(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please CLICK HERE)
Barry Manilow - "I Write the Songs"
Hit Number 1: January 17, 1976
Stay at Number 1: 1 Week
He writes the songs that make the whole world sing, the songs of love and special things and the songs that make the young girls cry. But who is this person that's writing all these songs? Well, the songwriter of "I Write the Songs," Bruce Johnston, offers his explanation as to who it is: God. The whole idea of "I Write the Songs" is that God gives everyone on Earth some spirit of creativity, and when these people write their songs, it's like God had been writing the songs too. There had been other theories too as to who the narrator of the song was, with a popular theory being that it was about the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson. Johnston had some ties with Wilson when they worked together with the Beach Boys, but Johnston denied that Wilson had anything to do with it, and that the narrator was God. Of course, the lyric "I am young again even though I'm very old" didn't make much sense for Wilson. Wilson would've been in his mid-30s when "I Write the Songs" was written. Not exactly my idea of "very old."
One thing about "I Write the Songs" is that there are many different versions of it, with Johnston releasing his own version along with Captain & Tennille (another collaborator with Johnston and the Beach Boys) and David Cassidy. Cassidy actually made a hit of the song in England, where it made it to #11, but of course, Cassidy isn't the one who everyone thinks of when "I Write the Songs" comes up in conversation. Barry Manilow worked a lot with the legendary Clive Davis, and Davis would often recommend songs to him to give a shot. Davis was the one that recommended "Mandy" to Manilow, and since people never went against what Davis said, Manilow recorded that song and hit #1 for the first time. "I Write the Songs" would follow a similar story. Manilow wasn't crazy about the song, as it sounded to him like the narrator was on some ego trip, but smartly didn't want to go against what Davis wanted. He'd record the song and score his second #1 hit.
Manilow's version is exactly what you'd expect from the man. It's a big, grand orchestrated ballad. So, pretty much every other Manilow song in existence. Manilow hits some impressive notes, and overall the song is a pleasant little ballad that builds up more and more before becoming its truest, grandest form. And admittedly, yes. The song does sound like some giant ego trip, but if it's supposed to be about God, it helps make the song work. But really, at least for me, "I Write the Songs" is just "Mandy" 2.0. It's another sappy orchestrated ballad that builds up towards the end, which is a format Manilow did a lot. But if this worked for him the first time, why change it? I don't have to love the song, but a lot of people do, which is all that matters I guess. Manilow would keep at this and he'll score another #1 hit, which means we'll hear from him again in this series.
GRADE: 5/10
IN POP CULTURE:
Here's David Cassidy's version of "I Write the Songs," the one that made it to #11 in England. It somehow manages to be even sappier than Manilow's version, but you be the judge. Here's that audio:
(Of course, Cassidy's highest-charting single was when he was with the Partridge Family, which was just Cassidy and Shirley Jones, let's be real. It was "I Think I Love You," which hit #1 in 1970, so I've already covered it, but here's a link if you wanna see what I said about it)
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