Streisand on Radio
In this age of the internet, it is interesting to look at Barbra Streisand's appearances on commercial radio broadcasts over the years.
At the beginning of her career, Barbra was usually a “talk guest,” speaking live from the radio station. Later, special radio programs were created to publicize her newest album or film.
Below is a list of Streisand's radio appearances.
[* Scans or photographs of labels, boxes, cue sheets, etc. are welcome and needed for this page. Contact matt [at] barbra-archives [dot] com with scans! Thank you!]
| Radio Show | Channel | Date | Notes, etc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Jack Harris Show | WJR, Detroit | Feb. 24, 1961 | Streisand's first time on radio. |
| Guest House | Detroit | Feb. 28, 1961 | Streisand sang on the radio, as well as particpated as a talk guest. According to the auction of Barry Dennen's original Streisand tapes, the following songs were sung on these three Detroit radio shows: * A Taste of Honey * Cry Me A River * Sleepin' Bee * Lover Come Back to Me * When the Sun Comes Out * Soon It's Gonna Rain * Moanin' * Sleepin' Bee * Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? |
| The Jack Harris Show | WJR, Detroit | April 14, 1961 |
| Radio Show | Channel | Date | Notes, etc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backstage with Lee Jordan | Syndicated | September, 1962 | Wholesale interview; this interview also appeared on the 1965 album, The Magic of Musical Comedy. |
| Radio Show | Channel | Date | Notes, etc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larry King, “Miami Undercover” | WPST, Miami | March, 1963 | The Eden Roc Hotel in Miami Beach, where Streisand was appearing at the time, requested the interview to try to get her some exposure. King recalled: “At the end she says to me: ‘You don’t know me now, but someday you’re going to know me.’ ” |
| WBBM | Chicago, IL | June 13, 1963 | During her run at Mister Kelly's, Tony Weitzel interviewed Barbra Streisand on his show.
|
| Bob Crane Show | KNX, Los Angeles, CA | * unknown | Barbra Streisand (probably in L.A. to film The Dinah Shore Show) commented on the inception of her singing career and her new apartment in New York City. |
| Radio Show | Channel | Date | Notes, etc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robbins Nest | WNEW-AM, New York | March 28, 1964 | Hosted by Fred Robbins. The opening of Ray Stark's Funny Girl on Broadway. Robbins interviews Barbra backstage; live audio of “People” from opening night; From the Rainbow Room opening night party, Robbins interviews Ben Hecht, Sophie Tucker, Leonard Sillman, Jason Robards, Lauren Bacall, Ray Stark, Frank Farrell (NY World Telegram), Jule Styne, Bob Merrill, and Diana Kind (Streisand's mother). |
| People, open-ended interview | Columbia Records promotional album | Sept., 1964 | 30 minutes. Produced by Fred Robbins (Robbins’ Nest Productions)
|
| Let's Talk to Lucy | CBS | Sept., 1964 | Lucille Ball's radio program consisted of daily 10-minute talks with celebrity guests and lasted one season.
 |
| Radio Show | Channel | Date | Notes, etc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malcolm Davis | BBC (UK) | Oct., 1965 | |
| Christmas Seals Campaign 1965 | Syndicated | Dec., 1965 |
|
| Radio Show | Channel | Date | Notes, etc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meet Barbra Streisand | BBC (UK) | April 8, 1966 | Listen here >> |
| Mies en Scene | Netherlands Radio | May 14, 1966 | |
| Radio Show | Channel | Date | Notes, etc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funny Girl Open End Radio Special Interview Platter | Columbia Records promotional album | Sept., 1968 |
|
| Radio Show | Channel | Date | Notes, etc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hello, Dolly! interview | 20th Century Fox promotional album | Dec., 1969 | Hour-long radio special. Featuring Barbra Streisand and special guests. Documentary Open End (for use with local DJ-Commentator). READ MORE HERE >>  |
| Radio Show | Channel | Date | Notes, etc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open House | BBC (UK) | March 18, 1976 | Funny Lady interview |
| Radio Show | Channel | Date | Notes, etc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbra Streisand: In Her Words & Music | RKO | Dec. 26, 1976 | Listen to the show here >> |
| Radio Show | Channel | Date | Notes, etc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.G. Kelly telephone interview | 93 KHJ, Los Angeles | May, 1977 | Kelly, a popular L.A. radio D.J., landed the role of the venomous D.J. "Bebe Jesus" in Streisand's 1976 film, A Star is Born. Streisand telephoned the station to discuss her new single, “My Heart Belongs To Me”. Listen online (Barbra is third from top) >> |
| Radio Show | Channel | Date | Notes, etc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Barbra Streisand Special | ABC | June 24, 1979 | Produced by Leslie Corn for ABC Entertainment Radio Network. Executive Producer: Richard Foreman. Hosted by Hy Agens. 51-minute show featured Streisand and associates introducing 12 Streisand songs, and aired on 400 stations. |
| Radio Show | Channel | Date | Notes, etc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Legend of Barbra Streisand | Westwood One/Columbia | Nov., 1983 | Released to radio stations in 1983 to promote Yentl, this 2-LP interview album contained excerpts from Streisand's most popular song hits. Read more here >> |
| Radio Show | Channel | Date | Notes, etc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbra Streisand: Portrait of an Artist | Westwood One/Columbia | Feb. 10, 1992 | 2-1/2 hour radio show with songs from Streisand's Just For The Record box set. |
| Simon Bates interview | BBC Radio 1 (UK) | Feb. 21, 26, 27, 1992 | Listen to excerpts here >> |
| Gloria Hunniford interview | BBC Radio 2 (UK) | March, 1992 | Read more & listen here >> |
| Radio Show | Channel | Date | Notes, etc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbra: The Concert (final four songs) | WLTW-FM, New York | July 12, 1994 | |
| Radio Show | Channel | Date | Notes, etc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delilah | Syndicated, U.S. | Dec. 12, 2002 and Jan. 23, 2003 | |
| The Michel Legrand Story | BBC Radio 2 (UK) | May 3, 2003 | Streisand contributed a few comments to this radio special about Legrand. |
| Morning Edition | National Public Radio | October 13, 2003 | Barbra Streisand on Singing, Music and the Movies. Susan Stamberg interviews Streisand on the release of The Movie Album. Listen online >> |
| The Song Show | BBC Radio 2 (UK) | October 26, 2003 | Russell Davies presented Barbra Streisand on Radio 2. Streisand discussed her astonishing life and career. |
| Radio Show | Channel | Date | Notes, etc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbra's “Get Out and Vote” Radio Call-ins | KPRS in St. Louis, Missouri; WASN/WRBT/WGFT in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; KEZK in St. Louis Missouri; WIKY in Indiana; KPLV in Las Vegas, Nevada; and WYXB in Indianapolis, Indiana | Nov. 3, 2008 | Barbra participated in call-in interviews to local radio stations, encouraging people to go out and vote. Streisand took caller questions on five channels on Monday from roughly 4:00 p.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Radio Show | Channel | Date | Notes, etc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| An Inside Look at Streisand: The Concerts | [Promotional CD—1 hour show] | April, 2009 | Hosted by Valerie Knight, this one-hour radio special contained four segments of interviews and music and promoted the 3-DVD set Streisand: The Concerts. (Songs included: Starting Here, Starting Now; The Way We Were; Evergreen; Funny Girl; People; What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life?; The Music of the Night; Stoney End/Happy Days; and Don't Rain On My Parade).
|
| Barbra Streisand, Live At The Village Vanguard? | NPR, Weekend Edition | Sept. 25, 2009 | In a telephone interview from The Village Vanguard, proprietor Lorraine Gordon told host Scott Simon the story of Streisand's first appearance at the club. (4:56 minutes) Listen online >> |
| Barbra Streisand: The Way I Am | BBC Radio 2 | Oct. 3, 2009 | Paul Gambaccini spoke to Barbra Streisand about her new album Love Is The Answer. The interview was interwoven with recordings from Streisand's back catalogue, as she reflected on past achievements and talked about the process of recording a double album with Diana Krall's jazz quartet and the orchestral arranger Johnny Mandel. (2 hours) |
| Love Is The Answer 2 Disc Interview Q&A Promo CD | [Promo CD] | Sept., 2009 | A two disc promo-only interview CD.
Barbra discusses her new album, including the creative process that went into the production and repertoire selection. Q&A by Jay Landers/A&R/Columbia Records.
CD One has 19 tracks and contains both questions & answers. CD Two contains 19 tracks (“answers only”, i.e. no questions). Package included 8 page cd booklet (insert). |
| Radio Show | Channel | Date | Notes, etc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbra Streisand Shows Off Her 'Passion For Design' | NPR, Weekend Edition Saturday | December 11, 2010 | Streisand discusses her new book, My Passion For Design. (10:03 minutes) Listen online >> |
| Radio Show | Channel | Date | Notes, etc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbra Streisand: From The Way We Were to The Way We Are | BBC Radio 2 | September 4, 2011 | From her home in Malibu, Barbra chats with Academy Award-winning lyricist Don Black. (1:30:00 minutes) Listen online >> |
| Radio Show | Channel | Date | Notes, etc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smiley & West | Public Radio International | April 20, 2012 | Streisand guested via telephone on this weekly program from PRI hosted by Cornel West & Tavis Smiley. The hosts interviewed Alan and Marilyn Bergman about their career; Streisand called in to discuss her dear friends. Listen online at www.smileyandwest.com or go to iTunes and download the Podcast. |
| Fresh Air | NPR | December 17, 2012 | Terry Gross gives us a thorough, 45-minute interview with Barbra Streisand, who was promoting her film, The Guilt Trip. |
Sources Used For This Page:
- BJS Music FAQ
- The Paley Center for Media
- Jorge Rodriguez Garcia
- Silvio Palmieri
- Helena den Ouden-Ton, Record Collector Guide Book 1962-1999
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