In 1984, Manilow released "", a jazz/blues collection of original barroom tunes recorded in one live take in the studio. That same year, Showtime aired a documentary of Manilow recording the album with a number of jazz legends including Sarah Vaughan and Mel Tormé. In 1984 and 1985, England aired two one-hour concert specials from his National Exhibition Centre (NEC) concerts. In 1985, Manilow left Arista Records for RCA Records, where he released the pop album "Manilow", and began a phase of international music, as he performed songs and duets in French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese. The "Manilow" album was a complete about-face from the "Paradise Cafe" album, containing a number of uptempo tracks that featured synthesizers. In 1985, Japan aired a Manilow concert special where he played "Sakura" on the koto.