The recordings took place at Capitol's studio in New York from April to May 2, 1966.[3] The production is by Marvin Holtzman, and the arrangements and conducting are by Ray Ellis.[4]
The album is considered as "Minnelli's French album" since the tracklist includes, for the most part, songs known to be sung by French artists such as Charles Aznavour, Michel Legrand, and Jacques Brel.[5] Furthermore, the repertoire consists of English versions of popular French songs.[5]
On November 5, 1966, the Billboard magazine included it in the list of releases for that month.[6] As a form of promotion, a single was sent to the radios. It included the songs "I Who Have Nothing" and "Middle Of The Street,"[7] with the first song originally being recorded in Italian.[8]
In 1967, the Hi-Fi/Stereo Review magazine included it in their list of "Best Album of the Year," which featured the best albums of 1966 as chosen by the magazine's music critics.[9]
Despite never being released individually in the CD format, all eleven tracks in their entirety (and in the original order) appeared on two compilations released by Capitol Records, namely: in 2006, on The Complete Capitol Collection that adopts the original cover of Liza! Liza!; and in 2009, on the compilation Finest.[10]
The reviews from music critics were favorable. William Ruhlmann of the website AllMusic gave it three and a half stars out of five, stating that "Minnelli was still only 20 when she recorded and released There Is a Time, but she comes off as an experienced professional in a well-chosen set of songs that suit her performing style."[8]
The reviewer from Billboard magazine included a review in the "Albums Reviews" section, stating that the album was the best one by the singer up to that point.[12] They noted that "the vocal performances and arrangements are of the highest quality" and that the album is "definitely a winner - artistically and commercially."[12]
Comercial performance
Commercially, it failed to appear on the Billboard 200 chart.[13] Its poor performance is attributed to its release during a time when a significant portion of the American record-buying public consisted of rock and roll-loving teenagers, which led to a mismatch in musical tastes.[5]
