"Copacabana" is a song by Barry Manilow that was released in 1978. It tells the story of Lola, a showgirl at the Copacabana nightclub, and her love affair with Tony, a bartender at the club. The song begins with Lola dancing at the Copacabana, where she catches Tony's eye. They fall in love, but their happiness is short-lived when Rico, a mobster, also becomes interested in Lola. Rico tries to woo Lola by offering her a job at his club, but she refuses, remaining loyal to Tony. In a fit of jealousy, Rico shoots Tony, and Lola is left heartbroken.
Spring 1986
A short word on the conventions First of all, I always wanted to go, lured by the idea of cool conventions, big cult sized, Barry Manilow think tanks. 1 Instead, this early version of the song was produced under the hand of Tony Orlando and recorded by Featherbed, a ghost group consisting of session musicians.
In a fit of jealousy, Rico shoots Tony, and Lola is left heartbroken. The song ends with the club becoming the hottest spot in town, but Lola is still haunted by the memories of Tony. Throughout the song, Manilow's powerful vocals and catchy melody capture the emotional rollercoaster of Lola's love story.
Could It Be Magic
As Manilow had only composed or arranged commercial jingles up to that point, he was unproven as a pop-song arranger, and thus, he was not permitted to arrange the original backing track himself upon its first release in 1971. [1] Instead, this early version of the song was produced under the hand of Tony Orlando and recorded by Featherbed, a "ghost" group consisting of session musicians.
Originally released on the Knock Three Times " feel, the chorus is the same, but the original verse lyrics have nothing to do with the hit version Manilow himself released in 1973.
That year, Manilow would come to be signed to Bell Records in his own right, immediately after which a completely reworked version with Manilow's own arrangement was included on his debut album, Barry Manilow I , released that fall. Six months later, former Clive Davis would take over Bell Records and merge it into Arista with all the other Columbia Pictures-owned labels such as Amy , Colpix , and Chart performance [ ]
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Additionally, the lyrics paint a vivid picture of the glamorous and sometimes dangerous world of a nightclub in the 1940s. "Copacabana" remains one of Barry Manilow's most popular and enduring songs, and it continues to be a favorite among fans of his music..
Reviews for "How 'Could It Be Magic' Became Barry Manilow's Signature Song"
1. John - 2/5 stars - "I was really disappointed with 'Could it be Magic' by Barry Manilow. The song comes across as overly cheesy and lacks originality. The lyrics are predictable and cliché, and the music sounds incredibly dated. Manilow's vocals are also not very impressive on this track. Overall, I found it to be a forgettable and uninspiring piece of music."
2. Sarah - 1/5 stars - "I can't understand why 'Could it be Magic' by Barry Manilow is so popular. The song feels incredibly cheesy and outdated. The melody is nothing special, and Manilow's vocals are mediocre at best. The lyrics are overly simplistic and lack depth. I really don't see the appeal of this track, and I would not recommend it to anyone looking for quality music."
3. Mark - 2/5 stars - "I'm not a fan of 'Could it be Magic' by Barry Manilow. The song feels formulaic and lacks any originality. The melodies are repetitive and the production feels uninspired. Manilow's vocals are decent, but they can't save the song from its mediocrity. I found it to be a forgettable track in Manilow's discography."
4. Emily - 3/5 stars - "While I didn't particularly enjoy 'Could it be Magic' by Barry Manilow, I can still appreciate its nostalgic value. The song has a classic feel to it, and I understand why it resonates with fans of Manilow's music. However, personally, I found the track repetitive and predictable. It didn't stand out to me as anything special or innovative. It's just an average song in my opinion."