Studio Album · No. 4
The Way We Were Songwriting Credits by Barbra Streisand
Produced by Tommy LiPuma, Wally Gold, Marty Paich · Engineered by Al Schmitt
Holds writing credit on 0 of 10 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 0 / 10 documented
Scored across the 10 tracks with documented writers, by whether Barbra Streisand carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 10 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
The album is a covers-and-standards set, so Streisand is the interpreter and the writing credits belong to the songwriters. The centerpiece is the title song, written by lyricists Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman with composer Marvin Hamlisch, which topped the Hot 100 and was the top-selling single of 1974 after winning the Oscar for Best Original Song from the film. The Bergmans recur across the record, pairing with Michel Legrand on three tracks where they supply the lyric and he the melody. The rest draws on singer-songwriters of the day, Carole King, Paul Simon, and Stevie Wonder, each writing both words and music, plus a closing standards medley from Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson, and Irving Berlin.
The Way We Were is a studio album by Barbra Streisand, released on January 30, 1974 by Columbia Records. It shares its title with the film whose theme song Streisand had taken to number one, but it is a separate pop album of contemporary songs and standards rather than the movie soundtrack. The record leans on writers of the era, with material by Carole King, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, and the team of Alan and Marilyn Bergman with Michel Legrand, alongside the Bergman and Marvin Hamlisch title song. Production was split across Tommy LiPuma, Wally Gold, and Marty Paich, who handled the hit title track. The album reached number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified 2x Platinum in the United States, driven by the chart-topping single 'The Way We Were.'
Track Listing & Credits 10 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Being at War with Each Other
|
Carole King | Carole King | Tommy LiPuma | Barbra Streisand (Lead Vocals) |
| 2 |
Something So Right
|
Paul Simon | Paul Simon | Tommy LiPuma | Barbra Streisand (Lead Vocals) |
| 3 |
The Best Thing You've Ever Done
|
Martin Charnin | Martin Charnin | Wally Gold | Barbra Streisand (Lead Vocals) |
| 4 |
The Way We Were
#1
|
Alan BergmanMarilyn Bergman | Marvin Hamlisch | Marty Paich | Barbra Streisand (Lead Vocals) |
| 5 |
All in Love Is Fair
#63
|
Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder | Tommy LiPuma | Barbra Streisand (Lead Vocals) |
| 6 |
What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?
|
Alan BergmanMarilyn Bergman | Michel Legrand | Wally Gold | Barbra Streisand (Lead Vocals) |
| 7 |
Summer Me, Winter Me
|
Alan BergmanMarilyn Bergman | Michel Legrand | Wally Gold | Barbra Streisand (Lead Vocals) |
| 8 |
Pieces of Dreams
|
Alan BergmanMarilyn Bergman | Michel Legrand | Wally Gold | Barbra Streisand (Lead Vocals) |
| 9 |
I've Never Been a Woman Before
|
Ron Miller | Tom Baird | Wally Gold | Barbra Streisand (Lead Vocals) |
| 10 |
My Buddy / How About Me
|
Gus KahnIrving Berlin | Walter DonaldsonIrving Berlin | Wally Gold | Barbra Streisand (Lead Vocals) |