Barry Manilow is an American singer and songwriter with an iconic career spanned over seven decades. He’s had 51 songs reach the top 40 of the American charts, with 13 taking the number one spot.
Barry Manilow is not only famous for writing and producing his own music but also for writing songs for various other stars. Here are 8 songs you probably didn’t know were written by Barry Manilow.
Good News – Melissa Manchester (1976)
Melissa Manchester released her debut album, Home To Myself, back in 1973. She began to make a name in the industry for herself, and by her fourth album, Better Days and Happy Endings, she and Barry Manilow teamed up to co-write the hit, Good News.
Marry The Mole – Carol Channing (1994)
Carol Channing took on the role of Ms. Fieldmous in the 1994 animated film Thumbelina. One of the main tracks of the film was Marry The Mole, performed by Carol Channing and written by Barry Manilow, who was joined by lyricist Bruss Sussman and Jack Feldman.
In Your Eyes – Dionne Warwick
Barry Manilow and Dionne Warwick had a great friendship that spilled over into their creative world, with collaborations dating back to the 70s.
When Warwick was ready to record her album Dionne, Manilow was brought in to produce it and co-wrote two songs on the album, including In Your Eyes.
Sweet Life – Punch (1972)
Punch consisted of two men, Steve Adler and Charles Merriam, and two women, Kathy Ward and Dee; collectively, they had an Abba-like vibe that brought them a short stint of stardom in the early 70s.
They only released one album, which included the track Sweet Life, written by Barry Manilow.
Meet Me, Midnight – Diane Schuur (2003)
Dianne Schuur, a Grammy-winning Jazz singer, released her album Midnight in 2003. Most of the songs on the album were penned by Barry Manilow, with a handful of co-writers, including the incredible track, Meet Me, Midnight.
Perfect Isn’t Easy – Bette Midler (1998)
Barry Manilow was the mastermind behind the writing of the song Perfect Isn’t Easy, written for the 1988 Disney animation Oliver and Company.
The track was performed by Bette Midler for the film and is the only track written by Manilow for this film loosely based on Charles Dickens Oliver Twist.
Stay – Ray, Goodman, and Brown (1981)
Barry Manilow released the song Stay on his ninth studio album, Here Comes The Night, back in 1982. However, the song was initially given to the R&B trio Ray, Goodman, and Brown.
Never Gonna Let You Get Away – Lady Flash (1976)
Lady Flash was a collection of backup singers comprised of Debra Byrd, Monica Pege, and Reparata Mazzola, who had all worked with Barry Manilow during the second half of the 70s.
In 1976 they released their sole album, Beauties In The Night, produced by Manilow. Manilow also wrote Never Ginna Let You Get Away, one of the album’s biggest hits.
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