The Showman of Our Generation, Barry Manilow: 'Greatest Songs Of The Fifties,' a meanspeed music theory view of speeds of each track

The Showman Of Our Generation, Mr. Barry Manilow, c. 1979


Barry Manilow, known in the industry as “The Showman of Our Generation,” released an album in 2006 called: Greatest Songs of the Fifties in 2005 on January 31, 2006. A significant album for Barry Manilow, it finds the Showman taking on songs that were popular in his youth. The project also marked Manilow's return to his former label, Arista, with the company's founder, Clive Davis, setting the singer up with 1950s pop classics much in the way that the savvy businessman steered Rod Stewart in the direction of jazzy standards in his successful The Great American Songbook project. The album was a huge hit in the United States. It endered the Billboard 200 at No. 1, giving the second chart-topping album of Barry Manilow's career. His only other No. 1 album was Barry Manilow Live, in 1977. This is also the highest-debuting album of his career, selling over 150,000 copies in its opening week.

Below are the elementary speeds to each of the 13 tracks on The Showman’s huge comback album.

Track #1
song title=“Moments To Remember”
meanspeed=84.0 beats per minute
meanemotion=loneliness
meanspace=0.714 seconds per beat
meanphase=1.40 beats per second
meanpitch=358.40 hertz, 44 cents higher than F4=349.228 hertz, 56 cents lower than F#4/Gb4=369.994 hertz.

Track #2
song title=“It’s All In The Game”
meanspeed=75.0 beats per minute
meanemotion=grace
meanspace=0.800 seconds per beat
meanphase=1.25 beats per second
meanpitch=320.00 hertz, 45 cents higher than D#4/Eb4=311.127 hertz, 55 cents lower than E4=329.628 hertz.

Track #3
song title=“Unchained Melody”
meanspeed=74.0 beats per minute
meanemotion=grace
meanspace=0.811 seconds per beat
meanphase=1.23 beats per second
meanpitch=315.73 hertz, 45 cents higher than D#4/Eb4=311.127 hertz, 55 cents lower than E4=329.628 hertz.

Track #4
song title=“Future Lovers”
meanspeed=115.0 beats per minute
meanemotion=foreboding
meanspace=0.522 seconds per beat
meanphase=1.92 beats per second
meanpitch=490.67 hertz, 88 cents higher than A#4/Bb4=466.164 hertz, 12 cents lower than B4=493.883 hertz.

Track #5
song title=“It’s Not Easy For Me To Say”
meanspeed=72.6 beats per minute
meanemotion=grace
meanspace=0.827 seconds per beat
meanphase=1.21 beats per second
meanpitch=309.56 hertz, 91 cents higher than D4=293.665 hertz, 9 cents lower than D#4/Eb4=311.127 hertz.

Track #6
song title=“Love Is A Many Splendored Thing”
meanspeed=82.1 beats per minute
meanemotion=loneliness
meanspace=0.731 seconds per beat
meanphase=1.37 beats per second
meanpitch=350.27 hertz, 4 cents higher than F4=349.228 hertz, 96 cents lower than F#4/Gb4=369.994 hertz.

Track #7
song title=“Rags To Riches”
meanspeed=77.1 beats per minute
meanemotion=bitterswseetness
meanspace=0.779 seconds per beat
meanphase=1.28 beats per second
meanpitch=328.83 hertz, 96 cents higher than D#4/Eb4=311.127 hertz, 4 cents lower than E4=329.628 hertz.

Track #8
song title=“Sincerely/Teach Me Tonight”
meanspeed=77.0 beats per minute
meanemotion=bitterswseetness
meanspace=0.779 seconds per beat
meanphase=1.28 beats per second
meanpitch=328.53 hertz, 94 cents higher than D#4/Eb4=311.127 hertz, 6 cents lower than E4=329.628 hertz.

Track #9
song title=“Are You Lonesome Tonight?”
meanspeed=80.0 beats per minute
meanemotion=loneliness
meanspace=0.750 seconds per beat
meanphase=1.33 beats per second
meanpitch=341.33 hertz, 60 cents higher than E4=329.628 hertz, 40 cents lower than F4=349.228 hertz.

Track #10
song title=“Young At Heart”
meanspeed=87.0 beats per minute
meanemotion=renewal
meanspace=0.690 seconds per beat
meanphase=1.45 beats per second
meanpitch=371.20 hertz, 5 cents higher than F#4/Gb4=369.994 hertz, 95 cents lower than G4=391.995 hertz.

Track #11
song title=“All I Have To Do Is Dream”
meanspeed=95.0 beats per minute
meanemotion=enthusiasm
meanspace=0.632 seconds per beat
meanphase=1.58 beats per second
meanpitch=405.33 hertz, 57 cents higher than G4=391.995 hertz, 43 cents lower than G#4/Ab4=415.305 hertz.

Track #12
song title=“What A Difference A Day Makes”
meanspeed=75.1 beats per minute
meanemotion=grace
meanspace=0.799 seconds per beat
meanphase=1.25 beats per second
meanpitch=320.26 hertz, 17 cents higher than D#4/Eb4=311.127 hertz, 83 cents lower than E4=329.628 hertz.

Track #13
song title=“Beyond The Sea”
meanspeed=94.1 beats per minute
meanemotion=enthusiasm
meanspace=0.638 seconds per beat
meanphase=1.57 beats per second
meanpitch=401.32 hertz, 40 cents higher than G4=391.995 hertz, 60 cents lower than G#4/Ab4=415.305 hertz.



Ian Schneider
meanspeed.com
January 30, 2007