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."