What stopped Madonna, Barbra Streisand, and Bette Midler from collaborating on a Broadway song? Details explored as old interview clip resurfaces

Back in the early 1990s, Madonna, Barbra Streisand, and Bette Midler were being considered as a collaboration for Streisand's album "Back to Broadway." They would record "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better" from the musical "Annie Get Your Gun."

The idea was to combine their unique musical styles artistically. Nonetheless, even though plans and discussions were going on, nothing came of the project.

A recently surfaced interview has revealed why this partnership did not materialize; providing insight into the difficulties of scheduling such big-name artists.

Barbra Streisand In Concert - New York, NY - Source: Getty

The intended recording had a conceptual idea but was plagued by scheduling problems

The arrangement of the song was intended to showcase each singer's style, with elements that would represent their own musical identity. Madonna's portion had a disco feel, and Midler's had elements of her hit ballads.

The track was also to include a comedic part where Midler and Madonna traded witty lines before Streisand would make an unexpected appearance. Although this was a well-planned idea, scheduling conflicts came into play. Madonna had a very hectic schedule during that time, and her failure to commit eventually led to the project being shelved.

Celebrity Sightings In New York City - July 18, 2023 - Source: Getty

Madonna's schedule was the primary reason the collaboration failed to materialize

In the early 1990s, Madonna was working on several projects, such as film performances and music recordings. She had just released "Vogue," appeared in "Dick Tracy," and was working on "A League of Their Own."

All these projects prevented her from being involved in the scheduled song. As reported by Jay Landers, Streisand's A&R man, Madonna pulled out of the project at the last minute because of these commitments.

With her exit, the whole collaboration disintegrated since it was conceived as a triple performance.

Other artists were busy with their ventures

Barbra Streisand herself was occupied with her "Back to Broadway" album, a sequel to her previous "The Broadway Album." She was also mulling over cinema projects back then.

Meanwhile, Bette Midler was involved in music and acting, continuing her work in various entertainment fields. All three artists had busy careers, and coordinating their schedules proved to be a major challenge. This made it difficult to finalize the recording; leading to the project being dropped entirely.

The resurfaced interview provides insight into why the collaboration was not completed

The newly unearthed interview clip has provided fans with a better understanding of why this collaboration never came to fruition. The intended recording had artistic possibilities, and everyone was excited to see these three artists come together.

Logistical challenges, especially Madonna's busy schedule, made the concept fail to materialize. Although the song was never recorded; it is an intriguing piece of music history that people continue to speculate about today.

Edited by Zainab Shaikh

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