MANILOW, BARRY

Personnel: Barry Manilow (piano); Ken Berry, Mike Landau, Tim Pierce, George Doering, Mike Lent (guitar); Julie Berghofer, Gayle Levant (harp); Assa Drori, Alyssa Park, Lisa Dondlinger, Miran Kojian, Dynell Weber, Ron Folsom, Jennifer Munday, Brian Benning, Rebecca Bunnell, Jennifer Walton, Irina Voloshina, Songa Lee, Anatoly Rosinsky, Yan To, Cynthia Moussas, Audrey Soloman, Paul Tseitlin, Nina Eutuhov, Josephina Vergara, Johanna Krejci, Joel Derouin, Kevin Connolly, Patricia Johnson, Raymond Kobler, Margaret Wooten, Yue Deng, Neel Hammond, Darius Campo, Liane Mautner, Miwako Watanabe, Ron Clark, Sam Fischer, Haim Shtrum (violin); Caroline Buckman, Ray Tlscher, Alma Fernadez, Ken Burwand-Hoy, Harry Shirinian, Sam Formicola, Andrew Duckles (viola); Timothy Loo, Christina Soule, Trevor Handy, Jon Walz, Larry Corbett, David Speltz, John Krovoza, Roger Lebow, Paula Hochhalter (cello); Gary Foster, Greg Huckins, Sheridan Stokes, Brandon Fields (flute); Phil O'Connor (clarinet); Joe Stone, David Kossoff (oboe); Chris Gray, Larry McGuire, Warren Leuning, Gary Grant (trumpet); Paul Klintworth, Steve Becknell, Jim Atkinson, Dan Kelley (French horn); Steve Baxter, Charles Loper, Chauncey Welsch, Craig Gosnell (trombone); ron walters jr., Kevin Bassinson, Randy Kerber (piano); Ron Pedley (keyboards); Chuck Berghofer, Drew Dembowski, Oscar Hidalgo (double bass); Dave Carpenter, ian martin (bass guitar); Russ McKinnon (drums); Dan Greco, David Rosenblatt, Alex Acuna, Luis Conte, Paulinho Da Costa (percussion); Tyler Gordon (programming); Walter Afanasieff (drum programming); Karen Harper, Angie Jeree, David Loucks, Tiffany Smith, Ron Dante, Scott Erickson, Susie Stevens, Tim Davis, Randy Crenshaw, Bill Cantos, Mabvuto Carpenter, Jason Morales (background vocals).

The logical follow-up to Barry Manilow's two previous volumes of favorites from the 1950s and '60s, GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1970S acknowledges Manilow's own contributions to the AM airwaves of the decade by including a six-song bonus EP of new, intimate acoustic recordings of a half-dozen of his biggest hits from the decade, including "Even Now" and a waggish reworking of the disco smash "Copacabana." The body of the album is a well-chosen selection heavy on ballads, including a lovely duet with Melissa Manchester on Carole King's "You've Got A Friend" and a warm take on the Bee Gees' "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart." Containing tracks that would have fit comfortably on any of Manilow's own 1970s albums, this is the most personal and effective of his decade-by-decade songbook sets.

Estimated despatch 5-10 days after ordering.