On April 25, the day after her 82nd birthday, Barbra Streisand released “Love Will Survive,” the ten-time Grammy winner's first new single in six years, as well as another first: she had never before recorded an ending song. for a television series. The stirring ballad, which showcases Streisand's still-imposing vocal prowess, is on the soundtrack of Peacock's six-part Holocaust drama, “The Tattooist of Auschwitz,” based on the best-selling book by Heather Morris. Starring Harvey Keitel and Melanie Lynskey, the limited series tells the story of a concentration camp prisoner forced to tattoo the identification numbers of his fellow prisoners, even as he falls in love with them.
The Envelope was curious to know how Streisand's involvement came about. The star answered our questions via email.
How did this project and this song find you, and how did it all come about?
Time is everything. I happened to be working on a new special album when the talented composer (and my former neighbor) Hans Zimmer approached one of my producers, Peter Asher, to ask if I would be willing to listen to a track that he and co-composer Kara Talve wrote for a television series based on the book “The Tattoo Artist of Auschwitz.” Obviously, with everything going on in the world today, the topic was of great personal interest to me, but the music track was just that: a beautifully written piece but not a complete song. I asked my other producer, Walter Afanasieff, if he could turn the Hans and Kara theme into a real song. And then we asked Charlie Midnight to write the lyrics. We are a good team, zero egos and it was a very easy process. We then asked my dear friend Bill Ross to work on the arrangement with Walter. It just so happened that Bill was in London conducting a film score with the London Symphony Orchestra, so everything fell into place quite quickly. They recorded the song in England and I recorded my vocals in my engineer's studio in Malibu.
Were you at all worried about returning to the recording studio?
Yes, I was quite nervous! I hadn't made a new record in about five or six years, and I honestly didn't know what my voice would sound like after making my audiobook for six weeks straight, six days a week, five hours a day. I never do any of the things I hear most singers do, like warm up exercises…too boring! So the first time I had to sing a song for this new album, I literally stood in front of the microphone, in a little vocal booth, and prayed to God that my voice would be there. And behold, my prayers were answered. I have a wonderful engineer named Jochem. [van der Saag] who somehow transmits a great sound to my headphones, with all the instruments playing with a perfect combination of my voice and the orchestra, so singing is a pleasure. Very different from singing live at a concert, where I can never hear myself because I can't use those earwigs. [“in-ear” devices].
Anna Próchniak as Gita Furman in “The Tattoo Artist of Auschwitz.”
(Sky UK/Martin Mlaka/Sky UK)
Why do you think it is important for the public to see “The Tattoo Artist of Auschwitz”?
During the Holocaust, 6 million Jews were murdered. Historically speaking, it wasn't that long ago. And today, anti-Semitism has reared its ugly head again. Therefore, a television series like “The Tattoo Artist of Auschwitz” (based on real events) is a way to remind people that we must be vigilant or we will repeat the tragedies of the past.
In his autobiography he writes that it is increasingly difficult to make theatrical films. I'm sure you know that your fans would love for you to act and/or direct again. Would you ever consider streaming a series or movie (acting or directing it) if the project spoke to you deeply?
I love movies. I just don't see myself spending years trying to get funding for a new project, which requires a commitment of energy I'd rather spend elsewhere, but I never say never! I love directing movies and I would do it if someone else did all the heavy lifting. I have a great producer friend who wants to do this with me, so we'll see. I also enjoy spending time with my family, my good friends and especially my delightful grandchildren! (Not to mention my dogs!)
Would you ever consider adapting your autobiography as a limited streaming series?
Absolutely not! But now that I'm done with the book, I'm involved in making a documentary that will compile a lot of never-before-seen footage from my career, so some topics I wrote about will have a visual reference.
After everything you've done and been rewarded for, do you have anything left to check off your list?
I have been incredibly fortunate to have many of my career aspirations come true. I have also tried to use my public platform to highlight issues that mean a lot to me personally: climate change, women's equality, including a woman's right to choose, and medical research on women's hearts through my Streisand's Women's Heart Center in Cedars. Sinai and my center at UCLA, which for now focuses on “Truth in the Public Sphere.” Let me end here with a song called “Here's to Life” that sums it all up in a lovely way.
“I had my share, I drank my fill / and though I am satisfied, I am still hungry / to see what is on another road beyond the hill / and do it all again.”
I'm still curious to see what surprises life has in store for me!
