Tom Baird & Ron Miller song "I've Never Been A Woman Before"

[mysterysinger]

The thread on Vikki Carr, mention of Tom Baird on the Rare Earth thread and the new edition of DFTMC have convinced me it's ok to post this.

i loved the song when I first heard it on the B' Side of Vikki's version of "I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You". In the USA the song is published by Stein & Van Stock and naturally Jobete - Carlin was on the UK release.

As far as I'm aware, this is the only available recording of the song and I wondered why it wasn't recorded by a Motown artist. Maybe it was and will feature on a future Motown Unreleased lol. Someone may have further info.

Great song performed well IMHO.

Folks in the USA and those elsewhere with a suitable Chrome proxy extension will be able to view the video.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTVtD3rfPgY

[luckyluckyme]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYkWgJZ4RDg

[luckyluckyme]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKc66_VEuCk

[luckyluckyme]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euO9HF5YTKM

[zani57]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cxOYp-qpUA

The official Sony/Columbia upload of Streisand's version. Better quality audio. I first heard this when I bought this album when it was released in early 1974.

Here is the write-up about the song from the carefully annotated website "The Barbra Archives" by Matt Howe --

" “I’ve Never Been A Woman Before” was by Ron Miller who also wrote “If I Could” [[from Higher Ground [[http://barbra-archives.com/record/albums/higher_ground_streisand.html), 1997 [[http://barbra-archives.com/record/albums/higher_ground_streisand.html)), and the camp classic “I’ve Never Been To Me.” “Woman Before ” was the 11 o'clock number from the musical Cherry, based on William Inge's Bus Stop. Barbra used to sing this song in her Las Vegas act [[http://barbra-archives.com/live/70s/riviera_hotel_streisand.html). Claus Ogerman, her Vegas music director, arranged the song as recorded on this album. "

http://barbra-archives.com/record/albums/way_we_were.html

[mysterysinger]

Thanks for those guys, on reflection I was aware of the Barbara and Shirley versions but not the other. But still no Motown artist as yet - I'm hoping one will surface.

For the sake of completeness, here's the A' Side to that single which is "I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You" which has some similarities with the stronger Diana Ross version. I'll always love Rita Wright's the best though.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M695GS7PjUM

[PeaceNHarmony]

I knew the song mostly by Barbra & loved it. Carr is kinda like Bassey but without the understatement & subtlety.

[Jimi LaLumia]

I'm going to suggest to Jayne County that she should do a cover version of this..

[PeaceNHarmony]

I'm going to suggest to Jayne County that she should do a cover version of this..
Yes! A metal-country mashup!

[midnightman]

I'm going to suggest to Jayne County that she should do a cover version of this..

Can you imagine? LOL that would be dope. I love to see her do it.