The Movie Album | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 14, 2003 | |||
Recorded | June–July 2003 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | Orchestral pop | |||
Length | 51:42 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Producer |
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Barbra Streisand chronology | ||||
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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.
Individual songs on the parent album were produced by Streisand, Robbie Buchanan, and Johnny Mandel. The record contains orchestral pop compositions accompanied by a 75-piece film orchestra, recorded on set at various studio locations in California during June and July 2003. Simultaneously with the release of The Movie Album, Columbia Records distributed a sampler extended play (EP) version of the album titled Selections from the Movie Album. A deluxe edition with audio commentary and music videos for her covers of "Wild Is the Wind" and "I'm in the Mood for Love" was released exclusively in the United States. Streisand also performed live on The Oprah Winfrey Show , marking her first televised performance in forty years.
Music critics highlighted Streisand's singing ability and the lushness of the album as a whole. However, some felt the collection of songs was boring and ultimately disappointing. Nonetheless, it received a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album in 2004. Commercially, The Movie Album reached the top ten of record charts in Canada and the United States. It also received record certifications in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Movie Album is Streisand's best-selling studio album from the 2000s and has since sold over 694,000 copies in the United States.
The Movie Album is Streisand's sixtieth album overall as a signed artist with Columbia Records. [1] It contains twelve songs from some of the singer's favorite films released since her birth year. [1] Furthermore, she told Ileane Rudolph in an interview with TV Guide that her covers of "Smile" and "More in Love with You" are her two favorite tracks on The Movie Album. [2] Regarding her decision for to record a concept album, she said: "I’ve always been very influenced by the movies, ever since I was a kid and kind of dreamed in the movies. A lot of the songs come from my memories of how that music affected me." [3] The album was released on October 14, 2003, through her label and is the singer's thirtieth studio effort and first studio album of original material in the 2000s. [4] [5] Despite the title of the record being The Movie Album, it does not contain any of the songs that Streisand has recorded specifically for any of her films. However, the singer did state, in an interview with USA Today , that "she would like to work again in film and would even consider doing another movie musical". [6]
Recording sessions for The Movie Album took place at various studio locations throughout California in June and July 2003: Streisand worked at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, Grandma's House in Malibu, and The Hop in Studio City. [7] A limited edition deluxe version, limited to 250,000 CD copies, [2] with a bonus DVD including two previously unreleased music videos for "Wild Is the Wind" and "I'm in the Mood for Love" was released. It also features a live visual with Streisand discussing the album's tracks titled "Song Commentary". [8] Alongside the release of The Movie Album, Columbia Records distributed a sampler extended play (EP) version of the album titled Selections from the Movie Album, featuring Streisand's renditions of "Smile", "Calling You", and "Moon River". [9] For further promotion, the singer was a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show on October 14, 2003, and performed songs from The Movie Album; it marked her first appearance on national television since 1963. [6]
With The Movie Album, Streisand wanted to share her favorite tracks written specifically for movies from the years 1935 to 1988. To achieve a cinematic quality to the album's songs, she sung over a 75-piece orchestra that is rarely seen in popular music. [1] Conducted by the orchestra, violins are present on each of the album's twelve tracks. [5] Featuring orchestral pop pieces, a theme common within the lyrics on The Movie Album is "mature love", which AllMusic's William Ruhlmann felt reflected the singer's age. [10] The singer was also inspired by her marriage to husband James Brolin. [5] [6] Streisand executively produced the collection with her manager, Jay Landers, and Robbie Buchanan and Johnny Mandel are credited as additional producers on four of the album's tracks. [7]
It opens with a cover of Charlie Chaplin's "Smile", from the 1936 film Modern Times . According to Streisand, she was inspired to record the song after receiving a new dog from her husband as a birthday present, following the decision to put down her Bijon Frise dog earlier that same year. [6] The second song is "Moon River", which was originally performed by Henry Mancini and taken from Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). Streisand's cover of "I'm in the Mood for Love", from 1935's Every Night at Eight , is the oldest song that appears on The Movie Album, and was written by Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh. [10] In the album's fourth track, "Wild Is the Wind", Streisand places emphasis on the romantic song lyric "You're life itself!", which Ruhlmann from AllMusic considered to be convincing as a singer. [10] She claimed that she had always wanted to perform a rendition of "Wild Is the Wind" after hearing Johnny Mathis sing it live on The Ed Sullivan Show . [3] "Emily" follows and is the only track on The Movie Album to receive additional production from Johnny Mandel, who is also credited as one of its four registered songwriters. [7] Written by Mandel for the 1964 film The Americanization of Emily , he was also commissioned to write an additional verse for "Emily" to fulfill Streisand's likings. [10] The singer expressed interest in recording André Previn's instrumental theme "More in Love with You", from Vincente Minnelli's 1962 film Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse , after it served as one of the songs in her wedding to Brolin. Since the track contained no lyrics, songwriter duo Alan and Marilyn Bergman received permission from Previn's family to contribute verses over the original composition. [6]
"How Do You Keep the Music Playing?", used in 1982's Best Friends , is the collection's seventh song and was written by the Bergmans and Michel Legrand. [7] Like "More in Love with You", it features additional "bittersweet" lyrics that were not used in the original version of the song; it contains a "flowing melody" and the lyrics "represent a larger-than-life Hollywood kind of love". [5] The singer sang "But Beautiful" because she considered it to be a "positive song" with a tinge of sadness to it; she elaborated: "It’s a fantastic lyric, because it’s the truth. It talks about love. It’s cheerful, gay, sad, happy, quiet, mad, but it’s beautiful. Love is all those things. And you want it, no matter how painful it is." It was originally heard in the 1947 American film Road to Rio . [3] A cover of Jevetta Steele's "Calling You" is the ninth track and was specifically written for the soundtrack to the 1987 German film Bagdad Café . As an addition, it contains a "newly penned third verse" from the song's original writer, Robert Telson. [1] [7] Streisand chose to sing Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn's "The Second Time Around" as she felt the song's meaning becomes "much more pleasant when you're older". [3] "Goodbye for Now" was written by Stephen Sondheim for the American film Reds (1981). [1] Streisand decided to record the version that appears in the actual film rather than what is featured on the accompanying soundtrack. [6] A cover of Inside Daisy Clover 's "You're Gonna Hear from Me" serves as the closing track to The Movie Album. Ruhlmann suggested that it is reminiscent of Streisand's 1964 single "Don't Rain on My Parade". [10]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
The Advocate | (Favorable) [11] |
AllMusic | [10] |
Billboard | (Favorable) [1] |
Today | (Unfavorable) [1] |
Music reviewers appreciated Streisand's decision to record an album based upon songs from films; American film critic Leonard Maltin described The Movie Album as a "wonderful [and] unexpected collection of songs [with] beautiful renditions"; describing his admiration for the effort, he said: "Any album that opens with Charlie Chaplin's 'Smile' has got me hooked." [12] Larry Flick from The Advocate applauded Streisand for "challeng[ing] herself" on songs like "Moon River", "But Beautiful", and "Calling You". He also compared the film-centric concept for the album to The Broadway Album and wrote: "Streisand is in top form with a collection that reminds us why we loved her in the first place." [11] William Ruhlmann from AllMusic awarded The Movie Album three out of his five stars in his album review. He called it remarkable that Streisand was able to "retain [...] purity and range in her voice" given her age. Comparing its strength to her 1985 studio album, The Broadway Album , he wrote that even if others did not agree with him, "it nevertheless gives the listener some superior new takes on standards the singer has not addressed previously and uncovers a gem or two that had been overlooked till now." [10]
Billboard 's Michael Paoletta selected The Movie Album as one of three albums for his "Essential Reviews" column in the weekly magazine. He applauded it for being a "lush collection [that] reveals a range of emotions"; he also found the album to prove that the singer "remains in a league of her own". [1] However, Nekesa Mumbi Moody from Today felt the exact opposite. While she did find the singer's voice to be "as perfect as ever" and the music to "sound [...] lush", she stated: "Yet there's little spark or emotion from Streisand on any of these songs". Concluding her album review, Moody wrote: "What Streisand intended as a loving tribute is instead a sterile treatment that is ultimately disappointing." [13] Tom Santopietro, author of The Importance of Being Barbra: The Brilliant, Tumultuous Career of Barbra Streisand, also disliked The Movie Album and claimed that its inclusion of too many ballads was one of the issues; he also claimed that the general listener will find the album boring due to the fact that "there is nothing compelling [or] nothing demanding one's attention". He did, however, highlight Streisand' versions of "More in Love with You" and "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?". [5]
Streisand was nominated at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards under the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category for The Movie Album. As a solo artist, it was her 38th nomination overall. [5] However, she lost to Tony Bennett and k.d. lang's joint album, A Wonderful World (2002). [14]
The Movie Album debuted and peaked on the Billboard 200 at number 5, during the week of November 1, 2003. It was the week's third highest entry, behind Clay Aiken's chart-topping Measure of a Man and Jagged Edge's effort Hard , which entered at number three. [15] It became Streisand's first top ten entry since her twenty-eighth studio album, A Love Like Ours , in 1999. [16] The Movie Album also was the week's second best-selling digital album according to Billboard's Top Internet Albums component chart, behind Measure of a Man. [17] The record spent fourteen weeks on the Billboard 200 and was later certified Gold by Recording Industry Association of America for shipments of 500,000 copies on November 18, 2003, less than three weeks after its release. [16] [18] The Movie Album serves as Streisand's best-selling album from the 2000s and has sold over 694,000 copies in the United States as of October 15, 2014. [19] On the Canadian Albums Chart, newly compiled by Billboard, it entered and peaked at number ten, becoming Streisand's first appearance on the chart. [20] In Australia, the record peaked at number 36 on the official albums chart and received a Gold certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association in 2003 for shipments of 35,000 units. [21] [22]
In Europe, The Movie Album entered several record charts in lower positions. According to the Official Charts Company, the album peaked at number 25 in the United Kingdom, [23] and would go on to receive a Silver certification from the British Phonographic Industry for shipments of 60,000 copies. [24] Elsewhere, it reached the top 40 on Belgium's Flanders chart, and in Greece, Scotland, and Spain. [25] [26] [27] [28] Its lowest positions were achieved in Italy, Germany, and on Belgium's Wallonia chart, where it reached positions 50, 85, and 98, respectively. [29] [30] [31]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Smile" | Barbra Streisand | 4:16 | |
2. | "Moon River" |
| 3:41 | |
3. | "I'm in the Mood for Love" | Streisand | 4:01 | |
4. | "Wild Is the Wind" | Streisand | 4:12 | |
5. | "Emily" |
| 3:45 | |
6. | "More in Love with You" |
| Streisand | 4:41 |
7. | "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" |
|
| 5:08 |
8. | "But Beautiful" | Streisand | 5:34 | |
9. | "Calling You" | Robert Telson |
| 4:57 |
10. | "The Second Time Around" |
| Streisand | 4:33 |
11. | "Goodbye for Now" | Stephen Sondheim | Streisand | 2:48 |
12. | "You're Gonna Hear from Me" |
| Streisand | 4:06 |
Total length: | 51:42 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Wild Is the Wind" (Music video) | 4:43 |
2. | "I'm in the Mood for Love" (Music video) | 4:08 |
3. | "Song Commentary" | 6:04 |
Total length: | 14:55 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Smile" |
| Streisand | 4:16 |
2. | "Calling You" | Telson |
| 4:57 |
3. | "Moon River" |
|
| 3:41 |
Total length: | 12:54 |
Credits adapted from the standard edition liner notes of The Movie Album. [7]
|
|
Chart (2003) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [21] | 36 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [25] | 29 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [31] | 98 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [20] | 10 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [32] | 43 |
French Albums (SNEP) [33] | 47 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [30] | 85 |
Greek Albums (IFPI) [26] | 11 |
Italian Albums (FIMI) [29] | 50 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [27] | 34 |
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [28] | 12 |
UK Albums (OCC) [23] | 25 |
US Billboard 200 [16] | 5 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [22] | Gold | 35,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [24] | Silver | 60,000* |
United States (RIAA) [18] | Gold | 694,000 [19] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Edition | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Various | October 14, 2003 | CD | Standard | Columbia | [10] |
United States | CD + DVD | Deluxe | [8] | ||
SACD | Standard | [34] | |||
2003 | CD | Promotional sampler | [9] |
"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).
A Collection: Greatest Hits...and More is the fourth 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 disc 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 Manilow duet was released as the album's lead single on November 4, 2002, as a streaming-only exclusive for AOL Music website members.
Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits album recorded by American vocalist Barbra Streisand. It was released in January 1970, by Columbia Records. The record is a compilation consisting of 11 commercially successful singles from the singer's releases in the 1960s, with a majority of them being cover songs. The songs on Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits originally appeared on one of the singer's eight previous albums and span in release from 1963 to 1968. It contains her most commercially successful tracks, including her first Billboard Hot 100 top ten single "People" and top 40 entry "Second Hand Rose". The album was distributed on compact disc in 1986 and rereleased under the title The Hits in 2006.
The Way We Were is the fifteenth studio album recorded by American singer Barbra Streisand. The album was released in January 1974, preceded by the commercial success of its lead single "The Way We Were" first released in September 1973.
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.
Emotion is the twenty-third studio album by American singer Barbra Streisand, released in October 1984 by Columbia Records. It was her first studio album in four years after the release of Guilty, which has since become her highest selling studio album worldwide.
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.
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.
Just for the Record... is a box set by American singer Barbra Streisand. It was released by Columbia Records on September 24, 1991. Streisand and her manager, Martin Erlichman, were credited as the album's executive producers. Just for the Record... includes a variety of performances throughout Streisand's career, including a song taken from her first studio recording session in 1955: a cover of "You'll Never Know". Other tracks were compiled from various live performances, TV specials, and previous albums from her back catalog.
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.
"All in Love Is Fair" is a song by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder recorded for his sixteenth studio album, Innervisions (1973). Written and produced by Wonder, it was released as a 7" single in Brazil in 1974. The song is a pop ballad with lyrics that describe the end of a relationship through the use of clichés. Critical reaction to the song has been varied: Matthew Greenwald of AllMusic wrote that it was among Wonder's "finest ballad statements", but Robert Christgau felt that the singer's performance was "immature". Wonder has included it on several of his greatest hits albums, including the most recent, 2005's The Complete Stevie Wonder.
"My Father's Song" is a song recorded by American singer Barbra Streisand for her seventeenth studio album, Lazy Afternoon (1975). It was released as a 7" single in August 1975 through Columbia Records. Rupert Holmes wrote the song in collaboration with its producer Jeffrey Lesser. A sentimental ballad, "My Father's Song" was about Streisand's childhood with her father; Holmes' lyrics involve a protagonist, presumably a daughter, asking for her father's approval in life and love.
"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).
"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.
Funny Lady is the soundtrack album of the 1975 musical film of the same title, starring Barbra Streisand. Released by Arista Records on March 15, 1975, arranged, conducted, and coordinated by Peter Matz, the album's fifteen tracks are performed by Streisand, James Caan, and Ben Vereen. A sequel to the 1968 musical comedy-drama Funny Girl, the songs extend the semi-biographical account of the life of American performer Fanny Brice. Funny Lady also included songs written by Brice's third husband Billy Rose. New music by Kander and Ebb included "How Lucky Can You Get", the album's only single, released in April 1975.
"On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)" is a song written by Burton Lane (music) and Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics) for the 1965 Broadway 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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