Dick Clark and Barry Manilow had a friendship that spanned decades. But there was one of Manilow’s songs that Clark loved more than any other. It was such a favorite it was a midnight request for a decade of his annual New Year’s Rockin’ Eve special.
Barry Manilow made a ‘friend for life’ in Dick Clark
Barry Manilow shared details regarding his long friendship with Dick Clark with Billboard. He said he made a “friend for life” with the entertainment personality.
“My first national television appearance ever was on American Bandstand at the end of 1974, when ‘Mandy’ came out,” Manilow recalled to Billboard. “I sang ‘Mandy’ on the show. The next week, it went to No. 1, and I had a pop career and a friend for life.”
“Dick and I, I don’t know. He connected with what I do,” Manilow revealed.
“He just got me, even in those early days. I didn’t even know what I was doing. But he got me.”
“Every record I released from then on, he would let me do it on Bandstand, whether it was a hit or not. Then, when I wrote ‘It’s Just Another New Year’s Eve’ (in 1977), he loved the song and allowed me to sing it every year on New Year’s Rockin’ Eve at midnight for about 10 years.”
Dick Clark died on April 18, 2012. He was 82.
What is ‘It’s Just Another New Year’s Eve’ about?
Barry Manilow wrote “It’s Just Another New Year’s Eve” with Marty Panzer. The song appeared on Manilow’s 1977 album Barry Manilow Live.
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BMI spoke to Panzer about writing the song. He said it was Manilow’s idea to write the tune.
The tune was written for Manilow’s Uris Theatre run, which was being recorded for his first Live album. “We wrote the song on Monday. It was orchestrated on Tuesday and recorded on Wednesday.”
“Though New Year’s Eve is generally considered a celebration of the coming new year, it is for many, if not most, a time of introspection and looking back over the year (or years) that have passed. It’s often a time of regret, anxiety, and an acute sense of loneliness. There was no song we knew of that addressed any of that.”
Barry Manilow wanted to write a song that comforted and encouraged people on New Year’s Eve
Both Barry Manilow and Marty Panzer realized that writing a song that filled a void for some listeners was important. “It’s Just Another New Year’s Eve” filled that need.
Panzer said, “Barry wanted to write a song of comfort and encouragement for those who were possibly hurting on New Year’s Eve more than they were celebrating. Happily, “It’s Just Another New Year’s Eve” was just that song.”
He continued, “Its uniqueness, Barry’s moving performance, and the grace of God have made it a perennial at radio, where it’s gotten great airplay for all these years. Barry Manilow Live was Barry’s first Number 1 album. ‘It’s Just Another New Year’s Eve’ was the only single from the album. Barry performed the song on Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve TV special for probably the next 10 years.”
Barry Manilow has a residency at the Westgate Las Vegas Hotel that runs through 2024.
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