Barry Manilow First Five Television Specials 5 DVD set

Barry Manilow, who has sold more than 75 million records and is one of contemporary music's most enduring superstars, was already a chart-topping singer and songwriter when he launched a series of television specials in 1977. The hour-long variety programs were a hit with viewing audiences, who tuned in by the millions. Now, for the first time, five of those specials are available in a 5-DVD boxed set containing shows that originally aired between 1977 and 1988. Barry Manilow The First Television Specials 5 DVD set contains approximately five hours of classic variety television entertainment. Special guests include Ray Charles, John Denver, Dionne Warwick, Kid Creole & The Coconuts and others join the fun. Sound and color has been digitally restored throughout, and all audio has been digitally restored from the original 2” master tapes. Audio tracks are presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound as well as Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo and PCM Stereo.  Buyer Beware: This DVD is Region 1 playable only.

Barry Manilow The First Television Specials 5 DVD set is brand new; it is unopened, unplayed and still in its original factory shrink-wrap. Programs include...

1. The First Barry Manilow Special 1977 broadcast in which the plucky, New Jersey-born entertainer mixes live concert footage with studio sets, familiar hits with lesser-known numbers. Manilow spends some time recalling his days as a lounge pianist at sundry establishments, and even includes a sketch co-starring Penny Marshall as a weary waitress in which he shares insight into how discouraging his dues-paying period could be. Besides lavish renditions of "Mandy" and "Could It Be Magic," Manilow includes a novelty medley of famous jingles he wrote for McDonald’s, Dr. Pepper, State Farm, and much else. He also introduces his passion for the music and style of the 1940s - a theme that pops up again and again in his subsequent TV work.
2. The Second Barry Manilow Special His 1978 special reveals a more athletic-looking star, and Manilow appears to be having fun taking a much different approach to his craft. Instead of playing before big crowds, the casually-dressed singer performs solo in an empty theater, addressing the home audience right through the camera and telling engaging tales about his life and love of music. Highlights include a funny, opening bit in which Manilow’s mother bends the ear of a cab driver by bragging about her boy; a jaunty "Daybreak" that includes kids and seniors singing along; a duet with Ray Charles on "It’s a Miracle;" and a touching scene in which Manilow plays a shy, single guy meeting a lonely girl at a wedding reception.
3. The Third Barry Manilow Special His 1979 program opens on a comic note, featuring Manilow as a neurotic student in a driver’s education course, swerving dangerously on the road above LA’s famous "Hollywood" sign. Some very nice tunes ("Weekend In New England," "Why Don’t We Try a Slow Dance") are supplemented by a cute question-and-answer session with an group of diehard fans, and a sweet medley of Everly Brothers hits performed with John Denver.
4. One Voice
1980’s special is solid but peculiarly downbeat, including sad song cycles on such themes as separation, breakups, and fathers and sons. For the latter, Manilow comes very close to raw emotion recalling an experience in which the father who abandoned him at two years of age made a brief, "hello" appearance backstage at a concert, then was never heard from again. A little ray of hope and light is woven around a guest appearance by Dionne Warwick, who does a sexy "Déjà vu" with her host.
5. Barry Manilow: Big Fun On Swing Street Barry’s 1988 spcial is something of a time capsule on Eighties obsessions with music videos shot on big sets, garish lighting, and a forced sense of retro-style. Still, this special has the most to offer musically, as it includes such luminaries as Stanley Clarke, Phyllis Hyman, Carmen McRae, Diane Schuur, Gerry Mulligan, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, and Tom Scott. gets his share of screen time, but he’s quite generous toward his guests, making sure they get to play some serious jazz.