Someday My Voice Will Come
Produced by Barbra Streisand & William A. Ross
Executive Producer: Jay Landers
Released on
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Platinum Edition DVD
October 9, 2001
Disclaimer: I have received a recording of Someday My Prince Will Come, allegedly performed by Barbra Streisand in March 2001. It is unknown to me what the source of this recording is, but in my opinion it's Streisand's version. However, although some diehard fans agree it's her, others cannot accept that this voice may be Streisand's. You be the judge. It's obviously not final, but I would guess all that's left is for the digital engineers to enhance it (ie, eliminate flaws, etc.) With this in mind, I have prepared the following pre-release review.
UPDATE 10/13/01: Snow White (DVD format) was released on 10/9/01. As expected, the DVD included Babs' new version of Someday My Prince Will Come. What was unexpected though, is that the version is identical to the "pre-release" version reviewed below. I guess I was too optimistic in thinking that the version I had was not final and that it would be furthered worked on to improve its quality. Unfortunately, now millions can hear what I heard back in April. And for those who accused me of passing off another singer as Streisand in the samples provided below, now would be a good time to EAT YOUR WORDS and APOLOGIZE. BTW, fans, before you blame the technicians, musicians, etc., please note that Barbra produced this song, as noted above.
Lacking originality, Streisand has produced a number of recordings that categorically show the singer is and has been artistically stagnant since "The Broadway Album". "Broadway", which consisted of remakes, was Barbra's first recording in years that showed the singer was out of fresh ideas. Still, "Broadway", was regarded as one of the singer's finest, given its (1) interesting selection of songs, and (2) Barbra's vocal performance, the last solid performance of her career. After Broadway, Barbra's voice began its decline, a process which has accelerated dramatically since Higher Ground.
In the new millennium (which started on January 1, 2001, not 2000), Streisand's first recording is "Someday My Prince Will Come" (SMPWC) from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The song will be featured on Disney's fall release of the DVD. Barbra's two key problems (lack of originality and vocal decline) are also evident on SMPWC. Regarding originality, or lack thereof, this song has already been recorded by Streisand (The Concert 1994) and a number of other singers.
In "The Broadway Album", Barbra made up for lack of originality by using vocal prowess. That's not the case with SMPWC. Though the version sent to me is obviously not final, it is clear to me that the final product will not be an ode to vocal greatness. By the time of its release, I expect the pitch bends will be gone, the weak notes will be replaced, and the awkard phrasing will be cleaned up. However, I don't expect any resounding high notes, any impossibly long notes or vocal embellishments of any kind. (As noted above, the version released on the Snow White DVD is the same one I reviewed here. None of the enhancements needed were made.) It will be a plain, strait-forward read pretty much in the style of her recent "A Love Like Ours" cd.
[UPDATE 10/13/01] Vocally unable or unwilling to add something new to SMPWC, producers Babs & Co. instead opted to rely on a 110-piece orchestra to liven up the simple song. In addition, a seldom heard "setup" verse has been transformed into a bridge, ensuring that listeners will differentiate the movie version from this one. The bridge indeed works well; however, at least 70 of the 110 instruments seem to have gotten lost somewhere.
To me, the worst thing that can happen to a legendary artist is to become mediocre. Legendary artists stand out because of their extraordinary talent. So when they're good, they're great and when they're bad, they are absolutely awful. Either way, they stand out. However, mediocre artists so frequently go by unnoticed. They remind me of that rhetorical question: If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it, does it really make a sound? When I listened to Barbra's new version of Someday My Prince Will Come (SMPWC), it immediately struck me that it was neither great nor bad, it was just somewhere in the middle. Plain and simple, it was mediocre.
Although in decline, her voice still retains several of its original qualities: its resonance (though we may owe this to technology) and its perfect pitch. Missing though, are the brilliant high notes and the lung power. Still, with her limited vocal capability, I think Babs can produce great music (eg, Isn't It a Pity) if she sticks to songs that focus on her strengths and don't highlight her weaknesses. At times in SMPWC, she brilliantly slides from note to note. However, there are other times where Barbra tries to become theatrical without the necessary lung power or quality high notes, and it comes off as weak and mediocre. Speaking of the high notes, most of them sound strained and lack the vibrato she once controlled so well.
I am also surprised at a number of pitch bends that occur on notes that should be easy for her. I'm sure these will not be evident in the final product. The following excerpts highlight some key moments in the song. (As noted above, the version released on the Snow White DVD is the same one I reviewed here. None of the enhancements needed were made.)
Overall, it's a beautiful arrangement, but it would have been suitable for a younger Streisand. Who knows, maybe before it's final release it will be re-recorded, remixed and re-engineered into a classic. But as is, on a scale of 1-10, it's a 5.
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