Television Reviews : For Manilow, It’s Time to Play It Safe on TV

Like Rodney Dangerfield, Barry Manilow can’t get any respect. Not much, anyway--but he keeps on trying. After earning a reputation as the Liberace of ‘70s adult-contemporary pop, the Brooklyn-born singer-composer has come up with an ‘80s ploy that should be familiar to followers of Linda Ronstadt, Toni Tennille and Pia Zadora: He’s plucked a few peaches from the abundant tree of ‘30s/’40s jazz-pop.

However, the ploy may be backfiring: Manilow’s latest batch of oldies, “Swing Street,” released in November, peaked at No. 70 on Billboard’s pop-album chart, a lowly showing for such a big star.

Not one to give up, Manilow appears tonight on CBS with the TV version, “Barry Manilow: Big Fun on Swing Street” (10 p.m., Channels 2 and 8), which could breathe new life into the slumping LP. Or kill it off altogether.

He’s brought along almost everyone who lent a horn or a throat to the record--and that means no less than Carmen McRae, Stanley Clarke, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Diane Schuur, Phyllis Hyman, Full Swing, Gerry Mulligan and Tom Scott.

Despite the stellar cast, and even though the hour is slickly directed by Steve Binder on a snazzy, neon-galore set, it’s too slick, too shallow, too Manilow.

The songs are as tastefully chosen as the support team, and include “Summertime,” “Black and Blue” and “Stardust.” But, as you might surmise from those titles, it’s play-it-safe time. And while some of his friends here have true-grit jazz feeling down to their fingernails, the host is about as soulful as Andy Hardy.

“Big Fun” isn’t, but it has its share of small pleasures. And let us count our blessings: Not once during the hour does Barry sing “I Write the Songs.”