Finally, A Good Use For Barry Manilow

With "hits" like Mandy, Copacabana, and I Write The Songs, I've always asked the question "What is Barry Manilow's music good for?" (Actually, I didn't always ask the question. I asked the question 30 years ago and then moved on to other, more important questions.)



But now I've learned that this music has been put to good use. The council in Rockdale, a southern suburb of Sydney, Australia, started a six-month trial of high-volume hits by Manilow and Doris Day to chase away car enthusiasts (street racers known locally as hoons) who were gathering on weekend nights at Cook Park Reserve. The music of Barry Manilow and Doris Day is broadcast from 9 p.m. to midnight every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

"Barry's our secret weapon," Rockdale Deputy Mayor Bill Saravinovski told The Daily Telegraph newspaper, four weeks after the start of the effort. "It seems to be working."

Barry not only works on the hoons, it also drives the local residents crazy. "I don't know how I will cope," said Moya Dunn, describing how the songs have invaded her house. "I just can't sleep when it's on, and to think there's going to be another six months of this."




To Moya and her neighbors, Scott's Spot can offer only one consolation. At least they're not blaring an even worse musical travesty, and an Australian one at that - Air Supply.