My Name Is Barbra Explained

My Name Is Barbra
Type:	Album
Artist:	Barbra Streisand
Cover:	My-name-is-barbra.jpg
Released:	3 May 1965
Recorded:	February 1; April 26, 30, 1965
Genre:	Pop
Length:	31:14
Label:	Columbia
Producer:	Robert Mersey
Prev Title:	People
Prev Year:	1964
Next Title:	My Name Is Barbra, Two...
Next Year:	1965

My Name Is Barbra is the first of two studio album tie-ins by Barbra Streisand for her debut television special of the same name, which aired April 28, 1965, on CBS-TV. Boosted by the critical acclaim for the broadcast, the album was certified gold and peaked at #2 on the US charts; by 1966, the album sold over one million copies worldwide.

The album cover photograph of Streisand at age five was taken by her brother Sheldon. A digitally restored and remastered CD was released in 1990.^[1]

Song information

• The opening track "My Name Is Barbara" is from the song cycle I Hate Music by Leonard Bernstein, hence the spelling difference with the album title, based on Streisand's name.^[2]
• The CD release contains an extended arrangement of "Why Did I Choose You?", a minute longer than the original vinyl release.
• "Where Is the Wonder" was contributed by Dion McGregor and his roommate Michael Barr, who had sent many songs to publishers and were unsuccessful in getting them recorded; they viewed Streisand's rendition as a breakthrough in their songwriting career.

Accolades

At the 8th Annual Grammy Awards the album garnered Streisand her third win for Best Female Vocal Performance, her fifth Grammy overall.^[3]

The National Association of Recording Merchandisers named Streisand the best-selling female vocalist of 1965.^[4]

Track listing

Side One

1. "My Name Is Barbara" (Leonard Bernstein) – 0:53
2. a. "A Kid Again" (Johnny Melfi, Roger Perry) – 1:27
   b. "I'm Five" (Milton Schafer) – 0:38
3. "Jenny Rebecca" (Carol Hall) – 3:03
4. "My Pa" (Michael Leonard, Herbert Martin) – 2:30
5. "Sweet Zoo" (Jeffrey D. Harris) – 1:36
6. "Where Is The Wonder" (Michael Barr, Dion McGregor) – 2:18

Side Two

1. "I Can See It" (Tom Jones, Harvey Schmidt) – 3:06
2. "Someone to Watch Over Me" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 2:43
3. "I've Got No Strings" (Leigh Harline, Ned Washington) – 2:49
4. "If You Were the Only Boy in the World" (Nat Ayer, Clifford Grey) – 3:28
5. "Why Did I Choose You?" (Michael Leonard, Herbert Martin) – CD: 3:46/Vinyl: 2:49
6. "My Man" (Jacques Charles, Channing Pollock, Albert Willemetz, Maurice Yvain) – 2:57

Singles

1. "Why Did I Choose You?" / "My Love": US #77 (May 1, 1965)^[5]
2. "My Man" / "Where Is The Wonder ": US #79 (July 10, 1965)^[6]

Charts

Year-end charts

External links

• Barbra Archives: My Name Is Barbra (1965)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Barbra Streisand - My Name Is Barbra. Discogs. en. 2020-04-09.
2. Web site: Barbra Streisand - My Name Is Barbra. Discogs. en. 2020-04-09.
3. Book: Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. Night of the Grammy a 14-Carat Gala. 26 March 1966. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. 6–. 0006-2510.
4. Book: 'Color Me Barbra' new TV special. 26 March 1966. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. 4–. 0006-2510.
5. The Hot 100 Chart. Billboard. 2020-04-09.
6. The Hot 100 Chart. Billboard. 2020-04-09.
7. Web site: The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1965. https://web.archive.org/web/20120826064746/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/60s_files/1965YEAP.html. August 26, 2012. dead. . Cash Box magazine.
8. Web site: The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1966. https://web.archive.org/web/20120825182916/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/60s_files/1966YEAP.html. August 25, 2012. dead. . Cash Box magazine.