“Mandy” became the lynchpin for BARRY MANILOW II, which soon spun off a second solid pop and Adult Contemporary chart hit in early ’75 with “It’s A Miracle.”  Spurred by the album’s platinum success (and an 87-week stay on the chart), Arista repackaged and re-released the debut, re-titled as Barry Manilow I, and it launched a summertime hit with “Could It Be Magic” (based on Chopin’s Prelude in C Minor).  There are many other gems to be found on BARRY MANILOW II including co-writes with lyricists Hal David (“Early Morning Strangers”) and Enoch Anderson (“I Want To Be Some­body’s Baby,” “Sandra”); a tribute to Martha & the Vandellas (“My Baby Loves Me”), and a show-stopping arrangement of Count Basie’s “Avenue C,” with the 1960s lyrics by Jon Hendricks, a portent of Barry’s big band projects to come in the ’80s.

This expanded edition of BARRY MANILOW II adds “Halfway Over The Hill,” a tune written by Barry that did not make the cut for his second album and “Good News,” a song that he wrote with fellow Arista singer-songwriter Melissa Manchester.

(Arista/Legacy 82876 81237 2, originally issued November 1974, as Arista 4016)  

1. I Want To Be Somebody’s Baby
2. Early Morning Strangers
3. Mandy (#1 Pop, #2 AC)
4. The Two Of Us
5. Some­thing’s Comin’ Up 
6. It’s A Miracle (#12 Pop, #1 AC) 
7. Avenue C
8. My Baby Loves Me 
9. Sandra 
10. Home Again 
11. Good News (previously unreleased bonus track)
12. Halfway Over The Hill.