"I Won't Be the One to Let Go" | ||||
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Single by Barbra Streisand and Barry Manilow | ||||
from the album Duets | ||||
Released | November 4, 2002 | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 4:41 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Barbra Streisand singles chronology | ||||
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Barry Manilow singles chronology | ||||
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"I Won't Be the One to Let Go" is a song recorded by American singers Barbra Streisand and Barry Manilow for the former's sixth compilation album, Duets (2002). It was released as the album's only single on November 4,2002,by Columbia Records. The track was written and produced by Richard Marx with additional songwriting coming from Manilow and additional production handled by Walter Afanasieff. Initially an airplay and streaming-only single in the United States,a promotional CD single of "I Won't Be the One to Let Go" was released and includes the radio edit and album version of the song.
An adult contemporary pop ballad,the single contains lyrics discussing mutual love in a relationship and dismissing fears of abandonment. The song divided music critics,with some calling it sweet and "feel-good", [1] but others describing it as mediocre and unmemorable. In 2014,Streisand featured "I Won't Be the One to Let Go" as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of her 34th studio album, Partners .
"I Won't Be the One to Let Go" is taken from Barbra Streisand's compilation album Duets (2002),a collection of 19 duets spanning from her career. Her duet with Barry Manilow is one of the record's two new tracks,the other being "All I Know of Love" with Josh Groban. "I Won't Be the One to Let Go" was written and produced by Richard Marx with additional songwriting coming from Manilow and additional production handled by Walter Afanasieff. [2] It serves as Streisand's first single release since 1999's "If You Ever Leave Me",which was a duet with Vince Gill and is also featured as one of the nineteen songs on the parent album. [2]
The single was first available for digital streaming on AOL Music on November 4,2002,as an exclusive privilege to website members. [3] Although the track was not released commercially,"I Won't Be the One to Let Go" was distributed as a promotional CD single on January 6,2003. With the release handled by Columbia Records,the CD was sent exclusively to United States radio stations and includes the "Radio Version Edit" and "Radio Version" releases of the song. [4] In 2014,Streisand featured her duet as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of her 34th studio album, Partners . [5]
With a duration of four minutes and 41 seconds,"I Won't Be the One to Let Go" is an adult contemporary pop ballad,which,according to William Ruhlmann from AllMusic ,is similar to the entirety of the songs featured on Duets. [6] In an interview for Barry Gram magazine,Manilow expressed pleasure in having one of his songs sung by Streisand and called her voice "amazing". He elaborated:
I've just recorded it with the brilliant Barbra Streisand ... we sound like we like each other and mean what we're singing because we worked on it together,in the same room,for days and days before we went into the studio. I think that there's an obvious connection between the two of us (we actually come from the same neighborhood in Brooklyn) and I think you will be able to feel that when you hear the song. It's a wonderful duet and I'm very proud of the song. [3]
Lyrically,Streisand and Manilow talk about mutual love in a relationship and,at times,they dismiss fears that they have,such as abandonment. During the second verse,they alternate:"Who knows what awaits us 'round the bend / Count on me,faithfully / Though everything we have could never end / It could never end." In the chorus,they sing:"This I swear,this I swear / I won't be the one to let go,to let go..." [4]
A staff member at Billboard acknowledged both "I Won't Be the One to Let Go" and album track "All I Know of Love" as the "two fine new efforts" on Duets,calling the former single a "sweet" collaboration. [7] BBC Music's Morag Reavley enjoyed the single,calling it a "soaring,feel-good" track. [1] However,William Ruhlmann from AllMusic was more critical of the song,describing it as just "mediocre". [6] Tom Santopietro,author of The Importance of Being Barbra:The Brilliant,Tumultuous Career of Barbra Streisand,called "I Won't Be the One to Let Go" a "paltry [...] new song" and ultimately found it to be unmemorable. [8]
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "I Won't Be the One to Let Go" (Radio Version Edit) | 4:13 |
2. | "I Won't Be the One to Let Go" (Radio Version) | 4:40 |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
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United States | November 4, 2002 | Streaming | Columbia | [3] |
January 6, 2003 | [4] |
"The Way We Were" is a song by American singer Barbra Streisand from her fifteenth studio album of the same name. It was released as the album's lead single on September 27, 1973 through Columbia Records. The 7" single was distributed in two different formats, with the standard edition featuring B-side track "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?"; the Mexico release instead included an instrumental B-side. The song was written by Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, and Marvin Hamlisch, while production was solely handled by Marty Paich. "The Way We Were" was specifically produced for the record, in addition to three other tracks, including her then-upcoming single "All in Love Is Fair" (1974).
The Movie Album is the thirtieth studio album by American singer Barbra Streisand, released on October 14, 2003, by Columbia Records. Overall, her sixtieth release with her record label, it was executively produced by Streisand and her manager, Jay Landers. A concept album, it contains twelve songs from the singer's favorite films ranging in release from 1935 to 1988. While curating the album, Streisand was inspired by her marriage to actor James Brolin to record songs about love and relationships. To better fit her needs, songwriting duo Alan and Marilyn Bergman were commissioned to add lyrics to several of the songs Streisand had chosen to record.
A Collection: Greatest Hits...and More is the third greatest hits album recorded by American vocalist Barbra Streisand. It was released on October 3, 1989 by Columbia Records. The compilation features ten songs from Streisand's career, dating from 1975 to 1988, plus two previously unreleased songs: "We're Not Makin' Love Anymore" was released as the album's lead single on September 14, 1989, and "Someone That I Used to Love" was distributed as the second and final one in 1989. Both singles charted on several record charts internationally.
The Essential Barbra Streisand is the fifth greatest hits album by American singer Barbra Streisand, released on January 29, 2002, by Columbia Records. The compilation features 38 songs from Streisand's catalog, in addition to two previously unreleased tracks. It includes material from 26 of the singer's albums and was described as a collection of, mainly, her pop songs. A reissued version of the compilation was distributed by Columbia and Legacy Recordings in 2008 and includes a bonus disk featuring nine additional songs from Streisand's discography.
Duets is a compilation album by American singer Barbra Streisand, released on November 26, 2002, by Columbia Records. The collection features nineteen duets from Streisand's career, including two newly-recorded ones: "I Won't Be the One to Let Go" with Barry Manilow and "All I Know of Love" with Josh Groban. The former song was released as the album's lead single on November 4, 2002, as a streaming-only exclusive for AOL Music website members. Duets was reissued in South American countries in 2013 under the title Star Collection with new artwork.
"All I Ask of You" is a song from the 1986 English musical The Phantom of the Opera, between characters Christine Daaé and Raoul, originally played on stage by Sarah Brightman and Steve Barton, respectively. It was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe, and solely produced by Lloyd Webber. An operatic pop piece, its lyrics serve as dialogue between the two characters and discuss themes such as commitment and romance. Like Lloyd Webber's song "The Music of the Night", "All I Ask of You" was compared to the music found in Giacomo Puccini's 1910 opera La fanciulla del West.
Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits Volume 2 is the second greatest hits album recorded by American vocalist Barbra Streisand. It was released on November 15, 1978 by Columbia Records. The album is a compilation consisting of ten commercially successful singles from the singer's releases in the 1970s, with a majority of them being cover songs. It also features a new version of "You Don't Bring Me Flowers", which was released as the collection's only single on October 7, 1978. Originating on Streisand's previous album, Songbird, the new rendition is a duet with Neil Diamond who had also recorded the song for his 1978 album of the same name. The idea for the duet originated from DJ Gary Guthrie who sold the idea to the record label for $5 million.
A Love Like Ours is the twenty-eighth studio album by American singer Barbra Streisand. It was released in North America on September 21, 1999, and Europe on September 20, 1999. It is her 23rd Top 10 album in the US. This was Streisand's first commercial release since her marriage to actor James Brolin. Much of the material was inspired by this event. As such, the disc booklet contains images of her and Brolin.
Lazy Afternoon is the seventeenth studio album recorded by American singer Barbra Streisand. It was released on October 14, 1975 by Columbia Records. Following a mixed critical response to her previous studio album, ButterFly (1974), the singer began working with new musicians for the project. Recorded in April 1975 in Los Angeles, Lazy Afternoon contains pop standards. Producer Rupert Holmes wrote three songs on the album, and co-wrote a fourth, "By the Way", with Streisand. She also included a few cover songs, such as Four Tops' "Shake Me, Wake Me ", Stevie Wonder's "You and I", and Libby Holman's "Moanin' Low".
Christmas Memories is the second Christmas album and twenty-ninth studio release by American singer Barbra Streisand. It was released on October 30, 2001, by Columbia. Streisand recorded the album during July, August, and September 2001 in various recording studios throughout California and in North Vancouver. It was executive-produced by Streisand and Jay Landers, while William Ross and David Foster served as additional producers. The album contains several cover versions of various holiday songs. To promote Christmas Memories, Columbia Records released an advance sampler version of the album titled A Voice for All Seasons.
Live Concert at the Forum is the second live album by American singer Barbra Streisand, released physically on October 1, 1972 by Columbia Records. Produced by long-time collaborator Richard Perry, it was recorded at The Forum in Inglewood, part of Greater Los Angeles, on April 15, 1972, during Four for McGovern, a concert held in benefit for George McGovern's 1972 presidential campaign. A CD version of Live Concert at the Forum was released on September 6, 1989.
ButterFly is the sixteenth studio album by American singer Barbra Streisand. Released on October 1, 1974, by Columbia Records, it marked Streisand's first album of entirely new material in over three years. Primarily a contemporary pop record recorded throughout 1974, it also incorporates music from the reggae and R&B genres. All of the tracks on ButterFly are cover songs produced by Streisand's then-boyfriend Jon Peters, originating from artists like Bob Marley, David Bowie, Evie Sands, and Graham Nash.
Barbra Streisand...and Other Musical Instruments is the fourteenth studio album by American singer Barbra Streisand. It was released on November 2, 1973 by Columbia Records. The album was made available following a 1973 live television special promoted to improve Streisand's image and sound. With world music as the primary genre, the album's instrumentation varies greatly; even items such as kitchen utensils were used to create melodies and beats. With a majority of the songs on the album being cover songs, Streisand also re-recorded various tracks that originated earlier in her career. Her manager, Martin Erlichman, was credited as the album's sole and executive producer.
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever is the soundtrack album to the 1970 American film of the same name. It was released by Columbia Records on July 1, 1970 and features singing by Barbra Streisand and Yves Montand, in addition to choral arrangements and live orchestration. No commercial singles were released from the soundtrack, but the reprise version of the title track was released as a promotional single on 7" vinyl by Columbia. Executively and solely produced by Wally Gold, the album's ten tracks were written by Alan Jay Lerner while the music was written by Burton Lane. The album was reissued on compact disc in 2008.
"We're Not Makin' Love Anymore" is a song recorded by American singer Barbra Streisand for her fourth greatest hits album, A Collection: Greatest Hits...and More (1989). It was released on September 14, 1989 by Columbia Records on 7-inch, 12-inch, cassette, and CD. It was written by Michael Bolton and Diane Warren and produced by Narada Michael Walden. Bolton's inspiration for the song was derived from his divorce; he and Warren debated what singer would be able to sing their work well and ultimately decided that Streisand would be the right fit. The song is a ballad that is similar in sound to Streisand's "Comin' In and Out of Your Life" (1981).
"Stranger in a Strange Land" is a song recorded by American singer Barbra Streisand for her 31st studio album, Guilty Pleasures (2005). It was released as the album's lead single on August 16, 2005, by Columbia Records. The track was written by Ashley Gibb, Barry Gibb and Stephen Gibb while production was handled by Barry Gibb and John Merchant. It serves as the first of 11 reunion collaborations with Barry Gibb, who Streisand had last collaborated with on Guilty (1980). The single was released digitally and physically distributed on CD and DVD, with some editions including the song's official music video.
"Night of My Life" is a song recorded by American singer Barbra Streisand for her 31st studio album, Guilty Pleasures (2005). It was released as the album's second single on September 27, 2005, by Columbia Records. The track was written by Ashley Gibb and Barry Gibb while production was handled by Barry Gibb and John Merchant. It serves as one of Streisand's first of 11 reunion collaborations with Barry Gibb since their work on her album Guilty in 1980. It was released digitally and on 12" and CD in five different formats, each including various remixes of the single.
"What Were We Thinking Of" is a song recorded by American singer Barbra Streisand for her 25th studio album, Till I Loved You (1988). It was released as the album's third and final single in February 1989 by Columbia Records. The track was written by Antonina Armato and Scott Cutler and produced by Denny Diante. It features guest vocals from the singer's then-boyfriend Don Johnson, who had previously collaborated with Streisand on her 1988 single "Till I Loved You".
Nuts is the soundtrack album to the 1987 American film of the same name. It was released by Columbia Records on December 21, 1987, and features five instrumental compositions by American singer Barbra Streisand. Nuts is the singer's first release since her live album One Voice, earlier in 1987, and her first soundtrack since Yentl (1983). She insisted on creating the film's score after acquiring the movie through her production company, Barwood Films.
"On a Clear Day " is a song written by Burton Lane (music) and Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics) for the 1965 musical On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. It was subsequently performed by American actress and vocalist Barbra Streisand in the 1970 film adaptation of the musical.
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