Barbra Streisand’s music is always epic, but her duets? They are even more extra. Last week, I found myself belting out her cover of “Tell Him” with Celine Dion and wow, it healed my soul.
So I’m delighted that Babs is giving us yet another album of fabulous collaborations. “The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two” is coming out on June 27 this year, and will feature some really incredible stars, including one Jewish legend we’ve all been talking about. Streisand released the first track from the new album last week; it’s a duet with Hozier of the 1957 folk song “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” written by Ewan MacColl for Peggy Seeger, recorded by the likes of Peter, Paul and Mary and made extra iconic by Roberta Flack in 1972 with such tenderness and feeling. Streisand and Hozier’s cover is incredibly moving and powerful.
Aside from the Hozier track, the album will feature duets with Seal, Sting, Paul McCartney, James Taylor, Ariana Grande and Mariah Carey, Sam Smith, Laufey, Tim McGraw, Josh Groban, and the subject of the recent biopic “Complete Unknown” — Bob Dylan. Dylan and Streisand will be recording “The Very Thought of You,” a 1930’s pop tune full of pining and romance, recorded by the likes of Nat King Cole and Billie Holiday. Dylan has quite rarely recorded duets with other artists, though he does seem to make occasional exceptions for larger than life Jewish ladies of the screen and stage — he recorded this cover of his “Buckets of Rain” with Bette Midler back in 1976.
Like Midler did with Dylan back then, Babs is recording quite a few covers of legendary songs penned by her collaborators. Paul McCartney recorded a cover of one of his own songs, “My Valentine,” with the EGOT winner. Streisand and Icelandic singer Laufey will sing together the young artist’s famous “Letters to My 13 Year Old Self.” With Sting, she’ll release a cover of his unforgettable ballad “Fragile.” With James Taylor, she’ll be singing his classic “Secret O’ Life.” Streisand will also release a rendition of her newest original song, “Love Will Survive,” created for the Peacock show “The Tattooist of Auschwitz,” as a duet with Seal. Her songs with some of the other artists appear to be brand new, and I couldn’t be more excited for that.
This is Streisand’s second album of duets, a sequel or partner of sorts to her 2015 “Duets.” That album featured her co-recordings with other artists through the years and decades, and included that infectious Celine cover I sang in the car. It also featured collaborations with Frank Sinatra, Barry Manilow, Ray Charles, Neil Diamond, Donna Summer and of course, the unforgettable collaboration of hers with Judy Garland, on a medley of “Get Happy” and “Happy Days.” (Groban has the incredible honor of being featured on both of these albums).
I can’t wait to belt these future “Duets” on road trips this summer.
