CAFFE` LATTE` 
TOP 1200 CHOICE TRACKS

Mid-week bonus - 1 new song will be added every 6 hours throughout today
#392 DON'T CRY OUT LOUD Melissa Manchester
Melissa Manchester was born in New York's The Bronx in 1951. She began her musical career while still in her teens singing jingles. In the early 1970s, Manchester was discovered by Bette Midler and Barry Manilow in Manhattan, which led to her performing as their backup vocalist. Over the next few years, she prepared material for her 1st album, many being co-written with Carol Bayer Sager. In 1975, Manchester achieved her first major hit with "Midnight Blue". The singles "Just Too Many People" and "Just You and I" followed. 
In 1978, Manchester scored a 2nd US Top 10 hit with the ballad "Don't Cry Out Loud", a song penned by Sager with Australian songwriter and performer Peter Allen. The track features Lee Ritenour on guitar and Toto's David Hungate on bass. Harry Maslin produced the cut which became the title track on her 'Don't Cry Out Loud' album.The single reached #10 in America and 9 in Canada. 
Manchester enjoyed greater success in 1982 with the pop hit "You Should Hear How She Talks About You". She has since pursued her acting interests, with roles in the film 'For the Boys' alongside Midler and the TV series "Blossom". 'When I Look Down That Road', issued in 2004, was her 1st album of new material released since 1978.
Allen recorded his version of the ballad on his 1979 'I Could Have Been A Sailor' album. He and Sager contributed to the writing of the Christopher Cross movie hit "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" in the early '80s. Sadly, in 1992, Allen died of complications from AIDS.  
 
This is a list made up of the songs I enjoy the most, ranked in order of preference: the higher we go, the more I cherish them. Some were released as singles, others as album tracks. Some are obscure; others were worldwide hits or have universal appeal. They aren't always the most famous or popular, but simply a personal choice. I have excluded songs from the last few years in order to get a better idea of a song's lasting impression. I hope you find some new tracks to love, or re-discover some past favourites.
2 new songs are added each day (every 12 hours)  with a mid-week bonus every Wednesday.