Tryin' to Get the Feeling
Tryin' to Get the Feeling is the third studio album by singer-songwriter Barry Manilow, released in 1975. It featured the title track, "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again", with other hits including "New York City Rhythm", "Bandstand Boogie" (the theme from the long-running ABC series American Bandstand) and the chart topping "I Write the Songs". The album debuted on the Billboard Top 200 Chart on November 8, 1975, reaching number five in early 1976. The album was certified triple platinum.
Tryin' to Get the Feeling | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 1, 1975 1998 (Re-release) 2006 (Second re-release) | |||
Genre | Pop, easy listening, soft rock | |||
Length | 44:22 (Original release) 47:56 (1998 re-release) 50:30 (2006 re-release) | |||
Label | Arista | |||
Producer | Barry Manilow, Ron Dante | |||
Barry Manilow chronology | ||||
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Singles from Tryin' to Get the Feeling | ||||
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The Piano Player sculpture on the album's front cover was created by Italian artist Dino Bencini. Both front and back cover art were later parodied by Ray Stevens on the cover of his 1979 album The Feeling's Not Right Again, which contains the song “I Need Your Help, Barry Manilow.”
One of the album's commercially overlooked songs was "She's a Star". Enoch Anderson's lyrics paint the picture of a female singer's struggles with fame and stage fright from a band member's perspective, which some listeners could reasonably presume to describe Bette Midler's feelings about Manilow when he became a successful solo act in his own right. The song got a modern uptempo makeover to fit the male lead (as "He's a Star") for Manilow's 2011 rock opera 15 Minutes.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | |
Christgau's Record Guide | C–[1] |
Rolling Stone | (unfavorable) link |
Track listing
Side one
- "New York City Rhythm" (Barry Manilow, Marty Panzer) - 4:42
- "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again" (David Pomeranz) - 3:51
- "Why Don't We Live Together" (Phil Galdston, Peter Thom) - 2:54
- "Bandstand Boogie" (Charles Albertine, Larry Elgart, Les Elgart, Bob Horn, Barry Manilow, Bruce Sussman) - 2:49
- "You're Leaving Too Soon" (Barry Manilow, Enoch Anderson) - 3:30
- "She's a Star" (Barry Manilow, Enoch Anderson) - 4:16
Side two
- "I Write the Songs" (Bruce Johnston) - 3:51
- "As Sure as I'm Standin' Here" (Adrienne Anderson, Barry Manilow) - 4:50
- "A Nice Boy Like Me" (Barry Manilow, Enoch Anderson) - 3:58
- "Lay Me Down" (Larry Weiss) - 4:20
- "Beautiful Music" (Barry Manilow, Marty Panzer) - 4:32
CD Bonus Tracks
- "I'll Make You Music" [Bonus Track on 2006 Remaster] (Adrienne Anderson, Barry Manilow) - 2:34
- "Marry Me a Little" [Bonus Track on 1998 and 2006 Remaster] (Stephen Sondheim) - 3:38
Personnel
- Barry Manilow – lead and backing vocals, piano, rhythm track arrangements, string arrangements (3), "32 voices" (4)
- Alan Axelrod – keyboards
- Charlie Brown – guitar
- Sid McGinnis – guitar, pedal steel guitar (5)
- Steve Donaghey – bass
- Lee Gurst – drums, percussion
- Jimmy Maelen – bongos, congas, shaker
- The Flashy Ladies (Debra Byrd, Lorraine Mazzola, Monica Burruss) – backing vocals
- Ramona Brooks – backing vocals
- Ron Dante – background vocals
- Norman Harris – string arrangements (1, 8, 9), horn arrangements (9)
- Gerald Alters – horn and string arrangements (2, 7)
- Arif Mardin – horn arrangements (4, 11), string arrangements (6)
- T.G. Conway – arrangements (9)
- Joe Renzetti – string arrangements (10)
Production
- Producers – Barry Manilow and Ron Dante
- Engineer – Michael DeLugg
- Recorded at Sigma Sound Studios (Philadelphia, PA) and Media Sound Recording Studios (New York, NY).
- Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York, NY).
- Cover Design – Robert L. Heimall
- Photography – Lee Gurst
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United States (RIAA)[2] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
*sales figures based on certification alone |
References
- Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: M". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 4, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- "American album certifications – Barry Manilow – Tryin' yo Get the Feeling". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.