Manilow brings melody back to pop
The fact that Barry Manilow is celebrating his 80th birthday this June will probably make longtime fans of the legendary crooner shake their heads in disbelief or feel pretty old themselves.
Imagine how he feels about the milestone.
“I must say, this birthday is really crazy. It’s crazy! I never intended to be this old. But I don’t feel it!” Manilow says, laughing. And those exclamation points aren’t exaggerations; he really is exclaiming.
“It’s just crazy,” he says again. “I think of people who are 80 ... they look older than I do. They’re retired. You know, that ain’t me! So I don’t know. Call me next year. I’ll tell you what it feels like.”
“Retirement” almost seems like a dirty word to the man behind ’70s pop standards such as “Copacabana” and “I Write the Songs.” The singer will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of his selftitled debut album this year.
Also on tap for 2023: a new album of his own; his fingerprints on two more albums; an arena minitour; and 57 scheduled performances as part of his residency in Las Vegas.
This interview with Manilow has been edited for clarity and length.
Q: Do you feel at all like at some point you’re gonna have to slow down?
A:
I’m just gettin’ started. I’ve always got “the next one.” There’s always
“the next one” with me.
I’m starting to produce an album for my friend (saxophonist) Dave Koz. I’ve never done anything like that. Then I’ve got the original cast album for my musical, “Harmony” (set to open on Broadway this year). … I never really think
about this age thing. Nothing seems to have changed. I look pretty much the same as I always do. I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. But so far, so good.
Q: The album on your own, is that something that’ll come out this year?
A:
Yeah. It’s gonna either be this summer or for next Christmas. … I’ve been working on this one for a couple of years. I wasn’t sure whether it was a good idea to do something like this, because the music that I make is totally different than the music that’s on the radio these days. But I like this stuff that I wrote. I think the audiences that like what I do will love this — depending on how many people are still out there. So we’ll see.
It’s a gamble. … It’s 12 new pop songs with something in it that we are missing. And that something is a melody! Really, we seem to have lost the melody on the radio. I mean, they’re still making great records. They’re all full of rhythm and loops and stuff. But I miss the melodies. … So I’ve put together a pop album with beautiful melodies and great lyrics.
Q. Would you say that it’s an evolution of your sound, or would you say it’s kind of a throwback?
A:
I played a few of the cuts for a friend of mine, and I said, “Does this sound old-fashioned?” She said, “No! It’s you!” Well, that’s what it is. If you like what Idid—whatIdo—Igot12 new ones for ya.