The Barbra Streisand Album cover art

  Studio Album · No. 1

The Barbra Streisand Album Songwriting Credits by Barbra Streisand

1963 Columbia Records 11 tracks 33 min

Produced by Mike Berniker  ·  Engineered by Fred Plaut, Frank Laico

Columbia Records Traditional PopVocalShow Tunes
0%
Authorship
Singer / Performer

Holds writing credit on 0 of 11 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 0 / 11 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 11 tracks with documented writers, by whether Barbra Streisand carries a lyricist or composer credit.

0%
0 trackswritten by Barbra Streisand 11 tracksoutside writers
Barbra Streisand's roles on this album

Share of the 11 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist0%
Composer0%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

11
Tracks
11
Lyricists
1
Producers
1 million+
Worldwide Copies Sold
1963
Released
Data Insight

This debut is a pure interpreter's record: Streisand wrote none of it. Every track is a standard or show tune drawn from the Broadway and Tin Pan Alley catalog, sung in her voice and shaped by Peter Matz's arrangements. The writing credits belong to the songwriters behind the standards, among them Harold Arlen with Truman Capote on 'A Sleepin' Bee,' Rodgers and Hart on 'I'll Tell the Man in the Street,' Cole Porter on 'Come to the Supermarket in Old Peking,' Fats Waller with Andy Razaf on 'Keepin' Out of Mischief Now,' and Tom Jones with Harvey Schmidt on two Fantasticks songs. Arthur Hamilton's 'Cry Me a River' and the 1929 chestnut 'Happy Days Are Here Again' by Milton Ager and Jack Yellen round out a set built entirely on other people's songs. Harold Arlen, whose 'A Sleepin' Bee' closes the album, also wrote the liner notes.

The Barbra Streisand Album is the debut studio album by Barbra Streisand, released by Columbia Records on February 25, 1963. Recorded over three days in January 1963 at Columbia's Studio A in New York with a budget of $18,000, it collects Broadway numbers, film songs, and pop standards, many of them obscure choices chosen to fit her dramatic phrasing. Peter Matz wrote the arrangements and Mike Berniker produced, and the record leans on Streisand's voice rather than any hit single. It reached number 8 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and was certified Gold by the RIAA. At the 1964 ceremony it won the Grammy for Album of the Year along with Best Female Vocal Performance and Best Album Cover, making the 21-year-old Streisand the youngest artist to win Album of the Year at that time.

Track Listing & Credits 11 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Cry Me a River
Arthur Hamilton Arthur Hamilton Mike Berniker Barbra Streisand (Lead Vocals)
2
My Honey's Lovin' Arms
Herman Ruby Joseph Meyer Mike Berniker Barbra Streisand (Lead Vocals)
3
I'll Tell the Man in the Street
Lorenz Hart Richard Rodgers Mike Berniker Barbra Streisand (Lead Vocals)
4
A Taste of Honey
Ric Marlow Bobby Scott Mike Berniker Barbra Streisand (Lead Vocals)
5
Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
Ann Ronell Frank Churchill Mike Berniker Barbra Streisand (Lead Vocals)
6
Soon It's Gonna Rain
Tom Jones Harvey Schmidt Mike Berniker Barbra Streisand (Lead Vocals)
7
Happy Days Are Here Again
Jack Yellen Milton Ager Mike Berniker Barbra Streisand (Lead Vocals)
8
Keepin' Out of Mischief Now
Andy Razaf Thomas Waller Mike Berniker Barbra Streisand (Lead Vocals)
9
Much More
Tom Jones Harvey Schmidt Mike Berniker Barbra Streisand (Lead Vocals)
10
Come to the Supermarket in Old Peking
Cole Porter Cole Porter Mike Berniker Barbra Streisand (Lead Vocals)
11
A Sleepin' Bee
Harold ArlenTruman Capote Harold Arlen Mike Berniker Barbra Streisand (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 20 contributors

More from Barbra Streisand

Frequently Asked Questions The Barbra Streisand Album

Did Barbra Streisand write any songs on this album?
No. Streisand wrote nothing on the record. It is entirely standards and show tunes by other songwriters, with Streisand as interpreter and Peter Matz arranging.
Who wrote the songs on The Barbra Streisand Album?
The standards come from established songwriters, including Harold Arlen and Truman Capote ('A Sleepin' Bee'), Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart ('I'll Tell the Man in the Street'), Cole Porter, Fats Waller and Andy Razaf, Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, and Arthur Hamilton ('Cry Me a River').
Did the album win a Grammy?
Yes. It won the Grammy for Album of the Year at the 1964 ceremony, plus Best Female Vocal Performance and Best Album Cover, from five nominations.
When was it released?
Columbia Records released it on February 25, 1963. It was recorded over three days in January 1963 at Columbia's Studio A in New York.
How high did the album chart?
It peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and was certified Gold by the RIAA.
Who produced and arranged the album?
Mike Berniker produced it and Peter Matz wrote the arrangements. Fred Plaut and Frank Laico engineered the sessions.
What is the best-known song on the record?
'Happy Days Are Here Again,' the 1929 Milton Ager and Jack Yellen standard, became a signature Streisand number, sung as a slow ballad rather than the usual upbeat version.

Sources