ButterFly (Barbra Streisand album)
ButterFly is the sixteenth studio album by American singer Barbra Streisand. Released on October 1, 1974, by Columbia Records, it marked Streisand's first album of entirely new material in over three years. Primarily a contemporary pop record recorded throughout 1974, it also incorporates music from the reggae and R&B genres. All of the tracks on ButterFly are cover songs produced by Streisand's then-boyfriend Jon Peters, originating from artists like Bob Marley, David Bowie, Evie Sands, and Graham Nash.
ButterFly
The album received mixed reviews from music critics who questioned whether or not Peters' experience in the music industry was enough for him to produce an entire album. However, Tom Scott's involvement with the album was praised, particularly his position as an arranger. Commercially, the album peaked in the lower positions of Australia, Canada, and the United States. It would later be certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for physical shipments exceeding 500,000 copies. "Guava Jelly" and "Jubilation" were released as the album's two singles in December 1974 and April 1975, respectively.
The 8-track cartridge and cassette tape versions, as well as some international vinyl versions, swapped the front and back artwork and instead displays an illustration of Streisand's face and hair surrounded by colorful butterflies rather than the original LP's image of a fly on a stick of butter.
Background and recording[edit]
Earlier in January 1974, Streisand released The Way We Were and the official soundtrack to the film The Way We Were (1973), both of which were commercially successful, with the former album selling over 2 million copies in the United States.[1] The Way We Were predominantly featured material from Streisand's unreleased album The Singer, with only three tracks recorded specifically for the new project.[2] ButterFly was Streisand's first album of completely new material in over three years and was produced solely by her then-boyfriend, Jon Peters.[3][4] Due to Peters' minimal experience in the music industry, it was suggested by AllMusic's William Ruhlmann that the album's overall sound was orchestrated more by saxophonist Tom Scott rather than Peters.[3] Streisand also collaborated with several composers and musicians for ButterFly, including John Bahler, Hank Cicalo, John Guerin, and Clarence McDonald.[5]
Recording sessions for the album took place at A&M Studios and United-Western Recorders in Los Angeles between February and July 1974. "I Won't Last a Day Without You", "Since I Don't Have You", and "Crying Time" were amongst the earliest tracks to be recorded, all during a session on March 25, 1974 at United-Western. The remaining tracks on the album were all recorded throughout July 1974 at A&M Studios. Scott and composer Lee Holdridge handled the arrangement of the ten tracks, while John Bahler arranged the horns and vocal production.[6] Streisand and Columbia Records released ButterFly on October 1, 1974 as her sixteenth studio album overall, distributed months after The Way We Were.[1][7] The same label issued the album as an 8-track cartridge in 1974, with the track listing switching the order of "Jubilation" and "Crying Time" around.[8] The album was later released in a compact disc format on October 25, 1990.[9]
Singles[edit]
The album's lead single "Guava Jelly" was released as a 7" record on December 16, 1974, two months after the release of ButterFly.[25] It was paired with "Love in the Afternoon" and "Life on Mars" as a B-side track in the United States and the Netherlands, respectively.[25][26] "Jubilation" was the record's second and final single, released in April 1975 by Columbia in the same physical formats as "Guava Jelly".[27] On the Germany release of "Jubilation", it would be paired with B-side "Crying Time",[28] but the Canada and United States versions featured "Let the Good Times Roll" instead.[27]
Commercial performance[edit]
In the United States, ButterFly debuted at number 72 on the Billboard 200 chart for the week ending November 16, 1974.[33] The following week it rose to number 52 and on January 4, 1975, it reached its peak position at number 13.[34][35] The record spent a total of 24 consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200. ButterFly was commercially less successful than its predecessor, which topped the Billboard 200.[36] However, due to the album's strong sales, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified ButterFly gold on January 6, 1975, for physical shipments exceeding 500,000 copies.[1] In Canada, the album peaked at a slightly higher position. It debuted on the list, compiled by RPM, at number 92 on November 23, 1974,[37] and 11 weeks later it would peak at number 11 on February 15, 1975.[38] In total, it spent 17 weeks charting in that country.[39] It also charted in Australia, where it peaked at number 49 according to the Kent Music Report.[40]
Credits adapted from the liner notes of the CD edition of ButterFly.[5]