I used to work for Barry Manilow during the late 90s. I knew nothing about him beforehand. I can honestly say, that out of all the bands/artists I've worked for, Barry was the most humble and kind to everyone. After hearing his music, it gets stuck in my head often. His live shows are so much fun. Please catch one ASAP in Vegas if you have the opportunity.
When I was a kid I never really listened to the lyrics and just thought this was a fun "resort" song. I'm almost 50 now and just this year did I really "hear" how frickin' DARK this song is!
Lex so knows the song, knows there's a story, analyses the music spot on, but doesn't piece together "A shot rang out ... who shot who?" then "she lost her Love". Interesting.
Actually, The Copacabana (The Copa) was a famous nightclub here in NYC, most popular in the 40's-the 60's. It really did become a disco in the 70's/80's. It moved around mid-town a couple of times, and finally closed just recently.
well, I don't know if Miami, NYC and Havana (Cuba) have a place with that name but in Brazil we've Rio de Janeiro that has a neighborhood in the south zone that has that name. And as Rio de Janeiro was one of the first cities founded during colonial times I suspect that name is from here XD well, I believe that the music refers to a spot (a club maybe) that has that name but the word copacabana I believe that be from here (but I'm not from Rio de Janeiro so I need to research a little deeper)
Barry Manilow hit the 70's like Covid. He was all over the place and you couldn't get away from him no matter how hard you tried. I mean, imagine a time when Van Halen and Barry Manilow were on the radio at the same time! We were dynamic and those artists went multi-platinum without downloads! People actually went to record stores and bought their records and tapes to make the sales go triple platinum!
Turtles and Peaches stamps! A great time to be young with such diverse music genres to choose from...I can still sing with the songs and remember all.the.words AND instrumentals! #merengue #dance #seventies
There was a Copacabana in NYC where all the big acts like Sinatra Dean Martin ans Sammy Davis Jr would play. It was a dinner dance club back in the 40s and 50s. They also had girls who danced Lola. But not Miami or Vegad. It is definetly NYC
In this episode of Brad and Lex, Lex's up and down bop becomes a circular bop blended with animated hand gestures and festive face expressions while Brad, hearing the Copa for the 1st time is more standoffish and inquisitive but Brad still manages to maintain a cautious but signature side to side bop.
I grew up to all of his songs as a little kid in the 70s and knew them all. In the 90s I was friends with a “Fanilow” who dragged me to a concert. BLOWN AWAY!!! Saw him at least three more times after that. 🤣
Great! Lex always has a mischievous look on her face! Brad is much more serious, and trying to understand it, while Lex is just living it and feeling the emotions and vibes. Great distinction between you guys; so enjoyable to watch. Thanks!
Barry Manilow was like the Charlie Sheen character from Two and Half Men--he used to write jingles for products. He wrote the 'Stuck on Band-aid' song, and 'You Deserve a Break Today' for McDonalds (among many others). I love how Brad listened to the lyrics and heard the ugly truth, but Lex was totally surprised that a song she felt she knew, was actually about such a dark subject. His encapsulation of what happened was hilarious. I laughed out loud hard enough I'm writing LOL out longform. Her take was fine too: she got caught up in the showy feel of it, which is really there. So now will she listen to it his way? Or will he try listening to it her way?
But the keyword is "showy," Vegas-style. The song was meant to have fun with mystery dramas, and their often unrealistic reaching story lines, the same as double-O-7 or Tom Cruise climbing on the outside of a plane that is taking off. Outrageous, fun and goofy...not real-world terrifying and crazy.
@@JoinTheProgress Yeah, that's a good way to describe it. It's intentionally over the top, but the intention part seems to make the over the top part not feel over the top. It sets itself just the right context.
I just love those dance moves Lex. I always loved the groove & beat of this song so much. I was like Lex and never realized what a sad story it was for Lola.
Barry won the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Male Artist in 1979 for his singing on "Copacabana". He's a consummate professional as a singer and showman -- and he also does the band/orchestral arrangements for all of the instruments you hear in his recordings. Barry is celebrating 50 years at this writing in 2023 since the release of his debut album, and he has a musical called "Harmony" for which he wrote the musical score set to open on Broadway this November. Also, he is still doing live concerts in his residency in Las Vegas at the Westgate (formerly the Hilton and before that the International) where Elvis Presley played for years. Barry is on pace to break Elvis' record string of performances there sometime this fall. Not bad for a guy who will celebrate his 80th birthday this June 17th.
I was a young kid in the 70s and my dad had this 8-track on repeat on long family road trips in the camper. Say what you will about Barry Manilow, the guy could write a pop hook.
I swear, during the last days this song has been torturing me. Trapped in my head like a banner, "naaaa, Copacabana, naninninanini in La Habana..." And now that. 😳
Miami, Vegas, Atlantic City, Manhattan, Dallas, Seattle, SF .. this extended version was played at discos across the nation in 1978. The shooting took place in 1948 apparently "...thirty years ago."
It seem that this guy never gets out of the house... America? Miami? Listen to the lyrics... It's a tragic love story but it is not Miami or Jamaica or Bahamas... "Copa Cabana, the hottest spot north of HAVANA.." He's talking about a Tropical Club IN CUBA dumb-dumb..!! And I don't know how those two ended up together... She's Always Happy, excited about the music, dancing, jumping.. She is so funny and perky and alive.!! And he is always in a sour or paused mood, no expression on his face, dull and like he's bored all the time... If I had a girl like that, I would be jumping with her, singing and going all crazy with joy... In really enjoy watching this chanel's reactions but now I only pay attention to Lex's excitement... Sorry Brad, but you kill the joy of the moment with your Grim Seriousness... Not Fun.
This was a great song for a really fun time-- the '70's. Thanks for the play. Manilow was fun to watch perform his music on stage, especially songs like this.
The Copacabana was a night club in New York City and it is a beach in Brazil. Barry was having a conversation about the Copa while in Brazil and he also used frequent the night club. He discussed the song idea with some writers and they wrote this song
Barry Manilow is one of the artists as a guy you don't admit you like but secretly you do. In the 70s he was quite popular. He has written lots of famous commercial jingles for television advertisers. This song is a bit silly and fun. He has written a lot of beautiful ballads. Try reviewing any of these great Barry Manilow songs: Mandy, Could It Be Magic, Trying To Get The Feeling Again, Even Now, Weekend In New England, Ready To Take A Chance Again, Can't Smile Without You and I Write The Songs.
Ol' Barry was the master at writing love songs. Surprised you picked this one. Should checkout "Could this be Magic" or "Weekend in New England" or "This ones for you" all of these were huge hits in the 70's.
Haven't heard this song in maybe 30years and I still catch myself singing the chorus at few times a week. I also like parody of this song... The Star Wars Cantina
Loving the orchestral sound + bongos in this song! Reminds me of "Funkytown" by Lipps Inc. which has a similar string section, drum sound (with cowbell) and fun disco vibe. Also, Zongamin's "Bongo Song" which more than lives up to its name.
I never thought I'd see the day you listened to Barry Manilow! Ah, how funny! I want to comment, but I don't even know what to say except I could sing along with this song and that's not an easy thing to admit in public.
I saw Barry Manilow at the Tampa Arena about a year before I left. I wasnt paying the huge ticket price so on a whim I bought some beers and went to the parking lot looking for $20 tickets. I found one and went in. It was really fun. Hes great live even though hes old as fuck now.
Barry was actually a talented pianist and jazz musician, who was writing songs. He came up with a song he called, "Mandy" made the demo and tried to interest record labels. Someone heard him sing the demo and said he should sing the song himself. Barry did, and "Mandy" became a number one smash in the U.S. the UK and other countries, selling millions of records... the rest as the saying goes is history.
Barry did write and sing jingles and played piano for other singers, as well as wrote songs he wanted to sell for others to sing. He had trouble getting anyone to do the demos so he sang them himself. Some of the demos did wind up helping him get a record deal...his original song Could it Be Magic was on the first album. While making the 2nd album, Clive Davis brought a song to Barry called "Brandy", which was a rock song written and sung by Scott English, an artist from the UK. Barry reworked the song into a nice little ballad and they changed the name to " Mandy" because there was already a hit song called Brandy by the group Looking Glass.
Friend had tix to see Barry in PHX in the late 2000's and couldn't go. So I went (hey free, right?). Had the BEST time! So fun. Women throwing panties and bras on the stage. It was so animal
Copacabana is based on a real nightclub of the same name in New York which used to be a popular hangout for mobsters in the old days. It closed down just recently.
Ha! 😆 I confess: I had a poster of Barry Manilow (next to a herd of white horses thundering through a river...)....I was in junior high. Does that date me...? 😜😉🎶
Yessssssss...Brad with the straight Miami vibe. This song was a hit with everyone when it came out. It was on all the TV shows in the 70's & 80's. Skating rings would play this and disco too. Barry was incredibly gifted and entertaining 👏. We love Barry Manilow ❤
Lex, I reached into the TV, took your hand, and we cut the rug into ribbons! Don't be jealous Brad, I'm paraplegic. You can just come tip my chair over if I get out of hand.
