"On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)" is a song written by

Burton Lane Burton Lane ( Levy; February 2, 1912 – January 5, 1997) was an American composer and lyricist primarily known for his theatre and film scores. His most popular and successful works include '' Finian's Rainbow'' in 1947 and ''On a Clear Day You ...

(music) and

Alan Jay Lerner Alan Jay Lerner (August 31, 1918 – June 14, 1986) was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, and later Burton Lane, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre bot ...

(lyrics) for the 1965 musical '' On a Clear Day You Can See Forever''. It was subsequently performed by American actress and vocalist

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...

in the 1970

film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...

of the musical. Three variations of the song appear in the film and on the accompanying

soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' ...

produced by Wally Gold: the initial version sung by co-star

Yves Montand Ivo Livi (), better known as Yves Montand (; 13 October 1921 – 9 November 1991), was an Italian-French actor and singer. Early life Montand was born Ivo Livi in Monsummano Terme, Italy, to Giovanni Livi, a broom manufacturer, Ivo held strong ...

, a reprise version sung by Streisand, and an orchestral version performed alongside a live chorus. The Streisand rendition was released by

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

as a promotional single on

7" vinyl In music, a single is a type of Art release#Music, release, typically a song Sound recording, recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for record sales, sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most ca ...

(with a

stereo Stereophonic sound, or more commonly stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two independent audio channels through a configuration ...

mix on one side and

mono Mono may refer to: Common meanings * Infectious mononucleosis, "the kissing disease" * Monaural, monophonic sound reproduction, often shortened to mono * Mono-, a numerical prefix representing anything single Music Performers * Mono (Japanese b ...

on the other) in July 1970. 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 John Cullum (born circa 1930) is an American actor and singer. He has appeared in many stage musicals and dramas, including '' Shenandoah'' (1975) and ''On the Twentieth Century'' (1978), winning the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Mus ...

in the 1965 Broadway musical of the same name. It was subsequently used in the 1970

of the musical, in which Streisand appears as the main character. The song was recorded in early 1970 while filming the movie at Samuel Goldwyn Studios in

West Hollywood West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. Three versions of the song are used in the film, and all appear on the accompanying

. The song is initially performed in the film by Streisand's costar

, whereas the reprise version is sung by Streisand and the orchestral version is performed with a live chorus. The reprise rendition was released as a promotional single on

in July 1970 by

. The standard edition release includes both the mono and stereo versions of "On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)" as the A-side and B-side, respectively. A limited edition version also exists, where the mono version exclusively appears on 7".

Composition

"On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)" was written by

and

and produced by Wally Gold. According to the official sheet music published by the

Warner Music Group Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and t ...

, the song is written in the key of

E major E major (or the key of E) is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps. Its relative minor is C-sharp minor and its parallel minor is E minor. Its enharmonic equivalent, ...

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".

Critical reception

"On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)" was perceived as a highlight on the film's soundtrack.

Vincent Canby Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who served as the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in ...

from ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' 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. Although

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

'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. The staff at ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' 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.

Track listing

;Standard edition 7" single * A1 "On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)" (Mono) – 2:09 * B1 "On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)" (Stereo) – 2:09 ;Mono edition 7" single * A1 "On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)" (Mono) – 2:09 * B1 "On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)" (Mono) – 2:09

Other recordings

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever by Robert Goulet US single side A

Streisand recorded a live version of the song in 1972, arranged by

Peter Matz Peter Matz (November 6, 1928 – August 9, 2002) was an American musician, composer, arranger and conductor. His musical career in film, theater, television and studio recording spanned fifty years, and he worked with a number of prominent ...

, which was released that same year on her ''

Live Concert at the Forum ''Live Concert at the Forum'' (retitled ''Barbra Streisand Live'' in Canada) is the second live album by American singer Barbra Streisand, released physically on October 1, 1972 by Columbia Records. Produced by long-time collaborator Richard Perr ...

'' album. Live versions by Streisand are also included on her 1994 album '' The Concert'' and her 2000 album '' Timeless: Live in Concert''.

Robert Goulet Robert Gérard Goulet (November 26, 1933 October 30, 2007) was an American and Canadian singer and actor of French-Canadian ancestry. Goulet was born and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts until age 13, and then spent his formative years in Cana ...

and

Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum s ...

both recorded charting versions of the song in 1965, in the wake of the original musical's success. Goulet's version, from his album ''On Broadway'', reached #119 on ''

s Bubbling Under chart and #13 on the

Easy Listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, n ...

chart. Mathis' recording, from his album '' The Shadow of Your Smile'', reached #96 on the

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

chart and #6 on the Easy Listening chart. Other artists to record the song include

, on the 1965 cast album from the original Broadway production;

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

, on his 1966 album '' Strangers in the Night'';

Matt Monro Matt Monro (born Terence Edward Parsons, 1 December 1930 – 7 February 1985) was an English singer. Known as "The Man with the Golden Voice", he performed internationally during his 30-year career. AllMusic has described Monro as "one of the m ...

, on his 1966 album ''This Is the Life!''; Jerry Vale, on his 1966 album ''Great Moments on Broadway'';

Shirley Bassey Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Best known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the theme songs to three James Bond films, Bassey is widely regarded as one of the most popular vocalists ...

, on her 1967 album ''

And We Were Lovers ''And We Were Lovers'' is a 1967 studio album by Shirley Bassey. The album featured Bassey's first recording of "Big Spender', the single subsequently hit #21 on the charts. ''And We Were Lovers'' was recorded in America and in England. The Amer ...

'';

Sammy Davis Jr. Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, dancer, actor, comedian, film producer and television director. At age three, Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the ...

, on his 1967 live album ''

That's All! ''That's All!'' is a 1967 live album by Sammy Davis, Jr., recorded at the Sands Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. Track listing # "Ain't I" ( George Rhodes) – 1:02 # " With a Song in My Heart" (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) – 2:05 # "Another Sp ...

''; Blossom Dearie, on her 1967 live album ''

Sweet Blossom Dearie ''Sweet Blossom Dearie'' is a 1967 live album by Blossom Dearie. It is the second album Dearie recorded at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, and is subsequently her second live album to be released. Track listing #"Let's Go Where the Grass is Greener" ...

'';

The Peddlers The Peddlers were a British jazz/soul trio of the 1960s and 1970s. Led by organist Roy Phillips, they had hits with "Birth" and " Girlie". They were very popular in New Zealand during the 1970s. History The Peddlers formed in Manchester in ...

, on their 1968 album ''Three in a Cell''; Tony Bennett, on his 1970 album '' Tony Bennett's "Something"'';

Cleo Laine Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth (born Clementine Dinah Bullock; 28 October 1927)The Singers Unlimited, on their 1975 album ''Feeling Free''. The Peddlers’ version was used prominently in the episode “

Hazard Pay "Hazard Pay" is the third episode of the fifth season of the American television drama series '' Breaking Bad'', and the 49th overall episode of the series. Written by Peter Gould and directed by Adam Bernstein, it originally aired on AMC in the ...

” from

Season Five A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pola ...

of ''

Breaking Bad ''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Bryan Cranston), an underpaid, overqualified, and dispirited hig ...

''.

References

Bibliography

* {{Authority control 1965 songs Songs with lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner Songs with music by Burton Lane Songs from musicals 1970 singles Columbia Records singles Barbra Streisand songs Frank Sinatra songs Johnny Mathis songs Yves Montand songs