Stoney End (Barbra Streisand album)
Stoney End is the twelfth studio album by American singer Barbra Streisand. Released in 1971 and produced by Richard Perry, it was a conscious change in direction for Streisand, having a more upbeat, contemporary pop/rock sound. It included cover versions of several songs by contemporary singer-songwriters, including Laura Nyro, Randy Newman and Joni Mitchell.
The album became one of the most successful of Streisand's career: it was certified “platinum” by the RIAA for sales exceeding 1 million copies in the United States alone. It also included three hit songs: "Stoney End", "Time and Love" and "Flim Flam Man". They appeared on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts. The album peaked at #10 in the United States; it was the first of hers in five years to have reached the top 10.
Production and release[edit]
In 1971, after the relative failure in sales of What About Today? Columbia Records continued with the desire to modernize the singer's repertoire, but this time the choice to produce the singer's album was Richard Perry who chose songs by contemporary artists such as: Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, Harry Nilsson and Laura Nyro.[2]
The album cover photography was taken at Sunrise Mountain, Nevada by Barry Feinstein.[3] When Columbia promoted the singer's next album Barbra Joan Streisand, it announced in magazines that Stoney End is like the artist's first album, given the large number of people who discover her songs since the record.[4]
The song "Stoney End", composed by Laura Nyro, was released in the US as the lead single and charted at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100[5] and number 2 on the Adult Contemporary chart[6] and also reached number 27 on the UK singles chart. "Time and Love" reached Number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 3 on the AC Chart.[5][6] "Hands Off the Man", the final single, was officially titled "Flim Flam Man" (and backed with "Maybe"). It spent 5 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at 82.[5][6]
Commercial performance[edit]
The album hit number 10 on the Billboard 200, and was certified Platinum with sales of 1 million copies, in 1986.[10] In the UK the album entered the chart at number 28.[11] It also peaked at #12 in Canada.[12] It peaked #62 in the 1971's Year-end chart of the Cash Box magazine.[13]