1. Background and recording

2. Music and lyrics

3. Singles

4. Critical reception

5. Commercial performance

6. Track listing

7. Personnel

8. Charts and certifications
     Weekly charts    Certifications  

9. References
     Citations    Bibliography  

10. External links

ButterFly is the sixteenth studio album by American singer Barbra Streisand. It was released on October 1, 1974 by Columbia Records. After releasing The Way We Were earlier in 1974, a collection predominantly consisting of previously released songs, Streisand recorded her first album of entirely new material in over three years. Recorded throughout 1974 and primarily a contemporary pop record, it also incorporates music from the reggae and R&B genres. All of the tracks on ButterFly are cover songs produced by Streisand's then-boyfriend Jon Peters, originating from artists like Bob Marley, David Bowie, Evie Sands, and Graham Nash.

The album received mixed reviews from music critics who questioned whether or not Peters' experience in the music industry was enough for him to produce an entire album. However, Tom Scott's involvement with the album was praised, particularly his position as an arranger. In a 1991 interview on Larry King Live, Streisand revealed that ButterFly was her least favorite album in her music catalog. Commercially, the album peaked in the lower positions of Australia, Canada, and the United States. It would later be certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for physical shipments exceeding 500,000 copies. "Guava Jelly" and "Jubilation" were released as the album's two singles in December 1974 and April 1975, respectively.

Background and recording

Earlier in January 1974, Streisand released The Way We Were and the official soundtrack to the film The Way We Were (1973), both of which were commercially successful, with the former album selling over 2 million copies in the United States. The Way We Were predominantly featured material from Streisand's unreleased album The Singer, with only three tracks recorded specifically for the new project.^[1] ButterFly was Streisand's first album of completely new material in over three years and was produced solely by her then-boyfriend, Jon Peters.^[3][2] Due to Peters' minimal experience in the music industry, it was suggested by AllMusic's William Ruhlmann that the album's overall sound was orchestrated more by saxophonist Tom Scott rather than Peters.^[3] Streisand also collaborated with several composers and musicians for ButterFly, including John Bahler, Hank Cicalo, John Guerin, and Clarence McDonald.^[6]

Recording sessions for the album took place at A&M Studios and United-Western Recorders in Los Angeles between March and July 1974. "I Won't Last a Day Without You", "Since I Don't Have You", and "Crying Time" were the first tracks to be recorded, all during a session on March 25, 1974 at United-Western. The remaining tracks were all recorded throughout July 1974 at A&M Studios. Scott and composer Lee Holdridge handled the arrangement of the ten tracks, while John Bahler arranged the horns and vocal production.^[7] Streisand and Columbia Records released ButterFly on October 1, 1974 as her sixteenth studio album overall, distributed months after The Way We Were.^[3] The same label issued the album as an 8-track cartridge in 1974, with the track listing switching the order of "Jubilation" and "Crying Time" around.^[10] The album was later released in a compact disc format on October 25, 1990.^[4]

Music and lyrics

On ButterFly, Streisand departed from the pop and rock influences that were strong on her previous efforts and instead relied more on a variety of experimental, contemporary pop music.^[3][13] The singer also explored the reggae and classic R&B genres that were, at the time, popular on mainstream radio.^[14] The album opens with a "seductive"^[5] version of "Love in the Afternoon", a song originally performed by American singer Evie Sands earlier in 1974.^[6][7] It was written by Sands, Ben Geminaro, and Richard Wiseman; production of "Love in the Afternoon" and all songs on ButterFly were solely handled by Peters.^[6] "Guava Jelly" is track two and a cover of Bob Marley's 1971 single. One of the reggae songs on the album,^[8] it features "risqué lyrics" that suggest that guava jelly could be used as a type of sexual lubricant.^[9][10] Bill Withers's R&B ballad "Grandma's Hands" follows and is primarily a "gospel-flavored" song.^[5][11] Lyrically, it details a woman who shares a strong bond with her grandmother.^[12] "I Won't Last a Day Without You" is the fourth track and a cover of the Carpenters' 1974 single; it was written by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols.^[6] The album's second and final single, "Jubilation", was a song made famous by Paul Anka in 1972. In response to Streisand's rendition of the track, Anka questioned her decision to have Peters produce but remarked, "Barbra can sing the phone book. She has no problem singing anything. She's got one of the great voices".^[13]

Track six is "Simple Man", originally performed by Graham Nash for his debut album, Songs for Beginners (1971). Written about an individual getting over a bad relationship, Nash wrote the song immediately after breaking up with his then-girlfriend Joni Mitchell.^[14] David Bowie's "Life on Mars" is the seventh track, also written by Bowie.^[6] During an interview with Playboy in 1975, Bowie was asked what he thought regarding Streisand's cover; disappointed, he claimed that it was "bloody awful" and "atrocious".^[15] The preceding track ("Since I Don't Have You") was written by seven of the band members from the Skyliners and advertised as a "classic" on ButterFly.^[16] "Crying Time" and "Let the Good Times Roll" finish off the record, serving as the ninth and tenth tracks, respectively. The former song was written by Buck Owens, originally performed by Ray Charles, and previously recorded by Streisand during a live television special called Barbra Streisand…and Other Musical Instruments in 1973. Author Francis David compared Streisand's vocal capabilities on the track to those of Aretha Franklin's.^[17] Meanwhile, "Let the Good Times Roll" is a cover of the 1956 Shirley & Lee original. Written by Leonard Lee and Shirley Goodman, Goodman does not receive a writing credit on the album's official liner notes and would later take Lee to federal court to receive credit.^[18]

Singles

The album's lead single "Guava Jelly" was released as a 7" record on December 16, 1974, two months after the release of ButterFly.^[19] It was paired with "Love in the Afternoon" and "Life on Mars" as a B-side track in the United States and the Netherlands, respectively.^[19][20] "Jubilation" was the record's second and final single, released in April 1975 by Columbia in the same physical formats as "Guava Jelly".^[21] On the Germany release of "Jubilation", it would be paired with B-side "Crying Time",^[22] but the Canada and United States versions featured "Let the Good Times Roll" instead.^[21]

Critical reception

Ben Gerson from Rolling Stone called the songs on the album "forgettable" and "unconvincing". He also criticized Streisand's authenticity when singing lyrics that he considered "meaningless from the lips of an American".^[25] Because of the lackluster response generated from the record, Streisand decided to work with new musicians on her following album, Lazy Afternoon (1975). Her decision pleased both critics and her fans, who felt that the new album was stronger than ButterFly.^[26] Years later in 1991, Streisand took to Larry King Live and announced her complete displeasure with ButterFly and the songs on it. She deemed it as her least favorite album and joked that she would like to withdraw it from her catalog altogether.^[27][28]

Commercial performance

In the United States, ButterFly debuted at number 72 on the Billboard 200 chart for the week ending November 16, 1974.^[29] The following week it rose to number 52 and on January 4, 1975, it reached its peak position at number 13.^[30][31] The record spent a total of 24 consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200. ButterFly was commercially less successful than its predecessor, which topped the Billboard 200. However, due to the album's strong sales, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified ButterFly gold on January 6, 1975 for physical shipments exceeding 500,000 copies. In Canada, the album peaked at a slightly higher position. It debuted on the list, compiled by RPM, at number 92 on November 23, 1974,^[32] and 11 weeks later it would peak at number 11 on February 15, 1975. In total, it spent 17 weeks charting in that country.^[33] It also charted in Australia, where it peaked at number 49 according to the Kent Music Report.^[56]

Track listing

All tracks produced by Jon Peters.^[34]

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the CD edition of ButterFly.^[36]

• Barbra Streisand{{spaced ndash}} vocals, backing vocals
• John Bahler{{spaced ndash}} horn and vocal arrangements {{small|(tracks 2, 3, 7, 10)}}
• Ben Benay{{spaced ndash}} guitar
• Max Bennett{{spaced ndash}} bass guitar
• Larry Carlton{{spaced ndash}} guitar
• Hank Cicalo{{spaced ndash}} engineer {{small|(tracks 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 10)}}
• Gary Coleman{{spaced ndash}} percussion
• King Errisson{{spaced ndash}} congas
• Carl Furuta{{spaced ndash}} front photography
• John Guerin{{spaced ndash}} drums
• Lee Holdridge{{spaced ndash}} arrangements {{small|(tracks 4, 8, 9)}}
• Michael Lietz{{spaced ndash}} engineer {{small|(tracks 4, 8, 9)}}
• Clarence McDonald{{spaced ndash}} keyboards
• Jon Peters{{spaced ndash}} production, art direction, album design
• Steve Schapiro{{spaced ndash}} inside photography
• Tom Scott{{spaced ndash}} arrangements {{small|(tracks 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 10)}}, woodwind, flute, tenor saxophone
• Bill Shirley{{spaced ndash}} back cover artwork

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Certifications

References

Citations

Bibliography

• {{cite book|last1=Anka|first1=Paul|authorlink1=Paul Anka|last2=Dalton|first2=David|title=My Way: An Autobiography|date=April 9, 2013|publisher=St. Martin's Press |ref=harv|isbn= 1-250-03520-1 }}
• {{cite book|last1=Clemente|first1=John|title=Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World|date=2013|publisher=AuthorHouse |ref=harv|isbn= 1-4772-7633-5 }}
• {{cite book|last1=Cozolino|first1=Louis J.|title=The Healthy Aging Brain: Sustaining Attachment, Attaining Wisdom|date=2008|publisher=W. W. Norton & Company |ref=harv|isbn= 0-393-70513-7 }}
• {{cite book|last1=Davis|first1=Francis|title=Bebop and Nothingness: Jazz and Pop at the End of the Century|date=February 22, 2012|publisher=Music Sales Group |ref=harv|isbn= 0-85712-766-7 }}
• {{cite book|last1=Edwards|first1=Anne|title=Streisand: A Biography|date=February 15, 2016|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |ref=harv|isbn= 1-63076-129-X }}
• {{cite book|last1=Guillory|first1=Monique|last2=Green|first2=Richard|title=Soul: Black Power, Politics, and Pleasure|date= 1998|publisher=NYU Press |ref=harv|isbn= 0-8147-3084-1 |edition = illustrated }}
• {{cite book|last1=Nickens|first1=Christopher|last2=Swenson|first2=Karen|title=The Films of Barbra Streisand|date=2000|publisher=Citadel Press |ref=harv|isbn= 0-8065-1954-1 |edition= illustrated }}
• {{cite book|last1=Pohly|first1=Linda|title=The Barbra Streisand Companion: A Guide to Her Vocal Style and Repertoire|date=January 1, 2000|publisher=Greenwood Press |ref=harv|isbn= 0-313-30414-9 |edition= illustrated }}
• {{cite book|last1=Santopietro|first1=Tom|title=The Importance of Being Barbra: The Brilliant, Tumultuous Career of Barbra Streisand|date=April 1, 2007|publisher=Macmillan |ref=harv|isbn= 1-4299-0853-X }}
• {{cite book|last1=Stoddart|first1=Mervin|title=Bob Marley's Lyrics: Understanding and Explaining Their Pedagogical Value|date=2007|publisher=ProQuest |ref=harv|isbn= 0-549-31536-5 }}
• {{cite book|last1=Waldman|first1=Allison J.|title=The Barbra Streisand Scrapbook|date=2001|publisher=Citadel Press|ref=harv|isbn= 0-8065-2218-6 |edition= illustrated, revised}}

External links

• {{Discogs master|74250|ButterFly|type=album}}

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