Looks Like We Made It.

Barry and company made it safely in one piece to London. They all went to their  rental homes. The band was divided in two rental homes. Kion, Billy, Dana and Shelly were staying in another. Barry and David were staying in the fourth. Barry, Billy and Kion were heading to the train station to go to Liverpool. Brian Murphy had given Barry tickets to his Liverpool show on June fifteenth. The guys made it to the train station to catch the train to Liverpool. Once in Liverpool the guys went to their hotel to check in. Then they went out for some fish and chips. Barry knew a great place for fish and chips so that was where they went. After dinner they headed to the Liverpool Echo Arena where Brian's show was taking place. Barry, Billy and Kion got to their seats. Soon the house lights dimmed and Brian's introduction number started. Out came Brian Murphy, Kye Brackett, Sharon Hendrix and Melanie Taylor. Brian opened with It's A Miracle. He then did Daybreak, Somewhere In The Night Looks Like We Made It and This One's For You. Brian then said this next song was written by a friend of mine who's here in the audience tonight. Maybe if we clap and yell Barry Barry Barry he'll come up on stage here. So that's what his fans did. Yelled Barry name as they clapped their hands. Barry got up out of his seat and went down the aisle to go up to go on stage. Once up on stage Brian said to the audience this is my dear friend Barry Manilow. Back in the early seventies Barry recorded a demo record with four songs on it. He took it to different labels and when he got to Bell Records they bought the songs for me to record. Because Barry wrote the songs and produced the demo I asked him to write and produce for me. Which he did till nineteen eighty four. That's when he got a record deal with  the label I'm on Arista Records. He put out his first album called 2:00AM Paradise Café a jazz album in nineteen eighty four. Now on that demo record was a song based on Chopin's Prelude In C Minor called Could It Be Magic. Many years later a British group called Take That recorded an up tempo version of the song. What do you say Barry we do a little two studs for the price of one. Let me get you your very own microphone. Here you go said Brian as he handed Barry  a microphone. Ok everyone it's Could It Be Magic and we're going to take that. With that Brian and Barry did the  up tempo Take That version of Could It Be Magic. After the song ended Brian said my dear friend Barry Manilow. With that the audience gave Barry a round of applause. Barry left the stage to go back to his seat. If you just happen to be in London this summer check Barry out at the Palladium. He's there for a short run with his Barry Manilow Live In London show from June seventeenth thru August  twenty eighth. Brain then continued with his show. Soon the show ended and the boys left to go to their hotel. One more day and then the Palladium run would start. Russ McKinnon drums, David Rosenblat percussion, Mark Levine bass, Mike Lent guitar, Ron Pedley keyboards, Stan Michaels keyboards, Joey  Melotti keyboards and musical director, AJ Richardson
trombone, Ron Kessler saxophone, Kevin Dennis trumpet and Chris Nicholas woodwinds were with Barry last year for his Brooklyn Blues Tour. Billy Kidd, Kion Harris, Dana Stevens and Shelly Greco were new comers to the fold. Billy Kidd had worked with Barry back in the late eighties and early nineties during his Big Fun Tour de Force, Barry Manilow Live On Broadway, The Greatest Hits and Then Some and Hits and Big Band Too tours. Mark Levine had been with Barry during the late eighties Big Fun Tour de Force and Barry Manilow Live On Broadway. Everyone else except AJ, Ron, Kevin and Stan had worked with Brian back in the nineties. Barry had texted his wife Carly to let her know he made it to London in one piece. The guys got up the next day. Packed up their back packs and went downstairs for breakfast. After they ate they headed to the train station to go back to London. Once back in London Barry headed back to his rental. He dropped off his back pack. Then he and David went out to get in to their rental. While Barry was in Liverpool David rented a Jeep Wrangler so they would have vehicle to go places in. They especially needed one to go grocery shopping which they were going to do right now. Barry and David went to the nearest grocery store to get stuff. Then they went to a shop that sold wine. Wile in the wine shop they bought assorted wines. After hitting those stores they headed back to the house. Once there Barry and David put away the groceries. They stuck the white wine in the refrigerator. The red wine went into slots above the refrigerator. They even had a barbeque grill in the back yard. Barry decided he was going to make teriyaki burgers, onion rings and corn on the cob for dinner. Barry was in the kitchen making the teriyaki burger patties when he heard a knock at the door. David said I'll get it. So he went to the front door and opened it. There standing outside was Marc. David said come on in Marc. Barry Marc's here said David. Hi Marc said Barry when he came into the kitchen. I'm making teriyaki burgers want to join us. Marc said sure I'll join you guys. We're also having onion rings and corn on the cob to go with the burgers. Sounds fine to me said Marc. Last night me, Billy and Kion went to Brian Murphy's show in Liverpool. Brian invited me up on stage for a little two studs for the price of one up tempo version of Could It Be Magic Take That style. Brian's better at the hip thrusts than I am.  I rented four houses while we're here in London. Two for the band, one for the backup singers and one for me and David. You're welcome to stay here said Barry. There are four bedrooms in the house. Ok said Marc. I was going to stay in a hotel while I'm here. Well tomorrow starts your Barry Manilow Live In London  forty three show run said Marc. Just wait till next weekend said David it's going to be super crazy here in London. With Brian Murphy's One Last Time at the O2 Arena Saturday and Sunday. You at the Palladium for your Barry Manilow Live In London shows. Carly told me her Janice Primavera, Kate Matthews and Vicki Smith have tickets to both of Brian Murphy's shows. The fan club gave the convention goers tickets for my Friday and Saturday night shows last week. Thursday was the Copacabana costume party. Dress up in nineteen forties garb said Barry. Was the zoot suit a
suit part of the nineteen forties garb? asked David. Yes it was popular back in the nineteen forties said Barry. African American, Chicano, Filipino, American and Italian Americans wore those suits. Thanks said David. Barry took the food out to grill to  barbeque. David poured each of them a glass of white wine. The guys enjoyed their dinner, After dinner Barry told David and Marc he was going to Skype with Carly. Barry got a hold of Carly. Hello sweetheart said Barry. how's things back home. Ok so far said Carly. Did you figure out what to do about getting another dog? he asked. Yes I did said Carly. The Dachshund Barry got Carly from BARC for her birthday passed away. he had a very bad heart problem. She had Shellington put to sleep. Well what did you decide to do? Barry asked. Right now I'm in the backyard watching the dogs chasing each other. Oh so you got another dog. Yes I did said Carly. The dog is a one year old male  lemon Beagle. He's AKC registered so I have his those papers. He's up to date on all his shots and he also been neutered.  I have the papers for those things too. His owner moved to Seattle because of a job offer. The owner moved to a high rise that doesn't allow dogs. So his owner dropped him off at BARC. Shirley told me the dog's name is Oscar.  He was named that because his owner liked Broadway composers. Oscar is for Oscar Hammerstein. The owners previous dogs before Oscar were also named for famous Broadway composers. Julius for Jule Styne, Irving for Irving Berlin, Leo for Leonard Bernstein and George for George Gershwin. All his dogs were Beagles. Now that's very interesting Barry said. Saturday night is the first of Brian Murphy's two O2 shows. Yes I know said Carly. This whole late planes, room service and hotel crap is a load of BS said Carly. Like you've said many times he doesn't know how to pace himself. He was talking about this same stuff way back in two thousand four. He did the  one night only June two thousand four on a Saturday night at Mandalay Bay events center with a Midnight With Manilow after words. Surprise One Night Live One Last Time mini tour September thirtieth thru November twenty third. Ok surprise number two I'm doing a five year residency at the Las Vegas Hilton. After that there was a two year residency at the Paris. Ok then between January two thousand twelve and June two thousand sixteen he's been on this road trip. Now Brian wants to give up touring. He doesn't know how to say NO said Barry. He's had a pop singing career for forty one years big deal. I road tripped for two years nineteen seventy two and nineteen seventy three with Bette Midler. Then I wrote and produced his albums till nineteen eighty three. Plus I wrote musicals for Broadway at that same time too. Then in nineteen eighty four I started my own recording career. While continuing my Broadway songwriting career. I've had a forty four year entertainment career. The difference between me and Brian is I take breaks in between stuff. I also take at least two real vacations a year. I make time for myself which I don't think Brian does. I'm doing this London Palladium run till August twenty eighth. Then you and I are going on vacation. Then it's the  Rough Trade album signing on November eighth. The New Years Eve shows at Radio City Music Hall December twenty eighth thru January first. Off  until the beginning of March when I tour Canada. Off again until June first when I do the outdoor sheds tour. I'm even older than Brian by three years. But you don't have Atrial fibrillation, repaired hips from hip replacement surgery said Carly. You never did BAMS or super high energy shows like Brian did. I'm not saying you just sat the entire two hours you were on stage. You did your own kind of high energy shows said Carly. Well I 'll let you go said Carly. I love you she said Me too said Barry.  Talk to you soon said Barry. Ok said Carly. Barry had been starting his shows with his usual introduction number. But that changed. Barry was opening his shows with Do
You Know Who's Living Next Door? from his two thousand one Here At The Mayflower album. Now what these fans didn't know was they were going to get a big surprise. The surprise was Barry was doing a couple of new songs from his new album Here At The Mayflower II (Many more stories inside.). Barry knew there were more stories to uncover at the Mayflower apartment building. Now that's why he did Here At The Mayflower II (Many more stories inside.) There were tenants he had yet to introduce. Tenants that needed to be discovered more. Who really was the Shadow Man if it wasn't him. Who is the shadow man?  Who? Who? Who is this guy who lives in apartment A1? Is he wealthy? Is he famous?  Is he young?  Or is he old? So who is this shadow man? Who? Who? Who is he and what is his name? Who? Who? That was one of the songs off the album Who Is The Shadow Man? "No one knows you. But they all love you. Don't let them get too much of you."

Yeah Right. I don't Think So.

Carly was over on Facebook checking out the what was happening. Vicki sent her the latest Facebook message that Brian Murphy had posted. In his Facebook post Brian was thanking his fans for all their years of support and love. He mentioned that after the UK shows that was going to be it when it came to touring. Carly thought Brian was so full of BS. She knew he'd be back on the road again. Maybe not for long stretches  but short stretches. Brian never learned how to pace himself. He just kept going and going which was not a good thing. At least Barry knew how to pace himself so he wouldn't be burned out. This Sunday June twelfth was the Tony Awards. Carly had her dress for the night. Then on Monday Barry was getting up bright and early six am to get ready to go to JFK. Carly was taking him to the airport to say goodbye to him. Barry flight was at eleven fifteen am New York time. Barry was headed off to London. He would start his Palladium run on Thursday June sixteenth.  The BMIFC's convention started on Wednesday June fifteenth and ended Sunday June nineteenth. Carly wasn't going to the convention. Her friends Janice, Kate and Vicki weren't to happy about that at all. July twelfth was  Carly's first wedding anniversary she wanted to spend it with Barry. So he would be leaving Friday July eighth at ten thirty am on Delta airlines. Carly was staying in London till July seventeenth. She was going to see three of Barry's Palladium shows, Once Barry got back home from the UK they were going on vacation. Now of course they were going by Amtrak.  San Francisco was where Barry thought they might go. While there they could go to Napa Valley which is wine country. Barry's friends Brian Murphy, Dave Koz and Michael Lington kept after him about getting his own wine. Brian had his M wine, Dave had his Koz wine and Michael had his Lington Wine. Because Michael also smoked cigars he had his own cigar line. Barry told those guys he'd think about it. Carly heard her phone ring so she picked it up. It was Janice. Hello she said. Janice wanted Carly to know she. Kate and Vicki got much sought after tickets to Brian Murphy's O2 show on June twenty fourth. The O2 was the last show Brian was doing in the UK. Right now Brian was up in  Edinburgh for one show.  Then it was on to Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester, Liverpool, Cardiff and Bournemouth. With London's O2 being the last show. However Barry told Carly that Brian was adding one more show for Saturday June twenty fifth. Carly made Janice aware of that fact incase the girls wanted to go on Saturday to see Brian.  Barry's Palladium run was going thru Saturday August twenty seven.
Then Barry wouldn't be busy again until  November eighth when he would be at Rough Trade in Williamsburg for an album signing.  That was the day his secret album was being released. The album was coming out on CD and vinyl formats. Barry was surprising his fans with a couple of songs off that secret album during the Palladium shows. Then came the New Years Eve shows at Radio City Music Hall. Barry would then be off till March when he toured Canada. Next summer was the big sheds tour. During summer sheds tour Barry was doing three nights at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in July. The Colorado Symphony Orchestra with guest conductor Andrew Litton would be on stage with him for all three shows. The three shows were being audio and video taped for a CD and DVD combo set. Since his dear friend John Denver was from Aspen Colorado Barry decided to pay tribute to him. He was going to start all three Red Rocks shows singing some of John's classic songs. Barry had chosen Music Is You, Welcome To My Morning (Farewell Andromeda), Rocky mountain High, Leaving On A Jet Plane, Fly Away and Calypso. What none of the fans knew was  that Barry had taken up the acoustic guitar . He bought himself a Yamaha FG 180 acoustic guitar. He had secretly been taking guitar lesions and actually he was pretty good at it. Barry could play guitar,  keyboards, piano and synthesizer. Barry had a Yamaha C2X baby grand, a Yamaha Avant Grand, a Yamaha Disklavier, a Yamaha CP4 Stage Digital piano, a Yamaha MOTIF FX synthesizer and now a Yamaha Acoustic FG 180 guitar. Barry had all his musical instruments and his recording equipment insured. So if anything got stolen it could be replaced. His Yamaha C2X baby grand cost over fifty thousand dollars alone. Barry saw Garry who was over in London. His wife Denise was a huge Brian Murphy fan. So he promised her he'd take her to see Brian in the UK. They went to the Newcastle concert and Garry said there were loads of people down in front video taping the show. Boy was Gregory Knoffler going to have a field day telling those people to take down their streaming videos. Also having their Youtube accounts deleted. That was one thing Barry never had to worry about. From the beginning of Barry's concert career Barry had his concerts filmed.  Once the internet became popular he started his BTV channel. The BTV channel was for his fans to watch the concerts that had been filmed over the years since nineteen eighty four. Nineteen eighty four was the first time Barry toured. That tour the Paradise Café Tour was a huge success. Every concert was standing room only. It was the highest grossing concert of nineteen eighty four. Beating out artist Whitney Houston. Which made Clive Davis very upset since he was also on Arista Records at the time. Clive hated Barry Alan Manilow with a passion. When Barry was born back in nineteen forty three he was named Barry Alan Pincus. When he turned thirteen his relatives wanted his name changed Barry kept his first name and middle name. He just changing his last from Pincus to Manilow which was his mom Edna's madden name. The reason Clive hated Barry was the fact that his first album 2:00AM Paradise Café was such a huge success. The album came out certified quadruple platinum. It entered the Billboard Hot 200 album chart at number one. Billboard Jazz chart number one. First single Paradise Café was certified quadruple platinum when it came out. It debut on Billboard's  Hot 100 singles chart at number one. Grammy Awards nineteen eight five  2:00AM Paradise Café  Grammy Award for Best Jazz album.  Barry Manilow Grammy for Best Jazz Artist. Every album after that the same things would happen. When LA Reed took over Arista Records Barry was so glad to leave Arista Records. In two thousand one Barry went to a dinner party where he met Glen Barros the head of Concord Records. Glen had heard of Barry and knew his successful track record. So he quickly signed him to the Concord Records Concord Jazz label. Which is where Barry's been ever since.

Oh London

The phone rang and Barry went to answer it. I made it here in one piece said Brian Murphy. The bad thing is it's raining cats and dogs here in Dublin. Which makes it sort of damp and cold. So how's the weather back in New York? he asked. Hot and muggy said Barry. So what's new on your end?  Brian asked. We got a new dog said Barry. Oh you did he said. Yes we did said Barry. Shellington Carly's dachshund needed a playmate his own size.  Yeah you have the two Labrador Retriever's said Brian. So I can see why you got another dog. This ones a male dachshund just like Shelington. Carly named him Kwazii. Oh really said Brian. Yes there is a Disney jr program called Octonauts. It's about these animals who explore, rescue and protect the sea creatures. Shelligton is a professor who's a sea otter. While Kwazii is a  kitten. Carly's sister Jill has a grandson who loves the Octonauts. That's how she found out about the program. That makes four dogs now. Your first show is this coming Thursday June second said Barry. Right said Brian then it's off to Belfast, Glasgow, Edinburgh and the rest. I'm not leaving till Monday June thirteen said Barry.  That's because of the Tony Awards on Sunday June twelfth. Oh did Here At The Mayflower get nominated? asked Brian. Yes it did said Barry. Do you have room for those Tony's if you win? asked Brian. I think so said Barry. My Palladium run doesn't start till Thursday June sixteenth. I'm doing four nights Thursday thru Sunday till Saturday August twenty seventh.  Now Gregory and I are coming back to London after Tel Aviv to catch a couple of your Palladium shows said Brian. We'll have to go out for dinner one night said Barry. That we will said Brian. One question did you finally find some new backup singers? he asked. Yes Barry. I have Kyan Harris, Dana Stevens and Shelly Greco.  Tomorrow Kyan, Dana and Shelly and I are going for a costume fitting. Who designed your outfits for your Palladium run? asked Brian. Anthony Kahn designed the clothes we're wearing on stage said Barry. Kyan's wearing a black sequined bolero jacket with black pants and a white shirt. Dana and Shelly are wearing  sleeveless navy blue dresses with some sequins on them. My outfit is black dress pants, white shirt with stand up collar and a black knee length duster coat. The coat has a silver design on the bottom of the sleeves. Nor for the second half my jacket is a grey jacket.  I dragged my set from my Manilow Live 2001/2002 tour out of the warehouse. Hanging from the stage ceiling will be televisions that can project  different kinds  of photos. Broadway exterior and interior photos for the first half. Apartment building exterior and interior photos for the second half. I'm opening my show with Putting It Together. Then I'm doing two more  songs off the Stephen Sondheim album. I'll stay on the Broadway theme by doing a few songs from Showstoppers.  The television screens will then show the New York City skyline for my jazz segment before the intermission. In the second half the television screens will show apartment building exteriors and interiors. That's when I'm going to do my Here At The Mayflower segment.  During the segment I'm surprising the fans with two new songs I Miss My Esther and Who Is The Shadow Man?. Oh two new songs said Brian. Fans already knew about my Stephen Sondheim tribute album which comes out this month. But what they don't know is I've been working on another album that comes out this fall. I dumped the 2:00Am Paradise Café II idea which the fans weren't to happy about. But I think they're going to be freaking out when they find out about Here At The Mayflower II (Many more stories inside.)  Now I wasn't finished telling the stories of the tenants that lived in the Mayflower. So I decided to tell some more stories about the tenants who live there. Fans thought I was the shadow man. I'm not the shadow man. That's because the shadow man kept his personal life to himself. Which I never did. My personal life has always been an open book. I have never hidden anything from my fans. The fans have always knew my sexual orientation. Which is straight. Who my girlfriends were from Susan Deixler to Dr. Carly Simon who I married. Why hide when your fans will be sticking their nose into your personal life. Telling you that they have every right to know your personal business. I know loads of your fans went digging up stuff about you Brian? Because I ended up on your Alt-fan message board one night and saw your fans talking about the gay issue. They were even talking about me which was strange since it was your message board not mine. I know one fan said "Oh he's gay too." I don't normally post on message boards like that. But that time I did reply to their post. I told them "Sorry to disappoint you but my life is an open book. I don't have anything to hide." I'm straight not gay as you seem to think I am. I have a girlfriend  that I've been seeing for a year now. That was back in two thousand twelve one year after I started dating Carly. I didn't write the Shadow Man about you Brian. Even though some fans thought I did.  So what else is new said Brian. Some fans have nothing better in their in lives so they go looking for juicy gossip on their favorite celebrities.

Putting It Together

Barry Manilow had a huge surprise for his fans. Barry had been secretly working on an album he knew the fans would love. Since tons of fans kept begging for another show tunes album. This album was called Barry Manilow  The New York Pops Orchestra Putting It Together The Songs of Stephen Sondheim.  Barry went on the internet and looked at all of Stephen Sondheim's musicals to find the songs he liked the best. A Little Night Music, Company Finan's Rainbow, Follies, Gypsy, Saturday Night, Side By Side, Sunday In The Park With George, Sweeny Todd and West Side Story. He picked the songs Putting It Together, Make The Most Of Your Music, All I Need Is The Girl, Fair Brooklyn, Ah Paris, Getting Married Today, Marry Me A Little, New York Sequence, No Place Like London, Old Friends, Look To The Rainbow, Somewhere, Being alive, I Love You Et Cetra, One Hand One Heart, Send In The Clowns, Not While I'm Around, Someone Is Waiting, Tonight and Something's Coming. Twenty of Stephen Sondheim songs in all. Barry Manilow, The New York Pops Orchestra and studio musicians were recording the album in January 2016. The album would come out in May 2016. He asked Barbra Striesand if he could use herversion of Putting It Together from the Stephen Sondheim's musical  Sunday In The Park with George. He loved the opening of her version with the guys talking while she sang. Barry was also going to ask Barbara Cook to duet with him again on Look To The Rainbow from Finnan's Rainbow for the album. Just like she did for his Showstoppers album in nineteen ninety,