ButterFly (Barbra Streisand album)

ButterFly
Studio album by Barbra Streisand
Released	October 1, 1974 (1974-10-01)
Recorded	25 March, 18, 19, 22 July 1974
Studio	A&M (Hollywood ) United Western (Hollywood)
Genre	Contemporary pop
Length	35:40
Label	Columbia
Producer	Jon Peters
Barbra Streisand chronology
The Way We Were: Original Soundtrack Recording (1974) ButterFly (1974) Funny Lady (1975)
Singles from ButterFly
"Guava Jelly" Released: December 16, 1974 (1974-12-16) "Jubilation" Released: April 1975 (1975-04)

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.

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

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

On ButterFly, Streisand departed from the pop and rock influences that were strong on her previous efforts and instead relied more on a variety of experimental, contemporary pop music.^[3][10] The singer also explored the reggae and classic R&B genres that were, at the time, popular on mainstream radio.^[11] The album opens with a "seductive"^[10] version of "Love in the Afternoon", a song originally performed by American singer Evie Sands earlier in 1974.^[12][13] It was written by Sands, Ben Geminaro, and Richard Wiseman; production of "Love in the Afternoon" and all songs on ButterFly were solely handled by Peters.^[5] "Guava Jelly" is track two and a cover of Bob Marley's 1971 single. One of the reggae songs on the album,^[14] it features "risqué lyrics" that suggest that guava jelly could be used as a type of sexual lubricant.^[15][16] Bill Withers's R&B ballad "Grandma's Hands" follows and is primarily a "gospel-flavored" song.^[10][17] Lyrically, it details a woman who shares a strong bond with her grandmother.^[18] "I Won't Last a Day Without You" is the fourth track and a cover of the Carpenters' 1974 single; it was written by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols.^[5] The album's second and final single, "Jubilation", was a song made famous by Paul Anka in 1972. In response to Streisand's rendition of the track, Anka questioned her decision to have Peters produce but remarked, "Barbra can sing the phone book. She has no problem singing anything. She's got one of the great voices".^[19]

Track six is "Simple Man", originally performed by

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]

ButterFly has received mixed reviews from music critics. In a highly positive review, a critic from Billboard described it as "possibly the finest LP Ms. Streisand has ever come up with, artistically and commercially". The reviewer lauded her vocals and her ability to adapt to the music while also taking a liking to Peters' production capabilities. The critic also recommended "Love in the Afternoon", "Guava Jelly", "Grandma's Hands", "Jubilation", "Life on Mars", "Since I Don't Have You", and "Let the Good Times Roll" as the album's "best cuts".^[11] Despite being Streisand's first collection of new material in approximately three years, AllMusic's Ruhlmann was disappointed by the singer's decision to work with Peters on the album. He felt that Peters' background in the music industry was "nonexistent" and instead highlighted Tom Scott, the album's arranger, as the "real power on the album". Concluding, Ruhlmann claimed that although ButterFly is a charming album, it ultimately only sold to Streisand's fan base rather than the general public.^[3]

Ben Gerson from Rolling Stone called the songs on the album "forgettable" and "unconvincing". He also criticized Streisand's authenticity when singing lyrics that he considered "meaningless from the lips of an American".^[29] Because of the lackluster response generated from the record, Streisand decided to work with new musicians on her following album, Lazy Afternoon (1975). Her decision pleased both critics and her fans, who felt that the new album was stronger than ButterFly.^[30] Years later in 1991, Streisand took to Larry King Live and announced her complete displeasure with ButterFly and the songs on it. She deemed it as her least favorite album and joked that she would like to withdraw it from her catalog altogether.^[31][32]

Commercial performance

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]

Track listing

All tracks produced by Jon Peters.^[6]

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the CD edition of ButterFly.^[5]

• Barbra Streisand – vocals, backing vocals
• John Bahler – horn and vocal arrangements (tracks 2, 3, 7, 10)
• Ben Benay – guitar
• Max Bennett – bass guitar
• Larry Carlton – guitar
• Gary Coleman – percussion
• King Errisson – congas
• John Guerin – drums
• Lee Holdridge – arrangements (tracks 4, 8, 9)
• Clarence McDonald – keyboards
• Tom Scott – arrangements (tracks 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 10), woodwind, flute, tenor saxophone

Technical

• Jon Peters – production, art direction, album design
• Hank Cicalo – engineer (tracks 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 10)
• Michael Lietz – engineer (tracks 4, 8, 9)
• Steve Schapiro – inside photography
• William Alan Shirley – back cover artwork
• Carl Furuta – front photography

Charts

Certifications

References

Citations