Upon signing a recording contract with Columbia Records, their publicist Peter Reilly (who worked with Streisand in her early years at the record label) sent out invitations to Columbia executives, guests, and members of the music trade. The invitation read: “Miss Marmelstein invites you to a party for her best friend BARBRA STREISAND to hear her sing a few tunes which will be recorded (on the spot) by Columbia Records.”
In late 1962, Barbra was a show-stopping hit as “Miss Marmelstein” in I Can Get it For You Wholesale and was appearing nightly at the Bon Soir, taking a taxi to the club just after the Broadway show’s curtain went down. Columbia felt that a live recording would be the best way to display the energy and talent of their newly signed recording star. All that was needed was a remote recording crew to capture a few shows on tape.
For the live recording, Barbra sang with her regular Bon Soir musicians: Tiger Haynes on guitar, Avril Pollard on bass, John Cressi on drums, and Peter Daniels on piano.
Tiger Haynes recalled, “They brought in a paid audience. Streisand had the engineers and technicians come down and record her first show for the rest of the week, through Saturday. Same musicians, same songs, every night.”
At the Bon Soir on November 5, 1962 at 11:30 p.m., Columbia’s A&R man David Kapralik introduced Barbra to the crowded club. To the audience assembled he said, “For me and everyone at Columbia, she’s a singular artist. You can’t put her in any category.”
Then Barbra sang. And after finishing the first song, the microphone fuse blew! “Barbra, we collectively apologize,” Kapralik said, unmiced. “You’re kidding?” Barbra laughed. As the technicians replaced the fuse, Barbra can be heard asking the photographer to stop taking pictures. “Can you not do that … because it really distracts me?”
Columbia recorded the next two nights, too.
Ultimately, Columbia decided not to release the Live at the Bon Soir album (which it certainly would have been titled). Instead, Columbia Records sent Streisand into the recording studio to record her first album.
