Before she issues her memoir this November, Barbra Streisand will be giving fans a couple of soundtracks for all that reading, in the form of two music releases due shortly beforehand on Oct. 27. One is a career retrospective, “Evergreens: Celebrating Six Decades on Columbia Records,” and the other is “Yentl: 40th Anniversary Edition,” which includes a disc’s worth of previously unreleased material.
The second disc of the “Yentl” package is what will undoubtedly be most tantalizing to hardcore fans, as it includes 15 demos or alternate versions of that film soundtrack’s songs. The bulk of the unreleased materials is 10 demos Streisand recorded in her living room accompanied by Michel Legrand on piano, recorded on a stereo cassette deck, with the singer offering narrative introductions to each track — “Streisand au naturel,” as a press release puts it.
The “Evergreens” material consist of all previously released songs — with the exception of a new remix of the track “Evergreen” — but there’s a conceptual wrinkle that distinguishes it from previous Streisand catalog collections. In fact, the statement announcing the project says that none of the 22 tracks included have previously appeared on a compilation before, so these will be the deep tracks, “personally selected by Barbra as some of her favorite recordings throughout her career.” The choices, according to the statement, have “nothing to do with statistics or certifications. Instead, they were chosen by Barbra to exemplify her emotional connection to these melodies and lyrics – each holding a special place in her heart and memory.” There is one song included from each of her albums to date, from 1963’s “The Streisand Album” through 2018’s “Walls.”
Both projects will be go up on all DSPs and be released on CD (a single disc for “Evergreens” and a two-CD set for “Yentl”). They will both also be available on vinyl, albeit as retail exclusives — the “Yentl” two-LP set through Barnes & Noble, and the “Evergreens” double-disc on pink vinyl via Target.
The “Evergreens” project is being heralded today through the digital release of a remix of “Evergreen (Love Theme from‘A Star is Born’),” with a fresh, newly recorded arrangement beneath her familiar ’70s vocal. The new production was done by Streisand with Walter Afanasieff, using the 1976 vocal recorded by the artist with Phil Ramone.
The first taste of unreleased music from “Yentl” will come on Oct. 6 when Streisand releases a previously unheard alternate version of “Papa, Can You Hear Me?,” produced by Ramone and arranged by Dave Grusin.
Liner notes for both projects were penned by Jay Landers, the singer’s A&R man and executive producer of many years, who also supervised he albums.
Streisand’s book, “My Name is Barbra,” is due in stores Nov. 7.
The track list for the two forthcoming sets:
EVERGREENS: Celebrating Six Decades on Columbia Records
1. I’ll Tell The Man In The Street
(Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart)
(The Barbra Streisand Album– 1963)
2. Bewitched (Bothered And Bewildered)
(Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart)
(The Third Album– 1964)
3. Absent Minded Me
(Jule Styne/Bob Merrill)
(People– 1964)
4. The Shadow Of Your Smile
(Johnny Mandel/Paul Francis Webster)
(My Name Is Barbra, Two…– 1965)
5. Where Or When
(Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart)
(Color Me Barbra– 1966)
6. Ma Première Chanson ++
(Barbra Streisand/Eddy Marnay)
(Je m’appelle Barbra– 1966)
7. I Don’t Know Where I Stand
(Joni Mitchell)
(Stoney End– 1971)
8. I Never Meant To Hurt You
(Laura Nyro)
(Barbra Joan Streisand– 1971)
9. Letters That Cross In The Mail
(Rupert Holmes)
(Lazy Afternoon– 1975)
10. Answer Me
(Barbra Streisand/Paul Williams/Kenny Ascher)
(Superman– 1977)
11. Tomorrow
(Charles Strouse/Martin Charnin)
(Songbird– 1978)
12. Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man
(Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II)
(The Broadway Album– 1986)
13. Two People
(Barbra Streisand/Alan & Marilyn Bergman)
(Till I Loved You– 1988)
14. Some Enchanted Evening ++
(Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II)
(Back To Broadway– 1993)
15. I Believe
(Ervin Drake/Irvin Graham/Jimmy Shirl/Al Stillman)
(Higher Ground– 1997)
(Previously unreleased)
16. Isn’t It A Pity?
(George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin)
(A Love Like Ours– 1999)
17. Moon River
(Henry Mancini/Johnny Mercer)
(The Movie Album– 2003)
18. Here’s To Life (Orchestra version)
(Artie Butler/Phyllis Molinary)
(Love Is The Answer– 2009)
19. The Windmills Of Your Mind
(Michel Legrand/Alan & Marilyn Bergman)
(What Matters Most: Barbra Streisand Sings the Lyrics of Alan and Marilyn Bergman– 2011)
20. Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me) with Anthony Newley ++
(Anthony Newley/Leslie Bricusse)
(Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway– 2016)
21. Lady Liberty
(Desmond Child)
(Walls– 2018)
22. Evergreen (Love Theme fromA Star Is Born) (2023)
(Barbra Streisand/Paul Williams)
1976 Vocal Produced by Barbra Streisand & Phil Ramone
2023 version:
Produced & Arranged by Walter Afanasieff & Barbra Streisand
Co-Produced & Mixed by Jochem van der Saag
Engineer/Programming: Dmytro Gordon
Executive Producer: Jay Landers
(Previously unreleased)
YENTL: 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
Disc One:
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
1. Where Is It Written? (4:54)
2. Papa, Can You Hear Me? (3:33)
3. This is One of Those Moments (4:11)
4. No Wonder (2:31)
5. The Way He Makes Me Feel (3:47)
6. No Wonder (Part Two) (3:22)
7. Tomorrow Night (4:42)
8. Will Someone Every Look At Me That Way? (3:06)
9. No Matter What Happens (4:07)
10. No Wonder (reprise) (1:06)
11. A Piece of Sky (4:20)
12. The Way He Makes Me Feel (studio version) (4:12)
13. No Matter What Happens (studio version) (3:25)
DISC TWO
THE AUDITION TAPES & MORE
(Tracks 1-9: Barbra Streisand accompanied by Michel Legrand)
1.Where Is It Written? (demo)
2. Papa, Can You Hear Me? (demo)
3. The Way He Makes Me Feel (demo)
4. Several Sins A Day (demo)
5. No Wonder (demo) with Marilyn Bergman
6. Tomorrow Night (demo)
7. Will Someone Ever look At Me This Way? (demo) with Michel Lagrand
8. The Moon and I (demo)
9. A Piece of Sky (demo)
10. Papa, Can You Hear Me? (studio version)
11. Several Sins A Day (studio version)
12. Where Is It Written? (with Rabbinical chorus)
13. Papa, Can You Hear Me? (single version)
14. This Is One of Those Moments (reprise)
15. End Title (instrumental medley)
