Superman (1977)
Catalog Number(s):
- JC 34830 (1977 LP)
- CK 34830 (CD)
This page: Tracks > About the Album > Unreleased Tracks > Billboard Charts > CD Packaging > Album Cover Outtakes
Tracks
- Superman [2:47]
(R. Snyder) - Don't Believe What You Read [3:37]
(B. Streisand / R. Nagle / G. Mathews) - Baby Me Baby [4:26] (R. Miller)
- I Found You Love [3:50] (A. Gordon)
- Answer Me [3:16]
(B. Streisand / P. Williams / K. Ascher) - My Heart Belongs To Me [3:21] (A. Gordon)
- Cabin Fever [3:14] (R. Nagle)
- Love Comes From Unexpected Places [4:10]
(K. Carnes / D. Ellingson) - New York State Of Mind [4:44] (B. Joel)
- Lullaby For Myself [3:17] (R. Holmes)
Individual track credits:
(mouse and click on each song to reveal the credits...)
Written by: Richie Snyder
Rhythm Arranged by: Larry Carlton
Strings & Horns Arranged by: Nick DeCaro
Written by: Ron Nagle, Scott Mathews, Barbra Streisand
Arranged by: Jack Nitzshe
Written by: Roger Miller
Arranged by: Jack Nitzshe
Written by: Alan Gordon
Arranged by: Charlie Calello
Written by: Barbra Streisand, Paul Williams, and Kenny Ascher
Arranged by: Nick DeCaro
Written by: Alan Gordon
Co-Produced and Arranged by: Charlie Calello
Written by: Ron Nagle
Arranged by: Jack Nitzsche
Written by: Kim Carnes & Dave Ellingson
Rhythm Arranged by: Larry Carlton
Strings & Horns Arranged by: Nick DeCaro
Written by: Billy Joel
Arranged by: Jack Nitzsche
Written by: Rupert Holmes
Rhythm Arranged by: Larry Carlton
Strings & Horns Arranged by: Nick DeCaro
About the Album
- Released June 1977
- Produced by: Gary Klein for the Entertainment Company
- All Songs Engineered by: Armin Steiner (except “Answer Me”: Tommy Vicari)
- Photos: Steve Schapiro
- Art Direction: Seiniger and Associates
Barbra started working with The Entertainment Company for her 1977 album, Superman. Comprised of producers Gary Klein and Charles Koppelman, The Entertainment Company promoted song catalogs, acquired major songs, and produced a series of hits in which superstar recording artists were paired together.
(photo, right): Streisand and Gary Klein in the recording studio.
Charles Koppelman described what he does as “listening to songs, hearing a song and feeling it would be right for a particular artist to sing, and convincing that artist that he or she should sing it. And then finding a producer to produce it, making sure the music comes out in a way that matches my original vision, the way I imagined it when I first heard it. It’s incredibly simple, and it’s incredibly difficult.”
Barbra started recording the album in April 1977. One month later, her record company released “My Heart Belongs To Me” as a single in advance of the new album. Columbia Records and Barbra put together a “publicity film” for “My Heart Belongs To Me.” It was shown at Columbia’s 1977 convention to industry insiders. Barbra lip-synched to the track. During the musical interlude, she “conducted” the orchestra, then started coughing from the smoke machines, all very comedic. At the end of the video, she spun toward the camera and made a funny face. (More on the music video here.)
Superman was a potpourri of various songs, plus two songs which were outtakes from A Star is Born —“Answer Me” by Streisand, Paul Williams, and Kenny Ascher; and “Lullaby For Myself” by Rupert Holmes.
“Love Comes From Unexpected Places” was written by Kim Carnes and her husband, Dave Ellingson.
Columnist Liz Smith wrote in August 1977:
Director Richard Brooks admits that Barbra Streisand offered to sing her hit “Love Comes From Unexpected Places” over the opening titles of his yet unseen, but eagerly anticipated movie, “Looking for Mr. Goodbar,” starring Diane Keaton. Richard graciously turned down the offer, feeling La Streisand would prove too powerful for the movie. But later, in thinking it over, Richard asked Barbra if she would sing the end credits. SHE turned THAT down ...
[For the record, singer Marlena Shaw recorded a different Mr. Goodbar them, “Don't Ask to Stay Until Tomorrow.”]
(Photo, above): Streisand and her manager/boyfriend Jon Peters in the recording studio looking over some sheet music for the SUPERMAN album.
Billy Joel wrote “New York State of Mind.” Joel commented on having Streisand record his song: “I thought, ‘This is one of the greatest woman singers ever, doing … me? Me?’ I really loved it, though, because it kind of finally made me legitimate in this business to my mother.”
“Don’t Believe What You Read” (B. Streisand / R. Nagle / G. Mathews) & “Cabin Fever” were both by Ron Nagle.
Scott Mathews and Ron Nagle formed a songwriter partnership called Proud Pork Productions. When producer Jack Nitzsche called to tell him Streisand wanted to record his song, Scott Mathews said, “It wasn’t the same thrill as hearing Al Green was interested, but it did build us a lovely new studio.”
“I Found You Love” by Alan Gordon also appeared on Cher’s 1977 album as a duet between her and Gregg Alman. Gordon’s most famous song is “Happy Together”.
(Photo, below) Two industry ads touting Superman's Platinum sales status.
Unreleased Tracks
Barbra did record a few songs that were not included on the album:
- “Try To Win a Friend” by Larry Gatlin (Barbra’s friend Johnny Mathis covered this song as well).
- “I Love Making Love to You” by Richard Germinaro, Evie Sands, and Benjamin Weisman. Germinaro had written “Love in the Afternoon” (Butterfly). Phil Ramone, who’s worked with Streisand for years, actually produced a session in which Karen Carpenter recorded this song for her first solo album.
- “Music Man” – probably the Paul Anka song, since Streisand had already recorded another Anka song, “Jubilation”, for her album Butterfly.
Billboard Charts
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine.
Here's the numbers for this Streisand album:
- Debut Chart Date: 7-2-77
- No. Weeks on Billboard 200 Albums Chart: 25
- Peak Chart Position: #3
- Gold: 6/22/77
- Platinum: 8/9/77
- 2x Multi-Platinum: 11/14/94
Gold: 500,000 units shipped
Platinum: 1 million units shipped.
Note: The record company must submit an album to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) where it undergoes a certification process to become eligible for an award. The process entails an independent sales audit, which calculates the quantity of singles or albums shipped for sale, net after returns. The audit surveys shipments to the entire music marketplace, including retail, record clubs, television sales, Internet orders and other ancillary markets. Based on the certification of these shipments, a title is awarded Gold, Platinum, Multi-Platinum or Diamond status. The data here comes directly from official sources, mainly the RIAA online database.
CD Re-Packaging Notes
Oy! When transferring the LP to CD, Columbia really ignored the details on Superman. The CD has been available for over 20 years and the original album's artwork has never been properly reproduced!
The LP, originally released in 1977, hot on the heels of Barbra's megahit, A Star is Born, featured a pull-out lyric sheet and a photo picture sleeve.
The picture sleeve (above) listed "Musicians and Friends", which has been omitted from the CD. Credited on the sleeve were Seiniger and Associates for the album's art direction (again, missing from the CD insert). Steve Schapiro's photo credit and Barbra's "special thanks to Charles Koppelman" are absent from the CD as well.
The Superman LP also came with a 4-page, foldout lyric sheet. (Pictured below: front and back of fold-out lyric sheet...)
The folded insert opened to reveal a center spread of Barbra in her Superman outfit (photos by Steve Schapiro). Noticeably missing from the CD are Barbra's liner notes, which appeared on this page of the original LP! Any Streisand fan who never owned the original LP has not been able to read Barbra's liner notes! I have reproduced them below:
@rchie, a Streisand fan from Italy, recently emailed me photographs of the European version of the Superman CD (international CBS edition, cat. number CDCBS 86030) from 1993.
The Euro-CD insert features all the pictures, notes, lyrics, credits and Barbra's thank-yous. There's even a blue-sky-with-clouds picture under the inlay tray of the jewel box (similar to the background of the cover photo session with Barbra in the sky)!
Album Cover Outtakes
Steve Schapiro shot Streisand in her Superman outfit. The photo session and album cover was inspired by a scene from A Star is Born in which Streisand wore a similar outfit and raised her arm in a triumphant pose:
Steve Schapiro told author Shaun Considine about photographing Streisand for the Superman album:
... the SUPERMAN cover was supposed to be a front view of [the STAR IS BORN pose]. But when we started to shoot at her home in Holmby Hills, it didn't look like it was going to be that terrific an image. So we fooled around and the one we eventually picked was only one of many pictures. Then she decided she needed a side view for a cutout, for the back of the album. So we did a matching session at Malibu. It was done with lights and seamless paper, and it took about an hour. It went fast because she looked great and felt great. Of course, she had final approval. Barbra owns mot of the shots I've taken of her. She's got boxes of them on file in her home...
Related Pages:
End.
| Next Streisand Album --> |
[ top of page ]
