1973 Epic Barbra Streisand Masterpiece That Took 33 Takes to Finish

When Barbra Streisand entered the studio to record the theme for her 1973 romance drama co-starring Robert Redford, The Way We Were, no one expected the session to turn into a test of endurance for both the singer and session players.

Composer Marvin Hamlisch had crafted a soaring song with unforgettable words by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. However, capturing the film’s emotional weight dictated that Streisand sound a certain way.

According to The Barbra Archives, Streisand and the studio musicians recorded 33 separate takes of “The Way We Were.” Carol Kaye, who famously played bass with The Wrecking Crew, performed on the recording.

She said, “We ran down the music for any mistakes and took a break waiting for Barbra; she was pretty late. The huge orchestra finally assembled from our break, and we did 33 straight takes of ‘The Way We Were’ with Barbra singing every one, with Marvin Hamlisch conducting, and the songwriting team (Marilyn and Alan Bergman) in the booth.”

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Kaye continued, “Take after take, we kept going, each take as intensive as the last one, until I looked at Paul Humphrey the drummer, like, ‘When is this going to end?’ After a few arpeggios, especially in the bridge, it felt like ‘the’ take. “

The musician concluded, “I looked up and caught Ms. Streisand’s fast gaze from her little sound booth as she was holding a long note (through the glass window) our eyes locked like, ‘Wheeeee. This is it,’ and finished the take. Paul looked at me, and we both smiled, having played on a lot of hits together. We knew this was the take, too.”

“The Way We Were” ranked as one of the Best Film Songs Ever by U Discover Music in 2026. It landed between 1973’s “Live and Let Die” by Paul McCartney and Wings for the film of the same name, and Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan for Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.

Songfacts reported that “The Way We Were” was originally written to begin with the lyric “Daydreams.” However, Streisand changed the wording to “Memories,” and altering it even further to two syllables, “Mem’ries.”

“The Way We Were” soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1974 where it remained for three weeks. Additionally, it won an Academy Award in the category of Best Original Song and remains Barbra Streisand’s signature track.

Related: Barbra Streisand, James Brolin, and the 1998 Hard Rock Ballad They Inspired That Went to Number One