The Barbra Streisand Thread

[Y&RWorldTurner]

She's feuded with several male co-stars, thought I haven't heard too much about her and Cann.

Barbra and Walter Matthau hated each other on the set of the ill-fated Hello! Dolly though. They rubbed one another completely the wrong way.

[I Am A Swede]

She may have hated it, but it gave us this dynamite number:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zWNOB8fIow

[EricMontreal22]

It's an awful film. Even Kander and Ebb's new songs (after Jule Styne who did the original refused to do iot) are BAD, and at that era of the 70s (Cabaret the movie, Chicago, etc, etc) they were at the height of their powers.

OK that song excepted lol

While I do find the Broadway album over produced (but as Swede said, it's nothing compared to the second one), it's ironic how hard she had to fight to be allowed to record it. And yet I believe it became a huge huge hit.

Edited March 10, 2012 by EricMontreal22

[I Am A Swede]

It was definitely a huge hit, reaching number 1 on the Billboard chart and giving Babs a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Another cover from the Stoney End album.

Many singer-songwriters I would imagine hated Barbra interpreting their music. LOL!

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hBd81qEW6As" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Her version of Where You Lead isn't bad either:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sh2Lty8triM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6ITvY8sPeWk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Edited March 11, 2012 by Y&RWorldTurner

[quartermainefan]

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dYR2fvf1iD4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[alphanguy74]

Didn't he make her cry and run off the set? Yes, so many people resented her for getting that role, for taking that role. Why the producers didn't use Carol Channing in the movie is still beyond me. I saw Michele Lee play Dolly here about 5 years ago, and she was FABULOUS!

Edited March 11, 2012 by alphanguy74

[Y&RWorldTurner]

My guess is they wanted someone younger and with a more powerful voice. Barbra said years later that she was too "young" for the part, but of course, stopped short of calling it a career blunder.

A lot of people, fairly or unfairly, credit Hello, Dolly! as the undoing of the movie-musical in Hollywood.

Anyway, as the popular disco version was posted earlier, here is the ballad version of The Main Event.

Her [gay] son Jason was the reason she recorded those few disco songs and duetted with Donna Summer, as he was a huge fan of Donna's.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qaIV6BoPBGY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[DRW50]

You don't hear a lot about Jason now - the last was when he was used as some pawn by the far right because of that Reagans movie Jim Brolin made.

The duet is a little overblown but still great fun.

The movie musical was just about gone anyway - there had been so many high profile flops.

Carol Channing wasn't box office, and you could say Barbra wasn't either, but I guess she was closer. I don't know if anyone would have been suited, but someone like Carol Burnett might have been better.

[EricMontreal22]

Hello Dolly was part of the problem, but more a symptom. She was horribly miscast--and Gene Kelly is not a good director of other people's material. But the studios were all still looking for a Mary Poppins or Oliver! and did more and more bloated, huge budget musicals, of which Hello Dolly was hardly the worst. (Jerry Herman's later movie of Mame, for example--which really should have kept Angela Lansbury from the stage version but she wasn't a big enough name--is near unwatchable in its wretched-ness)

[SFK]

Re: Yentl, Barbra felt snubbed by the Oscars for her lack of an acting and I think especially a directing nom, so she refused to perform her two songs which were nominated. She asked Donna Summer and Jennifer Holliday for a hand:

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[SFK]

The moment I saw that white mic, I thought of how Barbra spray painted Oprah's mic to coordinate with her white Donna Karan she wore when she performed on the show.

Those of you who said you don't like melismas probably don't care for Jennifer's rendition, though Barbra was apparently over the moon about it.

[DRW50]

That is a very odd song for Donna's stylings. I kept waiting for her to bust out into uptempo. The overwrought eye roll makes me laugh a little.

I think Jackee stole that hair for 227.

Edited March 12, 2012 by CarlD2

[DRW50]

I can see why Babs enjoyed that Jennifer version. She really does take the song to another place.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Jennifer's [live] version is a lot more forceful and overly emotional. Barbra's original version is more sensual and subtle. Their takes on the song are very unique.

Barbra is the only artist to have had at least one #1 album in the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90, and 00's. If she scores another #1 album this decade, she'll keep the record in tact.

That's an amazing feat, since many aging divas find it hard to keep a recording contract past a certain age and release albums that actually chart.