Manilow tops charts

[Auburn Annie]

NEW YORK (Billboard) -- Barry Manilow topped the U.S. pop charts for the first time in nearly 29 years Wednesday with an album of pop evergreens released in time for Valentine's Day.

"The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" (Arista), featuring versions of such tunes as "Unchained Melody" and "Love is a Many Splendored Thing," sold 156,000 copies in the week ended February 5, according to Nielsen SoundScan data.

His lone prior chart-topper came in July 1977 with the double LP "Live." His last album, "Scores: Songs From Copacabana and Harmony," released on the Concord jazz label, peaked at No. 47 in 2004.

"It's not only a genuine thrill to see the album enter the charts at Number One, but it's truly an historic occasion for both of us," said a statement from Arista Records founder Clive Davis, who first worked with Manilow in 1974 on the Grammy-nominated "Mandy."

Added Manilow, "I've had some pretty amazing experiences in my career, but this one tops them all ... I swear, if you live long enough, anything is possible!"

[johnfowles]

I came here intending to start a new topic subject
"It's a miracle! Old Blow Dries is back and the whole of the US is singing"
then I realised that tacking it onto Annie's would not be too tacky!!
Well at least Gord got a mention in a London (England) newspaper tomorrow (the 10th)
In an article at:-
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...033332,00.html
dealing with current phenomenon The Times said
"The second coming of the 60-year old Manilow is thus officially ordained the biggest comeback by a living human being since Napoleon’s return from Elba"
in discussing the reason (that only oldies now buy CDs as the younger generation use digital downloads) the article says
"It is not as though Manilow’s competitors this week were Gordon Lightfoot or Jefferson Starship, many of whose followers think an MP3 is a rank in the military police"
Discuss!!
John Fowles

[Auburn Annie]

I emailed him and said his wife had it right: really good music, performed by really talented musicians, just never goes out of style. And let him know that at least Lightfoot fans certainly DO know an mp3 from wav files etc. We just don't have many (legal) downloadable Lightfoot files for our ipods.

As I've said elsewhere the only good thing about much of what passes for music today is that it will never translate into elevator Muzak. Try to picture today's 20-somethings humming along to Busta Rhymes' "Touch It" as senior citizens; sort of like boomers singing a rousing chorus of "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?" LOL. Some things are of their time and place and need to be age appropriate - or fueled by booze. But the great songs are ageless.

[violet Blue]

This would explain hearing Born to Run played in the supermarket the other day Trust me, anything can be translated into elevator music. Successfully . . . well, that's open for debate.

Originally posted by Auburn Annie:
I emailed him and said his wife had it right: really good music, performed by really talented musicians, just never goes out of style. And let him know that at least Lightfoot fans certainly DO know an mp3 from wav files etc. We just don't have many (legal) downloadable Lightfoot files for our ipods.

As I've said elsewhere the only good thing about much of what passes for music today is that it will never translate into elevator Muzak. Try to picture today's 20-somethings humming along to Busta Rhymes' "Touch It" as senior citizens; sort of like boomers singing a rousing chorus of "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?" LOL. Some things are of their time and place and need to be age appropriate - or fueled by booze. But the great songs are ageless.

[Auburn Annie]

At least Born to Run had something of a melodic line.

[Borderstone]

Just goes to show,never ever count someone in show biz out! They may hav their low points at times but you never know when they'll come roaring back!