Barry Mann
Band members Related acts
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- Barry Mann (aka Barry Iberman) (RIP) -- vocals, keyboards
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- none known
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Genre: pop Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Lay It Out Company: New Design Catalog: Z
30876 Country/State: US Grade (cover/record): VG / VG+ Comments: gatefold sleeve; 2" split along top edge Available: 1 Catalog ID: 6230 Price: $10.00
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By the time I started seriously collecting music singer/songwriter Barry Mann was well past his Brill Building successes as a songwriter (along with long time wife and songwriting partner Cynthia Weil). That said, Mann's one of those known names in the industry and there's no denying that his catalog includes some rock classics, so when I stumbled across this 1971 solo album, I was curious.
Produced by Al Gorgoni, I have to admit 1971's "Lay It Out" was quite a surprise to my ears. To be honest, judging by the track listing, I was expecting to hear a self-pitying collection of Mann's greatest hits, slathered in sub par arrangements that only served to underscore how much better the hit covers were. While there was a certain amount of that present, there were plenty of really good performances. Mann's covers of his own work might not have made you forget the hit versions, but virtually every one of these was worth hearing. An even bigger surprise was Mann's voice. I'll readily admit the only thing I'd ever heard him sing prior to this set was the goody top-10 hit 'Who Put the Bomp (In the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)'. Based on that performance I wasn't expecting much. Bad assumption on my part since Mann actually had a very nice voice - gruff, but quite attractive and commercial.
"Barry
Mann" track listing: 1.) Too Many Mondays (Barry Mann - Cynthia Weil) - 3:55 With a nice James Taylor-styled singer/songwriter vibe, 'Too Many Mondays' was one of the album highlights. Great melody, nice Kirk Hamilton bass line, and one of Mann's best vocals. Piece of needless trivia, the song was recorded by the pre-Kiss band Wicked Lester. Nee Design tapped the song as a single. rating: **** stars 2.) When You Get Right Down To It (Barry Mann) - 3:15 As much as I liked Mann's version of 'When You Get Right Down To It', I grew up with The Delfonics' cover ' so that's the classic version to my ears (though the Phyllis Hyman cover is also pretty impressive). rating: *** stars 3.) Lay It All Out (Barry Mann) - 3:14 The stark keyboard-propelled ballad 'Lay It All Out' sound like an early Elton John number. The Western-themed lyric underscored the comparison. An okay effort, if not one of my favorite performances. rating: *** stars 4.) I Heard You Singing Your Song (Barry Mann) - 2:37 Funny, but the version of 'I Heard You Singing Your Song' I clearly recall was done by The Partridge Family. Nothing wrong with Mann's version (and Carole King's harmony vocals were glorious), but The Partridge Family gave the song a much more commercial sheen. rating: *** stars 5.) Holy Rolling (Barry Mann - Cynthia Weil) - 2:29 I have to plead ignorance with respect to 'Holy Rolling'. Anyone know of this was another hit for someone? Regardless, I have to admit this was one of my favorite performances with Mann turning in a nice Gospel/blue-eyed soul vocal that served to underscore the song's instantly catchy hook. rating: **** stars -6.) You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' (Barry Mann - Cynthia Weil - Phil Spector) - 4:52 Talk about a strange position to be in - here are one of the co-writers of an all-time rock classic and yet you're going out on a limb to introduce your version of the song ... Definitely took some guts to be willing to record and release 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin''. To his credit Mann was smart enough to not try to take the hit version on. Instead his cover of the track slowed the song down, plugged in an extended instrumental lead-in, stripping away some of Phil Spector's cluttered production. Yeah, Mann's version still has a big arrangement, but it sounds far more intimate and while you won't forget the Righteous Brothers version (or some of the other covers), his version wasn't half bad. Kudos ... rating: **** stars
(side
2) Mann took a similar detour with his version of the classic 'On Broadway'. While remaining true to the basic melody, rather than mimicking the hit version, his version gave the song an interesting spare, beatnick-esque feel. Vinnie Bell added a wonderfully understated guitar solo to the proceedings. Very nice and another major surprise. rating: **** stars 2.) Something Better (Barry Mann - Gerry Goffin) - 3:50 The first real disappointment, 'Something Better' was a pretentious and plodding ballad that never managed to generate much energy. rating: ** stars 3.) Sweet Olphelia (Barry Mann - Gerry Goffin) - 3:28 'Sweet Olphelia' should serve to set anyone straight if they doubted Mann's ability to handle a true rock song. Complete with tasty lead guitars, this was easily one of the album highlights. And guess what - it was also covered by a pre-Kiss Wicked Lester. rating: **** stars 4.) Don't Give Up On Me (Barry Mann - Cynthia Weil) - 2:45 A breezy, mid-tempo singer/songwriter number 'Don't Give Up On Me' was tuneful and very commercial. Okay, the flute solo didn't do much for me, but the remainder of the performance was quite good. rating: *** stars 5.) Ain't No Way To Go Home (Barry Mann - Cynthia Weil) - 3:03 For some reason the big "life is tough as a musician" ballad 'Ain't No Way To Go Home' has always reminded me of a Lobo song. That wasn't meant as a good thing ... rating: ** stars 6.) Wild Eyed Indian (Barry Mann) - 3;10 One of four Mann-solo compositions, 'Wild Eyed Indian' closed the album with another slice of singer/songwriter pretentiousness. Simply too touchy-feely for its own good. rating: ** stars
A pair of instantly obscure singles were pulled from the LP:
- 1971's 'When You Get Right Down To It b/w 'Don't Give Up On Me' (New Design catalog number ZS7-1005) - 1971's 'Too Many Mondays' b/w 'Lay It All Out' (New Design catalog number ZS7-1006)
Certainly not the perfect album, but definitely a surprise and quite enjoyable. Shame it didn't attract more attention when released.
For anyone interested, Mann has an entertaining website at:
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Genre: pop Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Barry Mann Company: Casablanca Catalog: NBLP-7728 Country/State: Bronx, New York Grade (cover/record): VG / VG Comments: original lyric inner sleeve Available: 1 Catalog ID: 5915 Price: $20.00
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Released in 19xx, the cleverly titled "Barry Mann"
"Barry
Mann" track listing: 1.) Up from the Streets (Barry Mann - Cynthia Weil) - 4:16 2.) Brown-Eyed Woman (Barry Mann - Cynthia Weil) - 3:24 3.) So Hot (Barry Mann - Cynthia Weil) - 4:21 4.) In My Own Way (Barry Mann - Cynthia Weil) - 3:42 5.) We're Over (Barry Mann - Cynthia Weil) - 2:50
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2) 2.) Me without You (Barry Mann - Gerry Goffin) -3:19 3.) Slow Motion (Barry Mann - Cynthia Weil) - 4:20 4.) If I Left It Up To You (Barry Mann - Tom Snow - Cynthia Weil) - 3:39 5.) Don't Know Much (Barry Mann - Tom Snow - Cynthia Weil) - 2:53
Nine years after Barry Mann released the pedestrian Lay It All Out album, he and his wife, Cynthia Weil, along with their co-producer, Brooks Arthur, all combined to craft a smooth and very listenable album on Casablanca titled simply Barry Mann. Seven of the tunes are solely Mann/Weil compositions, while Tom Snow co-wrote with the duo on "If I Left It Up to You" and what would become a number two hit for Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville, "Don't Know Much," nine years after it was released here. "Don't Know Much" is a standout, the original version deserving to be a hit on its own. Though the album has some very excellent moments, it falls short when it has the chance to hit a home run. One example is the duet with Carole King that opens side two. "Mandy" co-writer Scott English contributed with Mann and Weil on the songwriting for "You're the Only One," but the song just doesn't have legs. It sounds like two friends having fun, but the result is not as exciting as what it looks like it could be on paper. King's familiar voice goes to waste when maybe they should have performed a duet on a Gerry Goffin/King classic like "Take Good Care of My Baby" or "It Might as Well Rain Until September" instead, or even the version of "Don't Know Much" that concludes this LP. Goffin co-wrote "Me Without You" with Mann, and its simplicity is more than compelling — it is the sleeper track here, and would have also lent itself nicely to Goffin's ex-wife's participation. Where King and Mann do hit it off is on "Slow Motion," a beautiful bluesy pop number that is the best performance on the disc. King's other ex, Charles Larkey, provides bass to this tune that Mann co-wrote with Weil. It is eerie and moody and quite wonderful. Former producer Al Gorgoni, who kept the Lay It All Out album so restrained, is relegated to a lesser role here, arranging guitar and strings. "Brown-Eyed Woman" is like Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" all grown up. Venetta Field and the gals add great backing vocals to this paced number. If you compare the Barry Mann album to works by Peter Allen, Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, David Pomeranz, Ellie Greenwich, Randy Edelman, and others, it doesn't quite stand up. There's some very good musicianship and vocal work throughout the grooves, but overall there's none of the passion that Goffin poured over his Adelphia double disc, and therein lies the problem. This is Barry Mann, and he has the talent to produce a grand slam. But he coasts instead, giving listeners good when the music could have been great — great as a man of his skills is quite capable of producing.
Born Barry Iberman on February 9, 1939, in Brooklyn, NY; married Cynthia Weil, 1961. Addresses: Office--Dyad Music c/o Wixen Music Publishing, 23564 Calabasas Rd. No. 107, Calabasas, CA 91302-1337. Although pop music fans may not be able to place Barry Mann's name, anyone who has turned on a radio in the past few decades has certainly heard his work. He and his wife, Cynthia Weil, are the songwriting team behind a host of memorable tunes, including several 1960s classics such as "On Broadway," "We Gotta Get Out of This Place," and "Uptown." They made the top 40 charts a total of 18 times with such favorites. In 1999, the performing-rights organization Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) announced that their 1964 composition, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," performed by the Righteous Brothers, was the most-played song of the century. In fact, Mann and Weil helped launch the Righteous Brothers' career with that tune as well as their much-loved "Soul and Inspiration." They were also pioneers in introducing politically conscious music onto the airwaves during the 1960s. Later, the pair worked with big names like Linda Ronstadt, Aaron Neville, Dolly Parton, and James Ingram. They also put their touch on animated musicals for children. Mann was born Barry Iberman on February 9, 1939, in Brooklyn, New York. He began writing songs at age five, but then studied to be an architect. After landing a singing job one summer at a resort in the Catskills, though, he decided to try his hand at writing professionally. Starting out, he worked at Hill & Range publishers, who handled music for Elvis Presley; he also collaborated with Howie Greenfield. His first success came in 1959 with the Diamonds' "She Say (Oom Dooby Doom)." However, in 1961 Mann saw his first major hit as a performer as well as a songwriter with the novelty song "Who Put the Bomp (In the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)," cowritten with Gerry Goffin. It reached the top ten. By this time, Mann was on the songwriting team at Don Kirshner's Aldon Music, which included luminaries such as Phil Spector, Neil Sedaka, Carole Bayer Sager, the team of Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller, and the husband and wife teams of Goffin and Carole King and Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. There, the same year as his debut on the charts, Mann met another writer, Cynthia Weil, who had done some acting. They began collaborating, and soon their professional relationship blossomed into a personal one. They married in 1961 and also had a hit that year with Tony Orlando's "Bless You." As part of the famous "Brill Building" sound, so named after the location of Krishner's New York offices, Mann and Weil were among the first to contribute politically charged songs to the mix. Previously, the group was known mainly for bubblegum pop tunes about teenage love. Weil, who was not a musician but a poignant wordsmith, eventually provided more sociopolitical lyrics, while Mann concentrated mainly writing the tunes. They ensured their success by tailoring each work to suit the artist who was slated to record it, rather than writing a selection and then looking for the right vocalist to bring it to life. In addition to "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," some of Mann and Weil's hits during the 1960s included The Drifters' "On Broadway," which they wrote with Lieber and Stoller, and The Crystals' "Uptown." These two songs delved into the inequities of social class and race in urban America. Mann and Weil also penned the mid-1960s piece "We Gotta Get Out of This Place," recorded by the Animals, which became a theme song for anti-Vietnam protestors. They also tackled a tough topic with the anti-drug message "Kicks" by Paul Revere and the Raiders. Adding to their versatility, Mann and Weil created the catchy 1963 teen novelty hits "Blame It on the Bossa Nova" by Eydie Gorme and "My Dad" by Paul Peterson. And, in 1964, they teamed with Spector to write for the soul group The Ronettes, and that same year penned Gene Pitney's desolate "I'm Gonna Be Strong." They are also responsible for one of Dolly Parton's trademark tunes, "Here You Come Again," which led the way for country singers to cross over to a pop audience. Sometimes, though, the sentiments Weil and Mann intended did not translate from the page to the studio. For example, they initially wrote "Only in America" with a sarcastic tone and meant for it to be sung by the African American soul group The Drifters. One of the lines read, "Only in America, do they save a seat in the back of the bus just for me." However, as Andy Seiler reported in USA Today, "The song ended up an unabashed flag-waver--`white bread,' in Mann's words--sung by Jay & the Americans over the original Drifters instrumental track." In the late 1960s, Mann and Weil left Kirschner's group to head for Hollywood. They continued to rack up the hits, working with Larry Kolber on Bobby Vinton's "I Love How You Love Me" in 1968, and following up with Jay and the Americans' "Walking in the Rain," 1969, and B. J. Thomas's "I Just Can't Help Believing," 1970. Mann also had a big hit in 1977 with Dan Hill's "Sometimes When We Touch," and soon began to perform backup, chipping in on keyboards for artists such as The Pointer Sisters and providing backup vocals for Bernadette Peters. Throughout the influx of punk rock, new wave, rap, and grunge, Mann and Weil managed to stay relevant. In the 1980s, they helped propel Quincy Jones' producing career with the James Ingram smash single "Just Once." Then they landed a coup with the song "Somewhere Out There," sung by Ronstadt and Ingram and heard on the soundtrack to the children's animated feature An American Tale. This tune won 1987 Grammy Awards for best song written specifically for a motion picture or television as well as song of the year. Throughout the 1990s, Mann and Weil continued to work in films, writing tunes for soundtracks for Muppet Treasure Island and All Dogs Go to Heaven 2. And, in 1997, they scored a top five success with "I Will Come to You," made big by Hanson, the ultra-popular baby-faced trio of brothers. Meanwhile, in addition to his role behind the scenes, Mann occasionally sought the limelight. In 1975, for instance, he released Survivor, featuring himself as a singer, but it did not enjoy the success of his and Weil's works for others. "I didn't have the temperament to be an artist," Man admitted to Jim Besseman in Billboard. But in January of 2000, he released another album spotlighting his vocal skills. Barry Mann: Soul and Inspiration came out as part of the Atlantic Records Songwriters Series, and included 11 of his greatest hits, including "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," "On Broadway," "We Gotta Get Out of This Place," and the title track, which he sings with Bryan Adams. The selections also featured duets or backups with the likes of Peabo Bryson, Deana Carter, Carole King, and Brenda Russell. Marking perhaps their most momentous achievement, Mann and Weil in 1999 learned that BMI named their song "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" as the most-played tune of the twentieth century. Late in the decade, it surpassed the John Lennon and Paul McCartney classic Beatles tune "Yesterday," with eight million performances. To illustrate this, if the song were played in succession 24 hours a day, it would take more than 45 years to get to this number. However, in 1999 the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers contradicted this, stating that "Happy Birthday to You," copyrighted in 1935 by sisters Mildred and Patty Hill, was instead the most-performed tune of the past 100 years. Each organization stuck by their claim. Together, Mann and Weil have reaped numerous awards, including 108 pop, country, and R&B awards from BMI, and 76 Millionaire awards, recognizing songs of theirs that have been played on the radio at least one million times. They also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Songwriters, and the Clooney Foundation's Award for legendary song composition. In addition, they were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1997. by Geri Koeppel Read more:
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