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Columbia 66181 (CD) Original Release: November 11, 1997
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My plan was to sing a collection of songs that transcended any one religion, but spoke to the hearts of all persons of faith...
May these songs fill your soul with the breath of life and faith. - Barbra Streisand
[4:51]
[6:12]
Footnotes
Barbra's three-year inspirational album project began in January 1994 at the Arkansas funeral of Virginia Kelley, President Clinton's mother, with its beautiful, emotional, and uplifting songs, including Janice Sojstrand's rendition of "On Holy Ground," which gave Barbra a desire to sing that song and similar others. Preparing for the "On Holy Ground" recording sessions, Barbra provided producer-arranger Mervyn Warren (formerly of Take 6) with a tape recording from the funeral as a model for her gospel choir recording.
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Debuted at #1 on The Billboard 200 album chart dated 11-29-97, having sold 207,000 units in its initial week of release (based solely on SoundScan reports), significantly more than 1993's Back To Broadway (121,000) in its first week, when it also debuted at #1. This is Barbra's eighth #1 album and allowed her to pass The Beatles as the act with the longest span of #1 albums, 33 years since People hit #1 in 1964. For several years, she has been the only artist to achieve #1 albums in the '60s, '70s, '80s, and '90s. In addition Barbra is now third [behind The Beatles (17) and Elvis Presley and The Rolling Stones (9 each)] on the list of artists with the most #1 albums in the rock era. The weekend of 11/14, following Barbra's 20/20 TV appearance, sales were reported higher than on the first day of release. In its second week of release, which included Barbra's landmark appearance on The Rosie O'Donnell Show, the album maintained a top 10 position, increasing sales to 267,000 and moving only to #3. In its third week, the album sold 247,000, moving to #4 but outselling the previous week's #1 album. Week four yielded 232,000 units and back up to #3 behind holiday supersellers Garth Brooks (1) and Celine Dion (2). In week five the album sold an amazing 321,000+ copies, retaining its #3 chart position behnd similarly huge-selling Brooks and Dion. 465,000+ units moved during week six, holding the album steady at #3 according to SoundScan, despite the Billboard chart holiday hiatus. Week 7 kept the album at #3, with 402,000 units sold. The post-holiday sales declines of virtually all albums took Barbra's CD out of the top 10 during week 8 (ending 1/4/98). The album charted for 27 consecutive weeks, concluding at #145 on 5/30/98. Billboard's year-end Top Albums chart lists the album at #16 (Dec. 6, 1997 - Nov. 28, 1998).
On December 9th the album was RIAA-certified Gold (her 39th), Platinum (25th), and Double Platinum (12th multi-platinum). On December 22nd, the album received triple-platinum certification. Worldwide sales have exceeded six million.
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Jeremy Lubbock nominated for a Grammy in 1999 for instrumental arrangement with vocals on track 1; he did not win the award.
In November and December 1997 Barbra made TV appearances on the following programs: 20/20 (ABC, US), The Rosie O'Donnell Show (syndicated,
US, taped 11/19 & aired 11/21/97), Access Hollywood (syndicated, U.S.), GMTV (ITV, UK), and Exclusiv (RTL, Germany). MSNBC's retrospective Time & Again debuted its Streisand hour in November 1997. In May 1998 an hour interview special called Barbra Streisand: My Life aired on Australia's Nine Network. Two print interviews were published in The New York Times (11/11) and The Los Angeles Times (11/20).
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"Tell Him" pairs Barbra and then 29-year-old Celine Dion on a stunning ballad written for them by David Foster, his wife Linda Thompson, and Walter Afanasieff, and produced by David Foster and Walter Afanasieff. Born of their first meeting at the 1997 Academy Awards and Barbra's subsequent invitation to sing together, Barbra & Celine's momentous collaboration single, previously slated by 550 Music/Epic Records Group/Columbia to be available in stores November 4, 1997 on CD (36K 78740), cassette, and 7-inch vinyl, was cancelled in the U.S. Barbra and Celine fans looking forward to obtaining both the single and then the respective new albums containing the song can still try to obtain the import version, as the singles have been released overseas in Australia, Canada, throughout Europe, and in other countries (665305-2). Some U.S. stores have stocked the single. A 12-inch single (665205-6) containing four songs - the "Tell Him" radio edit and album version, Barbra's "Everything Must Change," and Celine's "Where Is The Love" - was manufactured in Holland and became available in Holland, France, and some other countries in November but is now out of print. To qualify the song for the 40th Grammy Awards, Sony Music did release a 7-inch vinyl single containing only "Tell Him" in late September/early October. It was spotted on shelves for a brief few days, while limited to specialty retailers, and is out of print (36 78737). Radio stations worldwide received the song via satellite at 9 p.m. ET on October 7 and shortly thereafter received a promo CD (BSK 3469) with two tracks - 1. Radio Edit (4:52) & 2. Album Version (4:50), both mixed by Humberto Gatica. Also, simultaneously on 10/7, a RealAudio Netcast premiered the song for Web users. The music video world premiered on VH1 October 24.
Years ago, Barbra says, David Foster told her about Celine Dion, and Barbra enjoyed watching her talent through the years, particularly after friend Andre Agassi played a Dion recording for her. Meanwhile, unbeknown to Barbra, all her life, Celine looked up to her as a singer and actress, admitting recently, "She's the one and the only one." In fact, as a child, Celine had sung along with Barbra's records, which impressed and surprised Barbra. In fact, some years ago, Foster told Celine that one day she would actually sing with Barbra. Appearing together for an interview, Barbra described Celine's voice as "so special, beautiful, a gorgeous instrument, with a great heart and sensitivity," which made her proud to sing together. Celine appeared to experience shivers channeling up her arm during Barbra's praise. "The whole thing is unbelievable to me. It's a fairy tale," Celine admits when recalling the emotional vocal recording sessions which separated the ladies due to scheduling conflicts (Barbra in L.A. and Celine in London). "It took all of my concentration not to pass out. I almost lost it when I heard her voice.
I could feel every breath coming from her, every stop she was going to take, when she was going to sing soft, when she was going to sing strong. I understood exactly where she was going." The women did collaborate together in the same studio for the "Tell Him" music video and promotional video footage featuring their discussion.
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Recalling the April 1997 Academy Awards, Barbra has said that she "couldn't wait" to attend, so she could honor her film, The Mirror Has Two Faces, and her friend and best supporting actress nominee, Lauren Bacall. But, she also was eager to see and hear Celine Dion perform her nominated song. "I knew that it would be a wonderful highlight to have her sing 'I Finally Found Someone' while the cameras were on me and Jim [Brolin]," Barbra recently told Celine and their "Tell Him" songwriters. "It would have been a fabulous moment in the show. There's no way I would want to miss that." After she returned to her seat from a visit to the ladies room, she thought Jim was joking when he informed her she had missed Celine's performance. Consequently, Barbra says she was horrified at the "devastating" media reports, incorrectly asserting that she deliberately visited the ladies room in order to miss Celine's performance. Once she met Celine that evening and assured her that the program didn't specify when she would be singing and that she never intended to hurt her, Barbra admits feeling a special connection to Celine, which ultimately made their duet truly meant to be, "more emotional, more important, heart-connected, and so right for us."
On January 6, 1998, Barbra & Celine's "Tell Him" received a Grammy nomination as Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, along with "How Come, How Long" (Babyface & Stevie Wonder), "God Bless The Child" (Tony Bennett with Billie Holiday), "Don't Look Back" (John Lee Hooker with Van Morrison), and, ironically, "I Finally Found Someone" (Barbra Streisand & Bryan Adams). The award went to Hooker & Morrison.
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