2:00 AM Paradise Cafe
2:00 AM Paradise Cafe is the fourteenth album by singer-songwriter Barry Manilow. The album was a radical departure from Manilow's previous work of highly polished pop. Manilow wrote in the liner notes that the record's concept came to him in a dream. Johnny Mercer's widow, Ginger, entrusted Manilow with a cache of Mercer's lyrics that had never been set to music. Although Manilow used only Mercer's "When October Goes" for the project, he created an album of all original songs with a torchy, smokey jazz style. He recruited veteran jazz musicians Bill Mays, Gerry Mulligan, Shelly Manne, Mundell Lowe, and George Duvivier. Also enlisted for vocal duets were Mel Tormé and Sarah Vaughan. The entire album was rehearsed for three days, then recorded entirely live (in one take) without overdubs at Westlake Studio 'C' in Los Angeles, California and released in 1984.
| 2:00 AM Paradise Cafe | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 15, 1984 | |||
| Genre | Jazz, blues | |||
| Length | 49:15 | |||
| Label | Arista | |||
| Producer | Barry Manilow | |||
| Barry Manilow chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
The album went platinum for Manilow, and peaked at No. 28 on the Billboard 200.
Track listing
All music is composed by Barry Manilow.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Paradise Cafe" | Bruce Sussman and Jack Feldman | 5:23 |
| 2. | "Where Have You Gone" | Adrienne Anderson | 4:35 |
| 3. | "Say No More" | Adrienne Anderson | 4:06 |
| 4. | "Blue" (with Sarah Vaughan) | Bruce Sussman and Jack Feldman | 4:16 |
| 5. | "When October Goes" | Johnny Mercer | 4:04 |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "What Am I Doin' Here" | Marty Panzer | 3:17 |
| 2. | "Goodbye My Love" | Adrienne Anderson | 4:25 |
| 3. | "Big City Blues" (with Mel Tormé) | Adrienne Anderson | 4:14 |
| 4. | "When Love Is Gone" | Lisa Sennett | 4:17 |
| 5. | "I've Never Been So Low on Love" | Marty Panzer | 4:26 |
| 6. | "Night Song" | Bruce Sussman and Jack Feldman | 4:28 |
Personnel
- Barry Manilow – vocals, keyboards, piano
- Mel Tormé – vocals
- Sarah Vaughan – vocals
- Bill Mays – piano, Fender Rhodes
- Gerry Mulligan – baritone saxophone
- Mundell Lowe – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
- George Duvivier – double bass
- Shelly Manne – drums, percussion
Production
- Arranged and produced by Barry Manilow
- Recorded and engineered by Michael Braunstein
- Assistant Engineers: Deni King, Greg Laney
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[3] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
*sales figures based on certification alone | ||
References
- Allmusic review
- Rolling Stone list
- "American album certifications – Barry Manilow – 2:00 A.M. Paradise Cafe". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.
