're very,very popular. It just doesn't move me.
I need to be I need tobe I need to be able to
be feeling something, and this kindof stuff doesn't make me feel anything.
So you know, who cares aboutwhat you think or what I think.

(08:05):
The public loves it and that's great. So you know, it just doesn't
move you with me, and that'sit. Maybe the next generation, maybe
they'll find the melody and they'll thinkit's brand new and it'll be better.
It's a great point. A lotof things are cyclical in the world that
we have today. Barry Manilo joiningus on the phone line, So when
we talk about that, is theresomebody in the last you know, fifteen

(08:28):
twenty years that's kind of a newerartist that popped up that really has impressed
you with the way that they goabout doing their artwork. Yeah, it's
Lady Gaga. I think she's asinnovative as I've ever seen, and she's
a talent. She sings great,she plays great, and you never know
what she's going to be doing next. And she's surprising. Yeah, she's

(08:50):
a real talent. That's the onethat comes to my mind. Yeah,
and I actually really enjoy Lady Gagaas well. So we're on the same
page, Barry man AlOH I cansay that. I can go to my
dad and say me and Barry Manilowe have like the same music days.
This is crazy. Okay. SoI want to talk a little bit more
about songwriting. Where do you finda lot of the inspiration because you know,

(09:11):
for so many people they have likethe three songs or the five songs,
or the ten songs that are memorable. You have catalogs and catalogs albums
in decades worth of work that you'vedone that people you know, find to
resonate with them in their life.What about your process has given you the
inspiration to be so impactful with yoursongwriting? It was the hardest thing ever.

(09:33):
Writing pop songs for me is thehardest thing ever because you're stuck writing
about I love you or I missyou. That's it, that's all you
got. If you write anything otherthan I love you or I miss you,
you're writing a Broadway song or you'rewriting a movie. See, but

(09:54):
you're not writing for the pop radio, and so, you know, when
I realized that, it was very, very difficult for me to do that
because I like writing stories, andI like writing things that you know,
you can make you feel. Andwe you know, and me and my
collaborators, we you know, wewould we would slog through song after song,

(10:15):
and then we would get too cleverand we would say, no,
we can't do that because the chordchanges the chord change is too clever,
or the lyric it's too clever.We have to go back and simplify it.
So that it was a very difficulttime to try to try to do
can't smart without you, you know, or or I write the songs.
They're very they're great, and they'regreat in their own way, but they're

(10:39):
very simple, and they're very youknow, they're easy on the ear,
and and you know, I likewriting more complicated stuff. You were able
to work with and produce for severalother people as well. Is there a
memory that you have where you weren'tnecessarily performing a song that you helped work
on, a song that you eitherthought that maybe, you know, man,

(11:00):
I really wish that I could havethe chance to perform that, or
you really felt like, you knowwhat, that's some of the best work
that I've done, even though I'mnot singing on that track. Well,
you know what, I did twoalbums from my friend Bett Midler, and
you know that was after I hadI was when I started off with that
back in the eighteen hundred. Wheneverthat was. It was great because we

(11:22):
hadn't seen each other or work witheach other for many years, and I
came up with this idea, Idon't know, after Rosemary Clooney passed away.
I knew that she knew Rosemary andI knew Rosemary, and I thought
maybe it would be really nice tohave bet to a tribute album, and
I would love to produce an arrangement. So I called her and we did
it, and it became very verypopular. You know, do I wish

(11:45):
I was singing those things? No, but it was really wonderful to be
able to give her an album fullof full of great songs and arrangements,
and I think, you know,it was a great experience. We're speaking
with Barry Manilow, of course,a legend in his own right, and
going to be coming to Omaha ChiHeal Center, Omaha July the thirtieth We're
very excited. First time in nineyears, the Berry is going to be
here in Omaha. We know youlove Omaha, Barry where You're very excited

(12:11):
to come back. But your careeris taking you all over the world.
Are there are a couple of citiesthat really have stood out to you as
you know, the cities that notjust as a performance but in terms of
just the experience of being there,having an opportunity to be at certain venues.
Are there some that have stood outto you over the or the duration
of your career. Well, ofcourse it's New York. I come from

(12:31):
New York. You know, Iget up on a stage in New York
and it's like singing to my relatives. You know, I can talk fast
because everybody talks fast, and inNew York. When I'm out of New
York, I gotta slow down becausenobody understands me like I'm talking right now.
But yeah, New York is thecity that you know, I've got

(12:52):
a you know, I've been playingRadio City. You know, I've got
of got a residency at Radio City, which is you know, big,
big moment in my life. Butfamily took me to see the Radio City
Christmas show every every year. Tofind myself on the stage of Radio City
has been just a great experience.Uh. Of course New York for a

(13:15):
New York guy. I should haveknown that was it was a dumb question
of me, of course. Butas I look through the catalog, there
are songs, you know, likeCopa Cabana for me, uh is one.
Whenever it's on, you have tojust bop to you, you turn
it up, you into that.It's interesting because you know, my theory
about songs have to be I Loveyou or a mission. Now Copa Cabana

(13:37):
broke all those rules. I mean, you can get away with a novelty
song like that. A lot ofpeople had novelty songs, you know,
that Billy Joel thing and and youknow, over the years you get a
novel novelty song and I've become verypopular. Well, Copa you know,
we wrote it because we always hada novelty song in my albums. It

(13:58):
was it's either a jazz song oryou know, just an odd ball song
that we did, and that waswhat Copa Commanda was going to be for
that album. We never thought anyradio station would play it. We never
thought anybody would pay attention to it. It was just a fun, novelty
song and it's wound up being themost popular song of my whole career,

(14:24):
of the whole catalog. You know, they may not know my name,
and I don't know Argentina, butyou say copa commanda, oh, copa
cavanda, and that's how big itis. And you know it was a
big surprise. Well, that song. It means a lot to so many
people, and like you said,it breaks a lot of the rules that
you said, you know, generallyfor pop music. But is there a
song or two? I know youtalked about the album, but that when

(14:46):
you actually perform it in front ofa live audience that you generally just you
are so thrilled to get a chanceto perform that song after so many times,
still getting a thrill off the reactionof the crowd. Yeah, even
now, is my answer to thatone. You know, I'm very proud
of that song. Marty Panther,my lyricist friends, they'd a beautiful lyric

(15:09):
and I'm very proud of a melodyand the arrangement and singing it every night.
I'm very happy to do it.And the audiences always love it.
They always connected with it, andyou know it's interesting. Em Marie.
You know, I stick to thearrangements that I did on the album.
But over the years, you know, I have discovered my computers. Music

(15:31):
is coming from my computers, andI have beased up all these songs.
They are much more powerful than they'veever been. They're not different, They're
just more powerful because music has changedwith all the computer stuff that we can
do now, and I've done that, so just about all of the hits,
they don't sound like oldies, theysound contemporary, and yet they're still

(15:56):
those songs. I'm just about theproudest that I was able to do that
to these songs, and even nowis one of them, it still has
all of the feeling to it,but you know, it's bigger and more
powerful than as of a bit.It's going to be so exciting to be
in attendance for anybody that's going tobe there. Barry Manilow, one last

(16:18):
try in Omaha to see him liveJuly the thirtieth, c chi helson Oma.
Last thing for you, Barry.This has been so special for me
and for our listeners to get achance to get to know you a little
bit here. But for those whoyou know, we know your music,
we know your career, but isthere anything outside of music over you know,
your long career and the life you'vehad a chance to live that have

(16:41):
been real highlights for you. Whetherit's other media like showing up on a
TV show or having the opportunity toeven meet with some of your contemporaries that
we would say, wow, thoseare some of the most famous, most
interesting people in the world, oreven something in your personal life. What
are a couple of real highlights thataren't music related that you carery around and
they would be you know, firstor second line in the biography. Okay,

(17:04):
well, first, I've got twoanswers for that. The first time,
the first answer was meeting a princessguy and Prince Charles before he became
King King Charles. She was areally big fan and I did a benefit
for they had something that they reallybelieved in her, and I was happy
to do it. And when Igot backstage to meet them, she couldn't

(17:26):
look at me. She looked atthe floor. She was such a fan.
She was so beautiful and such asuch a terrific, terrific woman.
And uh, and Prince Charles washe said, this is what he said
to me. Woooooo, because Ididn't understand the word he was saying.
But he was he was a goodguy, and but she was just really

(17:48):
just a wonderful, wonderful person.What a tragedy that was. So that's
my first woe when I think about, you know, the people that I've
met. But my second day isis my two dogs. I just loved
coming home to my two dollars.I've always had two dollars, but these
two are even better than the otherones. Those are the two answers.
Can I ask what breed are theirlab I'm stuck on labrators, labradors.

(18:14):
Okay, I'm a greyhound man myself. I've had multiple greyhounds. Got two
at home right now. So bigdog guy over here too, Barry Manilow.
This has been super special for meand I'm sure for our audience listening
to some of the great stories andmemories. You have certainly once in a
lifetime opportunity. We thank you somuch for it and we can't wait to
see at cchi Hel Center, Omaha, July the thirtieth. Thanks once again
for doing this. Thank you toEmmy, You've just created this This was

(18:37):
a wonderful interview on this side.You're just great at US, so thank
you for it.