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Song of the Day #5,884: ‘My Man’ – Barbra Streisand

I was hoping for a little change of pace after Barbra Streisand’s first four albums and I got it with her fifth, 1965’s My Name is Barbra.

Released in conjunction with a TV special of the same name, this album is split between a song cycle about childhood and a lineup of Broadway standards more in line with her earlier work. The TV special, which was a big hit, featured these songs as well as a third act of more mature material. Streisand would release My Name is Barbra, Two… later the same year to finish out the tie-in.

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Song of the Day #5,883: ‘People’ – Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand kept the music coming once she released her debut in February of 1963. She dropped The Second Barbra Streisand Album in August of that same year, then The Third Album in February of 1964.

These records were similar to her first, featuring her takes on Broadway show tunes. Rather than mining more obscure songs as she did on the debut, her third album found her tackling standards such as ‘It Had to Be You,’ ‘As Time Goes By,’ and ‘Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered.’

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Song of the Day #5,882: ‘Happy Days Are Here Again’ – Barbra Streisand

One of the most rewarding projects on this blog — for me, anyway — has been the Deep Dive. I love digging through an artist’s discography, album by album, to understand the historical context and explore all the connective tissue.

So far I’ve given the Deep Dive treatment to Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Madonna, Bob Marley, Lana Del Rey, The Rolling Stones, and Jim Croce.

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Song of the Day #5,881: ‘State of Shock’ – The Jacksons feat. Mick Jagger

Ray Parker Jr. claimed #1 on the Hot 100 the week of August 11, 1984, with ‘Ghostbusters.’ Prince sat at #2 with ‘When Doves Cry,’ relinquishing the top spot after five weeks.

At #3 was The Jacksons with ‘State of Shock,’ the first single from their album Victory. This was the only Jacksons album to include all six brothers. It was released on the heels of Michael’s record-shattering Thriller.

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