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What About Today? (1969)

Catalog Number(s):

• PC 9816 (LP, 1969)
• CK 47014 (CD)

(Above & below ) The LP front and back cover

(Below The front and back cover of the CD)

(Above) The back cover of the CD

Tracks

1. What About Today? [2:57]
   (D. Shire)
2. Ask Yourself Why [3:03]
   (M. Bergman / A. Bergman / M. Legrand)
3. Honey Pie [2:39]
   (J. Lennon / P. McCartney)
4. Punky's Dilemma [3:29]
   (P. Simon)
5. Until It's Time For You To Go [2:55]
   (B. Sainte-Marie)
6. That's A Fine Kind O' Freedom [3:02]
   (M. Charnin / H. Arlen)
7. Little Tin Soldier [3:53]
   (J. Webb)
8. With A Little Help From My Friends [2:40]
   (J. Lennon / P. McCartney)
9. Alfie [3:20]
   (H. David / B. Bacharach)
10. The Morning After [2:40]
    (D. Shire / R. Maltby, Jr.)
11. Goodnight [3:44]
    (J. Lennon / P. McCartney)

Individual track credits:

(mouse and click on each song to reveal the credits...)

About the Album

• Released July 1969
• Produced by Wally Gold
• Editing Engineer: Don Meehan
• Photos: Richard Avedon
• Liner Notes: Barbra Streisand

What About Today? was dedicated by Streisand to “the young people who push against indifference, shout down mediocrity, demand a better future, and who write and sing the songs of today.”

In an attempt to get the right mixture of contemporary and relevant songs, she recorded tracks for the album in March 1968, February 1969, and May 1969.

The title track and “The Morning After” were tunes by Richard Maltby and David Shire. Streisand had already recorded several of their songs, including “Autumn,” “No More Songs For Me,” and “Starting Here, Starting Now.”

“Ask Yourself Why” was written by Michele Legrand (with lyrics by the Bergmans) for a 1969 Italian-French film, La Piscine (The Swimming Pool), directed by Jacques Deray.

Streisand covered three songs by the Beatles (Lennon/McCartney).

“Punky's Dilemma” was written by Paul Simon for Mike Nichols’ film The Graduate but was unused. It ended up on the Simon & Garfunkel album Bookends.

“That's A Fine Kind O’ Freedom”—with lyrics by Martin Charnin—was written by Streisand's favorite composer, Harold Arlen. Barbra sang the song live in 1965 at a Broadway benefit (Broadway Answers Selma). The song aslo appeared—sung by Arlen himself—on the 1966 album Harold Sings Arlen (With Friend).

Unreleased Tracks

Barbra Streisand sang three versions of “One Day” in the studio. Peter Matz and Michel Legrand each tried to arrange it. The last version in May 1969 was arranged by David Shire. The song never made it onto a Streisand album. However, it was used in 1990’s Earth Day Special. The television special credits Jack Gold as the produceer and John Arias as the mixer. Since Jack Gold was the producer for all the tracks on What About Today?, one wonders if the Earth Day vocal was the one Streisand recorded in 1969?

Two other songs from the 1969 sessions which did not make it onto What About Today? are “Lost in Wonderland” and “Tomorrow I Will Bring You a Rose”.

“Wonderland” was a version of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s (“Girl From Ipanema”) song “Antigua” with English lyrics. Above is a page of Jobim's notebook in which he scribbled some notes about songs for Barbra. Antigua is one of them ... so is Chovendo na Roseira ("Double Rainbow"). Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra's names also appear in his notebook with song suggestions next to their names (Ana Luisa and Waters of March, respectively). Above Streisand's name Jobim wrote "Claus" ... Claus Ogerman (Classical Barbra) worked often with Jobim during the late 1960s. It's possible he arranged this track.

(Photo, above): Peter Matz and Streisand in the recording studio, circa 1969.

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: 9-6-69
• No. Weeks on Billboard 200 Albums Chart: 40
• Peak Chart Position: #31
• Gold/Platinum: none awarded

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.

Remastered CD

What About Today? was restored and remastered (along with new artwork) in October 1993 and part of Columbia Records' 11 Essential Barbra Streisand Releases. The master tapes were prepared for release by John Arrias (who put together the masters for Just For The Record). According to Columbia's publicity:

“The objective with each album was to restore the tapes to the quality of the original master recording. To do this in some cases, 30 years of noise had to be eliminated. John used his proprietary C.A.P. Noise Reduction System to eliminate hiss, distortion and noise. In each case great care was taken to maintain the integrity of the original albums.”

Columbia also recreated the packages using the original art or printing film.

Album Cover Outtakes

The amazing Richard Avedon photographed the cover and back cover images of Streisand. One photo from the session first appeared in Vogue (March 1968 issue). Below are outtakes.

End.

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