Any Mel Torme fans out there?

Manilow's voice is nothing like Tormé's, but that doesn't mean they might not share some stylistic similarities. Compared to many pop singers today, Manilow's talents are far better--he has good, accurate pitch, a unique sound, and a lot of respect for the music he performs. As they say, his heart's in the right place.

A couple of albums past Paradise Café, Manilow put out an album called Swing Street and I did not warm to it at all--the brass was played on synthesizer and it just sounded cheesy. Had it been done with a real band throughout the entire album, I probably would have liked it. Singin' with the Big Bands sounds like a good disc! I will have to check it out.

Sometimes I think there's a bit of Miniver Cheevy in people like Barry Manilow and Rod Stewart (and someone even suggested Billy Idol in an SNL skit). Not that they didn't have successful careers, but they might have had more lasting fame had they been born 20-30 years earlier.
 
Not a fan of his music, but his guest appearances in Night Court were great.
Good actor.
 
I found a copy of Japanese pressing of the Schubert Alley lp and i agree about the quality of the recording. Startling clarity and the soundstage image is truly excellent.

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I currently have the Phoenix Records two-fer version from 2012 that includes "Back in Town". The sound seems fine, but I have nothing to compare it to. I just bought what might be the original CD version (Verve 1984). The comparison will be interesting. I often have found that CDs from the 1980s sound much better than later issues that have been overly futzed with.
 
I think some of his earliest recordings were originally on the Bethlehem label, and I know they have bounced around on a few budget reissue labels over the years. I had an early 80s CD that sounds rather lackluster, but everything on that particular budget CD label was suspect back in those days.

There is a comprehensive set of his recordings with Marty Paich from those early years, complete with musician listings here:

https://www.amazon.com/Torme-Paich-Legendary-Sessions-MARTY-PAICH/dp/B000I2KJPQ
 
I think some of his earliest recordings were originally on the Bethlehem label, and I know they have bounced around on a few budget reissue labels over the years. I had an early 80s CD that sounds rather lackluster, but everything on that particular budget CD label was suspect back in those days.

There is a comprehensive set of his recordings with Marty Paich from those early years, complete with musician listings here:

https://www.amazon.com/Torme-Paich-Legendary-Sessions-MARTY-PAICH/dp/B000I2KJPQ

An excellent compilation, which I did not get only because the songs are included in the "Six Classic Albums" collection. According to that latter collection, these recordings originally were on "The Mel Torme and Marty Paich Dek-Tette" (1955) and "Mel Torme Sings Fred Astaire" (1958).
 
I currently have the Phoenix Records two-fer version from 2012 that includes "Back in Town". The sound seems fine, but I have nothing to compare it to. I just bought what might be the original CD version (Verve 1984). The comparison will be interesting. I often have found that CDs from the 1980s sound much better than later issues that have been overly futzed with.

The two sound the same. Both sound nicely "unfiltered" to my ears.
 
I think my Lulu was a UK import on the Charly label, but it's packed away at the moment to verify what it was. It doesn't sound so much futzed with as it sounded as though a poor copy of the master tape was used.
 
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