Vinyl Feature: Barbra Streisand - The Barbra Streisand Album

Released in 1963 this was Barbra Streisand's debut album when she was a mere twenty years old and was just the first album in a long and very successful recording career that spanned almost 50 years! She is quite a raw young talent here with some rough edges but all the potential for being one of the great female voices of her generation. She matured over the years and, in my opinion at least, became one of the all time greats.

Despite being quite new to the game Barbra Streisand had great success on her first recording venture and The Barbra Streisand Album went on to peak at number 8 on the US Billboard pop albums chart, and was certified a gold album by the RIAA.

The Barbra Streisand Album - front cover

The photograph on the front cover was taken in the Bon Soir nightclub in New York City where they first attempted to record it with the nightclubs pianist Peter Daniels providing the only accompaniment but they never used those recordings preferring to record it all again in the studio instead.

The Barbra Streisand Album - back cover

The back cover has a short endorsement written by Harold Arlen where he concludes by saying: "I advise you to watch Barbra Streisand's career. This young lady (a mere twenty) has a stunning future. Keep listening, keep watching. And please remember, I told you so..." And how right he was.

An interesting sidenote is that Barbra Streisand chose the Century Italic typeface for the album cover, which went on to also be used on nineteen other Barbra Streisand album covers. Century Italic fetish maybe?


Track listing:

Side one
1. Cry Me A River
2. My Honey's Lovin' Arms
3. I'll Tell the Man in the Street
4. A Taste of Honey
5. Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
6. Soon It's Gonna Rain

Side two
1. Happy Days Are Here Again
2. Keepin' Out of Mischief Now
3. Much More
4. Come to the Supermarket in Old Peking
5. A Sleepin' Bee


I purchased this album with the vinyl in near mint condition for 10 Swedish Krona from Erikshjälpen in Åkarp.