By the time The First Barry Manilow Special aired on March 2, 1977, a string of hits including “Mandy,” “It’s a Miracle,” “Weekend In New England,” “Looks Like We Made It,” and “Daybreak” had already established Barry Manilow as one of the hottest stars on easy-listening radio and a sought after live performer. The special successfully combines exciting live performances filmed at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois with studio segments in which Manilow explores his early roots through song. As a former pianist and arranger for Bette Midler, some of her influence comes across in Barry Manilow’s stage act. He’s got a three female backup group reminiscent of Midler’s Harlettes, known as Lady Flash. Manilow is not afraid to have a little fun at his own expense, with his energetic performance of “V.S.M.” (Very Special Medly)—a selection of the many popular commercials Barry had a hand in. At the Ravinia Festival Manilow also performs “It’s a Miracle,” This One’s For You,” Could It Be Magic?,” and “I Write the Songs.”
One of the studio segments finds Manilow singing a duet with Laverne & Shirley’s Penny Marshall of his hit, “Bandstand Boogie.” While Marshall clearly isn’t a singer, she gives the number panache only Laverne DeFazio could muster. In a somewhat dramatic sequence, Manilow sings “New York City Rhythm,” “Sandra” and “Early Morning Strangers.” The First Barry Manilow Special went on to win the Emmy for Outstanding Musical Special of the year.
When The Second Barry Manilow Special aired on February 24, 1978 Manilow was at the height of height of his fame. In May of 1977, Arista released Barry Manilow: Live. The album hit number one and went on to sell over three million copies; Live even knocked Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours out of the top slot on the album charts.
The opening scene of The Second Barry Manilow Special is a memorable scene involving Barry Manilow’s mother bragging about her son to a New York City cabbie.—a definite must-see for Manilow fans. For this special, the setting is the mostly empty Pentages Theater in Los Angeles. The show begins with Manilow singing “Beautiful Music.” He then segues into a version of “Daybreak,” sung with children, senior citizens and a pair of animated skunks. Barry sings a fabulous rendition of “Tryin’ to Get The Feeling Again” and “All The Time,” sitting casually at piano. Guest star Ray Charles performs a memorable version of “One of These Days” and then performs a rousing duet of “It’s a Miracle” with Manilow. At the end of the show a full Pentages Theater witnesses Manilow sing “Can’t Smile Without You” and “Looks Like We Made It.” The Second Barry Manilow Special received four Emmy nominations.
The Third Barry Manilow Special which aired on May 23, 1979, can definitely be called the variety special of the bunch. In this one, Manilow dreams about what it would be like to star in a film. Using his hit “I Write The Songs,” Barry does various dance moves while channeling legends Ginger Rogers and Ann Miller. Guest star John Denver sings “What’s On Your Mind” and joins Manilow for a medley of Everly Brothers hits. Barry also sings “Copacabana (At The Copa) and “Ready To Take A Chance Again” which were written for the film Foul Play, the later of which received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song.
Manilow’s string of successes continued when he acted as producer for Dionne Warwick’s 1979 album, Dionne. The album marked her first platinum seller and spawned the hits, “I’ll Never Love This Way Again” and “Déjà vu.” Not to be out done, Manilow scored his own hit record in the fall of 1979, with “Ships” from the album One Voice. Not surprisingly, Dionne Warwick was the musical guest on One Voice, aired May 19, 1980. As I watched Warwick sing “After You” and Déjà vu,” I was reminded what a talented singer she is. In recent years, between the Psychic Friend’s network scandal and her relationship to Whitney Houston, I had forgotten what a talented singer she is.
It was eight years before Barry Manilow: Big Fun On Swing Street aired in March 1988. The weakest special in the set, Big Fun On Swing Street featured musicians who appeared on his albums Swing Street and 2:00 AM Paradise Café. Guests include: Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Phyllis Hyman, Stanley Clarke, Carmen McRae, Tom Scott, Gerry Mulligan and Diane Schuur. The music is fine if you enjoy the records, but the terribly fake street corner set and shockingly bright colors, gives Big Fun On Swing Street, the feel of a bad music video.
Barry Manilow is a master at the type of entertainment he provides. As he proves over and over again on this Barry Manilow: The First Television Specials box set, he can laugh at himself and have fun. ‘Fanilows’ out there will want to add The First Television Specials to their collections.
