Didn't We (Richard Harris song)

Background and composition

"Didn't We" was originally featured as the B-side track to Harris's 1968 single "MacArthur Park". That same year, it was distributed as a standalone 7" record, serving as the second single from his debut studio album, A Tramp Shining (1968). Various formats exist, all of them including "Didn't We" as the A-side track; the United Kingdom release features "In the Final Hours" while the United States version has "Paper Chase" instead. It was reissued as a promotional single in 1973 and features Harris's 1971 single "My Boy". It was written and produced by Jimmy Webb, who Harris had collaborated previously with.

A traditional pop recording, "Didn't We" is written in the key of C major with Harris's vocals ranging from E₄ to G₅; it is additionally accompanied by the instrumentation of a piano and a guitar. Lyrically, Harris recalls the past and opens the single by singing, "This time we almost made the pieces fit / Didn't we girl?".

Reception

AllMusic's Matthew Greenwald acclaimed the production of "Didn't We". He stated that it is "home to one of Jimmy Webb's most enduring melodies" and described its arrangement as elegant. In the 24 May 1969 edition of Billboard, an editor recognized "Didn't We" in the "Special Merit Spotlight" column, where the publication reports designated singles "deserving [of] special attention". The critic noted its potential "sales appeal" and singled out its programming as a highlight. Michael Feeney Callan, the author of a biography for Harris, wrote that the composition was one of the singer's more "intimate [and] orchestral tracks".

In mid 1969, "Didn't We" managed to chart on the major record charts in both the United States and Canada. On the Billboard Hot 100, it debuted at number 83 for the week ending June 7, 1969, becoming the week's highest new entry. Five weeks later, the single reached its peak position at number 63 and then departed the chart altogether the following week. On Canada's Top Singles compiled by RPM, it entered the chart at number 95 on June 16 of the same year, before rising to number 82 the following week and number 73 the week after that. It also peaked on the Adult Contemporary charts in both the United States and Canada, reaching positions 11 and nine, respectively.

Cover versions and other usage

Several recording artists and musicians have covered "Didn't We". The earliest one was American singer Frank Sinatra's rendition, which appeared on his 27th studio album, My Way (1969), to which Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic likened it as a "rock cover". New Zealand singer Bunny Walters recorded a version which appeared as the B side of his 1971 single "Brandy". English singer Matt Monro also recorded a version for his reissued 2004 double album, For the Present / The Other Side of the Stars. As a tribute to Webb, Michael Feinstein placed it on his 25th studio album, Only One Life: The Songs of Jimmy Webb (2003). Music critic Aaron Litham, also from AllMusic, acclaimed it and wrote, "The quiet piano strains and Feinstein's reflective vocals tenderly deliver the song's bittersweet meaning as it being recording for the very first time."

"Didn't We" is featured on several of Harris's greatest hits albums. It was initially included on his first one, titled The Richard Harris Collection: His Greatest Performances, which was released in 1973 by Dunhill. It also served as the opener and prelude on his second album in the series, The Webb Sessions: 1968-1969 (1995), released exclusively in Australia. The aforementioned album was re-released in the United Kingdom under the name MacArthur Park: Richard Harris Sings the Songs of Jimmy Webb in 1997. "Didn't We" also appears on a collection of his singles, titled MacArthur Park (1972), released under the budget album label Music for Pleasure.

Background and reception

American vocalist Barbra Streisand recorded a version of "Didn't We" for her second live album, Live Concert at the Forum (1972). It was released as the record's third and final single and was recorded at Streisand's first concert in six years, titled "Barbra-Live!", on 15 April 1972. It was held at The Forum in Inglewood, California; the event itself served as a concert to raise money for George McGovern's 1972 presidential campaign. To warn the public on the misuse of drugs and alcohol, the singer pretended as if she was under the influence of marijuana. Richard Perry produced this version while Claus Ogerman helped with the arrangements. The vinyl single release features the B-side track "On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)", while the promotional release has the same A-side and B-side.

Allison J. Waldman, author of The Barbra Streisand Scrapbook, wrote that Streisand's performance of the single was "heartbreaking", while Linda Pohly, writer of The Barbra Streisand Companion, felt as if it revealed her "slender musical frame" that can both "support or sustain".

Chart performance

"Didn't We" did not match the moderate commercial success that Harris's version was met with. However, it was heavily played on soul radio, according to Julian Coleman of Billboard. In the United States, it entered the Billboard Hot 100 on 9 December 1972, where it was placed at number 98. It increased its peak position slowly, reaching number 96 the following week, and stalling at number 95 for the next two weeks after that. Streisand's rendition finally reached its peak position on 20 January 1973, where it was ranked at number 82 on the Hot 100. It spent a total of eight weeks on the United States' chart, before dropping off at its final position on 27 January 1973, also at number 82. It also entered both of the Adult Contemporary charts in the United States and Canada (then titled the Easy Listening chart in the former country), peaked at numbers 22 and 46, respectively.

Promotion and other usage

Streisand sang "Didn't We" during her 2012-2013 concert tour, Barbra Live. It was performed immediately after her 1963 rendition of "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" and before Charlie Chaplin's 1936 single "Smile". The song then appeared on her eighth live album, Back to Brooklyn (2013), and the accompanying DVD release of the same name. Streisand also included an earlier version of "Didn't We" on her compilation album, Release Me, released in 2012. The record itself is a collection of rare and previously unreleased songs from Streisand's catalogue.