“The Way We Were” stands as one of the most beloved and recognizable songs in popular music history. Released as a single by Columbia Records in September 1973, backed with “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?”, this track quickly ascended to the pinnacle of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. By February 2, 1974, it claimed the #1 spot, holding it for an impressive three weeks and marking a monumental achievement in Barbra Streisand’s career – her very first number-one single.
Penned for the eponymous motion picture, “The Way We Were” was lauded by its creators, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, not just for its immediate hit status but for its profound impact through Streisand’s masterful rendition. The Bergmans highlighted, “It’s the first song we’ve ever written for a motion picture which immediately jumped out and became a hit. What pleases us even more is that it became popular as a result of a brilliant recording by Barbra Streisand.”
Interestingly, the single version of “The Way We Were Song” presents a unique listening experience compared to the album version. Streisand’s vocal nuances differ slightly in the single release, a version that, despite its initial prominence, has been somewhat overshadowed over time by the album version, often featured on “Greatest Hits” compilations.
As “The Way We Were” theme resonated across radio waves, the film starring Streisand and Robert Redford debuted in theaters in October 1973. Columbia Records, emboldened by the success of The Graduate soundtrack, envisioned a similar album for The Way We Were, showcasing Marvin Hamlisch’s score and Streisand’s vocal performances on the opening and closing themes.
However, Streisand’s ambition extended beyond a mere soundtrack tie-in. She crafted a dedicated studio album, also titled The Way We Were, which included the distinct pop single version of the title track. In a productive session on December 14, 1973, at United Recorders in Los Angeles, with producer Tommy Lipuma and arrangements by Nick DeCaro, Streisand recorded three new songs: “All In Love Is Fair,” “Something So Right,” and “Being At War With Each Other.” Notably, a fourth song from this session, “Make the Man Love Me,” penned by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, remains unreleased, adding a layer of intrigue for fans.
The The Way We Were album was enriched further by incorporating previously unreleased tracks salvaged from earlier recording endeavors. Songs like “The Best Thing You’ve Ever Done,” “What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?”, “Summer Me, Winter Me,” “I’ve Never Been A Woman Before,” and “My Buddy / How About Me” – all produced by Wally Gold and arranged by Peter Matz – found a new home on this album. These tracks originated from sessions in 1969 and 1970 for a project Barbra had envisioned as The Singer, an album that was ultimately shelved.
Alan Bergman recounted the intimate genesis of “What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?”, sharing, “Barbra came over for dinner, and we had just finished the song that day. It was on the piano and she passed the piano and saw the title — Michel [Legrand] was staying with us — and she said, ‘I like the title, can I hear it?’ So we sang it to her and she said, ‘Let me hear it again.’ She said, ‘Let me sing it.’ We have on tape the first time she sang it and it’s all there, every nuance.” This anecdote provides a glimpse into the organic and collaborative nature of Streisand’s artistry.
Columbia Records released both the soundtrack and the studio album in January 1974. The studio album resonated strongly with audiences, climbing to #1 on the Top 200 Albums Chart in March and maintaining a top-ten position for four additional weeks. “The Way We Were song” not only secured Barbra Streisand’s first number one single but also solidified the The Way We Were album as her second chart-topping album, cementing its place in music history.
