So, Prince nicks Could it be Magic on Planet Earth... Am I imagining things or have I read/heard somewhere that Barry has covered a Prince track in the past? Please someone confirm this, I have a smug Barry fan that needs taking down a peg or two.

I love Barry too, but I cn't remember him doing any Prince.

Dammit! I must defeat the crooner's fan! I must! Please, if there is a purple-loving God out there... any God... perhaps even the one Prince sings about... Please let Manilow have covered a Prince tune so I can bite back at an insufferable person!

Didn't Prince write Copacabana?


Wait! No! I was thinking of Jughead

If not Copacabana then surely he must have a credit on Mandy?

Maybe

And that completes the list of songs I know by Barry

Yeah, I struggled too. I'm assuming he's written more... he's been around for centuries. On another theme... the last few moments of this new album aren't half dull? Resolution? Not really... more a meandering stagger to a halt.

Haven't heard it yet

Waiting for my legal copy

I was going to wait, and then realised that I would get a Prince album with a Mail on Sunday watermark on it before I could get an actual store-bought copy... so I downloaded it. Some good, some poor... the last moments are nonsense.

It might be somewhat embarassing for a Prince fan to admit, but I've seen Barry Manilow over a dozen times live. I have no memory of anything Prince-related coming from him. Not even a Tom Jones-ish lick of "Kiss."

P didn't write "Mandy" or "Copacabana," by the way...

Keith/Kacey

Barry based "Could It Be Magic" on Chopin's Prelude in C Minor. You could argue that Prince did the same.

I don't know why you care, Manilow is a great songwriter. Prince could be inspired by alot worse.

I think you defeated him just by virtue of him being a Barry Manilow Fan.

Mars23 said:

actually the part that Prince quotes the notes of is the part of Barry's song that DOESN'T use the classical chords. I think's this part: Spirit move me every time Im near you,
Whirling like a cyclone in my mind.

on a side note I have not seen anyone talk of another song that uses this same melody (in part). It's the instrumental piano break in "Sailing" by Christopher Cross.

Its funny how upset everyone is over Prince channeling Mainlow for a few notes or whatever, I havent heard it yet, im waiting till i have the full cd in my hand tomorrow (NYC stores get it early) , but get over it already. Big deal he channeled Manilow for a few bars or whatever, say what you want but Manilow had some kick ass stuff in the 70's and IMO goes in the class with the 70's icons of Wonder,Joel and Elton in terms of output in those days, that was Competetion when you had to battle with Billy or Stevie or Elton with their albums. I think Manilow should also be commended for his respect for his Jazz Roots, think im crazy hunt down his 1984 cd PARADISE CAFE and think prince One Nite Alone. So big deal Prince may have been influenced or swayed by a Manilow progression in a song, at least he was influenced by someone with talent, its not like he borrowed some RIAHNNA track or something, he went with someone who knows and plays music.

Didn't someone write Manilow's "I write the songs" for him? I always found that a little funny

Props to Isten to pick up on that IMMEDIATELY...

I just think that sometimes reviewers just rip our posts.

blumer said:

Yeah it was written by that Bruce Johnston guy from the Beach Boys, Manilow hated the song because of that reason, because it was full of EGO and things like that, but a deeper look at the lyrics and its a pretty deep idea.

Manilow's Could It Be Magic is one of the best songs of the 70s (and probably in my top 10 songs ever if I could ever dare compose such a list). There's a reason Barry was so busy as a songwriter, arranger and producer in his heyday - we was great at all of those things. As much as I love that song, it's a stretch to say Planet Earth rips it in any way. I hadn't thought of it before reading this thread and even after relistening to it, I can only sorta hear where people might think Prince referenced it. Never would have made the connection otherwise.

As for Barry covering Prince? I'd love to hear it if ever he did.

Let me quickly add that this is a case of two friends smiling whilst trying to put one over on the other. Nothing serious... I love The Manilow... camp and kitsch and all things lovely and smiling... It's just a bit of fun.

BoySimon said:

If that's the case, I would go for the nose jokes. Barry has a huge honker.