Three variations of the song appear in the film and on the accompanying soundtrack album produced by Wally Gold: the initial version sung by co-star Yves Montand, a reprise version sung by Streisand, and an orchestral version performed alongside a live chorus.
The track received positive reviews from music critics, with many of them listing it as a highlight of the soundtrack.
Background and release
"On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)" was introduced by John Cullum in the 1965 Broadway musical of the same name. It was subsequently used in the 1970 film adaptation of the musical, in which Streisand appears as the main character. The song was recorded in early 1970 during production of the movie at Samuel Goldwyn Studios in West Hollywood, California.[1] Three performances of the song are used in the film, all of which appear on the accompanying soundtrack album. The song is initially performed in the film by Streisand's costar Yves Montand, whereas the reprise version is sung by Streisand and the orchestral version is performed with a live chorus.[2]
The Streisand rendition was released as a promotional single on 7" vinyl in July 1970 by Columbia Records. The single includes stereo and mono versions of the song as the A-side and B-side, respectively.[3] A limited-edition single also exists, with the mono version used on both sides.[4] The stereo version was also issued commercially as the B-side of Streisand's "Didn't We" single in 1972.
Composition
"On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)" was written by Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner and produced by Wally Gold.[2] According to the official sheet music published by the Warner Music Group, the song is written in the key of E major with a moderately fast beat consisting of 126 beats per minute. Accompanied by the instrumentation of a piano, Streisand's vocals range from G3 to C5. She begins the song with the lyric "On a clear day, rise and look around you / And you'll see who you are".[5]
Critical reception
"On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)" was perceived as a highlight on the film's soundtrack. Vincent Canby from The New York Times lauded the single and album tracks "Come Back to Me", "Go to Sleep", and "What Did I Have That I Don't Have" for being the soundtrack's four best songs.[6] Although AllMusic's William Ruhlmann was critical of the majority of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, he complimented Streisand's vocal performance on the title track.[7] The staff at Billboard complimented Streisand's performance on "On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)". They wrote that because of its strength, and the strengths of soundtrack songs "He Isn't You" and "What Did I Have That I Don't Have", the album will likely become a commercial success and is worth purchasing.[8]
Robert Goulet and Johnny Mathis both had charting versions of the song in 1965, recorded in the wake of the original musical's success. Goulet's version, from his album On Broadway, reached #119 on Billboard's Bubbling Under chart and #13 on the Easy Listening chart. Mathis' recording, from his album The Shadow of Your Smile, reached #96 on the Hot 100 chart and #6 on the Easy Listening chart.
^ ab"On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)" / "On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)" (Liner notes). Barbra Streisand. Columbia. 1970. AE-24-1.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ ab"On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)" / "On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)" (Liner notes). Barbra Streisand. Columbia. 1970. AE-24-2.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
