YMMV / Barry Manilow

• Covered Up:
  • In 1971 singer-songwriter Scott English recorded a slightly melodramatic midtempo song called "Brandy", which became a minor hit. Three years later Manilow slowed it down, eliminated half a verse, and changed the title to "Mandy", to avoid people confusing it with the earlier hit "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" by Looking Glass. It became his Breakthrough Hit.
  • Not only did he not write "I Write the Songs", he also wasn't the first to record it (that was Captain & Tennille).
  • Randy Edelman originally wrote and recorded "Weekend in New England".
  • "Read Em and Weep", written by Jim Steinman, was originally a minor hit for Meat Loaf in 1981.
  • "Can't Smile Without You" was originally recorded by The Cranberries.
• Germans Love David Hasselhoff: He is perhaps most popular in the United Kingdom.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: "Oh Quagmire" from Family Guy, especially in light of his coming out as gay.
• Moment of Awesome: His duet of I Write the Songs with Stephen Colbert. FYI, Colbert views Manilow as an Arch-Enemy (he has a lot).
• Signature Song: "Copacabana", "Can't Smile Without You", "Mandy", and of course "I Write the Songs".
• Sampled Up: Daft Punk's "Superheroes" does this with a looped sample of "Who's Been Sleeping In My Bed?"
• The Woobie: Lola of the Copacabana song. The love of her life is killed in front of her, and she spends the rest of her days mired in grief and alcohol.