Barry Manilow Live
Barry Manilow Live is the fifth album by the singer-songwriter Barry Manilow. The album was released in 1977, and it became Manilow's first to top the US Billboard 200.
Manilow also was among 1977 Special Tony Award winners Lily Tomlin, Diana Ross, National Theatre For the Deaf and Equity Library Theatre honored with the award that year. He received it for Barry Manilow on Broadway, his 12-day stay at the Uris Theatre from December 21, 1976 to January 2, 1977, where this live album was recorded.
The album is known for giving the first commercial release to Manilow's VSM. Before the performance Manilow refers to this as a medley of songs that he included in his act against the values of his "artsy fartsy friends". It is a medley of commercial jingles Manilow was involved with, either as a writer or performer, before he became a chart star. The products and companies these promoted include Kentucky Fried Chicken, State Farm, Stridex, Band-Aid, Green Bowlene, Dr. Pepper, Pepsi and McDonald's.
When first released on Compact Disc, dialogue and all movements to "Beautiful Music" were omitted for it all to fit on one disc, but the 2006 CD re-release restored all dialogue and songs, in addition to reordering the track listing to accommodate the added bonus tracks.
Track listing
Original LP Release
Side 1
- "Riders to the Stars" - 4:48
- "Why Don't We Live Together" - 3:45
- "Looks Like We Made It" - 4:00
- "New York City Rhythm" - 5:12
Side 2
- "A Very Strange Medley " - 6:10
- #"Kentucky Fried Chicken"
- #"State Farm Insurance"
- #"Stridex"
- #"Band-Aids"
- #"Bowlene"
- #"Dr. Pepper"
- #"Pepsi"
- #"McDonalds"
- "Jump Shout Boogie Medley" - 8:16
- #"Jump Shout Boogie"
- #"Avenue C"
- #"Jumpin' at the Woodside"
- #"Cloudburst"
- #"Bandstand Boogie"
- "This One's for You" - 4:14
TT Act One: 36:29
Side 3
- "Beautiful Music " - 2:02
- "Daybreak" - 4:17
- "Lay Me Down" - 4:41
- "Weekend in New England" - 4:16
- "Studio Musician" - 4:15
Side 4
- "Beautiful Music " - 1:15
- "Could It Be Magic/Mandy" - 8:00
- "It's a Miracle" - 5:14
- "It's Just Another [New Year's Eve]" - 4:21
- "I Write The Songs" - 4:31
- "Beautiful Music " - 2:21
TT Act Two: 45:13
TT Complete Program: 1h 22m
CD Release
Single-disc CD edition deletesBeautiful Music Pt. 1, Pt. 2 and Pt. 3
- "Riders to the Stars" - 4:48
- "Why Don't We Live Together" - 3:45
- "Looks Like We Made It" - 4:00
- "New York City Rhythm" - 5:12
- "A Very Strange Medley" - 6:10
- "Jump Shout Boogie Medley" - 8:16
- "This One's for You" - 4:14
- "Daybreak" - 4:17
- "Lay Me Down" - 4:41
- "Weekend in New England" - 4:16
- "Studio Musician" - 4:15
- "Could It Be Magic/Mandy" - 8:00
- "It's a Miracle" - 5:14
- "It's Just Another New Year's Eve" - 4:21
- "I Write The Songs" - 4:31
Deluxe Legacy Edition
indicates track restored to its original set location
"Lay Me Down", "New York City Rhythm", "Daybreak" and "Beautiful Music Part 1"
Restored to its original set location
"Let Me Go", "I Am Your Child", "Lady Flash Medley" and "One of These Days"
Outtakes from the original concert restored to original set location.
Disc 1
- "Riders to the Stars" - 4:48
- "Why Don't We Live Together" - 3:45
- "Looks Like We Made It" - 4:00
- "Let Me Go" - 4:00*
- "A Very Strange Medley" - 6:10
- "I Am Your Child" - 2:37*
- "Jump Shout Boogie Medley" - 8:16
- "This One's for You" - 4:14
- "Lay Me Down" - 4:41+
- "Weekend in New England" - 4:16
- "Studio Musician" - 4:15
- "New York City Rhythm" - 5:12+
Disc 2
- "Beautiful Music " - 2:02+
- "Daybreak" - 4:17+
- "Tryin' to [Get the Feeling Again]"*
- "Lady Flash Medley" - 5:37*
- "Beautiful Music " - 1:15
- "One of These Days" - 2:56*
- "Could It Be Magic/Mandy" - 8:00
- "It's a Miracle" - 5:14
- "It's Just Another New Year's Eve" - 4:21
- "I Write the Songs" - 4:31
- "Beautiful Music " - 2:21
One additional track entitled "I Wanna Be Somebody's Baby" does not appear here, however it does appear on ''The Complete Collection and Then Some...''
Personnel
;The City Rhythm Band- Barry Manilow - vocals, piano, music director
- Keith Loving - guitar
- Steven Donaghey - bass guitar
- Alan Axelrod - keyboards
- Lee Gurst - drums, orchestra conductor
- Harold "Ricardo" Alexander - congas
- Lady Flash - backing vocals
- Marshall Rosenberg - percussion on "A Very Strange Medley"
- Sid McGinnis - additional guitar
- Gerald Alters - orchestration arrangements
- Arif Mardin, Barry Manilow, Charlie Calello, Dick Behrke, Joe Renzetti, Norman Harris - additional orchestration arrangements
- Michael Delugg - recording engineer
- John Venable - live recording engineer
Charts