Columbia Records and Barbra: A Perfect Fit
(Dec 1, 2005) - When Barbra Streisand signed her first recording contract with Columbia Records in 1963, it was a very big deal, as 20th and 21st century music historians will ultimately proclaim. Selecting an appropriate record company took a lot of careful consideration. Barbra wanted to sign with a label that would reflect and be in synch with her artistic tastes and style of music. Thus, Columbia, with its catalog of more sophisticated artists was chosen over other prominent labels such as Capitol Records.

The result has been a 42 year bonanza for both Barbra and Columbia. After 61 albums, Barbra is still going strong and her relationship with Columbia has never been more robust. Barbra's 1960s albums consisted primarily of ballads and show tunes. They were extremely successful and helped define Barbra as a singer. Through the years, as musical styles changed, so did Barbra's instincts. When Columbia's Clive Davis suggested back in the 70s that she delve into rock, Barbra instinctively knew it was the right move to make. Her albums Stoney End and Barbra Joan Streisand became instant successes.

In 1984, Barbra thought is was time to go back to her roots and record The Broadway Album. For the first time in her career, she was met with a significant measure of resistance at Columbia. An album of show tunes was a thing of the past and would not be commercially successful, professed the wise sages at Columbia. But Barbra had a differing opinion on what would sell, and was forced to make a special deal with Columbia in order to get The Broadway Album into record stores. The special arrangement promised that the album would not count towards her contract unless it went platinum. Of course, the album achieved platinum status many times over, and The Broadway Album became the second biggest hit of her career (after Guilty).

Today, Barbra still operates under a contract with Columbia, but Columbia now gives her free reign in choosing her albums, material and producers. Barbra's instincts have always been right when it came to her records, a simple fact that is no longer lost on the executives at her record company.