A Member of The Beach Boys Wrote 1 of Barry Manilow’s No. 1 Songs
The Beach Boys‘ songs don’t sound much like Barry Manilow’s songs. Despite this, one of Manilow’s most famous hits was written by a member of The Beach Boys. That Beach Boy was not happy when the song won a Grammy.
The Beach Boys’ Bruce Johnston wrote a song that was covered by The Captain & Tennille, David Cassidy, and others
Bruce Johnston joined The Beach Boys in 1965. He wrote some of the group’s lesser-known songs, such as “Disney Girls (1957),” “Tears in the Morning,” and “Deidre.” The most famous song he ever wrote was “I Write the Songs.”
During a 2015 interview with the Tallahassee Democrat, Johnston discussed how one of the other Beach Boys reacted to “I Write the Songs.” “Right after I wrote it, I played it for Carl [Wilson] and he really liked it a lot and was very complimentary,” Johnston recalled. “I knew I had something special.”
“I Write the Songs” took an unusual path to the top of the charts. After Johnston released his version, the Captain & Tennille recorded a cover for the album Love Will Keep Us Together. Subsequently, David Cassidy made his own rendition of “I Write the Songs.”
All of these recordings of “I Write the Song” were overshadowed by Manilow’s cover. Manilow’s “I Write the Songs” won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year.
Why The Beach Boy’s Bruce Johnston didn’t like winning a Grammy for ‘I Write the Songs’
In the Tallahassee Democrat, Johnston said he was upset he won the award. “It [the win] didn’t go over great with me,” Johnston said. “How can I get a Grammy for a song that I wrote in my car and The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, and Mike Love have not won? Why is fate being so uncool?”
While it’s one of his most famous hits, Manilow had nothing to do with the writing of “I Write the Songs.” During a 2011 interview with Vanity Fair, Manilow was asked if he felt like a hypocrite while singing “I Write the Songs.” “No, because the song isn’t about me or anybody else.
“It’s about the spirit of music,” he added. “The first line says, ‘I’ve been alive forever,’ so it can’t be about me.”
How Barry Manilow’s ‘I Write the Songs’ performed on the chart in the United States
Manilow’s “I Write the Songs” became a huge hit. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 for one week. It remained on the chart for 20 weeks in total.
Manilow released the song on the album Tryin’ to Get the Feeling. The album reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200. Tryin’ to Get the Feeling lasted 87 weeks on the chart — a longer time than any of Manilow’s other albums.
“I Write the Songs” is one of Manilow’s most famous songs — and it wouldn’t exist without Johnston.
