HSN Has Queen Latifah, QVC Has Barry Manilow For His ’15 Minutes’ Of Fame

Barry is back, and QVC has him.

Crooner Barry Manilow will appear on QVC Thursday at 8 p.m. to unveil “15 Minutes” – his first original album in 10 years.

For this “QVC Presents QSessions Live” broadcast, the Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Award-winning artist, as QVC describes him, will perform a selection of songs from his new album while giving viewers insight into the inspiration behind the collection.

Manilow’s aficionados will be able to purchase “15 Minues”more than two weeks before it drops. Just for QVC, “15 Minutes has been packaged with a bonus CD of four previously unreleased tracks.

Barry Manilow will premiere his new CD on QVC Thursday

“I am thrilled to share my music with QVC shoppers once again,” Manilow said in a canned statenment. “’15 Minutes’ is the result of a project that took more than two years to create and one that is very close to my heart.”

After recording six albums of songs written by other songwriters, “15 Minutes”I is a collection of 16 original tracks written by Manilow and lyricist Enoch Anderson.

QVC says:

The new album explores the perils and pinnacles of fame’s double-edged sword and was inspired by Andy Warhol’s quote: “In the future, everybody will be world famous for 15 minutes.” Making a guest appearance on ’15 Minutes’ is young Nataly Dawn, lead singer of the white-hot group “Pomplamoose.” Her rendition of “Letter From A Fan” is both innocent and eerie.

Manilow is no stranger to QVC. His 2006 QVC appearance marked the highest single-day sales by a musical artist in QVC history, and he also continues to hold the record as the highest single-hour music sales event in QVC’s 24 years.

’15 Minutes,’ with bonus CD, will be available starting Thursday at QVC.

New York Post Fatmouth Phil Mushnick: Put A Sock On It, And Don’t Pick On Barry Manilow AND QVC

New York Post sports columnist Phil Mushnick always has an opinion on everything, even stuff he doesn’t know too much about.

In his TV Sunday column, “Prime Time,” Mushnick today takes a cheap shot at Barry Manilow, who last week did a live concert from Las Vegas for QVC to
promote his new CD.

In the final lines of a column that’s mainly a rant against Mel Gibson’s terrible anti-Semitism, out of nowhere Mushnick writes, “Things that look kinda pathetic: Barry Manilow on the QVC home shopping channel, last week, hawking his new album.”

What’s the big deal? Manilow is doing what every artist does: using every outlet at his disposal, including a cable network that reaches more than 90 million homes, to promote his CD.

Get over yourself, Phil.

Barry Manilow, Suzanne Somers’ Buddy, To Perform Live For QVC From Las Vegas Next Week

Suzanne Somers’ good friend, singer Barry Manilow, will be doing a live concert for QVC from the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas to unveil his new almum “The Greatest Love Songs of All Time.” The appearance will be Jan. 19 at 9 p.m.

During the special QVC Presents QSessions Live broadcast, the Grammy-, Tony-, and Emmy Award-winning Manilow will perform a selection of songs from the new album, while also giving viewers an inside look at the inspiration behind the collection.

QVC will be selling a specially packaged five-track bonus disc of songs that Manilow put together especially for QVC viewers, a week before street date.

“Barry Manilow continues to be a favorite among our viewers,” QVC director of merchandising Rich Yoegel said in a canned statement. “Performing his brand-new songs live from Las Vegas, this show promises to be one that no one will want to miss.”

The new album has Manilow once againt working with his longtime collaborator and Arista Records founder Clive Davis (now Chief Creative Officer, Sony Music Entertainment).

“The Greatest Love Songs of All Time” features his interpretations and arrangements of classic love songs, including” “Love is Here To Stay,” “The Look of Love,” and “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love.”

Manilow, whose 2006 QVC appearance marked the highest single-day sales by a musical artist in QVC history, also continues to hold the record as the highest single-hour music sales event in QVC’s 23-year history.

The new album will be available starting Jan. 19 through QVC.

Barry Manilow Gives Suzanne Somers A Call For Her ShopNBC Debut

Who can resist a “Naughty Librarian Necklace”? That was one of the items Suzanne Somers was selling during her premiere on ShopNBC tonight.

After 17 years at HSN, diva Somers debuted on ShopNBC by fawning over her new network, and the network mooning over her. Somers’ switch to the Peacock home-shopping channel shocked her fans, with lots of speculation about why her ties to HSN were being severed.

During her “Welcome Party” debut, Somers walked onto a new set, which ShopNBC created specially for her. “I’m so happy. My new home,” she said and later cooed, “They went all out for me at ShopNBC.” The banged blonde hinted about why she moved on (or was cut loose, we still don’t know which it was). She described ShopNBC as “a new, forward-looking company” that was “open to expanding” her brand. Of course, ShopNBC is also a financially ailing network looking for a rebound, and Somers’ star power may help raise its profile and move more merchandise.

During the show pop singer Barry Manilow, Somers’ friend of 30 years, called in to wish her luck at her new venue. And her fans from HSN phoned in as well. “My girls are coming over her,” she said.

Somers is bringing her HSN products, and more, over to ShopNBC. Yes folks, that means more FaceMasters, trilliant jewelry, “Somersize” foods, clothes and skin-care products. ShopNBC also said that Somers will be offering “a line of ingestibles,” a not very appealing name for what we assume are vitamins and supplements. Somers’ views on health and natural remedies are quite controversial. For example, her advocacy of bioidentical hormones for women sparked vicious criticism from the medical community. And after Patrick Swayze’s death, Somers was critical of the course of treatment he chose for his cancer.

At one point during her debut, Somers said, “I should have been a has-been a long time ago.” Well, some may say she is a has-been. But as one of the first celebrities to forge an alliance with a home-shopping network — which dozens of stars are doing today — it looks like she’s a smart cookie, has-been or not. True, she’ll be the butt of ThighMaster jokes for the rest of her life, but so be it. And we all should look as good at 62.