Melissa Manchester
Melissa Manchester (* February 15, 1951 in New York City ) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Your greatest successes they had in the 1970s and early 1980s.
Life
Discovered by Barry Manilow and Bette Midler, Manchester belonged to the new generation of women in pop music, who wrote the songs for the most part themselves. Artists such as Joni Mitchell, Laura Nyro and Carole King had preceded her. She received Compositional support of her friend Carole Bayer Sager, who had already written in the 1960s, some hits (eg Groovy Kind of Love ), and later the wife of Burt Bacharach was. Manchester's first albums for the label Bell, Home to Myself (1973) and Bright Eyes (1974 ), were notable successes, but did not bring the hoped-for breakthrough. It was only when she moved to Arista Records in 1975 and their sound commercial designed, they recorded their first smash hit: the ballad Midnight Blue ( U.S. # 5 ). Hit this could, in the following years, not repeat, but it was with their regular singles such as Just Too Many People ( 1975) and Just You and I ( 1976) continue to be represented in the top 40 of the United States. In Europe, they had no success. 1978 she succeeded with a cover version of the soul ballad We Do not Cry Out Loud ( Original: The Moments, Manchester was in entering the "We" away), another top ten success in the United States. The song evolved over the years become a very popular title, as well as versions of Rita Coolidge, Elkie Brooks and Shirley Bassey had success. She also wrote the song Whenever I Call You " Friend" for Kenny Loggins, who thereby was able to celebrate his first Top Ten hit as a soloist. For the harmonies, however, he chose not from Manchester, but of his time marginally better-known Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks.
1979 Manchester took two pieces for movies on: Through the Eyes of Love for Ice Castles (USA 76th ) and I'll Never Say Goodbye for The Promise. Both titles were not big hits, but both were nominated for "Best Song" Oscar in 1980. At that time a novelty - have never been in a year, two titles nominated by a singer. Posted However Manchester had none of the songs. With Pretty Girls (1979 ), Fire in the Morning and a duet with soul singer Peabo Bryson, Lovers After All, they had other minor successes before she succeeded in 1982, the third hit: You Should Hear How She Talks About You ( U.S. # 5 ) was awarded the following year with the Grammy for " best vocal performance of a woman in the field of Pop ". Changed had above all things Manchester sound. Less singer / songwriter, but more dance-pop and new-wave light echoes. Also very successful was the accompanying album Hey Ricky, which received a Gold award.
Manchester's Greatest Hits sold as well as the single Nice Girls 1983 pretty solid, while the subsequent studio album Emergency flopped. The single No One Can Love You More Than Me was number 78 hanging in the United States. The following year, Manchester held, with Thief of Hearts from the film only a modest number 86 in the U.S., in the discos came the number but good. In 1985 she moved from Arista to MCA. The label debut Mathematics contained as the two previous lots of typical computer- dominated synth - pop music of the 80s. Fans of their older, more intimate style, so could not do much: the single Mathematics was ranked only 74 in the U.S. charts.
1986 looked promising: Together with Al Jarreau sang the love theme to the blockbuster movie Out of Africa, The Music of Goodbye. Since the title was not included on the soundtrack, and the promotion turned out relatively small, the ballad placed only on place 16 of the U.S. adult contemporary charts - the hit list for " light fare ". After a three year hiatus, she placed himself there for the last time with a remake of the Dionne Warwick hit Walk On By. The accompanying album Tribute contains a selection of well-known classics that have long lay Manchester at heart.
After that Manchester temporarily turned to acting: In 1991, she played a small role in the Oscar- nominated film For the Boys, but who flopped at the box office next to her old friend Bette Midler. From 1993, she played for five episodes, the mother of the main character of the hit TV series Blossom.
With the ballad -heavy CD If My Heart Had Wings Manchester rang 1995 musical comeback, but came largely on the lack of interest by the purchaser. Another album followed in 1997 with Joy - a collection of well-known carols. When I Look Down That Road was the album that you must evaluate, from an artistic point of view as a real comeback especially after many years of absence. The reviews were positive, because finally, Manchester turned to this work back to its roots: The text itself is written, musically between folk, blues and the sounds of the singer / songwriter movement of the '70s. In 2007, she recorded the duet You've Got a Friend for his album Greatest Songs of the Seventies along with Barry Manilow.
Manchester is married to Kevin De Remer since 1982 and has two children.