FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AN INSPIRATIONAL ALBUM FOR ALL SEASONS, ARTIST'S NEW RECORD IS FIRST STUDIO COLLECTION SINCE 1999'S PLATINUM-SELLING 'A LOVE LIKE OURS'
In Stores Tuesday, October 30
NEW YORK -- Columbia Records will release Christmas Memories, the new album from Barbra Streisand, on Tuesday, October 30. Christmas Memories is the artist's first full-length studio album since 1999's platinum-selling A Love Like Ours and her first new recording since her 1999-2000 New Year's Eve millennium performances captured on Timeless - Live In Concert. Christmas Memories is Streisand's first seasonal collection since A Christmas Album, which has been certified 5x platinum by the RIAA and has re-entered the charts each year since its release in 1967.
An album of inspirational music for all seasons, Christmas Memories is "lovingly dedicated" by Barbra Streisand to Stephan Weiss -- the husband of designer Donna Karan and a close friend of Streisand's--who passed away last June. One of the album's most moving new songs, "Closer," is discussed by Streisand in her notes to the album: "Dean Pitchford and Tom Snow had written a new love song for me, about wanting to be 'closer' to that special someone at Christmas. It was a beautiful melody, but I wanted something more personal -- about losing someone you love. Dean agreed to revisit his lyric, and what he came up with perfectly captured what I wanted to say."
Christmas Memories includes "I Remember," an early Stephen Sondheim composition originally written for a television musical called Evening Primrose. Though initially a non-holiday composition, Streisand asked Sondheim to "add a verse to make it more appropriate for this album. He brilliantly turned it into a kind of remembrance of Christmas' past."
On Streisand's first holiday record, she performed "Ave Maria," the melody composed by the 19th century French composer Charles Gounod. She revisits "Ave Maria" on Christmas Memories, this time drawing on the melody written by the Austrian composer Franz Schubert in 1825. "Its deeply devotional melody resonates no matter what religion you may be," Streisand has written in the album's notes.
The universality of faith and spirit is again addressed on her powerfully moving performance of "One God," the track closing "Christmas Memories." Streisand first heard the song at the age of 16 on Good Night, Dear Lord, a spiritual album recorded by Johnny Mathis in 1958. "The message is that no matter what God you may pray to -- love and compassion is the basis of all religion," writes Streisand. "Each of us is connected to this family of man. This is something I truly believe in ... unity and oneness. It seemed like an especially meaningful thought during these holidays ... and a good way to end the album."
Christmas Memories was recorded July 19, 2001 - September 7, 2001 and mixed -- except for "It Must Have Been The Mistletoe" and "Grown-Up Christmas List" -- by David Reitzas at Grandma's House in Malibu. The majority of "Christmas Memories" was recorded live, in the studio, with a 90-piece orchestra. The album was recorded and mixed at: Grandma's House, Malibu; Sony Pictures Studios, Inc., Culver City; Todd-AO Scoring, Studio City; Chartmaker Studios, Malibu; O'Henry Sound Studio, Burbank; Encore Studios, Burbank; The Hop North, No. Vancouver, BC.
The executive producers for Christmas Memories are Barbra Streisand and Jay Landers. In his own liner notes for the album, Landers has written:
"For Barbra, the creative challenge of this collection is, once again, balancing the traditional with the contemporary ... finding something unique to express ... discovering melodies and lyrics in newer songs which can easily rest beside the acknowledged standards ... seeking untapped beauty in the oft-visited evergreens. Being mostly drawn to material which evokes a bittersweet, wistful longing, she's chosen to interpret the work of several of the best practitioners of popular song -- Johnny Mandel, Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Don Costa, Frank Loesser, Stephen Sondheim and others ... .
"In this day and age when the true spirit of the holidays is sometimes lost amidst a frenzy of commercialization, it's nice to know that certain gifts will last long beyond the greeting cards and colorful wrapping paper. Some things are of our time ... and some are for all time. This disc is one of those -- music to enjoy not only at Christmas, but throughout the year ... a precious expression from the heart -- by one of creations' greatest gifts ... Barbra Streisand."
CHRISTMAS MEMORIES
1. I'LL BE HOME FOR
CHRISTMAS
Written by Buck Ram, Walter
Kent, Kim Gannan
Produced by Barbra Streisand
& William Ross
2. A CHRISTMAS LOVE SONG
Written by Alan & Marilyn
Bergman and Johnny Mandel
Produced by Barbra Streisand
3. WHAT ARE YOU DOING NEW
YEAR'S EVE?
Written by Frank Loesser
Produced by Barbra Streisand
& William Ross
4. I REMEMBER
Written by Stephen Sondheim
Produced by Barbra Streisand
& William Ross
5. SNOWBOUND
Written by Russell Faith &
Clarence Kehner
Produced by Barbra Streisand
& William Ross
6. IT MUST HAVE BEEN THE
MISTLETOE
Written by Douglas Konecky
& Justin Wilde
Produced by Robbie Buchanan
& Barbra Streisand
7. CHRISTMAS LULLABY
Written by Ann Hampton
Callaway
Produced by Barbra Streisand
8. CHRISTMAS MEM'RIES
Written by Alan & Marilyn
Bergman and Don Costa
Produced by Barbra Streisand
9. GROWN-UP CHRISTMAS LIST
Written by David Foster &
Linda Thompson
Produced by David Foster
10. AVE MARIA
Op. 52 No. 6 (Franz
Schubert)
Produced by Barbra
Streisand & William Ross
11. CLOSER
Written by Tom Snow
& Dean Pitchford
Produced by Barbra
Streisand & William Ross
12. ONE GOD
Written by Ervin Drake
& Jimmy Shirl
Produced by Barbra
Streisand & William Ross