Barry Manilow Trying To Get The Feeling - Expanded Edition CD

This 1998 reissue contains one bonus track not included on the original release.

Digitally remastered using 24-bit technology by Robert Vosgien (1998, Tower Mastering/Capitol Studios, Hollywood, California).

For his third album, coming in the wake of massive success via MANILOW II's "Mandy," Manilow pulled in the reins a bit by working with his regular live band instead of anonymous studio cats. The result was a somewhat more individualistic sound that was still close enough to the radio-ready soft pop of MANILOW II to make for plenty of chart fodder. The title cut is a mid-tempo number that finds our boy longing for passion, ultimately finding it in the Gospel-tinged arrangement. "She's a Star" is a tribute to pal Bette Midler, for whom Manilow previously served as arranger and bandleader. The previous album's "Mandy" was (incredibly) eclipsed in popularity by "I Write The Songs," which ironically, was written not by Manilow but by former Beach Boy Bruce Johnston

For his third album, coming in the wake of massive success via MANILOW II's "Mandy," Manilow pulled in the reins a bit by working with his regular live band instead of anonymous studio cats. The result was a somewhat more individualistic sound that was still close enough to the radio-ready soft pop of MANILOW II to make for plenty of chart fodder. The title cut is a mid-tempo number that finds our boy longing for passion, ultimately finding it in the Gospel-tinged arrangement. "She's a Star" is a tribute to pal Bette Midler, for whom Manilow previously served as arranger and bandleader. The previous album's "Mandy" was (incredibly) eclipsed in popularity by "I Write The Songs," which ironically, was written not by Manilow but by former Beach Boy Bruce Johnston.

Barry Manilow made it to number one again during his first year as a hit artist with a rendition of Beach Boy Bruce Johnston's "I Write the Songs," beating out covers by David Cassidy and Captain & Tennille (who also released a version in Spanish). The modernized (read: no distortion) take-off on Phil Spector's Wall of Sound was what made "Mandy" so very special, and it came back to work here; Manilow sings with a seriousness on "I Write the Songs" that is as determined as his voice is on the title track, David Pomeranz' "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again." Both titles are light years beyond the rest of the album, even including Bruce Sussman and Barry's reworking of the American Bandstand theme. Like the Four Seasons before him, Barry Manilow is known for his ability to take a song up the charts; the album tracks are secondary and reserved for his most devoted followers. This quest for chart supremacy had a formidable team pooling their talents. It was co-produced by the star and Archies' lead singer Ron Dante, while Bette Midler, Miles Laurie, and Dick Fox are thanked for showing Manilow "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again." Peter Thom and Phil Galdston's "Why Don't We Live Together" is nice enough, but indicative of the near-miss compositions Manilow himself contributes -- "She's a Star," "You're Leavi

Additional Tracks

Recorded at Media Sound Studios, New York, New York.

Personnel: Barry Manilow (vocals, piano); Sid McGinnis (guitar, pedal steel guitar); Charlie Brown (guitar); Alan Axelrod (keyboards); Steve Donaghey (bass); Lee Gurst (drums, percussion); Jimmy Mauelen (congas, bongos, shaker); Debra Byrd, Ramona Brooks, Lorraine Mazzola, Ron Dante (background vocals).

Personnel: Barry Manilow (piano, background vocals); Barry Manilow (vocals); Sid McGinnis, Sid McGuiness, Charlie Brown Jr., Charlie Brown (guitar); Steve Donaghey (bass guitar); Jimmy Maeulen (congas, bongos, shaker, percussion); Ramona Brooks, Debra Byrd, Lorraine "Reparata" Mazzola, Ron Dante (background vocals); Alan Axelrod (keyboards); Lee Gurst (drums, percussion).

Audio Mixer: Thom Cadley.

Liner Note Authors: Barry Manilow; David Wild.

Recording information: Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, PA.

Photographer: Lee Gurst.

Arr