People (Barbra Streisand song)

Last updated
"People"
People45.jpg
Single by Barbra Streisand
from the album Funny Girl: Original Broadway Cast Recording and People
A-side "I Am Woman"
ReleasedJanuary 1964
RecordedDecember 20, 1963
Studio Columbia 30th Street (New York City)
Length3:39
Label Columbia
4-42965
Songwriter(s) Jule Styne (music)
Bob Merrill (lyrics)
Producer(s) Mike Berniker
Barbra Streisand singles chronology
"My Coloring Book"
(1962)		"People"
(1964)		"Absent Minded Me"
(1964)

"People" is a song composed by Jule Styne with lyrics by Bob Merrill for the 1964 Broadway musical Funny Girl starring Barbra Streisand, who introduced the song. The song was released as a single in 1964 with "I Am Woman", a solo version of "You Are Woman, I Am Man", also from Funny Girl .

Contents

Andy Williams released a version of the song on his 1964 album, The Great Songs from "My Fair Lady" and Other Broadway Hits . Ella Fitzgerald recorded the song live on her CBS release Ella Fitzgerald at the Newport Jazz Festival: Live at Carnegie Hall . The Tymes had a top 40 hit with the song in 1968. [1] Vic Damone recorded a version on his 1982 album Over the Rainbow. It has been covered by Jennifer Lopez, Billy Eckstine, Dionne Warwick, Steve Lawrence, Jack Jones, Aretha Franklin, Nat King Cole, Wes Montgomery, Gabor Szabo, Perry Como, The Supremes and others, but is considered one of Streisand's signature songs.

In 1998, Streisand's version was inducted in Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2004, Streisand's version on the soundtrack of Funny Girl finished at #13 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema.

Origins

"People" was one of the first songs written for the musical score of Funny Girl. It is based on the life and career of Broadway and film star and comedian Fanny Brice and her stormy relationship with entrepreneur and gambler Nicky Arnstein.

Composer Jule Styne and lyricist Bob Merrill were hired to write the musical score and met each other for the first time in 1962 in Palm Beach, Florida. They wrote their songs by day and tested them by night on the Palm Beach socialites at cocktail parties.

As they worked to develop the character of Fanny Brice, they needed to write a special love song depicting her feelings towards Nicky. According to the book, "Jule: The Story of Composer Jule Styne" by Theodore Taylor, "Jule turned to his collaborator Bob Merrill, 'You told me the other night to work on [the lyric] "a very special person." I think I've got a helluva melody for it.'...'Great,' Merrill yelled. 'But now it's not gonna be just a "special person." Listen.' Then he ad-libbed, while Jule played the melody again: 'People, people who need people, are the luckiest people in the world".'...The song 'wrote' in thirty minutes..." "People" nearly did not get included in "Funny Girl" during early try-outs as the producers did not like it. Bob fought to keep the song in and finally one night, Barbra was allowed to sing it on stage. It stopped the show and history was made. [2]

The single by Streisand was released in January 1964, and peaked at number five on the Billboard pop chart, becoming the singer's first Top 40 hit. [3] It also spent three weeks at number one on the Pop-Standards (adult contemporary) chart in June/July 1964. [4] This helped to cement its inclusion in Funny Girl, which ran on Broadway from March 26, 1964, to July 1, 1967, and earned Styne and Merrill a nomination for a 1964 Tony Award as Best Composer and Lyricist. The single version was recorded on 20 December 1963 and produced by Mike Berniker.

Barbra Streisand included a revised version of the song on "Partners", her 2014 album of duets. On the song she duets with soul singer Stevie Wonder, who had performed it at the 2011 MusiCares Person of the Year gala event honoring Streisand.

It has been said that People was originally written for the animated television special Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol , [5] but Theodore Taylor's biography of Styne disputes this. [2]

Official versions by Streisand

Streisand recorded the song in the following studio projects:

The song also appears, often in a live version, in other 8 albums:

  1. A Happening in Central Park (live)
  2. Live Concert at the Forum (live)
  3. Barbra Streisand...and Other Musical Instruments (excerpts)
  4. One Voice (Barbra Streisand album) (live)
  5. The Concert (Barbra Streisand album) (live)
  6. Timeless: Live in Concert (live)
  7. Live in Concert 2006 (live)
  8. Back to Brooklyn (album) (live)

and, as previously released material, "People" appears in some of Streisand retrospective/greatest hits albums, like Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits , Just for the Record and The Essential Barbra Streisand .

Chart

Chart performance for "People"
Chart (1964)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [6] 20
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [7] 30
Italian Albums ( Musica e dischi ) [8] 25
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [9] 30
US Billboard Hot 100 [10] 5
US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) [11] 1

Supremes version

While the song is considered a signature tune for Streisand, during the mid-1960s, it was also associated with Florence Ballard of the Supremes. A regular part of the Supremes' nightclub appearances, the Supremes' version of "People" has more of a jazz flavor than Streisand's version, and was essentially a group effort, performed in three-part harmony with Ballard on the lead vocal and Diana Ross leading the song's bridge. Notably, it is also one of the few songs on which Ballard sang lead vocals after the Supremes achieved commercial success, since Motown head Berry Gordy favored Ross.

The Supremes recorded a studio version of "People" for the unreleased 1965 album, There's a Place for Us , which was finally released on The Supremes box set in 2000. When the group performed at the Copacabana nightclub in 1965, from which their live album The Supremes at the Copa was taken, the song was not included in the set. However, the tune remained in the group's live set until 1966, with Ballard retaining the lead. Eventually, Mary Wilson took the bridge previously sung by Ross, making it a rare duet between Ballard and Wilson. This version was finally released in 2012 on the expanded edition of I Hear A Symphony, from the cancelled 1966 live album, Live at The Roostertail. The song became a Ross solo after Ballard's departure from the group. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jule Styne</span> English-American songwriter

Jule Styne was an English-American songwriter and composer widely known for a series of Broadway musicals, including several famous frequently-revived shows that also became successful films: Gypsy,Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and Funny Girl.

<i>Funny Girl</i> (musical) 1964 musical based on the life of Fanny Brice

Funny Girl is a musical with score by Jule Styne, lyrics by Bob Merrill, and book by Isobel Lennart, that first opened on Broadway in 1964. The semi-biographical plot is based on the life and career of comedian and Broadway star Fanny Brice, featuring her stormy relationship with entrepreneur and gambler Nicky Arnstein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Stark</span> American film producer

Raymond Otto Stark was an American film producer and talent agent. Stark's background as a literary and theatrical agent prepared him to produce some of the most profitable films of the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, such as The World of Suzie Wong (1960), West Side Story (1961), The Misfits (1961), Lolita (1962), The Night of the Iguana (1964), Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967), Funny Girl (1968), The Owl and the Pussycat (1970), The Goodbye Girl (1977), The Toy (1982), Annie (1982), and Steel Magnolias (1989).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Merrill</span> American songwriter

Henry Robert Merrill Levan was an American songwriter, theatrical composer, lyricist, and screenwriter. He was one of the most successful songwriters of the 1950s on the US and UK single charts. He wrote musicals for the Broadway stage, including Carnival! and Funny Girl (lyrics).

"Don't Rain on My Parade" is a song from the 1964 musical Funny Girl, further popularized by the show's 1968 film adaptation. Written by Bob Merrill and Jule Styne, the song was first performed by Barbra Streisand on both stage and screen. The song ranked 46 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema.

<i>The Second Barbra Streisand Album</i> 1963 studio album by Barbra Streisand

The Second Barbra Streisand Album is the title of Barbra Streisand's second solo studio album. It was released in August 1963, just six months after the release of her debut album, The Barbra Streisand Album, and was recorded in four days in June 1963.

<i>People</i> (Barbra Streisand album) 1964 studio album by Barbra Streisand

People is Barbra Streisand's fourth solo studio album, released in September 1964. The title track was a newly recorded version of the hit song from the Broadway musical Funny Girl in which Streisand starred.

<i>Live in Concert 2006</i> 2007 live album by Barbra Streisand

Live in Concert 2006 is a live album by American singer Barbra Streisand which was recorded during her record setting 2006 US tour known as Streisand: The Tour. The double album contains songs recorded at different shows and venues including New York City's Madison Square Garden and Washington, D.C.'s Verizon Center. Three songs Streisand performed live on the tour with Il Divo are featured on the album.

<i>Funny Girl</i> (film) 1968 film by William Wyler

Funny Girl is a 1968 American biographical-musical film directed by William Wyler and written by Isobel Lennart, adapted from her book for the stage musical of the same title. It is loosely based on the life and career of comedienne Fanny Brice and her stormy relationship with entrepreneur and gambler Nicky Arnstein.

<i>Timeless: Live in Concert</i> 2000 live album by Barbra Streisand

Timeless: Live in Concert is a live album released by Barbra Streisand on September 19, 2000. It was her fifth live album and was released on Columbia Records. The album was issued a week before what were said to be her final concerts in September 2000 and would reach platinum certification.

"Glad to Be Unhappy" is a popular song composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart. It was introduced in their 1936 musical On Your Toes, sung by Doris Carson and David Morris, although it was not popular at the time, as there was only one recording of the song. In the 1937 London production, it was sung by Gina Malo and Eddie Pola. The song was performed in the 1954 Broadway revival by Kay Coulter and Joshua Shelley.

Funny Girl may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mon Homme</span> 1920 song composed by Maurice Yvain

"Mon Homme", also known by its English translation, "My Man", is a popular song first published in 1920. The song was originally composed by Maurice Yvain with French lyrics by Jacques-Charles and Albert Willemetz. The English lyrics were written by Channing Pollock.

<i>Diana Ross & the Supremes Sing and Perform "Funny Girl"</i> 1968 studio album by Diana Ross & the Supremes

Diana Ross & the Supremes Sing and Perform "Funny Girl" is the thirteenth studio album released by Diana Ross & the Supremes on the Motown label, released in 1968. Berry Gordy had Diana Ross & the Supremes cover the songs from Barbra Streisand's Broadway musical Funny Girl original cast LP to tie-in with the September release of the feature-film version of the musical, also starring Streisand. The LP was not a success, and, with a Billboard 200 peak of 150, ranks as the lowest-charting of the Diana Ross-led Supremes albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Am Woman (Barbra Streisand song)</span> 1964 single by Barbra Streisand

"I Am Woman" is a solo version of the duet "You Are Woman, I Am Man" from the musical Funny Girl. Released as the B-side single with "People", the recording peaked at #114 on the US charts, and also peaked at number 6 on the Cash Box Looking Ahead Singles chart.

<i>The Great Songs from "My Fair Lady" and Other Broadway Hits</i> 1964 studio album by Andy Williams

The Great Songs from "My Fair Lady" and Other Broadway Hits is the fifteenth studio album by American pop singer Andy Williams and was released in September 1964 by Columbia Records, one month before the premiere of the film version of My Fair Lady starring Audrey Hepburn.

"I'm the Greatest Star" is a popular song from the 1964 musical Funny Girl. The show tune was composed by written by Jule Styne with lyrics by Bob Merrill. Barbra Streisand performed it in the role of Fanny Brice, first in the Broadway cast, then again in the 1968 film adaptation. The song was first included on the original Broadway cast recording album Funny Girl, which was a best-seller in 1964.

<i>Funny Girl</i> (soundtrack) 1968 soundtrack album by Barbra Streisand

Funny Girl is the soundtrack album to the 1968 musical film of the same name, performed by its star Barbra Streisand. Released on the vinyl album format in stereo in 1968, the soundtrack was subsequently released in quadraphonic sound vinyl, cassette, and compact disc. The titles "Second Hand Rose" and "Exit Music" are omitted from the commercially released soundtrack editions. The soundtrack is featured in "Billboard Greatest albums of all time"., National Public Radio's "The Greatest Albums Made By Women"

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Hand Rose (song)</span> Song written by Grant Clarke and James F. Hanley for Fanny Brice

"Second Hand Rose" is a 1921 popular song written by Grant Clarke and James F. Hanley for Fanny Brice.

<i>Funny Girl (Original Broadway Cast Recording)</i> 1964 cast recording by Barbra Streisand / various artists

Funny Girl is the original Broadway cast recording of the musical of the same name, starring Barbra Streisand. The Funny Girl cast album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in June 1964, selling 250,000 copies by the following month. The recording went on to beat Fiddler on the Roof and Hello, Dolly! to win the Grammy for Best Original Cast Show Album.

References

  1. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2000). Top Pop Singles 1955-1999. Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research, Inc. p. 669. ISBN   0-89820-140-3.
  2. 1 2 Taylor, Theodore (1979). Jule: The Story of Composer Jule Styne. New York: Random House. ISBN   0-394-41296-6.
  3. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2000). Top Pop Singles 1955-1999. Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research, Inc. p. 626. ISBN   0-89820-140-3.
  4. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 234.
  5. ↑ Hill, Jim (November 28, 2006). "Scrooge U: Part VI -- Magoo's a musical miser". JimHillMedia.com. Retrieved 2006-12-25.
  6. ↑ David Kent (2005). Australian Chart Book 1940–1969. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN   0-646-44439-5.
  7. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4728." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  8. ↑ Racca, Guido (2019). M&D Borsa Album 1964–2019 (in Italian). Amazon Digital Services LLC - KDP Print US. ISBN   978-1094705002.
  9. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Barbra Streisand" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Barbra Streisand Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Barbra Streisand Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  12. ↑ Wilson, Randall (1999). 'Forever Faithful! A Study of Florence Ballard and the Supremes, 2nd edition .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.