Melissa Manchester
Encyclopedia
Melissa Manchester is an American
singer-songwriter
and actress
. Beginning in the 1970s, she has recorded generally in the adult contemporary genre. She has also appeared as an actress on television
, in film
s, and on stage
.
, to a musical family of Jewish ethnicity. Her father was a bassoon
ist for the New York Metropolitan Opera. Her mother was one of the first women to design and found her own clothing firm, Ruth Manchester Ltd. Manchester started a singing career at an early age, learning the piano
and harpsichord
at the Manhattan School of Music and Arts, singing commercial jingles at age 15, and becoming a staff writer for Chappell Music while attending Manhattan's High School of Performing Arts
.
She studied songwriting at New York University
with Paul Simon
. Manchester then appeared on the Manhattan club scene, where she was discovered by Barry Manilow
and Bette Midler
, who took her on as one of her backup singers, the Harlettes
in 1971.
Manchester made a brief speaking appearance as "Yoko Ono
" on the 1972 album National Lampoon Radio Dinner
, on the track entitled "Magical Misery Tour", and the background singer in "Deteriorata
".
Her debut album, Home to Myself, was released in 1973; Manchester co-wrote many of its songs with Carole Bayer Sager
. Two years later Manchester's album Melissa produced her first top ten hit, "Midnight Blue
", which peaked at #6 on the Billboard charts. She also performed this song on Burt Sugarman's Midnight Special
TV series in 1974 live. Manchester collaborated with Kenny Loggins
to co-write Loggins' 1978 hit duet with Stevie Nicks
, "Whenever I Call You Friend". She would later record this herself for her 1979 Melissa Manchester album. At this time, she guest-starred on the CBS-TV daytime soap opera Search for Tomorrow
to teach a main character, who was a singer-songwriter, the essentials of the craft. In 1979 Manchester made #10 with her version of Peter Allen
's "Don't Cry Out Loud
", for which she received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Female Vocal Performance. In the Friends
episode titled "The One With All the Jealousy", Chandler
advises Ross
to "keep it inside. Learn how to hide your feelings! ... Don't cry out loud", a reference to the song. In 1979 she performed two nominated songs on the Academy Awards show, "The Promise", and "Through The Eyes of Love" (theme song from Ice Castles
). The winning song that year was "It Goes Like It Goes," from Norma Rae
.
In 1982 Melissa scored her biggest hit ever, "You Should Hear How She Talks About You
", which won a Grammy
for Best Female Vocal Performance and reached at #5 on the Billboard charts. Surprisingly it was her last Top 40 Pop hit, but Manchester continued to place singles on the Adult Contemporary charts throughout the 1980s. Her last top 10 entry on the AC chart was a 1989 updating of Dionne Warwick
's "Walk On By". The single was pulled from album "Tribute," which honored some of the singers that influenced her style.
In spring 2004, Manchester returned with her first album in 10 years: When I Look Down That Road
. While touring to support the CD, Manchester was praised for her still "powerful voice" and for "reinventing [herself] while staying true to what made [her] popular." She played herself on a two-day guest appearance on the ABC-TV daytime soap General Hospital
, to sing the song for Robin Scorpio
and her AIDS-afflicted boyfriend Stone Cates
.
Through the 1980s and 1990s Manchester alternated recording with acting, appearing with Bette Midler in the film For the Boys
, on the television series Blossom
, and co-writing (with bookwriter-lyricist Jeffrey Sweet
) and starring in the musical I Sent A Letter To My Love based on the Bernice Rubens
novel of the same name. In 1990, Manchester could be heard performing "I Wish I Knew", played over the opening credits of the CBS television drama The Trials of Rosie O'Neill
.
She also composed and recorded the score to the direct-to-video
Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure
(2001). In April 2007, Manchester returned to theater, starring in the Chicago production of HATS! The Musical, a show to which she had, with Sharon Vaughn, contributed two songs. Also in 2007, she recorded a duet with Barry Manilow
on a cover of the Carole King
classic "You've Got A Friend" on Manilow's The Greatest Songs of the Seventies
.
In 2008 she released a new single, "The Power of Ribbons," to digital retailers. Proceeds of the single benefit breast cancer
research.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and actress
Acting
Acting is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
. Beginning in the 1970s, she has recorded generally in the adult contemporary genre. She has also appeared as an actress on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, in film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s, and on stage
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
.
Life and career
Manchester was born in the Bronx, a borough of New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, to a musical family of Jewish ethnicity. Her father was a bassoon
Bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
ist for the New York Metropolitan Opera. Her mother was one of the first women to design and found her own clothing firm, Ruth Manchester Ltd. Manchester started a singing career at an early age, learning the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
at the Manhattan School of Music and Arts, singing commercial jingles at age 15, and becoming a staff writer for Chappell Music while attending Manhattan's High School of Performing Arts
High School of Performing Arts
The High School of Performing Arts, more formally known as The School of Performing Arts: A Division of the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, informally known as "PA", was a public alternative high school in New York, New York, USA that existed from 1948 through...
.
She studied songwriting at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
with Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
. Manchester then appeared on the Manhattan club scene, where she was discovered by Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
and Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
, who took her on as one of her backup singers, the Harlettes
Harlettes
The Harlettes, aka The Staggering Harlettes, is a trio of backup singers who support Bette Midler during her live musical performances. The Harlettes' line-up has changed many times since their inception.-History:...
in 1971.
Manchester made a brief speaking appearance as "Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
" on the 1972 album National Lampoon Radio Dinner
National Lampoon Radio Dinner
National Lampoon Radio Dinner is a comedy album from National Lampoon that was first released in 1972. The humor on the album was very much steeped in the pop culture of the era and includes such subjects as game shows , the 1972 presidential election National Lampoon Radio Dinner is a comedy album...
, on the track entitled "Magical Misery Tour", and the background singer in "Deteriorata
Deteriorata
Deteriorata is a famous parody of San Francisco radio and television personality Les Crane's spoken word recording of Desiderata. It was written by Tony Hendra. It was recorded by National Lampoon as part of their National Lampoon Radio Dinner album of 1972...
".
Her debut album, Home to Myself, was released in 1973; Manchester co-wrote many of its songs with Carole Bayer Sager
Carole Bayer Sager
Carole Bayer Sager is an American lyricist, songwriter, singer, and painter.-Introduction:Born in New York City, Sager graduated from New York University, where she majored in English, dramatic arts and speech...
. Two years later Manchester's album Melissa produced her first top ten hit, "Midnight Blue
Midnight Blue (Melissa Manchester song)
"Midnight Blue" is a single by Melissa Manchester which reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1975 when it topped the Billboard Easy Listening chart for two weeks to become the #1 Easy Listening hit for the year 1975.....
", which peaked at #6 on the Billboard charts. She also performed this song on Burt Sugarman's Midnight Special
The Midnight Special (TV series)
The Midnight Special is an American musical variety series that aired on NBC during the 1970s and early 1980s, created and produced by Burt Sugarman. It premiered as a special on August 19, 1972, then began its run as a regular series on February 2, 1973; its last episode was on May 1, 1981...
TV series in 1974 live. Manchester collaborated with Kenny Loggins
Kenny Loggins
During the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, King of the Movie Soundtrack.He began with "I'm Alright" , "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack...
to co-write Loggins' 1978 hit duet with Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
, "Whenever I Call You Friend". She would later record this herself for her 1979 Melissa Manchester album. At this time, she guest-starred on the CBS-TV daytime soap opera Search for Tomorrow
Search for Tomorrow
Search for Tomorrow is an American soap opera which premiered on September 3, 1951 on CBS. The show was moved from CBS to NBC on March 29, 1982. It continued on NBC until the final episode aired on December 26, 1986, a run of thirty-five years. At the time of its final broadcast it was the...
to teach a main character, who was a singer-songwriter, the essentials of the craft. In 1979 Manchester made #10 with her version of Peter Allen
Peter Allen
Peter Allen was an Australian songwriter and entertainer. His songs were made popular by many recording artists, including Elkie Brooks, Melissa Manchester and Olivia Newton-John, with one, Arthur's Theme, winning an Academy Award in 1981...
's "Don't Cry Out Loud
Don't Cry Out Loud (song)
"Don't Cry Out Loud" is the title of a song written in 1976 by Peter Allen with lyricist Carole Bayer Sager which is best known as a hit single for Melissa Manchester in the US and for Elkie Brooks in the UK.-Early versions:...
", for which she received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Female Vocal Performance. In the Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
episode titled "The One With All the Jealousy", Chandler
Chandler Bing
Chandler Muriel Bing is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television sitcom Friends, portrayed by Matthew Perry.-Background:Chandler Muriel Bing was born on April 8, 1968, the son of an erotic novelist mother and a cross-dressing Las Vegas star and is of Scottish ancestry. Chandler was Ross...
advises Ross
Ross Geller
Ross Eustace Geller, Ph.D. is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television series Friends, portrayed by David Schwimmer. The character is noted for his geeky, lovable demeanor.- Origin :...
to "keep it inside. Learn how to hide your feelings! ... Don't cry out loud", a reference to the song. In 1979 she performed two nominated songs on the Academy Awards show, "The Promise", and "Through The Eyes of Love" (theme song from Ice Castles
Ice Castles
Ice Castles is a 1978 American romantic drama, starring Lynn-Holly Johnson and Robby Benson.It is the story of Alexis, a young figure skater, and her rise and fall from super stardom. Tragedy strikes when, following a freak accident, Lexie loses her sight, leaving her to hide away in the privacy of...
). The winning song that year was "It Goes Like It Goes," from Norma Rae
Norma Rae
Norma Rae is a 1979 American drama film that tells the story of a factory worker from a small town in North Carolina, who becomes involved in the labor union activities at the textile factory where she works...
.
In 1982 Melissa scored her biggest hit ever, "You Should Hear How She Talks About You
You Should Hear How She Talks About You
"You Should Hear How She Talks About You" is a 1982 Top Ten single performed by Melissa Manchester from her album Hey Ricky.First recorded by Charlie Dore for her 1981 Listen! album, "You Should Hear..." was written by Dean Pitchford and Thomas R. Snow...
", which won a Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Female Vocal Performance and reached at #5 on the Billboard charts. Surprisingly it was her last Top 40 Pop hit, but Manchester continued to place singles on the Adult Contemporary charts throughout the 1980s. Her last top 10 entry on the AC chart was a 1989 updating of Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
's "Walk On By". The single was pulled from album "Tribute," which honored some of the singers that influenced her style.
In spring 2004, Manchester returned with her first album in 10 years: When I Look Down That Road
When I Look Down That Road
When I Look Down That Road is an album by Melissa Manchester, released in 2004.-Track listing:# Track listing# I'll Know You by Your Heart# Angels Dancing# Bend# When Paris Was A Woman # After All This Time# Lucky Break...
. While touring to support the CD, Manchester was praised for her still "powerful voice" and for "reinventing [herself] while staying true to what made [her] popular." She played herself on a two-day guest appearance on the ABC-TV daytime soap General Hospital
General Hospital
General Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
, to sing the song for Robin Scorpio
Robin Scorpio
Dr. Robin Scorpio-Drake is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera General Hospital and its prime time SOAPnet spin-off General Hospital: Night Shift, originated and portrayed by Kimberly McCullough since 1985. The character came to mainstream attention when she was diagnosed as HIV-positive...
and her AIDS-afflicted boyfriend Stone Cates
Stone Cates
Michael "Stone" Cates is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital. Michael Sutton portrayed him from 1993 to 1995 and returned for a guest appearance from September 28 through September 29, 2010. The character died of AIDS-related illness in 1995...
.
Through the 1980s and 1990s Manchester alternated recording with acting, appearing with Bette Midler in the film For the Boys
For the Boys
For the Boys is a 1991 film which tells the story of Dixie Leonard, a 1940s actress/singer who teams up with Eddie Sparks, a famous performer to entertain American troops. The film traces her life through 50 years. The original music score was composed by Dave Grusin.The film was adapted by...
, on the television series Blossom
Blossom (TV series)
Blossom is an American sitcom broadcast on NBC from January 3, 1991 to May 22, 1995. The series stars Mayim Bialik as Blossom Russo, a teenage girl living with her father and two brothers. It was created by Don Reo.- Synopsis :...
, and co-writing (with bookwriter-lyricist Jeffrey Sweet
Jeffrey Sweet
Jeffrey Sweet is an American writer, journalist, songwriter and theatre historian. Sweet's father was the late James Sweet, a science writer for the University of Chicago who aided Supreme Court chief justice Earl Warren in drafting two anti-McCarthy speeches; his mother is violinist Vivian...
) and starring in the musical I Sent A Letter To My Love based on the Bernice Rubens
Bernice Rubens
Bernice Rubens was a Booker Prize-winning Welsh novelist.-Background:She was of Russian Jewish descent and born in Cardiff, Wales where she attended Cardiff High School. She came from a very musical family, both her brothers becoming well-known classical musicians. She was married to Rudi...
novel of the same name. In 1990, Manchester could be heard performing "I Wish I Knew", played over the opening credits of the CBS television drama The Trials of Rosie O'Neill
The Trials of Rosie O'Neill
The Trials of Rosie O'Neill is an American television drama series, which aired on CBS from 1990 to 1992. The show starred Sharon Gless as Fiona Rose "Rosie" O'Neill, a lawyer working in the public defender's office for the City of Los Angeles...
.
She also composed and recorded the score to the direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure
Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure
Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure is a 2001 direct-to-video animated film which was released on February 27, 2001 by The Walt Disney Company as a sequel to the 1955 feature film Lady and the Tramp. The story centers around Lady and Tramp's anthropomorphic puppy, Scamp, and his desire to...
(2001). In April 2007, Manchester returned to theater, starring in the Chicago production of HATS! The Musical, a show to which she had, with Sharon Vaughn, contributed two songs. Also in 2007, she recorded a duet with Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
on a cover of the Carole King
Carole King
Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
classic "You've Got A Friend" on Manilow's The Greatest Songs of the Seventies
The Greatest Songs of the Seventies
The Greatest Songs of the Seventies is Barry Manilow's follow up to his previous album, The Greatest Songs of the Sixties. The album was released on September 18, 2007. Album producer Clive Davis said about Manilow: "No one can reinvent the great classics better than Barry Manilow...
.
In 2008 she released a new single, "The Power of Ribbons," to digital retailers. Proceeds of the single benefit breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
research.
Awards and recognition
- Grammy AwardGrammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
: "You Should Hear How She Talks About YouYou Should Hear How She Talks About You"You Should Hear How She Talks About You" is a 1982 Top Ten single performed by Melissa Manchester from her album Hey Ricky.First recorded by Charlie Dore for her 1981 Listen! album, "You Should Hear..." was written by Dean Pitchford and Thomas R. Snow...
" (1983) (Best Female Pop Vocal Performance) - Dormitory Name: Residents renamed their dorm Manchester Hall after a Manchester concert in the mid-1970s at what was then Southwest State University (now Southwest Minnesota State UniversitySouthwest Minnesota State UniversitySouthwest Minnesota State University is a public, four-year university that is part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. It is located in Marshall, Minnesota, United States, a city of 13,000 people. The school has a full-time enrollment of approximately 3,500 students and...
) in Marshall, MinnesotaMarshall, MinnesotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 12,735 people, 4,914 households, and 2,914 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,537.0 people per square mile . There were 5,182 housing units at an average density of 625.4 per square mile...
. - Melissa also received the Governor's award from the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences for her contributions to the music & recording arts
- Melissa also sang the National Anthem before Game 6 of the 1991 World Series1991 World SeriesThe 1991 World Series pitted the Minnesota Twins of the American League against the Atlanta Braves of the National League. The series was played from Saturday, October 19 to Sunday, October 27....
at the Hubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeHubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeThe Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
in Minneapolis. - Governor’s Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for her contributions to the music and recording arts
- Body of work to date as a singer/songwriter was a featured exhibit at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum
Discography
- 2004: When I Look Down That RoadWhen I Look Down That RoadWhen I Look Down That Road is an album by Melissa Manchester, released in 2004.-Track listing:# Track listing# I'll Know You by Your Heart# Angels Dancing# Bend# When Paris Was A Woman # After All This Time# Lucky Break...
- 1998: I Sent a Letter to My Love, a musical recorded by LA TheatreWorks
- 1998: The Colors of Christmas
- 1997: Joy
- 1997: The Essence of Melissa Manchester
- 1996: Stand in the Light, duet with Tats Yamashita
- 1995: If My Heart Had Wings
- 1992: Little Nemo: Adventures in SlumberlandLittle Nemo: Adventures in SlumberlandLittle Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland, known in Japan as simply Nemo, is a 1989 animated film directed by Masami Hata and William T. Hurtz. Loosely based on the comic strip Little Nemo in Slumberland by Winsor McCay, the film went through a lengthy development process with a number of screenwriters...
- 1989: Tribute
- 1986: "Let Me Be Good to You", from Disney's The Great Mouse DetectiveThe Great Mouse DetectiveThe Great Mouse Detective is a 1986 animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, originally released to movie theaters on July 2, 1986 by Walt Disney Pictures...
- 1985: Mathematics #144 US
- 1984: Your Place or Mine, from the motion picture soundtrack A Little SexA Little SexA Little Sex is a 1982 comedy film by MTM Enterprises and distributed by Universal Pictures. It was directed by Bruce Paltrow and written by Robert De Laurentiis...
- 1983: Emergency #135 US
- 1983: Greatest Hits #43 US
- 1982: Hey RickyHey RickyHey Ricky is the title of the tenth album release by by Melissa Manchester issued on Arista Records in April 1982.During the interim between the release of Hey Ricky and that of the precedent For the Working Girl in September 1980 Manchester had attempted to extricate herself from her recording...
#19 US - 1980: "I'll Never Say Goodbye", from the motion picture soundtrack for The PromiseThe Promise (1979 film)The Promise is a 1979 film, released by was a Universal Pictures, which starred Kathleen Quinlan, Stephen Collins, and Beatrice Straight. It was directed by Gilbert Cates and produced by Fred Weintraub and Paul Heller...
- 1980: For the Working GirlFor the Working GirlFor the Working Girl is the title of the ninth album release by singer-songwriter Melissa Manchester released by Arista Records.Recorded at Northstar Studios in Boulder, Colorado in the summer of 1980, For the Working Girl reteamed Manchester with Steve Buckingham producer of the singer's 1979...
#68 US - 1979: Melissa ManchesterMelissa Manchester (album)Melissa Manchester is the title of the eighth album release by singer-songwriter Melissa Manchester issued on Arista Records the first week of October 1979....
#63 US - 1978: Don't Cry Out LoudDon't Cry Out Loud (Melissa Manchester album)Don't Cry Out Loud is the title of the seventh album by Melissa Manchester; it was released by Arista Records in October 1978.-Background:...
#33 US - 1977: Singin'... #60 US
- 1977: Help Is on the Way #60 US
- 1976: Better Days and Happy Endings #24 US
- 1975: MelissaMelissa (Melissa Manchester album)Melissa is a 1975 album by Melissa Manchester and was released on the Arista Records label. In 2001 the album was re-released.-Track listing:# "We've Got Time" # "Party Music"...
#12 US - 1974: Bright Eyes #159 US
- 1973: Home to Myself #156 US
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US AC Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
Various | |||
| 1967 | "Beautiful People" b/w A Song For You | — | — | — | Single only |
| 1973 | "Never Never Land" b/w Be Happy Now (From Home To Myself) | 101 | — | — | Single only |
| 1974 | "O Heaven (How You've Changed Me)" b/w Inclined | 101 | — | — | Bright Eyes |
| 1975 | "Midnight Blue Midnight Blue (Melissa Manchester song) "Midnight Blue" is a single by Melissa Manchester which reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1975 when it topped the Billboard Easy Listening chart for two weeks to become the #1 Easy Listening hit for the year 1975..... " b/w I Got Eyes |
6 | 1 |  #78  #5 |
Melissa |
| "Just Too Many People" b/w This Lady's Not Home Today | 30 | 2 | #49 |
||
| 1976 | "Just You and I" b/w Sing Sing Sing | 27 | 3 | #63 |
Better Days and Happy Endings |
| "Better Days" b/w My Sweet Thing | 71 | 9 | #84 |
||
| "Happy Endings" b/w Rescue Me | — | 33 | — | ||
| "Rescue Me" b/w Happy Endings | 78 | — | — | ||
| "Monkey See, Monkey Do" B/w So's My Old Man | — | — | — | Help Is on the Way | |
| 1977 | "Be Somebody" b/w Dirty Work | — | — | — | |
| "I Wanna Be Where You Are I Wanna Be Where You Are "I Wanna Be Where You Are" is a song written by Arthur "T-Boy" Ross and Leon Ware for Michael Jackson, who took the song to number sixteen on the U.S. pop singles chart and number two on the U.S. R&B singles chart in 1972... " b/w No One's Ever seen This Side Of Me |
— | — | — | Singin | |
| 1978 | "Don't Cry Out Loud Don't Cry Out Loud (song) "Don't Cry Out Loud" is the title of a song written in 1976 by Peter Allen with lyricist Carole Bayer Sager which is best known as a hit single for Melissa Manchester in the US and for Elkie Brooks in the UK.-Early versions:... " b/w We Had This Time (Non-LP track) |
10 | 9 | #57 #9 |
Don't Cry Out Loud |
| 1979 | "Theme from Ice Castles (Through The Eyes Of Love)(Single Edit)" b/w Such A Morning | 76 | 13 | #87 |
Ice Castles Ice Castles Ice Castles is a 1978 American romantic drama, starring Lynn-Holly Johnson and Robby Benson.It is the story of Alexis, a young figure skater, and her rise and fall from super stardom. Tragedy strikes when, following a freak accident, Lexie loses her sight, leaving her to hide away in the privacy of... (Soundtrack) |
| "Pretty Girls" b/w All In The Sky Above | 39 | 26 | #80 |
Melissa Manchester | |
| 1980 | "Fire In the Morning" b/w Lights Of Dawn | 32 | 8 | #89 |
|
| "If This Is Love" | 102 | 19 | — | For the Working Girl | |
| "Lovers After All" | 54 | 25 | — | ||
| "Without You" | — | — | — | ||
| 1982 | "Race to the End" b/w Long Goodbyes (Non LP Track) | — | — | — | Hey Ricky |
| "You Should Hear How She Talks About You You Should Hear How She Talks About You "You Should Hear How She Talks About You" is a 1982 Top Ten single performed by Melissa Manchester from her album Hey Ricky.First recorded by Charlie Dore for her 1981 Listen! album, "You Should Hear..." was written by Dean Pitchford and Thomas R. Snow... " b/w Long Goodbyes (Non Lp Track) |
5 | 10 | #4 #5  #20 |
||
| "Hey Ricky (You're a Low-Down Heel)" B/w Come In From The Rain (1982 Version) | — | — | — | ||
| 1983 | "Nice Girls" b/w Hey Ricky | 42 | 22 | — | Greatest Hits |
| "My Boyfriend's Back My Boyfriend's Back (song) "My Boyfriend's Back" was a hit song in 1963 for The Angels, an American girl group. It was written by the songwriting team of Feldman, Goldstein and Gottehrer . The recording was originally intended as a demo for The Shirelles, but ended up being released as recorded... " |
— | 33 | #48 |
||
| "No One Can Love You More Than Me" | 78 | 34 | #75 |
Emergency | |
| "I Don't Care What the People Say" | — | — | — | ||
| 1984 | "Thief of Hearts" | 86 | 18 | — | Thief of Hearts Thief of Hearts Thief of Hearts is a 1984 film produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. It was written and directed by Douglas Day Stewart.-Plot:A burglar, Scott Muller , teams up with Buddy Calamara , a valet in a high society restaurant. While Buddy keeps an eye on a rich couple, Scott robs the couple's home... (Soundtrack) |
| 1985 | "Mathematics" b/w "So Full Of Yourself" (Non-LP) written by Manchester | 74 | — | — | Mathematics |
| "Energy" b/w "So Full Of Yourself" | — | — | — | ||
| "Just One Lifetime", Barbra Streisand's wedding song b/w "So Full Of Yourself" | — | — | — | ||
| 1986 | "The Music of Goodbye" (with Al Jarreau Al Jarreau Alwin "Al" Lopez Jarreau is a seven-time Grammy Award winning jazz singer.- Background :Jarreau was born in Milwaukee, the fifth of six children. His web site refers to Reservoir, Inc., the name of the street where he lived. His father was a Seventh-Day Adventist Church minister and singer, and... ) |
— | 16 | #75 | Out of Africa (Soundtrack) |
| 1989 | "Walk on By" b/w To Make You Smile Again (1989 Version) | — | 6 | — | Tribute (Soundtrack) |
| 1995 | "In a Perfect World" | — | — | — | If My Heart Had Wings |
| "Here to Love You" | — | — | — | ||
| 2004 | "After All This Time" | — | — | — | When I Look Down That Road |
| "Bend" b/w "Treasure" (non CD track) | — | — | — | ||
| "Angels Dancing" | — | — | — | ||
| 2006 | "My Christmas Song for You" | — | — | — | Platinum Christmas, Vol. 3 |
| 2008 | "The Power of Ribbons" | — | — | — | Single only |
| 2011 | "You've Got A Friend" (long version) | — | — | — | Barry Manilow Duets |
| 2011 | "Rainbird" | — | — | — | Dirty Gilrl (Soundtrack) |
Guest appearances
| Year | Song Title | Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | "Deteriorata", "Magical Misery Tour" | National Lampoon | Radio Dinner |
| 1977 | "They Never Met" | Martin Mull Martin Mull Martin Mull is an American actor who has starred in his own television sitcom and acted in prominent films. He is also a comedian, painter, and recording artist... |
I'm Everyone I've Ever Loved |
| 1978 | "A Half Hour of Heaven (And Eight Hours of Sleep)" | Martin Mull | Sex & Violins |
| 1990 | "Making Every Moment Count" | Peter Allen Peter Allen Peter Allen was an Australian songwriter and entertainer. His songs were made popular by many recording artists, including Elkie Brooks, Melissa Manchester and Olivia Newton-John, with one, Arthur's Theme, winning an Academy Award in 1981... |
Making Every Moment Count |
| 1996 | "Stand In the Light" | Tatsuro Yamashita Tatsuro Yamashita is a Japanese singer-songwriter, and record producer. He has been known by his musical style deeply influenced from 1960s American pop and rock music.... |
Cozy |
| 2000 | "A Mother and Father's Prayer" | Collin Raye Collin Raye Floyd Collin Wray Floyd Collin Wray Floyd Collin Wray (born August 22, 1959 or 1960,Although multiple online sources all indicate Raye's date of birth as 1959, Raye's MySpace lists his date of birth as 1960. Furthermore, the 2004 Deseret News article cited in this article indicates the singer as... |
Counting Sheep |
| 2002 | "Never Let Me Go" | Michael Feinstein Michael Feinstein Michael Jay Feinstein is an American singer, pianist, and music revivalist. He is an interpreter of, and an anthropologist and archivist for, the repertoire known as the Great American Songbook. In 1988 he won a Drama Desk Special Award for celebrating American musical theatre songs... |
Livingston & Evans Songbook |
| 2008 | "You've Got A Friend" | Barry Manilow Barry Manilow Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."... |
Greatest Songs of the 70's |
| 2010 | "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" & "What You Wont Do For Love" (not released yet) | Juice Newton Juice Newton Judith Kay "Juice" Newton is an American Pop music and Country singer, songwriter and guitarist... |
Duets: Friends & Memories |
Filmography
- Great Mouse Detective Voice of Kitty, songwriter "Let me be Good to You"
- Fame (TV series) actor, singer and writer (episode) credit
- For the BoysFor the BoysFor the Boys is a 1991 film which tells the story of Dixie Leonard, a 1940s actress/singer who teams up with Eddie Sparks, a famous performer to entertain American troops. The film traces her life through 50 years. The original music score was composed by Dave Grusin.The film was adapted by...
(1991) - Blossom (TV) (1993–1995)