When did AOR or FM rock stations stop playing black artists?

[hm insulators]

Here are just a few:

The average white band
Tower of Power
Hall and Oats
BEEGEES
The Rightious Bros.
teena marie
george michael
Annie Lenox
Madonna 1st single started on R&B stations first. Everybody thought she was black...lol

Currents:
Jon B
Jamiroquai
Amy Winehouse
Joss Stone
Adele
Remy Stand
Mayer Hotherne
Justin Timberlake
Robin Thicke...and I can go on ;D

In 1980, even Queen had a big hit on what was then called the "soul chart" with "Another One Bites the Dust."

 

[hm insulators]

But Manilow certainly had a few "album tracks" that might have been familiar to non-fans. "Bandstand Boogie" was his creation. And he used to sing in concert what he called his "VSM," a "very strange medley" of commercial jingles that he had sung (although not necessarily written) that had become well-known with TV viewers.

I still remember the controversy among his fans, circa 1983, when he put out "Some Kind of Friend," one of the "rockin'est" songs that he had ever released. I remember his fans thinking, "oh, he's gone off and joined them now!" meaning "rockers," of course. Manilow said (about the controversy) at that time, "Mick Jagger has nothing to worry about." Truth be told, Manilow had had a long career by then, and if he wanted to experiment with "rockin' out" a little, who could blame him? Might be considered a "shark jump" by his fans, but I still think that it is a really cool tune! 8)

Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTcDvJ_VnsQ

I remember "Some Kind of Friend" now, and that one did rock out, at least by Barry Manilow standards! And here's another Barry Manilow song that rocked out that I heard a week or so ago on a re-broadcast of an old Casey Kasem show from 1975 called "It's a Miracle." It must've been a sleeper hit because I didn't remember that song at all, but it was the follow-up to "Mandy."

Of course, we won't count Manilow's kick at the disco cat with "Copacabana" which was even more dreadful than all the godawful mellow hits he had! Any more formula, and his records would've been for sale in the supermarket alongside the diapers, pacifiers and baby bottles. ;D

 

[firepoint525]

"It's a Miracle" got plenty of airplay on top 40 radio back in '75, at least where I lived. It hit #12, I think. Probably a disappointment for him after hitting #1 with "Mandy."

He had a couple of other "rockers," at least by his standards. None of these were very big hits, but still make for interesting listening.

"Oh Julie"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCukKP7f8tU

His cover of "Let's Hang On," originally by the Four Seasons.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWaUcUuHOiM

He actually shot a video for "Let's Hang On," but I could not find one that was not clipped by the TV program on which it was presented.

Even Michael Bolton used to "rock out" back in those days. Here he is from 1983, when he sang "Fool's Game." This one got some top 40 airplay back in the day. I should point out that he was largely unknown back then.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NukzQZM-1Qk

 

[88.9 Miracle]

@Michael Hagerty >>>But Manilow? Really? I never heard or read about that in the trades. What cuts? What station?<<<

WPLJ and WNEW-FM, the two most prominent NYC Rock stations, played plenty of Manilow when he first was on the charts. Mandy, of course. Also Copacabana and New York City Rhythm, two uptempo songs with New York settings.

Let's remember he grew up in Brooklyn. He wrote his own music. And he had worked for Bette Midler, who I should say, also got Rock station airplay at first. Midler was a staple at small NYC venues in her early career, especially gay ones. WNEW-FM liked her because she was trying to recreate the 40s-50s sound for a new generation. Same with the Manhattan Transfer, who also got airplay on WNEW-FM at first.

Of course, as Manilow and Midler became know for their soft hits, they weren't getting airplay on Rock stations then. And by the time Boy from New York City and Twilight Zone became hits, WNEW-FM had stopped playing Manhattan Transfer.

I totally remember WEBN in Cincinnati debuting Manilow's first single (I think it was his first single), "Could It Be Magic". WEBN was a legendary AOR station here.

 

[michael hagerty]

@Michael Hagerty >>>But Manilow? Really? I never heard or read about that in the trades. What cuts? What station?<<<

WPLJ and WNEW-FM, the two most prominent NYC Rock stations, played plenty of Manilow when he first was on the charts. Mandy, of course. Also Copacabana and New York City Rhythm, two uptempo songs with New York settings.

Let's remember he grew up in Brooklyn. He wrote his own music. And he had worked for Bette Midler, who I should say, also got Rock station airplay at first. Midler was a staple at small NYC venues in her early career, especially gay ones. WNEW-FM liked her because she was trying to recreate the 40s-50s sound for a new generation. Same with the Manhattan Transfer, who also got airplay on WNEW-FM at first.

Of course, as Manilow and Midler became know for their soft hits, they weren't getting airplay on Rock stations then. And by the time Boy from New York City and Twilight Zone became hits, WNEW-FM had stopped playing Manhattan Transfer.

I totally remember WEBN in Cincinnati debuting Manilow's first single (I think it was his first single), "Could It Be Magic". WEBN was a legendary AOR station here.

"Could It Be Magic" was Manilow's third single (after "Mandy" and "It's A Miracle"), but it came out on his first album, two years earlier, in 1973. The entire album, including "Could It Be Magic", was remixed and reissued in 1975 following Manilow's breakthrough and "Could It Be Magic" was then released as a single. The remix helped a bunch. The original was a mess.

 

[88.9 Miracle]

@Michael Hagerty >>>But Manilow? Really? I never heard or read about that in the trades. What cuts? What station?<<<

WPLJ and WNEW-FM, the two most prominent NYC Rock stations, played plenty of Manilow when he first was on the charts. Mandy, of course. Also Copacabana and New York City Rhythm, two uptempo songs with New York settings.

Let's remember he grew up in Brooklyn. He wrote his own music. And he had worked for Bette Midler, who I should say, also got Rock station airplay at first. Midler was a staple at small NYC venues in her early career, especially gay ones. WNEW-FM liked her because she was trying to recreate the 40s-50s sound for a new generation. Same with the Manhattan Transfer, who also got airplay on WNEW-FM at first.

Of course, as Manilow and Midler became know for their soft hits, they weren't getting airplay on Rock stations then. And by the time Boy from New York City and Twilight Zone became hits, WNEW-FM had stopped playing Manhattan Transfer.

I totally remember WEBN in Cincinnati debuting Manilow's first single (I think it was his first single), "Could It Be Magic". WEBN was a legendary AOR station here.

"Could It Be Magic" was Manilow's third single (after "Mandy" and "It's A Miracle"), but it came out on his first album, two years earlier, in 1973. The entire album, including "Could It Be Magic", was remixed and reissued in 1975 following Manilow's breakthrough and "Could It Be Magic" was then released as a single. The remix helped a bunch. The original was a mess.

WEBN played the original album cut in 1973.
I remember them introducing this new artist and talking about the Classical intro.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I remember "Some Kind of Friend" now, and that one did rock out, at least by Barry Manilow standards!

The last time I heard that one, ironically, was on a big band station which occasionally played more contemporary stuff. But the way this station worked was it wouldn't mix the two together, so I believe this was an entire hour of Manilow and possibly similar srtists.

Of course, we won't count Manilow's kick at the disco cat with "Copacabana" which was even more dreadful than all the godawful mellow hits he had! Any more formula, and his records would've been for sale in the supermarket alongside the diapers, pacifiers and baby bottles. ;D

This is the one Manilow song even AC stations have been willing to play. I don't like the new version he did, which has shown up on the otherwise great (in terms of musical selection if not presentation) standards station in Charlotte.