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 #2 on the US charts; by 1966, the album sold over one million copies worldwide.
| My Name Is Barbra | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 3 May 1965 | |||
| Recorded | February 1; April 26, 30, 1965 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 31:14 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Robert Mersey | |||
| Barbra Streisand chronology | ||||
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| Singles from My Name Is Barbra | ||||
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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]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   link |
Song information
edit- 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.[2]
- 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
editAt the 8th Annual Grammy Awards the album garnered Streisand her third win for Best Female Vocal Performance, her fifth Grammy overall.[3]
The National Association of Recording Merchandisers named Streisand the best-selling female vocalist of 1965.[4]
Track listing
editSide One
- "My Name Is Barbara" (Leonard Bernstein) – 0:53
- a. "A Kid Again" (Johnny Melfi, Roger Perry) – 1:27
b. "I'm Five" (Milton Schafer) – 0:38 - "Jenny Rebecca" (Carol Hall) – 3:03
- "My Pa" (Michael Leonard, Herbert Martin) – 2:30
- "Sweet Zoo" (Jeffrey D. Harris) – 1:36
- "Where Is The Wonder" (Michael Barr, Dion McGregor) – 2:18
Side Two
- "I Can See It" (Tom Jones, Harvey Schmidt) – 3:06
- "Someone to Watch Over Me" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 2:43
- "I've Got No Strings" (Leigh Harline, Ned Washington) – 2:49
- "If You Were the Only Boy in the World" (Nat Ayer, Clifford Grey) – 3:28
- "Why Did I Choose You?" (Michael Leonard, Herbert Martin) – CD: 3:46/Vinyl: 2:49
- "My Man" (Jacques Charles, Channing Pollock, Albert Willemetz, Maurice Yvain) – 2:57
Singles
editCharts
editCertifications and sales
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[10] | Gold | 500,000^ |
| Summaries | ||
| Worldwide | — | 1,000,000[11] |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ "Barbra Streisand - My Name Is Barbra". Discogs. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
- ^ "Barbra Streisand - My Name Is Barbra". Discogs. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
- ^ Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (26 March 1966). Night of the Grammy a 14-Carat Gala. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 6–. ISSN 0006-2510.
{{cite book}}:|author=has generic name (help) - ^ 'Color Me Barbra' new TV special. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 26 March 1966. pp. 4–. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ "The Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
- ^ "The Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
- ^ "Barbra Streisand Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
- ^ "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1965". Archived from the original on August 26, 2012.. Cash Box magazine.
- ^ "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1966". Archived from the original on August 25, 2012.. Cash Box magazine.
- ^ "American album certifications – Barbra Streisand – My Name Is Barbra". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ Lurie, Diana (18 March 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.