"Evergreen" Wins Original Song: 1977 Oscars

Neil Diamond presents Barbra Streisand and Paul Williams the Oscar for Music (Original Song) for "Evergreen (Love Theme From A Star Is Born)" at the 49th Academy Awards. Hosted by Jane Fonda.
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[@jwelch5742]

Evergreen is a great song. Barbra Streisand is the first woman to be honored as a composer.

[@giovanealves4320]

I don't think so. I believe a woman won for "The Way We Were" in 1974. It is an honor, nonetheless.

[@wengfong6742]

Giovane, Barbra is indeed the first woman composer. The previous winners of best songs were lyricists.

[@Brancusi2]

I can’t believe she accepted with the same Harpo Marx hairdo she had in A Star is Born. So much for acting.

[@holliedevine7565]

@@giovanealves4320 i see what you did there 😂

[@rslitman]

@@wengfong6742 That's right. Some have won since then. The first woman to be honored as lyricist was Dorothy Fields for "The Way You Look Tonight", in the 1930s. Some, such as Carly Simon and Melissa Etheridge, were both lyricist and composer on their Oscar-winning songs.

[@lordalessan]

Paul Williams is the most underrated songwriters in history. He wrote two of my favorite songs: "Rainbow Connection" and "Rainy and Mondays".

[@lilianaherrera-villegas8297]

Yes, and do not forget an underrated song from Paul Williams also: "Loneliness"... a beautiful poem with music. Helen Reddy recorded it and it was great, but it is surprising why no other singers have rediscovered it. It is just an amazing song!

[@jamesmcinnis208]

Come here for the meaningless "underrated" comments.

[@rodrigosanz2490]

He won an Oscar lmao...

[@susiepittman601]

Yep.

[@jenniferlewis1437]

And he’s hillarious

[@shazryn1980]

One of the greatest theme songs ever made.

[@janemulligan4644]

Definately one of the best

[@zacktutorial]

Gonna fly now is better.

[@NTH-rn4zc]

moon river 1961 is the Best theme song ever

[@marnybassett8713]

Paul Williams is, and always will be, the greatest songwriter / lyricist. A true treasure and a wonderful human being.

[@shihlin1]

Loved his song "Let Me Be the One" he cowrote, it was covered by the likes of the Carpenters, Anne Murray, and Dionne Warwick

[@shihlin1]

Hey, write a song for remake of "Star Is Born" and win an Oscar ! Babs in 1977 and Lady Gaga won for "Shallow" in 2019.

[@bobmarrier4374]

@Michael K thank you ! I thought I was alone with that opinion. I was afraid to watch Lady Gagas version of the movie, in case it was better than Streisand's. I had nothing to worry about.....

[@cruelsummerangel2092]

Fadga is over.

[@davidao2551]

​@@cruelsummerangel2092 where's Taylor of Notre Dame's Oscar??

[@winogirlll]

Paul Williams- goodness the great songs he has given us.

[@marka.5135]

My God, a young, hunky Neil Diamond! And that voice! I've melted many, many times watching this!

[@ihaveitongoodauthority880]

'Working with Barbra Streisand is like having a picnic at the end of a runway" Paul Williams

[@mgeek1]

I have it on good authority I'm not sure I understand what that means.

[@winogirlll]

Not a good working environment is my take.

[@markv1274]

+mgeek1 He meant an airport runway (in case you think he meant a fashion runway). Babs is notoriously difficult when at work.

[@MichaelJonesCarmichaeldude]

I have it on good authority She’s admitted to being difficult at times because she’s such a perfectionist. She’s very anal retentive about her artistic abilities and those she works with. She’s that way and she expects her co-workers to care as much as she does when creating music, movies, etc... Outside of the work environment I hear she can be quite gracious! She’s Barbra cut her some slack!!

[@shihlin1]

There are HORROR stories on how Streisand rejected Paul Williams' lyrics 33 times !! She sent lyrics back to him for rewrites a total of 33 times ! This is part of the baggage that comes with working for a perfectionist like Streisand. Not many songwriters can withstand this kind of treatment from Streisand, but good for Paul Williams, at least he got an Oscar in return !

[@outinsider]

How deserving. That was also the last time Streisand performed at the Oscars. 36 years later, she does it again! So excited!

[@camiloandresmercadoverano]

Evergreen (1977)- Shallow (2019) A Star Is Born 😍😍

[@victoriaindigo]

Paul Williams is an adorable genius and so humble

[@paul-egz4264]

God damn they don't make em like Paul Williams anymore, all gratitude and humility

[@pueraeternus111]

Paul Williams wrote the 2 most beautiful wedding songs of all time - Evergreen & We've Only Just Begun.

[@liammcooper]

I didn't know he wrote We've Only Just Begun, Ramsey Lewis' rendition is my favorite

[@quizmaster85]

1969 - "Hello, gorgeous!" 1977 - "Yo, Barbra!"

[@bradleyscarton3931]

Even though “Gonna Fly Now” wasn’t much a song in terms of lyrics and likely the reason why didn’t win, it is the one of the most memorable and impactful song ever nominated for Best Song. It’s so engrained into popular culture.

[@Pimp-Master]

Yes, doesn't every high school marching band play it?

[@sirphineasluciusambercromb9114]

Streisand kept hitting home run after home run in the 1970s. Evergreen is one of her top 5 songs ever.

[@CreatingExcellence]

How lovely to be able to access these clips.

[@rickram1961]

Evergreen was one of the very best songs written for a movie!

[@YanyongW]

Neil Diamond at his best look.so handsome.

[@esthergester236]

God he really was handsome. Never saw it before

[@mikedean5060]

Yeah, his jokes fell flat though

[@clairedelune2011]

Paul Williams such a great composer!

[@groofoot]

yep ... and he wrote this song by himself ... and everyone knows it ...

[@80steen44]

@@groofoot Really? Everyone knows? Paul himself has told the story multiple times of how Streisand had the melody already written when he arrived to meet her, and he had a bunch of ideas for other multiple songs, but she only wanted him to write one song or to see if he'd use her melody that she'd come up with for it. He told her the melody was beautiful and he wanted to write the lyrics for it. It wasn't the first time he'd only added lyrics to songs where the music had already been written.

[@groofoot]

@@80steen44 mm hm ...

[@80steen44]

@@groofoot So you're saying he's lying?

[@groofoot]

@@80steen44 imho

[@josephmvalentino]

back when the oscars had class

[@johnr5382]

Snowflake

[@JOECANDELA22]

you said it Joey

[@jamesmcinnis208]

Back when (some) people strove for class - unlike John Ruhl.

[@gargantuaism]

Not only that , back when movie songs were actually good and memorable.

[@teresadbrownbrown3785]

Agree

[@bonniebester606]

My Sister would play this Song at the piano and ld sing. It's 1 of my fondest Memories. We parted 10 years ago...

[@DiegoPerez-ce6yq]

Evergrern it's a beutiful song and Barbra IS marvellous... Bravo! You deserved

[@renanbarretos6685]

she is so beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@MrsCambers]

LOL I love Paul Williams haha "I was gonna thank the little people" lol

[@racourdav]

Very deserving, that's a beautiful song, and Barbara did it justice

[@peterclarke3990]

Thoroughly and utterly deserved. An amazing song from an equally amazing film.

[@LJG907]

This was always one of my favorites. Bravo for the writer and bravo for Barbara !! Neil was always awesome, as well ....

[@jackiescanlon]

Pretty easy to see which song you were rooting for, Neil!

[@chiqichiqi]

jackiescanlon Ya think?! 🙄

[@joycedrinkwater2170]

one beautiful song ....sung by a fantastic singer

[@soaribb32]

If I ever find the love of my life, it's gonna sound like Evergreen for sure.

[@cda345]

I love how Barbra says "I never could've imagined winning an Academy Award for writing a song" as apposed to just "I never could've imagined winning an Academy Award." In other words she definitely could've imagined her win for Funny Girl.

[@BIGTODD250]

priceless!! lol

[@TimeIdle]

She couldn't have said winning an Academy Award at this stage because she had already won an Oscar for acting. So "writing a song" was a necessary qualifier. You're over-reading.

[@gargantuaism]

Paul Williams wrote another great song that same year called Time and Tide from the motion picture "LIFEGUARD".

[@geraldfrank1630]

Paul W is the best! 👌👏👌👏👏🙏

[@ShakespeareCafe]

Paul Williams 70s Icon

[@ChristopherIGomes]

Royalty... just brilliance.

[@avigil10]

Paul Williams is one funny man. I absolutely love this song. The newly discovered video (I've never seen it) of Barbara singing "Evergreen" with a very shy Kris Kristofferson just brings me to tears.

[@patriciaalston1082]

I love you and your music. ❤️😻🌹💋🥰😍

[@jimmyl324]

Excellent song.

[@woody5551]

Lot of great songwriters back in the day.

[@teresadbrownbrown3785]

Agree

[@MissBK22]

Just love Barbara x

[@wrinthiak3431]

Forever my favorite 😍

[@nhgardener]

Purest love song ever....

[@dannydougin3925]

Neil certainly was handsome!

[@JD-ij5fi]

How nice. What the Oscars used to be.

[@teresadbrownbrown3785]

Agree

[@maryclark5329]

This is so nostalgic 🥰

[@EleyReiHer]

The stage back then was pure class. Also I wasn't aware that Jerry Goldsmith has been making music way back

[@anamariayngar4077]

Love Barbra ❤ tu Luis Enrique ingar Gonzáles lima Perú

[@BlackHoleSun1921]

Kids, this is why we don't let Neil Diamond near film-related events.

[@tommy9758]

So, both of A Star is Born soundtrack goes to #1 on the Billboard and won an Oscar.

[@Chechula1000]

Three music living legends on the Oscars stage!!!

[@mrpig408]

Funny how you can see that the seal on the envelope is broken before he even started to open it. I think sneaky Neal had an early peek at the winner before he made that gushing speech to Babs about how great her song is.

[@mickeytor]

yes ... I can understand being enthusiastic about a song or an actor - but for Neil Diamond to deliver that gushing rant while the other nominees are watching - that's kind of tacky.

[@misonoresoconto]

Someone previously suggested that you can see that the seal of the envelope was already broken. So Mr. Diamond already knew who the winner was before he announced Barbra Streisand. Look carefully at the envelope he's holding; he's using his index finger to keep the flap closed. Also, when he "opens" the envelope-- does he break the seal or does it look like the seal has already been broken? He seems to merely flip back the flap without breaking the seal. Did he peek? Just asking.

[@percyweasley9301]

Hi,How you doing after 7 years?

[@Just.G]

When award shows were dignified

[@lindakaemaynor7532]

How do I control my finances when I get no cash .

[@anamariayngar4077]

Barbra ❤tu Luis Enrique ingar Gonzáles lima Perú

[@Harringtonml54]

Definitely the deserving winner. I have always loved Diamond, still do--but that editorializing before the winner was announced was totally disrespectful of the other nominees and represents a good reason why these proceedings are so often mocked and ridiculed.

[@dsim6703]

I noticed they both didn't mention the other, which is strange since I presume they worked closely writing a song together

[@richrome9897]

Paul Williams is too Cool.

[@smichelle65]

They really did a deep-dive into the 1976 film roster to find that "A World That Never Was" song; "Half a House", the movie it's from, must've run 3 days in Los Angeles before disappearing forever.

[@herpderpy9445]

God the 70s and 80s were hilarious. Everyone was high off their asses and didn't give a shit. Diamond was being such an ass. This is the time period when all of those modern "divas/os" that got their start in the 50s and 60s were getting recognition and they wouldn't let people forget it. Out of this entire clusterfuck, I'm most happy that Williams won an Oscar.

[@barbraevergreen]

What are you talking about? I think 70s and 80s are the best eras.

[@MiccoliOfficial]

Great vid. Thanks for the upload. Much Love Miccoli

[@Patrick3183]

The man clearly didn’t break the seal of the envelope. He just lifts it. I think he knew who won already.

[@syleriam]

First: Oscar to Jane Fonda to so fierce and glamorous...That's a Stunning woman my lord. Oscars back them was pack of strong womens everywhere. Second Neil Diamond

[@mariarey9286]

Neil Diamond... look how young@!!!! #sendmetotheoscars #academyfans

[@helengrigsby4838]

Maria Rey Yesssss... We all have to grow old

[@joewhitehead3]

Woulda been awesome if Gonna Fly Now won!

[@hopenlk]

Jane Fonda of course haven't aged a day...

[@Rafaeluchimura]

Much better than Shallow!!!

[@carolluma5666]

Yes

[@rleew]

Lady Gaga is winning this award and many more for the remake of A Star Is Born.

[@chiqichiqi]

RLeeW Lady CACA WISHES she was even an ounce as good as Babs.

[@helengrigsby4838]

Oh puh lease. She don't eben come close to Ms. Streisand

[@rleew]

@@chiqichiqi I never compared her to Barbara. :/ I know Barbara is a legend. Take a seat.

[@rleew]

@@helengrigsby4838 Sit down, I never compared Gaga to Barbara.

[@rleew]

Update: Lady Gaga was just nominated for Original Song & Leading Actress at the Oscars. I am telling y'all, she is winning in February. 😏

[@smotsliner]

Neil diamond is higgggggggghhhhhhhhh

[@Mosquitoswatter359]

Paul Williams doesn’t get the credit he deserves for this song. He said himself he would never again put that much into a song without getting more credit. But ti’s a beautiful song, and was created by both.

[@Dickens58]

And a duet would come two years later...

[@Pimp-Master]

Super tiny guy, but super huge hit songs.

[@trancedancer3657]

So can the last two remakes win back to back best song Oscars, time will tell in 2019 all way back to 1977.

[@jtf10570]

How did Neil Diamond get the "Jazz Singer" remake off that performance? On the other hand, it was nice to see an Oscar go to Little Enos Burdette.

[@PlayIt4MeAgainSam]

Nicely said! This was not great in presentation but it was in acceptance speeches.

[@johnroberts5226]

Barbra and Paul deserved the academy award for this beautiful song. Streisand won the grammy award in the female pop category in 1977 for this song as well. Tough competition with this category: Linda Ronstadt for Blue Bayou, Carly Simon for Nobody Does It Better, Debby Boone for You Light Up My Life and Dolly Parton for Here You Come Again. Barbra should have won in 1980 for female pop for Woman in Love.

[@shanenolan085]

Barbara's SECOND Oscar 🏆

[@michaelmuldowney8]

Neil Diamond was offered male lead in A STAR IS BORN, after Elvis turned it down - but Diamond turned it down due to his concert schedule.

[@jotasier7098]

Ave Satani and Evergreen... two of my favorites.

[@justinnampui4757]

that lil dude in Smokey and the bandit!

[@johndalton3180]

About halfway into their collaboration, Paul Williams stopped returning Barbra's calls.

[@susanyork5089]

Paul Williams is magnificent

[@rfinnegan7106]

"Yo, Barbra!"

[@romulowingnut1701]

Barbra Streisand é a artista Perfeita ! A Voz Feminina mais linda do mundo ! ❤️ 🤍 💙

[@romaneros4583]

So much better than Shallow.

[@brkitdwn]

all pros being pro.. winners today make me cringe

[@MrFabinhoFlapp]

It´s competely unbelievable Strsisand only have 2 Oscars. But Skinny & Cat are coming... just wait!

[@ilovebarbra2]

I don't think so, None of the movie projects announced in Barbra's name have come to fruition in 10 years now.

[@EddieLensweiger]

I didn't know he's Oscar winning song writer, he's famously known as the maniac midget in Brian de Palma's Phantom of Paradise lol.

[@CharlyDS]

Yeah and he wrote all those great songs for the movie! :)

[@jenniferlewis1437]

Neil Diamond was and still is a good looking man

[@zibbyzubb]

Other than the theme from Rocky, who even remembers the other nominated songs from that year?

[@mrsktrg6906]

well you need to search for "ave satani" then , it's the most famous one between them

[@zibbyzubb]

@@mrsktrg6906 Hardly. really? So Oldies radio plays Ave Satani? I think not. You can hear Evergreen and Gonna Fly Now practically every day.

[@mrsktrg6906]

@@zibbyzubb ave satani is like the national anthem for satanists around the world , of course rradios are not going to play it because of the lyrics they are not family friendly

[@zibbyzubb]

@@mrsktrg6906 they can all go to hell. HAHAHAHA!

[@fkd1963]

It did not go straight to video; it played in the theaters about 1 month in the spring of 1980.

[@musicellaneous1909]

Superb video!! Very cool! :)

[@mgeek1]

The famous Streisand Curly Fro. And that dress! What were they thinking?

[@lynnturman8157]

mgeek1 Rest assured they'll be laughing at your wardrobe 40 years from now as well.

[@mgeek1]

Lynn Turman I grew up in the eighties. The "kids" are already laughing at our clothes.

[@markv1274]

+mgeek1 The kids of the 2010s might be laughing at the folks from the 1980s, but a lot of people are laughing at the kids from the 2010s right now. If you look at a lot of movies from the 1980s, they have a sort of timeless quality about them. But you look at a movie from even ten years ago (say, 2005) and the clothes already look ghastly (and in fact, the clothes never even looked good at the time). Also, back in the 1980s, we knew how to wear baseball caps. For starters, you rip the sticker off the cap. Then you bend the peak, put it on FORWARDS (unless you're the catcher), and go and play ball and slide around in the dirt. That's how it's done.

[@collinsje5]

We all wore horrible clothes in the '70s. It was a bad decade for both fashion and interior decorating (unless harvest gold shag carpeting does it for you).

[@sundriesrebecakundomal2920]

I love 70 clothes and Barbra hair please that era was class not today I'm 45

[@antiphob]

neil and babra was high school alumni.

[@titasantiniE]

Love Neil.

[@brianeduardo1234]

46 years ago

[@daisytheunicornTV]

Fun. No Political statements. Those were great days.

[@gnalkhere]

Swan maybe a tyrant but he's a gracious winner

[@stettan1754]

So glad that perm phase is over.

[@brianwebberable]

I love the perm, it's the first way I saw her as a child, I'm a 70's barbra fan, so for me it's angelic. Please don't knock it too harshly

[@helengrigsby4838]

Stet Tan Oh puh lease. You could never work it.

[@lucyfer4420]

She actually had a "perm" phase way before this. You can see it on her Je M'apelle Barbra album cover and on the 1968 Academy Award show.....

[@cozettem8226]

The perm phase was still going strong through 70’s and 80’s but I remember my mother getting that ridiculous poodle hairdo/white woman’s Afro and it supposedly being cool. I used to have my hair layered and permed in the 80’s but it wasn’t kinky Afro perms like this. Who knows why we ever thought it looked good lol.

[@coralhill5923]

I got a perm once ...I looked like Annie (the musical).... hated it!!

[@Javier636]

2:01 Is that the Corona virus decorating the backstage??... scary