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 ("Very Strange Medley"). 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, 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" (Adrienne Anderson, Barry Manilow) - 4:48
 "Why Don't We Live Together" (Phil Galdston, Peter Thom) - 3:45
 "Looks Like We Made It" (Richard Kerr, Will Jennings) - 4:00
 "New York City Rhythm" (Barry Manilow, Marty Panzer) - 5:12
TT: Side One 17:45

Side 2 
 "A Very Strange Medley (V.S.M.)" - 6:10
"Kentucky Fried Chicken" (Al Gorgoni, Bob Nolan)
"State Farm Insurance" (Barry Manilow, Jerry Gavin)
"Stridex" (Barry Manilow)
"Band-Aids" (Barry Manilow)
"Bowlene" (Barry Manilow, Lois Wise)
"Dr. Pepper" (Jake Holmes, Randy Newman)
"Pepsi" (Ellen Starr, Jor McNeil)
"McDonalds" (Kevin Gavin, Sid Woloshin)
 "Jump Shout Boogie Medley" - 8:16
"Jump Shout Boogie" (Barry Manilow, Bruce Sussman)
"Avenue C" (Buck Clayton, Jon Hendricks, Dave Lambert)
"Jumpin' at the Woodside" (Count Basie, Jon Hendricks)
"Cloudburst" (Jimmy Harris, Jon Hendricks, Leroy Kirkland)
"Bandstand Boogie" (Barry Manilow, Bob Horn, Bruce Sussman, Charles Albertine, Larry Elgart, Les Elgart)
 "This One's for You" (Barry Manilow, Marty Panzer) - 4:14
TT Side Two: 18:40

TT Act One: 36:29

Side 3 
 "Beautiful Music (Part I)" (Barry Manilow, Marty Panzer) - 2:02
 "Daybreak" (Barry Manilow, Adrienne Anderson) - 4:17
 "Lay Me Down" (Larry Weiss) - 4:41
 "Weekend in New England" (Randy Edelman) - 4:16
 "Studio Musician" (Rupert Holmes) - 4:15
TT Side 3: 19:31

Side 4 
 "Beautiful Music (Part II)" (Barry Manilow, Marty Panzer) - 1:15
 "Could It Be Magic/Mandy" (Adrienne Anderson, Barry Manilow, Frédéric Chopin/Richard Kerr, Scott English) - 8:00
 "It's a Miracle" (Barry Manilow, Marty Panzer) - 5:14
 "It's Just Another New Year's Eve" (Barry Manilow, Marty Panzer) - 4:21
 "I Write The Songs" (Bruce Johnston) - 4:31
 "Beautiful Music (Part III)" (Barry Manilow, Marty Panzer) - 2:21
TT Side 4: 25:42

TT Act Two: 45:13

TT Complete Program: 1h 22m

CD Release 
Single-disc CD edition deletes
Beautiful 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 additional track not on original LP or CD release

(+) 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 (Part I)" - 2:02+
 "Daybreak" - 4:17+
 "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again"*
 "Lady Flash Medley" - 5:37*
 "Beautiful Music (Part II)" - 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 (Part III)" - 2:21

TT: Complete Program 1h 42m

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 (Debra Byrd, Monica Pege, Reparata Mazzola) - backing vocals
with:
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
Technical
Michael Delugg - recording engineer
John Venable - live recording engineer

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References 

1977 live albums
Barry Manilow live albums
Arista Records live albums
Albums produced by Ron Dante