Barbra Streisand - The Way We Were (1973)

March 16, 1974 - 47 Years Ago Today: Barbra Streisand began a two-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Chart with her album, "The Way We Were." The album was released in January 1974 to capitalize on the title track that was soaring up the Billboard Hot 100 and AC Charts. After the album's initial release, the film's producer, Ray Stark, sued Columbia Records because it competed with the Rastar motion picture soundtrack also released in January 1974 which contained two Streisand versions of the song as well as the original score by Marvin Hamlisch. Stark won the lawsuit and the name of Streisand's studio album was changed from "The Way We Were," with the title removed from the album cover to "Featuring the hit singles The Way We Were and All In Love Is Fair" which appeared on the spine of the album. It was an odd title but in an ironic twist, it also boosted sales as the latter song was an immediate classic from Stevie Wonder's enormously successful 1973 No. 1 album, "Innervisions" which had recently earned the Grammy for Album of the Year. The 10-track Streisand album contained six previously recorded songs (most recorded for her 1970 album, "The Singer," which was shelved for the more contemporary, "Stoney End") and some songs which appeared on the new album were recorded as far back as five years in 1969. The four newly recorded tracks on the album were the Carole King-penned, "Being At War With Each Other," the Paul Simon-penned, "Something So Right," the title track (lyrics: Alan & Marilyn Bergman with music by Marvin Hamlisch) and the aforementioned Stevie Wonder song. Other highlights include, "Pieces Of Dreams," "My Buddy/How About Me (Medley)" and the Streisand classic, "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?" For a mish-mash of six unreleased tracks and four new recorded tracks, the album is ironically one of Streisand's finest and most cohesive thanks to producers Tommy LiPuma, Marty Paich and Wally Gold. It is considered a favorite and a classic among Streisand aficionados as well as the general public. "The Way We Were" was Streisand's second No. 1 album in nearly a decade since 1964's "People." She scored her next No. 1 albums in 1977, 1979, 1980, 1986, 1993, 1997, 2009, 2014 and 2016 giving her the record of having a No. 1 album in six consecutive decades. Streisand has the most No. 1 albums for a female artist (11) and is the only female recording artist on Billboard's Top Ten album artists of all time. Streisand was the recipient of the Grammy Legend Award in 1992, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995, the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors in 2008, MusiCares Person of the Year in 2011 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. Sadly, producer Tommy LiPuma died on March 13, 2017, at the age of 80. Please click the following link to view the accompanying video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5SkBKE4gss