The change in Minnelli's discography began on March 1, 1972, when the actress and singer signed her contract with Columbia Records.[2] In September 1972, recording sessions began for what would become The Singer.[2] Originally, fellow label artist Barbra Streisand was set to release an album with the same title, featuring the track by Walter Marks, but the project was shelved, allowing Minnelli to breathe life into an album that would become a significant part of her own musical journey.[2]
Therefore, the challenge with The Singer was to make it a showcase comparable to her previous projects.[6] The title track, "The Singer," bears resemblance to songs from Cabaret, and there is a sense of Liza's acting prowess in her renditions of tracks like "I'd Love You to Want Me" and "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight."[6]
The album was promoted through full-page advertisements in various magazines (such as Billboard)[7] and radio commercials.[8]
Commercial performance
Commercially, The Singer became one of the biggest commercial successes of the singer's career. It reached number 38 on the Billboard 200,[9] and spent 20 weeks on the same chart.[10] The single from the track "The Singer" reached number 42 on the adult contemporary chart in Canada, as published by RPM magazine.[11]
According to Clive Davis, the album sold 20,000 copies in advance in the United Kingdom, as published in Billboard magazine on May 26, 1973.[12]
The reception from music critics was largely favorable. William Ruhlmann of the website AllMusic stated that the tracklist consisted of songs that seemed to have been chosen based on what was popular during the summers of 1972 and 1973.[14] Despite this, he gave it a three out of five-star rating and wrote that it seemed like the singer gave her best in her interpretations of the songs.[14]
