My Name Is Barbra

For the 1965 television special, see My Name Is Barbra (TV program). For the 2023 autobiography, see My Name Is Barbra (book).

My Name Is Barbra
Studio album by Barbra Streisand
Released	May 3, 1965
Recorded	February 1; April 26, 30, 1965
Genre	Pop
Length	31:14
Label	Columbia
Producer	Robert Mersey
Barbra Streisand chronology
People (1964) My Name Is Barbra (1965) My Name Is Barbra, Two... (1965)
Singles from My Name Is Barbra
"Why Did I Choose You" Released: March 1965 "My Man" Released: June 1965

My Name Is Barbra is the first of two studio album tie-ins by Barbra Streisand for her debut television special of the same name, which aired April 28, 1965, on CBS-TV. Boosted by the critical acclaim for the broadcast, the album was certified gold and peaked at number 2 on the US charts; by 1966, the album sold over one million copies worldwide.

The album cover photograph of Streisand at age five was taken by her brother Sheldon. A digitally restored and remastered CD was released in 1990. ^[1]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[3]

Song information

• The opening track "My Name Is Barbara" is from the song cycle I Hate Music by Leonard Bernstein, hence the spelling difference with the album title, based on Streisand's name. ^[4]
• The CD release contains an extended arrangement of "Why Did I Choose You?", a minute longer than the original vinyl release.
• "Where Is the Wonder" was contributed by Dion McGregor and his roommate Michael Barr, who had sent many songs to publishers and were unsuccessful in getting them recorded; they viewed Streisand's rendition as a breakthrough in their songwriting career.

Accolades

At the 8th Annual Grammy Awards the album garnered Streisand her third win for Best Female Vocal Performance, her fifth Grammy overall. ^[5]

The National Association of Recording Merchandisers named Streisand the best-selling female vocalist of 1965. ^[6]

Track listing

Side One

1. "My Name Is Barbara" (Leonard Bernstein) – 0:53
2. a. "A Kid Again" (Johnny Melfi, Roger Perry) – 1:27
   b. "I'm Five" (Milton Schafer) – 0:38
3. "Jenny Rebecca" (Carol Hall) – 3:03
4. "My Pa" (Michael Leonard, Herbert Martin) – 2:30
5. "Sweet Zoo" (Jeffrey D. Harris) – 1:36
6. "Where Is The Wonder" (Michael Barr, Dion McGregor) – 2:18

Side Two

1. "I Can See It" (Tom Jones, Harvey Schmidt) – 3:06
2. "Someone to Watch Over Me" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 2:43
3. "I've Got No Strings" (Leigh Harline, Ned Washington) – 2:49
4. "If You Were the Only Boy in the World" (Nat Ayer, Clifford Grey) – 3:28
5. "Why Did I Choose You?" (Michael Leonard, Herbert Martin) – CD: 3:46/Vinyl: 2:49
6. "My Man" (Jacques Charles, Channing Pollock, Albert Willemetz, Maurice Yvain) – 2:57

Singles

1. "Why Did I Choose You?" / "My Love": US #77 (May 1, 1965) ^[7]
2. "My Man" / "Where Is The Wonder ": US #79 (July 10, 1965) ^[8]

Charts

Weekly charts Chart Peak position US Billboard 200 [9] 2

Year-end charts Chart (1965) Position US Cash Box [10] 18 Chart (1966) Position US Cash Box [11] 62

Certifications and sales

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [12]	Gold	500,000^
Summaries
Worldwide	—	1,000,000 [13]
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Barbra Streisand - My Name Is Barbra". Discogs. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
2. Ruhlmann, William. My Name Is Barbra at AllMusic
3. Larkin, Colin, ed. (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7 (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 800. ISBN   978-0-19-531373-4.
4. "Barbra Streisand - My Name Is Barbra". Discogs. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
5. Night of the Grammy a 14-Carat Gala. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. March 26, 1966. pp. 6–. ISSN   0006-2510.
6. 'Color Me Barbra' new TV special. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. March 26, 1966. pp. 4–. ISSN   0006-2510.
7. "The Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
8. "The Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
9. "Barbra Streisand Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
10. "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1965". Archived from the original on August 26, 2012.. Cash Box magazine .
11. "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1966". Archived from the original on August 25, 2012.. Cash Box magazine .
12. "American album certifications – Barbra Streisand – My Name Is Barbra". Recording Industry Association of America.
13. Lurie, Diana (March 18, 1966). "Stricken with phenomenal success at 23, Barbra Streisand is more ridden than ever by self-doubts and fears". Life . Time Inc. pp. 93–. ISSN   0024-3019.

External links

• Barbra Archives: My Name Is Barbra (1965)