2003 Streisand News Archive

Happy Holidays 2003!   Picture from Winter 1965 GQ Magazine. Courtesy of Silvio Palmieri, from his collection.

14-Dec-03

Streisand MOVIE ALBUM SACD

According to High Fidelity Review (MORE>>):

Sony Music has released three new Hybrid Surround Sound SACDs this week. The new SACDs include Barbra Streisand's debut on SACD as well as the fourth and fifth Surround Sound SACDs by James Taylor.

Also worth noting is that all three of the new SACDs feature a revised album insert that describes the features of a Super Audio CD that has Surround Sound (as these three do). It also refers to the format as "SA-CD" rather than the more traditional "SACD" term used by other record labels that are issuing these discs.

As Hybrid Layer Surround Sound SACDs, all three of these new Sony Music releases feature SACD Surround Sound, SACD Stereo and CD Audio versions of the music on each album. They are playable on SACD, CD and SACD compatible DVD Video players. Here's more information on these new SACD releases.

The Movie Album
Barbra Streisand
SACD Surround Sound/SACD Stereo/CD Audio
(Columbia CH 90748)

The Movie Album is Barbra Streisand’s latest album and her first appearance on SACD. It features Streisand performing 12 well known songs from the movies backed by a 75 piece orchestra. The album was recorded at The Sony Pictures Studios Scoring Stage, Grandma's House in Malibu and The Hop in Studio City by David Reitzas who also did the Stereo and Surround Sound mixes and mastering for the SACD. The SACD was authored by Woody Pornpitaksuk at Sony Music Studios in New York.

The SACD's Surround Sound mix places Streisand and the orchestra up front with the surround channels used for occasional accents as well as room filling ambience. It will be an SACD that Streisand fans will want to audition.

Availability
The new Hybrid Surround Sound SACDs by Barbra Streisand and James Taylor are now in stock and available from Tower Records (in the regular CD section vs. the audiophile section) and the Acoustic Sounds, Elusive Disc, Music Direct and Red Trumpet web sites. In addition, the SACD versions of Barbra Streisand's The Movie Album and James Taylor's Dad Loves His Work are available from Best Buy stores for $14.99 each.

11-Dec-03

Barbra Featured on Amazon.com

For one day, Thursday December 11th, Barbra Streisand will be the featured celebrity guest on the homepage of Amazon.com. It's all part of Amazon's "Holiday A-List" program, where each day a celebrity presents a special gift to their fans. This will be great exposure for Barbra and will include links to THE MOVIE ALBUM, which could use the boost in sales. Visit Amazon on 12/11/03 to see what Barbra has given us for the holidays. MORE >>

09-Dec-03

Grammy Snafu?

The Barbra Archives doesn't usually link to Matt Drudge's column, as he has been no friend of Barbra's in the past. However, he is reporting an interesting story about Barbra's eligibility for the Grammy Award. Apparently, this is a real issue, as Sept. 30th was the cut-off date for eligibility. The Movie Album was released on Oct. 14th. MORE >>

After much brouhaha, the facts are out, and Barbra's nomination is in. Below are the articles and statements that tell the real story.

Tue Dec 09 2003 11:09:11 ET
LOS ANGELES TIMES, Randy Lewis, Staff Writer

Barbra Streisand's Grammy nomination for her latest album does not appear to be in jeopardy, despite a Drudge Report story over the weekend saying the Recording Academy was investigating the nomination because the album might be ineligible for this year's awards.

Streisand's "The Movie Album," nominated in the traditional pop vocal album category, was released Oct. 14, two weeks after the eligibility period closed for the 46th Grammy Awards.

Columbia Records, Streisand's label, issued a statement Monday saying that even though the CD did not reach stores until after the eligibility window had closed, " [it] was available as a commercial full album download on buymusic.com as of Sept. 30. This meets the Grammy eligibility requirement."

Academy officials did not immediately respond to requests for confirmation that the album qualifies under its rules of eligibility. The academy's website states, "Recordings must be in general distribution in the U.S., i.e. sales by label to a branch or recognized independent distributor, via Internet, or mail order/retail sales for a nationally marketed product."

By Joanna Malloy, NewYork Daily News; Reprinted from the New York Daily News
December 9, 2003

BARBRA'S CD DODGES DRUDGE SLUDGE

BARBRA STREISAND SURVIVED ANOTHER RIGHT-WING HOOK THIS WEEKEND.

Conservative Internet gossip Matt Drudge posted a story Sunday that the liberal singer "may be stripped" of her Grammy nomination since her album was in stores two weeks after the deadline. "The Movie Album," on which the 61-year-old performer sang "Smile" and other film songs in front of a 75-piece orchestra, was nominated in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal category.

The CD was released to record stores Oct. 14 - after the Sept. 30 cutoff set by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS).

Ironically, it was available on technology no one knows how to use better than Drudge: "The 'Movie Album' was available as a full album commercially via download on www.BuyMusic.com as of Sept. 30th," Columbia Records spokeswoman Claire Mercuri told us. "This meets the Grammy eligibility."

NARAS spokeswoman Diane Theriot said Sony's documentation was fully acceptable.

Finally, NARAS issued their own statement:

Recording Academy® Statement Regarding Eligibility
December 8, 2003

"The Recording Academy relies on the integrity of its members and the record labels to provide us with complete and accurate information regarding the eligibility of all GRAMMY® submissions. Our eligibility requirements are public knowledge. If any further information or documentation is necessary regarding eligibility, it is requested from and provided by the record labels. We are diligent about protecting the integrity of our process, especially prior to announcing nominations. According to our records, all of this year's nominations have met the necessary criteria, and we wish all of our nominees the best of luck."

06-Dec-03

Coming Attractions: Inside The Actor's Studio

Barbra Streisand will be making an appearance on Bravo's series, Inside the Actor's Studio, hosted by James Lipton. The interview was taped in September 2003 at New York’s famed New School For Social Research. Barbra's segment followed the tradition of being taped before an audience of students at The Actors Studio Drama School. The taping took most of the evening and Barbra requested food at one point (and was brought Oreo cookies!). Read all about the taping by visiting Sal's excellent site, http://barbratimeless.com or by reading Kevin H.'s experiences at Everything Entertainment. MORE >> The Barbra Archives is currently chasing NBC (owner of Bravo) for confirmation of the air date and running time. Barbra's episode, originally scheduled for October 2003 was pushed back to sometime in 2004. Meanwhile, a publicity photo from the show has been released (left). Barbra looks just great. More news to come!

05-Dec-03

Barbra Gets MOVIE ALBUM Grammy Nomination

Barbra was nominated for "Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album". Her co-nominees are:

• A Wonderful World
Tony Bennett & k.d. lang
[RPM/Columbia Records]

• The Last Concert
Rosemary Clooney
[Concord Records]

• Bette Midler Sings The Rosemary Clooney Songbook
Bette Midler
[Columbia Records]

• As Time Goes By...The Great American Songbook: Volume II
Rod Stewart
[J Records]

• The Movie Album
Barbra Streisand
[Columbia Records]

According to the Grammy web site, "The 46th GRAMMY Awards will be held on Sunday, February 8, 2004, at Staples Center in Los Angeles and will again be broadcast in High Definition TV and 5.1 Surround Sound on CBS from 8-11:30 p.m. on the East and West Coasts." MORE >>

In a related story ....

"Amy Lee of Evanescence, Sarah McLachlan, Williams, Brad Paisley and Moby announced the nominees. Moby, after saying that Fountains of Wayne deserved to win, said that the title of Barbra Streisand's "Movie Album" was "How to Defeat Our Current Inept President." He was loudly applauded by those in the room."

04-Dec-03 / 05-Dec-03

Calif. judge dismisses Streisand's $10 mln lawsuit

LOS ANGELES, Dec 3 (Reuters)

A Los Angeles judge on Wednesday dismissed a $10 million lawsuit filed by Barbra Streisand against a multimillionaire who posted photos of her Malibu estate on a Web site documenting erosion along the California coast. A longtime environmentalist who is also intensely private, Streisand sued Kenneth Adelman in May accusing him of violating California's anti-paparazzi law and her privacy rights. She demanded that Adelman remove her name and the photo of her estate from his Web site, (http://www.californiacoastline.org). But Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Allan Goodman on Wednesday ruled that the diva's lawsuit chilled Adelman's free speech rights on a matter of public concern, and ordered the "Yentl" star to pay his legal bills. The judge noted that Adelman had not tried to photograph Streisand personally and had not even known that he was capturing her estate on film when he snapped the photos from 2,700 feet (820 metres) away. Goodman also noted that similar photos were published in magazines and on the Internet before Adelman took his aerial shots. Streisand's attorney could not immediately be reached for comment. In a message posted on his Web site, Adelman said the ruling sends a message to "a celebrity who believes her personal interests are more important (than) the public's constitutional right to free speech." Adelman, 40, retired after selling his TGV software company to Cisco Systems for $115 million in 1996 and Network Alchemy to Nokia for $335 million four years later. He and his wife then began an aerial photography survey of the 1,150-mile (1,850-km) California coastline using his helicopter and a high-resolution camera.

Streisand and her lawyer replied to the decision by saying:

"You win some, you lose some," Streisand said after learning of her nomination for music's highest awards for "The Movie Album."

Streisand's attorney, John Gatti, said the judge's decision "ignored her main concern that her name is used on the site" to identify her home while the owners of thousands of other homes he pictured remained anonymous.

"The point remains that Ms Streisand undertook this action because she sought to reaffirm that everyone should retain the right to preserve their privacy and security, even in this technologically invasive age," he said.

01-Dec-03

36 Expressions

Liz Smith gave Barbra some positive press coverage in her 12/01/03 column:

BARBRA STREISAND has suffered some criticism of late because she didn't lock her husband up and keep him from going to work portraying Ronald Reagan in "The Reagans" which aired last night on Showtime. But so what? Barbra is a superlative icon of singing, and her 60th disc, "The Movie Album" just went gold. Her 49th such recognition. The only other artist or act that tops her is Elvis Presley.

Now why doesn't she do a slap-dash fall-down funny feature film comedy. As she sang in "Funny Girl" - "I've got 36 expressions. Sweet as pie and tough as leather!" I'd love to see that versatility onscreen again.

26-Nov-03

Elvis Beats Barbra by a Nose

original story MORE >>

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Barbra Streisand's 60th recording, "The Movie Album," has been deemed "gold," marking the artist's 49th RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) gold certification.

Ms. Streisand has achieved more gold certifications than any other recording artist or ensemble, with the exception of Elvis Presley. She also holds the record number of gold and platinum certifications of any female recording artist.

"The Movie Album," a personal selection of some of Streisand's favorite songs from films spanning the years 1935 to '88, was released on Tuesday, Oct. 14 by Columbia Records and features such standards as "Moon River" from "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Best Friends'" "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" and "Bagdad Cafe's" "Calling You."

Produced by Streisand, arrangers on the album include Johnny Mandel, Jeremy Lubbock, Jorge Calandrelli and Robbie Buchanan.

Streisand dedicates the album "... to my friend, Gregory Peck, a screen legend who in real life possessed all the humanity and dignity he brought to his career-defining roles."

Peck died on June 12th at the age of 87.

18-Nov-03

AFI & Film Music

The American Film Institute is coming up with another list: "100 Years ... 100 Songs". Barbra has been nominated for eight songs. An AFI jury and its members vote on the list. A TV special is sure to follow. MORE >>

Sharif Talks Barbra

Omar Sharif, Barbra's costar in Funny Girl, has been talking to the press lately about his new film Monsieur Ibrahim. He recently told Reuters:

""I was filming ‘Funny Girl´ with Barbra Streisand in 1967, when the Six-Day War broke out, and the Arab press called me a traitor for kissing a Jewish woman," reminisced actor Omar Sharif.
"When I told Barbra about it," Sharif added, "She said, ‘You should see the letter my aunt wrote about kissing an Arab man.´"

14-Nov-03

Streisand No. 66 of VH-1's 200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons

Barbra ranks at number 66 on VH-1's newest count-down list. MORE>>

10-Nov-03

Modern Times Re-Release Brings Smile

The film for which "Smile" was written for is seeing a re-release this December. MORE >>

08-Nov-03

Streisand Smiles on Soundtrack

Barbra's song "Smile" is the last track on the soundtrack to the new Julia Roberts film Mona Lisa Smile.

05-Nov-03

Streisand Donates Song to Children's CD

Sting, Clapton team to 'Save the Children'

NEW YORK - Sting, Sarah McLachlan, Eric Clapton and Barbra Streisand are among the artists who have donated songs to a new compilation aimed at raising funds for Save the Children. Included on the set, due November 18 through Atlantic Records, is the title track, "It's Still Okay To Dream," a new song performed by Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds that he co-wrote with the collection's executive producer, songwriter Carole Bayer Sager. "All of the songs were chosen with great care and careful thought for their message, their voice, their honesty and heart," says Sager. "We live in troubled times and, if after hearing this record we feel a little better, then hopefully we can carry that feeling with us, and collectively make this world a better place."

The album is led off by the Celine Dion/Andrea Bocelli duet "Prayer." Also featured are Sting's "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot," Streisand's "I Believe / You'll Never Walk Alone" and Carole King's "You've Got a Friend."

Clapton, Carly Simon and James Taylor contributed live recordings of "Change the World," "Touched by the Sun" and "Shed a Little Light," respectively. Rounding out the to the collection are songs by Jewel, Barry Manilow, Paul Simon, Don Henley and the late Eva Cassidy

Streisand Voices Opinion on Cancelled Reagan Miniseries

MORE >>

(By the way, if you have any opinion on this at all, CBS has a "feedback" form on their site.) MORE >>

03-Nov-03

Barbra Attends Gregory Peck Tribute

MORE >>

Actors Studio

The Bravo site now lists Barbra as a guest for 2004.

30-Oct-03

Streisand Auctions Personal Items on Ebay

Barbra has added a new section to her website which links to ebay and a lot of items that she is auctioning, including her famous "see-thru" dress that she accepted her Oscar in. More >>

Streisand to receive Human Rights Campaign Humanitarian Award

More >>

29-Oct-03

Where's the ACTOR'S STUDIO show?

This article from Fox News:

Streisand 'Actors Studio' Interview in Limbo?

Maybe you’ve wondered: Whatever happened to that Barbra Streisand interview with James Lipton for "Inside the Actor's Studio?"

Lipton taped Streisand in front of a live audience on October 5, and initially Bravo advertised an October 26 broadcast. But the show didn’t air on Sunday night. There were rumblings that Streisand didn’t like the way she looked on camera and was holding up airing of the show.

The singer-actress-director is notorious for her perfectionism, especially when it comes to the way she looks on screen. For her American Film Institute tribute, for example, Streisand set the lighting and designed the stage and all the accoutrements. She even put real Tiffany lamps at every table. When she appeared on the “Rosie O’Donnell Show,” the set had to be flipped so it favored Streisand’s preferred profile.

But Lipton, who I spoke to on the phone yesterday while he was busy in his editing bay, says Barbra’s been no problem.

“She spent five hours with us,” he said. “Five hours! We wanted to use this as a two-hour special for our 10th anniversary. So I’m going slowly, taking my time, looking at everything. She was incredibly candid. At times I felt like her psychiatrist.”

Lipton says he doesn’t know when the show will air, but that so far Streisand has been nothing but helpful. “She’s giving us extraordinary access to old clips from musicals, all kinds of things.”

When I mentioned that Barbra was notoriously particular about the way she’s lit, he said: “I don’t know an actress her age who isn’t. And they should be.”

“Inside the Actors Studio” has a policy I was unaware of, and which is quite different from “60 Minutes” or other interview shows done for news organizations, newspapers, or magazines. They show the subject the final interview before it airs and lets them make changes and suggestions. So Lipton will show Streisand the finished product before it airs.

“We do that with everyone. And knowing that before hand makes them much more comfortable when we do the interview.”

All About Eve ??

As Barbra so aptly named a song she wrote in the 70's, "Don't Believe What You Read" ... yet. Several news reports have appeared saying a remake of "All About Eve" is Streisand's next project. They have even announced costars (Jessica Simpson??!).

Although Barbra has mentioned the project in a few of her MOVIE ALBUM interviews, this would hardly be a confirmation of things to come.

Stay tuned. Barbra will have a new movie project at some point in the future. Whether it is ALL ABOUT EVE remains to be seen.

25-Oct-03

Streisand Interview on BBC:

From BBC Radio 2 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/davies/thisweek.shtml): Russell Davies presents The Song Show celebrating the art, craft and inspiration of the popular song. Sunday October 26th 2003 The Song Show presents “Barbra Streisand on Radio 2”. In a world exclusive radio interview the actress, director, producer and singer discusses her astonishing life and career. You can listen to the show live on BBC - they have a streaming audio player that is linked to at the above URL. The show is broadcast 3pm-5pm GMT (i.e. UK time).

24-Oct-03

Streisand SACD:
From www.highfidelityreview.com:

"Sony Music has announced that the first SACD from Barbara [sic] Streisand is planned for release later this year. The SACD release will be Streisand's newest album "The Movie Album". The album features Streisand performing 12 well known movie songs backed by a 75 piece orchestra. Nine of the 12 songs on the album "were entirely recorded live with no overdubs". For the album's SACD release, Streisand engineer David Reitzas created a new 5.1 Surround Sound mix using Pro Tools HD at 24 bit, 96kHz resolution with Digidesign converters. No official release date for the Surround Sound SACD edition of "The Movie Album" has been set. But I have been told that it could be on the market as soon as sometime next month."

SACD, by the way, is Sony's multi-channel format disc. For more info on the Super Audio Compact Disc, click here.

Donna Summer Book Tour:

Barbra's Enough is Enough duet partner is making the rounds for her new autobiography "Ordinary Girl: The Journey" (Villard Books). She is telling her "Barbra story" everywhere, which goes like this (with a few variations):

One highlight of Summer's career was her duet with Barbra Streisand on 1979's "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)," which ended up as her final number one hit. She had just finished a tour and celebrated by partying hard all night, unaware she had to record with Streisand the following day. Worn out from lots of celebrating and little sleep, Summer fainted while trying to hit a high note and fell off her stool. Streisand pressed on, holding her note to the end. Only after she finished did she lean over and ask her fallen comrade: "Donna, are you OK?" (source: www.cnn.com)

Movie Album Charts:

Barbra's new album has debuted at #5 on the Billboard charts with sales at 162,055. By the way, "A Love Like Ours" entered the charts in 1999 at #6 with 146,000 sold.
Meanwhile, Barbra, who probably doesn't pay much attention to these figures, sent the following message to her fans via her website (www.barbrastreisand.com):

"I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have so kindly sent in your reviews of "The Movie Album." I'm reading each of them in its entirety, not just the shortened version on the website, and I want to say very personally how humbled I am by the eloquence and graciousness of your response. They all touch me very deeply. I'm not in the habit of reading all of the media reviews, but your thoughts - the thoughts of the people I make records for - are very meaningful to me...thank you. Respectfully and with love, Barbra"

11-Oct-03

NPR Interview:

UK 'Movie Album' News:

THE MOVIE ALBUM is available to fans in the UK from Play.com and, as they ship from the Channel Islands, there is no additional tax duty to pay. They even have the limited edition DVD version. No need to wait until the 27th - which is the official release date in Europe. Some fans in the UK who ordered from Play.com have already received their orders! [thanks to J. Brannighan for reporting the tip!]

Barbra's Fan Reviews:

Barbra's site has continued to publicize the MOVIE ALBUM review contest. Here's the latest blurb:

DON'T MISS YOUR SHOT AT GLORY... REMEMBER TO ENTER "THE MOVIE ALBUM REVIEW CONTEST"
If you haven't heard yet, starting October 14th, Barbra fans are invited to write their own review of The Movie Album and submit it to barbrastreisand.com for posting on our Reviews page! Every review that qualifies for posting on the site will automatically be considered for "The Movie Album Review Contest." Two reviews will be chosen to receive publication, as excerpts or in their entirety, in a national newspaper or magazine. Submissions will be accepted as soon as The Movie Album hits the stores on October 14th. Stop by the site to see if your review gets posted and to see what the competition is saying. They say, 'Everyone's a critic'... Now here's your chance to really be one!

07-Oct-03

TV Guide & Actor's Studio:

The new TV GUIDE reveals that Barbra will appear on INSIDE THE ACTOR'S STUDIO in December. Other tidbits from the interview: About the limited edition DVD of "Wild is the Wind" and "I'm In the Mood for Love", Barbra tells TV GUIDE: "I was going to do more, but I never got around to it." Also:

TV Guide: When you talked to Oprah, did she make you cry?
Streisand: No, but it was wonderfully moving to me when she brought up some big fans of mine. It's rewarding for me to see my effect on people ... if I've changed someone's life, if I've made them happier, if I got them through a tough time or some problem. So that was wonderful.

28-Sept-03

Barbra Testimonial For Peres:

Barbra Streisand taped a video testimonial for Israeli peacemaker Shimon Peres' 80th birthday celebration in Tel Aviv last week (Sept. 22nd). New York Times article Paul A., in Israel, reported the following over at "Streisand and Friends":

Israeli TV last night showed last week's Shimon Peres birthday celebration, where Barbra offered a few birthday wishes and greetings to Israel on video. She did not show up "live" on tape, though: they used two indoor photos of her posing with Peres, possibly taken around the early to mid-90s, as she spoke.

24-Sept-03

Reader's Digest: First "Movie Album" Streisand interview hits stands

Check out Barbra's interview in the new Reader's Digest. Some interesting quotes about the new album. The quotes that have been circulated to the press feature Barbra complaining about being "bored" with her songs. She says about singing live, "in addition to having stage fright and the exertion of singing 30 songs a night. It's boring to sing your own songs."

16-Sept-03

Liz Loves It!

In today's column, Liz Smith gives her review of the new album ...

"IT'S LIKE a big stick of buttah in a satin bed on a cloud. And I do mean Barbra Joan Streisand's coming CD, "The Movie Album." This is Streisand taking on famous songs that originated in films ("Smile," "Moon River," "I'm in the Mood for Love"), along with lesser known movie melodies such as "Calling You" from 1988's "Bagdad Café"; "Emily," the theme from "The Americanization of Emily"; and "How Do You Keep the Music Playing," from a 1982 film "Best Friends." Barbra's voice, as liquid as ever, literally floats above the orchestrations. The disc is, well . . . perfect. This is the reason Barbra exists, to deliver such perfection. (And why she must, to maintain and create her flawless sound, restrict live performances.) Barbra achieved iconic status from the moment her first album was released, before she conquered Broadway and then Hollywood. Her attitude and unconventional looks altered all previously accepted standards of what a female star could be. That voice altered popular music. It's been 40 years of triumph, chutzpah, tumult, control issues, politicizing and fighting for privacy. But when she sings, she soars. Still."

12-Sept-03

Movie Album Retail Specials

Sony Music has updated their store again.

"Order now and get a FREE bonus interview disc featuring an exclusive interview with Barbra where she reflects on the creative process that shaped this album. There is a limit of one free interview disc per transaction. While supplies last."

# # #

More on the Oprah Appearance

Scheduled to air Oct. 14th!
The Sun-Times wrote about the appearance. Read the article by clicking here.

# # #

Barbra in Montreal!

Page Six (link) reports Barbra in Montreal, too. Although they add a ridiculous slant to the story by saying Whoopi Goldberg drove Barbra there !?!

Mike Cohen's article in THE SUBURBAN on page 4, Montreal's largest English daily weekly, dated September 10, 2003:

"Streisand on set: Barbra Streisand quietly slipped into town last week. A source confirms she showed up on the set of her hubby James Brolin's TV movie "First Family: The Reagans". Filming of a 60s saloon scene was taking place at a studio on St. Joseph and Iberville. Babs, dressed in black and apparently looking ravishing, did more than watch. In fact, she convinced director Robert Allan Ackerman to reshoot once scene for three hours. Brolin ate it all up. The two held hands during breaks."

** thanks to Bill M. in Montreal for the SUBURBAN scoop!

10-Sept-03

Barbra Taped Oprah appearance

Paul Katz (Everything Entertainment forum) was in the audience for the taping and has some great Oprah tales to tell. Click his link to read them. Among the Oprah highlights to look forward to: Barbra sings "Smile" live in the Oprah studio Barbra brings her new dog Samantha* on the show and holds her just like Sadie in "Color Me Barbra" Barbra taped an "After Oprah" Q&A with the audience, to appear on the Oxygen Channel. (Paul got to speak with her during this segment!) The YENTL DVD is done. Barbra has recorded director's comments. She does not know when it will be released. * the name "Samantha" goes back a long way ... Barbra was going to name someone else Samantha in 1966. MORE >>

BARBRA TAPED 'INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO' 08-Sept-03

NY Daily News - Daily Dish - Rush & Molloy: How Babs hung on by her fingernails

Reports are coming in on Barbra's appearance. Here's what we know so far:

• it taped for nearly 5 hours. Barbra requested food, wondering if the guests ever got hungry sitting up there for so long!
• Barbra wore an oversized black turtleneck (oy!), short black skirt, and black boots ... showing off her gams!
• Barbra spilled the beans on some future projects: the autobiography, a YENTL DVD with commentary.
• Cis Corman, Marty Erlichman, Marvin Hamlisch, and Donna Karan were in the audience. Her new puppy, Samantha (a Sadie look-alike), was there too!
• THE MOVIE ALBUM is dedicated to Gregory Peck
• During the standard questionnaire that James Lipton asks every guest at the end of the show, Barbra replied that her favorite curse word is ... Fuck.

For more, you should check out:

1. Sal's excellent site, http://barbratimeless.com
2. Make sure to read Kevin H.'s experiences from last night at Paul's discussion group: http://pub21.ezboard.com/beverythingentertainment
3. Craig's http://barbranews.com

02-Sept-03

If At First You Don't Succeed ... Try, Try Again

According to today's Page Six in the New York Post: "After 10 years of trying, James Lipton - who has interviewed dozens of the biggest movie stars for his long-running "Inside the Actors Studio" show on Bravo - has landed his biggest "get" yet: Barbra Streisand. Lipton, who interrogates his subjects in front of his students at the New School, broke the news Sunday night at Nick and Toni's in East Hampton to the table where Hamptons publisher Jason Binn and his fiancée Haley Lieberman were dining with "Sex and the City" producer Darren Star. The interview will be taped in the next few weeks."

Actually, the interview will be taped Monday, Sept. 8th!! Be sure to check out Sal's website for more info. He'll be attending the taping. http://barbratimeless.com

28-Aug-03

UPDATE ON INSIDE THE ACTOR'S STUDIO

That rumor that Streisand was to appear on Bravo's INSIDE THE ACTOR'S STUDIO was true! Unfortunately, she is not. The rumor was that host James Lipton was going to tape the interview at L.A.'s Chinese Theater, and it would be a two-hour special.

In today's news, Lipton tells writer Evan Henerson, "Barbra Streisand was a schedule conflict away from an appearance during the L.A. stopover." Here's a link to the original article.

21-Aug-03

"Small Procedure"

As reported on ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT (and they said it was confirmed by "Barbra's people") and at THE NY DAILY NEWS (see "Yentl Under Wraps") Barbra had "a small procedure tightening the jaw line."

03-Aug-03

Robbie Buchanan Produces

Robbie Buchanan has produced three tracks on the upcoming Streisand movie album. Buchanan has worked with Streisand in the past. He co-wrote one of *my* favorite songs, "Heart Don't Change My Mind" on the EMOTION album. He produced "It Must Have Been The Mistletoe" on CHRISTMAS MEMORIES. He also played keyboards on a few songs on the TILL I LOVED YOU album.

Robbie tells me he has produced "Calling You," "How Do You Keep The Music Playing," and "Moon River" for the new Streisand album. "They turned out nicely, as you'll see when you get the CD," Robbie told me. Can't wait!!

02-Aug-03

Barbra in Montreal??

Canadian Streisand fans were buzzing as the rumor that Barbra Streisand had arrived in their fair country spread! Unfortunately, she is *not* traveling with husband James Brolin, who *is* in Montreal shooting FIRST FAMILY: THE REAGANS directed by Robert Allan Ackerman. Craig has been reporting this over at BarbraNews.com. Apparently, Barbra is still ensconced in L.A., working diligently on THE MOVIE ALBUM. It's due Oct. 14th, ya know!

01-Aug-03

Reissued JUST FOR THE RECORD Box Set

I talked to the folks at Legacy, the Sony label that re-released the JUST FOR THE RECORD (JFTR) box set on July 1, 2003. I was curious as to why the re-release happened.

JFTR was released in 1991 in a large pink box. Columbia repackaged the set in 1998 so it would fit on your cd rack more easily - the box and booklet were downsized.

So why did Legacy repackage the set in the large pink box again? My contact at Legacy says "our retailers told us customers preferred that configuration. Customers requested it from retailers and retailers requested it from us." It's nice to know that the record companies listen!

But why the Legacy label? "It now carries a "Legacy" logo because Legacy oversaw the configuration of the box."

Mystery solved - for those who were wondering. Many thanks to the Legacy folks who helped!

The box, incidentally, is for sale at the Sony Store. MORE >>

26-July-03

Warner DVD CONTEST

69 people entered the contest, but there was only ONE WINNER.

The Winner of the Warner Brothers 4-DVD Set is: CHRIS YANDEK in Florida!! Congratulations, Chris! Thanks to all who entered and visited The Barbra Archives. Look here for more giveaways in the future.
The WARNER BROTHERS STREISAND COLLECTION! 4 films (Nuts, Main Event, What's Up Doc?, and Sandbox) all on REGION ONE DVDs.

* Special thanks to CARL SAMROCK PUBLIC RELATIONS and WARNER BROTHERS for the Box Set.

18-Jul-03

MOVIE ALBUM SONG LIST REVEALED

... WARNING ... SPOILERS : Don't Read if you want to be surprised!

Playbill posted what looks like a list of the tracks on Barbra's upcoming MOVIE ALBUM. None are confirmed at this point except "Smile". We have three months to go before the album is released ... things could change. But if you're curious ... MORE >> .

20-Jul-03

Ironic Casting: Jim to Play Reagan

In what is a very ironic casting move, CBS has hired James Brolin to play ... Ronald Reagan.

17-Jul-03

Cookin' with Barbra?

Barbra Streisand is contributing a recipe to Bill Clinton's cookbook, to raise funds for Clinton's library foundation. The book is published next month and is available on the foundation's website.

http://www.clintonpresidentialcenter.com/

15-Jul-2003

Barbra *not* Singing! (in Africa, that is...)

No, Barbra is not performing at Nelson Mandela's 85th birthday party in Johannesburg this upcoming weekend. Barbra's spokesman, Dick Guttman, confirmed that Barbra is, instead, working very hard on her upcoming album and, although she is a friend of Mr. Mandela, will not be attending his celebration. Mr. Guttman also said the new album is due October 14th -- only three months away! Release dates can change, of course, but mark your calendars now!

ON A CLEAR DAY ... can you see the DVD?

With all the DVD excitement around these days - DOLLY from Fox, and the box set from Warner Bros. - I checked with Paramount about the status of ON A CLEAR DAY. (see 6/29 news below...) I don't want to rain on your parade, but don't look for a CLEAR DAY DVD until at least next year. My contact at Paramount confirmed they are definitely eager to release it (and other musicals) and there are supporters for getting it out. There are the typical "rights and clearances" issues to deal with, however. When I asked about bonus features and explained that fans are eager to see some of the cut footage, there was no firm answer about that. Paramount's home video policy is to get a theatrical version of a film out to the market and deal with "special versions" as the film warrants. In any case, CHICAGO has definitely helped spur the release of many musicals onto DVD. Hopefully, in 2004, Paramount will reward eagerly-waiting Streisand fans with her reincarnation musical!

03-July-2003

Barbra Still The Top - According to Smithsonian Magazine

In this little tidbit (click here for original article), Barbra is still the top of some people's list!

"Defining America... Just in time for the Fourth of July, Smithsonian magazine has released the results of a holiday-related reader survey. Quite appropriately, we think, the American flag topped the list of symbols survey takers believe best define America. Runner-up symbols included the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Statue of Liberty. The poll also asked which composer would be best suited to create a new national anthem. John Williams, who has written many film scores, topped the list. And what singer should introduce the new anthem, if it were written? Heading the list of preferred artists was Barbra Streisand."

08-June-2003

Barbra #1 on VH-1

Try to catch 25 Greatest Rock Star Cameos on VH-1 ... Barbra places first for her cameo on the Coffee Talk sketch on Saturday Night Live.

04-June-2003

Mike Melvoin on Movie Album Sessions

In a brief email correspondence, Pianist/Composer Mike Melvoin told me that Barbra is sounding "great," that he absolutely has a good time working on her recording sessions, but does not get a chance to "hang out" between takes. "She is just the best," he said.

At this stage of the recording process, studio folks are pretty tight-lipped. As a recording artist, they honor the recording process and don't say much about what goes on in sessions -- especially when the album is months away. At this point the creative process is still happening.

May 31, 2003

Streisand sues photographer over arial photos of her home

MORE >>

May 28, 2003

Smile

(UPI) By Pat Nason UPI Hollywood Reporter From the Life & Mind Desk Published 5/28/2003 1:34 PM

NEW BARBRA STREISAND ALBUM? Gossip columnist Liz Smith reported Wednesday that Barbra Streisand is recording a new album, featuring her favorite movie songs. One song included in the set is the bitter-sweet "Smile," composed by Charlie Chaplin for "Modern Times." Smith said the song is especially meaningful for Streisand, because she recorded it two days after her dog Sammy -- a white Bichon Frisé -- died of cancer. Streisand picked up the dog at a Los Angeles pet shop in 1994, two days before the shop was destroyed in the Northridge earthquake.

copyright © 2003-2007 Matt Howe