The Questlove Show - Barry Manilow

Episode Date: July 20, 2026

Barry Manilow pulls up to The Questlove Show for a rare, career-spanning conversation that begins with humble reflections on Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and ends with Hall of Fame accolades, classic jingles, and a recent victory over cancer. Ahmir and Barry trace his path from CBS mailroom kid to music director, arranger, and reluctant frontman who never saw himself as a singer. Manilow breaks down the craft of writing immortal ad hooks, the no-glam reality of the legendary Continental Baths, and why he'll only write songs as a job now. Barry, who released his first album in 15 years, What A Time last month, also opens up about imposter syndrome and working with Bette Midler, Dionne Warwick, and Ron Dante. This episode was taped in April 2026, before the passing of Clive Davis, Barry Manilow's longtime collaborator, who is mentioned throughout the conversation. Manilow is on tour now, performing in arenas across the US and continuing his record-setting Las Vegas residency.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey, Portlandia fans. Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen here. The Dream of the 90s is alive in podcast form. We're launching Podlandia, AEO rewatch, our brand new podcast where we revisit every episode of Portlandia together, breaking down sketches, going deep on our iconic characters, and pulling back the curtain on how it all got made.

And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life. Guest stars, collaborators, and friends, including director Jonathan Chrysler, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more. Kyle is going for it here. You fully improvised, not just words, but a song about it. Well, I thought you were all going to write a song. I remember you thinking that. Listen to Podlandia.

A.A.O. Rewatch on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On Raiders of the Lost podcast, we explore cinema like no one else, including huge interviews with stars like Ryan Gosling on Project Hail Mary. It was like the Jaws Shark. Didn't always work, came with its own problems. That's what made it great. The cast of obsession. On set, there was so much magic happening with each scene we were putting together.

Deep dives into classics like 2001 of Space Odyssey or Fight Club, plus weekly episodes on all industry news. Listen to Raiders of the Lost podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And for more, follow at Raiders of the Lost podcast and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. When Democrats are messing up, I say it. When Republicans are messing up, I say it. I'm S.E. Cup, a journalist and political commentator.

And on my podcast, off the cup, I help you make sense of the often nonsensical news. I do this on cable news too, but on my podcast, I can really let loose and be my honest, unfiltered self. I just want to talk about something that happened this week because it's so bonkers. So stupid. Such incredibly bad politics. We have to talk about it. Come for the hot takes. Stay for the sanity.

Listen to Off the Cup on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, everybody. I'm Tariq Foster Brasby. What's up, y'all? I'm your girl, Cheryl Swoops. When you tune in to a new episode of our podcast levels to this, you're definitely going to get some spicedy WMBA analysis.

but we're more than just hoops. And the real conversation is what we actually breathe. It's been really, really cool seeing kind of these women just really step into their power off the court and understand that they aren't basketball, right? And they're not asking for permission. Listen to levels to this with Shroes Hoops and Tarika Foster-Brasby on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast,

or wherever you get your podcast. The Questlove show is a production of I Heart Radio. Well, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Questlove show. I will say that our esteemed guests once sang, I write the songs, but I digress. I believe that our guest is the song. He's embodied all of pop culture. He's a songwriter's Hall of Fame legend.

13 number one hits, countless top 10, top 40 hits, over 85 million records sold. Classic ad jingles. Like if I'd sit here and sing of his accolades, the interview will be over. Grammy a winner, Emmy winner, Tony winner. A recent... Stop. Stop.

No, man. It's flower time. You recently got the... What is your... It was the... The advertising hall of fame. The advertising hall of fame. Which you deserve.

To this day, your commercials are still... Your music is being used. Shout out to Jake from a steak farm. And despite, you know, all these achievements, he returns to us one more time. I don't believe that musicians ever truly leave, but yes, what a time is this first album in 15 years. Most importantly, we're celebrating his recent victory over cancer. And this is your final concert run. And I am honored that our legendary guest today is giving us the pleasure of just talking to him for a little bit.

Barry Manil, welcome to the Questlove show. How are you? I've been wanting to do this ever since we met on the Tonight Show, but I don't get to the East Coast very often like I used to. Yeah. I'm going to turn this off. It's okay. You're Barry Manilu.

You can do that. I know you're kidding around, but I never think like that. I just never think like that. No, I'm not kidding. I mean, you're a legend. And legend should be celebrated. What is your first musical memory in life? Your first musical memory from childhood?

My first musical memory was my mother singing to me. Okay. She was a good singer. What did she sing? Pop songs of the day. Okay. And she was good. She should have made a career out of her.

But I got in the way. She had to go out and work and support me. So she never did it, but she was good. Okay. So that was my first memory. Okay. So you grew up in Williamsburg. Brooklyn. Now, my version of Williamsburg is where I like to hang out for, like, dinner with friends and I go to movies all the time there. Like, I hang out in Williamsburg. But can you describe your version of Williamsburg as a child and a teen? What was it like? A dump.

Okay. And you didn't want to go there. It was so dangerous. I would consider it a very good luck if I got home from school because I live across the street from. Eastern District High School. If I made it home, without getting beaten up, I considered it a good day. Have you been there recently? Have you seen Williamsburg? I did. I mean, maybe a year ago or so it looked like the village, right?

Is that what you're talking about? Yeah. Yeah. That's what they've turned it into. It looks like the village, and it's much safer now. Yeah. What part of New York City do you most identify with, though?

Like, what's your, like, all these boroughs, like, what's your favorite part of New York? Manhattan. Okay. Yeah. Okay. My life began when I got a job at CBS, and I liked all the people. I didn't know what I was going to do with myself, but I liked it. I liked the vibe there.

Okay. What were your duties at CBS? You started working there in the early 60s? Like, what were your job duties? I was a male boy for a while, and then I, they promoted me. into editing films and that was good I like that I liked all the people there they were funny and smart and I had a great time at CBS and then everybody knew I was musical because I would run away and play piano because it was a lot of

rehearsal halls so they would hear this skinny male boy playing piano and I left CBS and after I left CBS I got a phone call from CBS saying they're putting up a brand new show, a local show called Callback. It's what we know today is trying to find a talented young person. And so they needed a music director. So I was available. So I came back to CBS only in a totally different.

And your duties were to find songs, write songs, arrange songs. Yeah, yeah. As just a one-man machine, or were you like with a. bunch of collaborators? There were people there, but it really was my gig to pull all the songs together. I would work with the singer, give them an arrangement, make sure it's in their IT, and then conduct the band on the day of the show. And I loved it.

So back then, I would imagine that as a working musician, would one have to cite read on the spot, like be, at any point where musicians that weren't able to, read charts, able to still get gigs? Like if you could do court charts or just notate to them what to play and watch me for the cues? Yeah, I haven't met many musicians who can't read, which is good. Because if you can read music, if you want to be a musician, you've got to learn how to read music. Because if you can, you'll always work. But if you can't, then these producers will not hire you because that means you've got to memorize it on the spot.

Right. And that's not good for the producers. I know that at some point you started working either with the Sullivan Show or without Sullivan. Yeah, I was very young. But I conducted for the summer at Sullivan Show. It was a big deal. I mean, I, you know. How intimidating was that process?

It was. These older musicians did not like taking orders from me. It really didn't. I wasn't prepared for it. But they did not like taking orders from it. me. How big were the orchestras? Not huge, but, you know, it was a TV size shell bigger than we have today. Right. I've heard many a story about the continental baths or like the Beth Midler show,

but I've heard the title. What exactly, can you just run me through what that environment was? Like, was it a play sheet entertained or was it a bar? Was it a restaurant? What is it? It was a spa. She would do a show inside of a spa. Yeah. Okay. I've never heard of this before. But I've heard the Continental Baths,

and this is where she got her start. So they would have entertainment there? Yes. Okay. And you were her musical director? I was the music director of every weekend. I would show up. Whoever was performing there,

they'd give me their music. I'd play for them at night. And Bet was one of those girls. Okay. And it was odd because they weren't wearing any clothes. Oh, wow. Okay.

I did not know this. Yeah, just a towel. So is it actually inside the spa? Yeah. So how is the condensation and all that stuff worked for the instruments and whatnot? There was just me at a rotten little piano and a drummer who tried to catch up.

That was it. And a lot of people came out And her voice would amplify? Like, I'm still thinking of the technical part of it. Like, if you're in a steam room with a microphone. Yeah, I mean, it was very amateurish. It was no big deal. Okay.

What was the duration of these? 90 minutes. Okay. She would take an intermission. All the girls, I don't think I ever saw a guy performing there. It was all the girls. Got it. I was playing for all the girls.

As a musician and as a, I would do their arrangements. And a lot of times I found that those girls were going to be performing at the Continental Bass on Saturday night. So that was good. It was inhibiting. I was not naked. I was not with a little towel around me. Not at all. It must be hot.

I finished my gig and run. Okay. What I've heard about these shows is how legendary they were. Like, what was it about her as a performer that made her stand out from anyone else? else that's saying there. And anyone else have notes sing there as well? Yeah, but that was, she was brilliant. I mean, the most brilliant young talent that you've ever seen.

And she was going to be a star. And I mean, she was so, she could do anything. She could do blues. She could do rock and roll. So that was great for me because I could do that too. So we hated each other on side, but musically, we were great. Okay. We'll see your first client in producing as far as albums were concerned. Yeah.

Okay, so, you know, I know that today producing is a very loose term. Like, I know producers that do the work, and I know some producers just rubber stamp, but I know back then there was a whole process, or at least it was more disciplined in terms of, like, getting rhythm arrangers, getting horn arrangers. Like without having had that experience before, how intimidating was it to man the ship for the first time? Yeah, I loved it. I loved it, especially if they did have music that I could just play for them,

that hardly had music. She was just coming up. She was broke. She didn't have money to get arrangements that people could. Once I started working for, I wrote, all of the arrangements that she would need and for nothing because I saw this girl was so talented, was so talented. And when you see something like that, you have to support it.

I felt I was struggling myself, but this girl was something else. Then what was your creative process? Like, I know some songwriters, Quincy Jones says he likes to arrange like between midnight and 5 a.m. Or like for you, what is the creative process that you need in order to bring a song to light?

What I need is a job. I don't like to write songs because they never go anywhere. And most of them are wonderful. I think they're wonderful. I only write these days if someone has a job and I know that it's going to land someplace,

then I do it but for so many years I just would write a song or I don't know and they would go in over there in the vault and so I stopped doing that okay so and I'm saying this in air quotes

this is your last go-round so you say but I mean how many are still left over or is just that you write for the moment for the task at hand yeah I do I write on demand, but there are songs that I wrote with nothing in mind.

So how do you deal with the pressure then? And I actually admire this process, which I never heard before, because everyone has this story like, one night I woke from a dream and I felt inspired. I don't know one of those too. I mean, I'm not technically known as a songwriter, but oftentimes the first thing that's or my plate is the deadline. I need something by Thursday, March, blah, blah, blah. Well, we're saying the same thing.

I need to know that it's going to land someplace. So I stopped just writing. Just to write. To write. I mean, it just was wasting great music, and I was so proud of these things, and they didn't go anywhere. So I won't do it unless I know it's going to go someplace.

Have you ever had a real severe case of riders' block where just nothing was happening at all? No, I've written lousy songs. Okay, well, I know you've had collaborators, but I mean, Ron Dante is probably the person that would be that. But who's the person that could tell you, you tried that idea before, or maybe you used to do it a key lower? Like, who's the person that you trust to say? Well, these days it's a guy named David Benson, who I've known for years. And certainly my assistant, Mark, has sold me.

musical. Those are the two guys that I run to to ask, what do you think? And you accept their truth? They'll be honest with you. Yeah, I do. I'm Ruby Carr, the host of the podcast, Encore. Check out our brand new episodes featuring music from the show that everyone is reheating as we speak. Heated rivalry. Join me as I go behind the songs that brought Shane and Elia together. I'll tell you the stories of Fice, My Moon, My Man,

Wolf Forades, I'll Believe in Anything, and tattoos. all the things she said and how they all became a part of this global phenomenon. Stream encore on IHeart Radio, crave, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? I'm sports journalist, Ari Chambers. Hey, what's up, y'all? It's your girl,

Sam J. And we're the host of everyone watches women's sports, a new podcast from Together and I Heart Women's Sports. Because let's be real. Women's Sports is giving us way too much to talk about these days. So Kelsey Finler, she became the first female solo roer to go from

California to Hawaii. My first thought is, like, what's up with the snacks? Like, what are we eating? The highlights, the rivalries, the breakout stars, the moments to take over your entire timeline. And the conversations that start during the game and somehow keep going all week. Every week, we're breaking down the biggest stories across women's sports. Naomi Osaka showing out, she beat.

Sabalinka. Shout out to you, Naomi. You get the palm, Naomi. You get the palm for that. Because we're not just interested in what happened. We're interested in why everyone's talking about it. Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to everyone watches women's sports

on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, Portlandia fans. Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen here. You know us, or rather you know them. Tony and Candace, Nina and Lance, Spike, and yes, the chicken. We've played a lot of iconic characters over the years, but today we're showing up as ourselves to tell you about Podlandia, AEO rewatch, our brand new podcast.

Each week, we'll revisit an episode of Portlandia from the very beginning. Breaking down the sketches, exploring the backstories of our most iconic characters, revisiting the Portland locations you know and love, and opening up about our creative process. How did any of this get made? Why do we think that was a good idea? We're ready to talk about it. And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life. Guest stars, collaborators, and friends, including director Jonathan Chrysall,

the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more. Kyle is going for it here. You fully improvised, not just words, but a song, a melody. Well, I thought he was going to write. I thought you're all going to write a song. I remember you thinking that. Listen to Podlandia. Ayo, rewatch on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

My first guest is Harris Holtan, Shakira, Luke and Yerrin, Samira and Gracie. I'm so excited. On the bouncy bed. You have surprises? Many surprises. Welcome to Sweet 305 where the group chat comes to life. What a . It's like a way to say like,

Oh, my God, my friend, hello, my brother. What a . Look, I've never had to have to be able to have nobody. Except with my children, my children, yes. See my amante. Oof, that's incredible, yeah, the telenovela. You're the only person I know that loves a Yellow Starburst.

It's a woman. There's no one that you can't. that you'd say, I'd like to collaborate with this person. This is

Sweet 305. Listen to Sweet 305 with Lele Pons as part of my Coutura Podcast Network on the IHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. When was the moment in your career that you knew that you could do this full time?

Because I always imagine living in New York City, there's never the feeling of safety of like, whew, like when you get your first number one,

Do you feel like you arrived or is it like, I still might have to hustle my way through? Well, that's two questions because in the beginning I had to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. So I wasn't even thinking about making records ever, ever even thinking about doing that. Wait, why not? Well, coming from the slums of Brooklyn, New York, you don't think that big. Okay, so when you were 11, what were your goal? in life, like, what did you want to do for a living? What did you think you wanted to do?

Just to get home from school. Just as, you wanted to survive. Without getting beaten up. What were you doing when you were 11? Did you know you were going to be a musician? This is the worst humble brag. I mean, my father was an oldies doo-op singer from the 50s. So he had a group called Leandrews in the Hearts.

And by the time I was born, it was the nostalgia period. So he kind of made it a family act. So like when I was 12, because of a motorcycle accident of my dad's drummer, I became his de facto drummer and bandleader. Like my first gig was at Radio City Music Hall. Whoa. And so I was tricked into the family business, like farming. You know, like they didn't believe in babysitters.

So it's like, nope, you come with us. And so I got tricked into the family business. But I mean, pretty much my dad's dream was for me to like to drum for you, like a respectable job. Like, I want you to do something with the da-da-da-da-i-feel harmonic or that sort of thing. And, you know, starting a rap group with my best friend in high school, like, was not in his plans. Even though I auditioned for Juilliard, like, the next day, my act of rebellion was busking on the streets. And then that led to a record deal.

And so... Well, your father must have been very proud then. By my fourth album, he was. But even on the third album, he was still like, you got to get that. a real job. But that's the thing. I don't think a musician ever feels like they're totally safe or, you know, like this is what I'm going to do for a lifetime. So as far as your life as a jingle maker, how many drafts do you have to go through before you know you deserve a break today is the one or, you know, you're the Pepsi Generation? Or did you also write, I'm a Pepper,

he's a Pepper? No. Okay. But you wrote for Dr. Pepper. Right. Correct. Band-Aid, and I'm stuck on Band-Aid, and I'm sure you know everything. Or even today, kids know, like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. How do you know when you have the perfect eight-second tag? It comes real easy to me. And the commercial world, the world that I was in, they would give me a lyric or they would give me a couple of lines.

That's what I had to create. So if they gave me a lyric, get out of the way. I can write a melody to anything. And I got them a lot. I love those years. I just loved those years. I learned so much about making records.

I worked with the greatest musicians because they get paid big to do a commercial. And so they were so helpful to me. I was so green during those years. But when I left, I knew what I was doing and I knew I wanted to stay there. I never really thought about singing. Never.

So the learning curve of it, like, did you have a mentor to actually teach you the ropes or this stuff you had to learn on the way to it? No. You know, it was just a job and they liked what I did. And I was one of like five guys that tried out for these commercials. And I would get them. The other guy would get them. The girl would get them.

I would get them. And we would all try to. So there's like four other versions of Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm is there that we don't know about? Yeah, and they were great. These people were great. Really, I don't even know how I was able to compete with them. They were wonderful. I respect that because when I started at late night, one of the biggest songwriting challenges.

This is when I knew like, oh, I don't know anything about songwriting. It's like when you have to write a five-second tagging. And they would literally send us back. You know, they'll be like, okay, this is called hot dog in a hole. Give me five second jingle. And we'd write it and they'd be like, no, it's, we need more. Like, they literally wanted emotion. And I'm like, dude, it's just a five second tag for a game.

Like, I didn't think it was that serious. But after five years of doing that, I now realize that whatever I had before I came to the Tonight Show, writing five-second jingles as a muscle exercise is now made me a monster, you know, for real songs. How do you handle rejection if someone doesn't like it? Like, do you come home and remix it or do you... No, in that world, it's yes or no. That's it.

It doesn't change your mind. Okay. And me, I go on to the next thing. All right. So I can imagine, at least with the Bell Records connection, but can you talk about your working relationship with Ron Dante and him producing like your run of albums, how your working relationship was? And first of all, well, to hear you say it, how did you finally decide that, yes, I will become a singer and release my own music?

Even when I met Ron Dante, I never considered myself a singer. I was a songwriter. I was a singer. I was a piano player. So when I met Rod Dante at a commercial session, I had written the piece, I forget what the thing was. Then the producer asked me if to sing in that group, that's when I got some money when I was on the spot.

Because as a songwriter, I got $500. Oh, work for hire. Well, they don't, unless you're on the spot, singing, talking, you don't get residuals. So I wrote... Wait, so the songwriter doesn't get residuals, but the person that sings it gets the... So Luther Vangelis will get all the residuals

for singing your Pepsi song. Yeah, I started to get really big good checks, but not as the songwriter. I got $500 for State Farmers there. That's it. So to this day, when I hear it... $500. Damn, okay.

Yeah. But when I sang on the spot, well, watch out. Those are really great, especially for me. So I met Ron Dante on one of those kind of singing sessions. He was fantastic. He doesn't read music, but he's so talented. He gets it like that. His voice is so pleasant on the radio. They hire him for everything. He was once the voice. said the sugar sugar for the argy's correct yeah that was a big one for him anyway so i was we did a session together and we went out to lunch or something and we started talking about what about making a record because i had written some stuff that he really

like so we said sure you know so we pulled our money and we went into the recording studio and i thought he was going to sing it sing the lead because i really never even thought about myself as a singer, never, but he didn't know the lyric and he didn't know the melody. Right. So I went and sang and I felt ridiculous because I never really thought about me being a singer. And we played the R-Demmos for record companies and they liked me. Really, what are you talking about that they liked me?

And eventually I got a record deal at Bel-R-R-Rexamination. Bell Records. So what is the key to your confidence then? Like if you're in your mind saying, hey, why me, like what gets you out of, how do you deal with imposter syndrome? Like, do I deserve to be here? Shouldn't you get a better guy to sing it? Like, in your mind, what's the voice are you hearing that should knock these songs out? Yeah, well, it was a long time ago, but, no, I never considered myself a singer. I thought it was ridiculous. How did you deal with imposter syndrome and realize that you are the one. I played the game.

I did. They wanted me to sing. Sure, I'll sing. It was really about somebody. Well, okay, so the first album didn't necessarily hit as much. So how did you deal with that not working? Did you just think, like, okay, this is a one-off and I did it? I was hoping it didn't work.

I didn't like the gig. I liked the gig of writing. Wait a minute. I like the gig of arranging. I like working. I only wanted to self-sabotage your... Yeah, I was hoping this would go away. This often happens.

Okay, so I would at least like to think that now you feel like, okay, I deserved it. And you still feel that way? So you don't feel like we appreciate you all that much, or... I'm going to put it this way. You're so ubiquitous. Like, the fiber of you so ubiquitous that I know your whole history. And I'm not even your target audience. Like, but if I'm home as a...

third grader. Like, you were on Dinah Shore. I think you had a group called Lady Flash or something like that. Yeah. Like, I had to watch Bandstand and Soul Train all the time. So, like, you're just a part of our fabric. So in case you don't know, you're appreciated. So. But the second time, it did work. Well, that was because Clive. That was because Clive. Tell me about, and you get prime Clive, you get prime hungry, I got to prove to Columbia and start in Arista. Like, I feel like, even though I know Eric Carmen and Bay City Rollers was sort of like out the gate with him, but I feel like you are his main Trojan horse in terms of like him, him establishing himself. Right.

I don't know why. Was the relationship contentious? Like, well, he wanted me to record songs that he liked. He would... Did you trust his ear back then? Or were you reluctant to like... Okay. No.

No. But I wanted to record my own songs. I was the songwriter. And so we made a deal. I would give him two songs on the albums. And the rest of them would be mine. Right. And of course, those two songs were always...

I wonder why. I wonder how that would happen. Right. Well, you told the story, the thing on The Tonight Show, you not liking Mandy when it first arrived to you. Well, did you ever hear that song? I've heard the original. Okay, so when I still feel,

we all still feel like a song is yours once it arrives in your hand. So when you get a song, how long do you have to sit with it before you filter it and process it and mold it to know that, okay, this is now my song? Well, they're all different, but I mean, Mandy, I played around with it.

And I changed the chords. I found the love song hiding in this rock and roll song. At night, Ronnie and I did a version of Brandy, just like the demo. And Clive came in and said, what's that? I said, that's a record that you think I should do. And he said, that's terrible. I said, I know it's terrible. That's not what I do.

So I said, I've been playing in the afternoon come with me. So I sat at the piano. I sat at the piano and I played him what I had played around with in the afternoon which was I had found the love song hiding in this Mandy and he said just do that

just and he backed away into the control room and we did one take and that was it. What? Then we added strings So initially it was this piano in your voice and no click track, no any...

No. Oh my God, they've been a nightmare for me. Yeah. In your opinion, what is priority for a great song? Is it... I'm a rhythm person because I'm a drummer, but for you, is it the words? Is it the melody?

It's the emotion. If you can get people to feel something, then you're halfway home. So every arrangement of yours, every song of yours has to have a motion that gives you. Okay, I always wanted to know this because this is a karaoke nightmare song. For the Copa Cabana, I admire songs that have a narrative in it, and there's so much detail and linear detail packed in this song, yet it's probably one of your most popular songs.

And I don't know why. But and there's no circular thing that like, I mean, the melody sticks with you, but there's so, like, I mean, someone gets shot. And like, at the time when you were creating it, was this like going to be filler in your head, like a great album cut? Or did you say this is going to be like my signature song for it? Oh, no, no, no. No, it was the novelty cut on the album. So when it caught on, how did you feel about it? It was thrilling.

It was thrilling. Ronner, I took it to a disco around where the studio is. And as soon as Cobra came on, we paid some guy from the DJ. And as soon as it came on, everybody ran to the dance floor and pretended they were in the 1940s. Right. Swashbuckling and casso-blanket. Okay. And I said to Ron, you think we're on to something here?

And Clive hated it. Really? Yeah, Arista didn't put a penny behind promotion of Coppa Cabrata. So, Carter, because of word of mouth and just spreading? That's how it happened. That is a real hit record. Whenever he is wrong, will he admit it or will he just, hey, I knew it all, will he just? Well, ask him.

He doesn't like Copa. And he didn't do anything for it, but the public liked it. and they were calling in the radio stations and asking to play Manloos Copa. Okay. Yeah, that's how it happened. So you probably have one of the best cosigns ever when Sinatra famously said, like, you're the next great one. He didn't say that.

He said... Well, I know that he said something to this. He said he's next. And I thought, am I going to... I wind up with a horse's head in my bed. He's next. But you know what he meant. Yes, he said, he's next.

I never really got to know him, but he sang a song of mine on The Tonight Show, and he did a beautiful job, not one of the hits. He found a real album cut. He memorized it and did a beautiful job. Is it weird when people cover your, songs like so soon after you did it i mean

Donna summer started covering a song that you recorded like maybe perhaps a year before like when a song is yours and then someone else does it did you ever feel a certain way about it like i think everybody should record my songs there you go i don't care of the covers that were done like what was your favorites that were or the notable ones that were

that you told me. My answer is, could it be magic? Yeah, could it be magic? All right. I'm Ruby Carr, the host of the podcast, Oncour. Check out our brand new episodes featuring music from the show that everyone is reheating as we speak. Heated rivalry. Join me as I go behind the songs that brought Shane and Elia together.

I'll tell you the stories of Fice, My Moon, My Man, Wolf Parades, I'll Believe in Anything, and tattoos all the things she said, and how they all became a part of this global phenomenon. stream encore on IHeart Radio, crave, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? I'm sports journalist Ari Chambers. Hey, what's up, y'all? It's your girl, Sam J. And we're the host of everyone watches women's sports, a new podcast from Together and I Heart Women's Sports.

Because let's be real. Women's sports is giving us way too much to talk about these days. So Kelsey Finler, she became the first female solo rower to go from California to Hawaii. My first thought is, like, what's up with the snacks? Like, what are we eating? The highlights, the rivalries, the breakout stars, the moments that take over your entire timeline.

And the conversations that start during the game and somehow keep going all week. Every week, we're breaking down the biggest stories across women's sports. Naomi Osaka showing out. She beat Sabalinka. Shout out to you, Naomi. You get the palm, Naomi.

You get the palm for that. Because we're not just interested in what happened. We're interested in why everyone's talking about it. Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to everyone watches women's sports. Sports on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, Portlandia fans. Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen here.

You know us, or rather, you know them. Tony and Candace, Nina and Lance, Spike, and yes, The Chicken. We've played a lot of iconic characters over the years, but today we're showing up as ourselves to tell you about Podlandia, AEO, rewatch, our brand new podcast. Each week, we'll revisit an episode of Portlandia from the very beginning, breaking down the sketches, exploring the backstories of our most iconic characters, Revisiting the Portland locations you know and love and opening up about our creative process. How did any of this get made? Why do we think that was a good idea? We're ready to talk about it.

And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life. Guestores, collaborators and friends, including director Jonathan Chrysall, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more. Kyle is going for it here. You fully improvised, not just words, but a song, a melody. I thought he was going to write. I thought you were all going to write a song. I remember you thinking that. Listen to Podlandia.

Ayo, rewatch on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. My first guest is Paris Hocon, Shakira, Luke and Yerrin, Samira and Gracie. I'm so excited. On the bouncy bed. You have surprises? Many surprises. Welcome to Sweet 305 where the group chat comes to life. What a f***.

It's like a way to say like, oh, my friend, oh, my best amher, hello, what are! Look, I never have to have I've evered with my my kids, my children,

my wife, uff. Oof, Oof, that's the only person I know that loves a yellow starburst. It's lemonade. And no,

there's a person like, I'd like to collaborate with this person. This is Sweet 305. Listen to Sweet 305 with Leland. Le Pons as part of my Coutura Podcast Network on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

you get your podcasts. I got to ask you this question. In your arrangements, and you're one of these grand arrangers, like there's two things about your arrangements that I noticed. One, you rarely do a fade out. You do an ending. Yeah. Which doesn't happen anymore.

Like songs end in concert, but they never end on record. That's true. And that's a lost art, but also the modulation. Now, of all your songs in which the modulation adds to that last part, I got to ask you about Never Love This Way Again, because to me, the evil-conneval jump isn't landing on the final note. It's that Hold-on bridge in which Dionne Warwick actually has to go. that modulation should be studied for the ages.

What was on your mind when you made... Like, you could adjust going to the modulation and bend it, but you had to... Yeah. It just felt better. It just felt better. And she was so great that she was able to pick it up. But it didn't throw you, did it?

I mean, one, I'm not a singer, but I've been witness to many a car accident of singers attempting. Right. To figure out where that last hold-on goes to before they had to land on the modulation. Yeah, I don't think anybody's ever had trouble with those modulations, even though they should. Well, they're complex, though. They're complex. But is that a lost art?

Like, do you, I mean, there's a certain art to music that that is lost again. And the ending and the modulation, like, is the modulation be when you spoke of the emotion of a song? Is that the payoff? Like, is the first three minutes the buildup that leads to whatever you're supposed to feel? It all depends on the song, but the singer, the writer, there's no rules. There's no rules. It's art. It's music.

You can't put it in a box. They're all different. I don't even remember the modulation, and I'll never love this way again. But, I mean, it's a beautiful song. She did a beautiful job, and that's all I got. there you go. Speaking of which, Deja Vu is one of my favorite songs of all time. I know that Isaac Hayes wrote that song,

but can you just talk about the general process of producing that Dion record? Because by that point, you know, she had been kind of out there for five, six years, really without like a hit. So many people credit that entire album as her comeback album and establish her for the 80s and whatnot. I mean, started hosting solid old apps. I think she got a Grammy for, I don't know,

that was a way again, and deja vu in another category. Yeah. That I had never heard of one of those. So what was it like producing those sessions? It was just another session. You're not sitting there all about. No, by that time, I knew those musicians. They were friends, and I would tell them what I'd like,

and they would play it. And that's it. I would love to tell you that I would love the vibe in the room. It was a recording session. I had done a million of them. You know, they were great. These musicians were great. I would tell them little ideas that I wanted, and they would do it.

Okay. And sometimes they were hit songs, and sometimes they weren't. Okay, so your album, which is your first record in 15 years. Yeah. And by the way, congratulations on it. And I'm a person that is also has not released any product in 10 years. And I'll admit that there's some sort of psychological fear of like giving back in the ring and going back to the gym and working out. How do you walk through the fear of just one more time?

Like, let me do this again. How did you give through any self-doubt you had or? Michael Lorden, I made this album. and it took a long time. And COVID happened in the middle of it. So it just took forever to make this album. I didn't even think it was going to ever come out after COVID. I didn't know.

It wasn't one of those albums that I've made. A record company once, by Thursday. It wasn't that. It was a batch of songs. And I really wanted to hear them done properly. And that's it. I love them. And I think they're very well, maybe, an audience.

That feels the same way. But we'll see. How did once before I go land in your lap, and why did you feel that was necessary to record? Clive. This man. Can't get rid of him. Thank God.

But he was having this big outdoor festival in Central Park. And he got rained out, if you remember, he got rained out. And he called me and said, have you ever heard of a song called once before I go? And I said, yeah, Peter played it for me in my old apartment in New York. He said, you should do it.

I said, yeah, but it's been a long time. Anyway, I went into the studio since I was making an album. And then I was on the road, so thank goodness baby face. Kenneth stepped in and made a beautiful record for me. And I got a top 10 single out of it. Yeah. I know.

I haven't been on it. The last time I was at the top 10, Washington was crossing the Delaware. Really? It was nuts. my final question to you yeah so once the album is out completed and once you've done your very last show and i hate asking this question because again every artist i talk to says this is it no more all right let me get a penultimate question before i ask the final question one is there really such a thing as stopping?

No. Okay. So once the album is out and you've done your very last show, what are you going to do for yourself? I'll tell you after I do it. Barry Manilow, I thank you for granting me this audience.

You're such a legend and we appreciate and love you and thank you for coming on the Questlove show. You're the man. Thank you. Thank you so much. See you all in the next. This was great. The Questlove show is hosted by me. Amir Kwestlove Thompson The executive producers are Sean G, Brian Cahoon

and me Produced by Brittany Benjamin and Jake Payne Produced for IHeart by Noel Brown Edited by Alex Conroy IHart video support by Mark Canton

Logos, graphics, and animation by Nick Palo Additional support by Lance Coleman Special thanks to Kathy Brom Special thanks to Sugar Steve Mandel Please subscribe, rate, review, and share the Questlove show wherever you stream your podcast

And make sure you follow us on socials That's at QLSS Check out hundreds and hundreds of QLS episodes including the Questlove Supreme Shows in our podcast archives Questlove show is a production of IHeartRadio Hey, Portlandia fans. Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen here.

The Dream of the 90s is alive in podcast form. We're launching Podlandia, AEO, rewatch, our brand new podcast where we revisit every episode of Portlandia together, breaking down sketches, going deep on our iconic characters, and pulling back the curtain on how it all got made. And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life. Guest stars, collaborators, and friends, including director Jonathan Chrysler, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more. Kyle is going for it here.

You fully improvised, not just words, but a song. Well, I thought you were all going to write a song. I remember you thinking that. Listen to Podlandia. A.O. Rewatch on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On Raiders of the Lost podcast, we explore cinema like no one else, including huge interviews with stars like Ryan Gosling on Project Hail Mary. It was like the Jaws Shark.

Didn't always work. came with its own problems. That's what made it great. The cast of obsession. On set, there was so much magic happening with each scene we were putting together. Deep dives into classics like 2001 of Space Odyssey or Fight Club, plus weekly episodes on all industry news. Listen to Raiders of the Lost podcast on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And for more, follow at Raiders of the Lost podcast and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey everybody, I'm Tariqa Foster Brasby. What's up, y'all? I'm your girl, Cheryl Swoops. When you tune in

to a new episode of our podcast levels to this, you're definitely going to get some spicy WMBA analysis. But we're more than just hoops. And the real conversation is what we actually breathe. It's been really, really cool seeing kind of these women

just really step into their power off the court and understand that they aren't basketball, right? And they're not asking for permission. Listen to levels to this with Shroeshoops and Tarika Foster Brasby on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. When Democrats are messing up, I say it. When Republicans are messing up, I say it. I'm S.E. Cup, a journalist and political commentator. And on my podcast, Off the Cup, I help you make sense of the often nonsensical news. I do this on cable news, too, but on my

podcast, I can really let loose and be my honest, unfiltered self. I just want to talk about something that happened this week because it's so bonkers, so stupid. Such incredibly bad politics, we have to talk about it. Come for the hot takes, stay for the sanity. Listen to Off the Cup on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.