Barbra Streisand -The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume Two June 27 2025

**jack020** · 05-01-2025, 04:56 AM

https://variety.com/2025/music/news/...um-1236382344/

Barbra Streisand is going back to the buddy system for her next album, joining forces with several generations’ worth of stars, from Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney to Hozier and Laufey, for a collection of duets. The record, titled “The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume Two,” is a sequel to her 2014 album “Partners” and comes out June 27.
One of the 11 tracks, “One Heart, One Voice,” is not a duet but rather finds Streisand forming a trio with two of the biggest voices in music, Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande.

Others signing on to sing with Streisand include Sting, James Taylor, Sam Smith, Josh Groban, Tim McGraw and Seal.
The first single, a collaboration with Hozier on the classic “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” has just been released to DSPs.
In a statement, Hozier said, “Barbra Streisand is one of the most enduring and iconic vocalists of our time, and somebody who defined an era with the sheer force of her voice, her talent, charisma and vision. To be asked to join her on a duet was a huge honor and came as a wonderful and welcome surprise. Ewan MacColl’s ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,’ made famous by the stunning Roberta Flack recording, has always mystified me. It is, to me, one of the most beautiful love songs ever written. Like so many, I was deeply saddened to hear of her recent passing. Along with the honour I have to sing on this record with Barbra, I hope this duet offers something of a gesture to Roberta Flack’s incredible legacy.”
Dylan has rarely recorded duets over the decades, so fans will be eager to hear how her butter matches with his granular tone. They hooked up for a familiar standard, “The Very Thought of You.” [[The closest equivalent to this teaming for Dylan might be the time he aligned with Bette Midler for a duet back in 1975, although in that case, they were recording one of his compositions, “Buckets of Rain.”)
In a few instances on Streisand’s forthcoming album, the song chosen comes out of the catalog of her duet partner. That’s the case with McCartney: “My Valentine” is the one original song the ex-Beatles penned for what was otherwise an album of standards, “Kisses on the Bottom,” and represented his own attempt at writing something in that vein. He has continued to perform the ballad on tour.
Sting’s “Fragile” is also one of the most enduring ballads in his own songbook. And Laufey, who is still in her early 20s and only has two albums out, gets quite an honor by having Streisand join her for a duet version of her introspective song “Letter to My 13-Year-Old Self.”

Streisand said, “I’ve always loved singing duets with gifted artists. They inspire me in unique and different ways…and make our time in the studio a joy! My new album, ‘The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume Two,‘ gave me the chance to work and play with some of my old friends, label mates, and new artists too. I admire all of them… and I hope that you’ll enjoy listening to our collaborations as much as I enjoyed recording with all of my wonderful partners.”
The album was produced by Walter Afanasieff and Peter Asher, with Streisand and her longtime A&R executive Jay Landers as executive producers. Orchestrations were handled by William Ross and David Campbell, recorded at the Streisand Scoring Stage in Culver City and with the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios in London.

The track list:
1. THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE with Hozier
2. MY VALENTINE with Paul McCartney
3. TO LOSE YOU AGAIN with Sam Smith
4. THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU with Bob Dylan
5. LETTER TO MY 13 YEAR OLD SELF with Laufey
6. ONE HEART, ONE VOICE with Mariah Carey & Ariana Grande
7. I LOVE US with Tim McGraw
8. SECRET O’ LIFE with James Taylor
9. FRAGILE with Sting
10. WHERE DO I GO FROM YOU? with Josh Groban
11. LOVE WILL SURVIVE with Seal

**jack020** · 05-01-2025, 04:57 AM

**Philles/Motown Gary** · 05-03-2025, 10:32 PM

Jack, I had no idea this new CD title was coming out. As per usual, Barbra's duet version of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for the heads up. I can hardly wait for June 27's release date to get here!

**Philles/Motown Gary** · 05-03-2025, 10:47 PM

I was never much of a Streisand fan -- especially her 1960's Broadway/MOR era. In fact, back in the day, she struck me as being kinda.... well, boring and wierd.

Flash ahead to 2024 when I discovered the best reference book I've ever seen on a recording artist:

BARBRA STREISAND - THE MUSIC: The Albums - The Singles by Matt Howe [[Hard Cover, 279 pages).

This incredible book covers each and every Barbra Streisand album ever released including LP/CD title, catalog #, high quality front- and back-cover album photos; tracklist; release date, producer credits; arranger credits; recording engineer[[s); liner notes credit; photographer credit; album/CD release date; and restoration credit [[if applicable). The entire hard-cover book is printed on high-quality glossy paper, and is super-impressive from start-to-finish. The first three quarters of this amazing book describes, to-a-tee, every one of Babs' albums/CDs, while the last section of the book gives the same treatment to each and every Streisand 45 released throughout the years.

As an added bonus, author Matt Howe offers his own personal review of each of Streisand's releases.

If you need further proof of the completeness of this Streisand-music Bible, one glance at the countless 5-star reviews will surely convince you.

Realizing that I had to admit to liking some of Streisand's newer love songs from the '70s onward, I went onto YouTube and checked out each and every tune from each and every one of her albums listed in this book. I couldn't believe what I had been missing all of these years. I was not only pleased but thrilled to discover that her musical style had changed considerably from those '60s Broadway/MOR recordings. I ended up ordering most of the majority of Streisand's CD's from Amazon. If you think there's the slightest chance you might like to own a few of her CDs, give this beautiful book a chance. I can guarantee you won't be sorry. If you want just a few of her CDs, I can highly recommend her duets and partners CDs. They're gorgeous!

Photo of the above book on Amazon.
https://a.co/d/23vXYEz

**jack020** · 05-04-2025, 04:31 AM

I have this book also but found it disappointing that everything in the book is on the autor's website also to read for free.
BTW: Babs did a nice cover of Shake Me Wake Me!

**Philles/Motown Gary** · 05-04-2025, 04:56 AM

Yeah, Jack, I have her version of "Shake Me, Wake Me". Love it!
What don't you like about the complete Barbra Streiand book? I thought it was excellent.

**carlo** · 05-04-2025, 09:03 AM

Thanks for the book recommendation, Gary. I had been eyeing that particular book for a few years and had put the thought out of my mind, since I already have several large books on Barbra. I was doubting whether I really needed this, in light of my limited shelf space. I didn't realize until now that it is written by Matt Howes, who runs the Barbra Archives website [which is what Jack is referring to]. I may need to get this book

I am looking forward to the release of her second volume of duets! I am especially curious about the collaboration she did with Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande! I wasn't expecting to like this new single with Hozier, mostly because I saw it was Hozier...but I was pleasantly surprised. It is indeed beautiful!

A couple of my favourite Barbra albums include her Broadway Album and Guilty Pleasures, which was a follow-up to Guilty, both of which she did with Barry Gibb. If you haven't heard Guilty Pleasures yet, Gary...I highly recommend it

Her previous studio album "Walls", was also pretty solid, but overall a bit too sad/slow, due to the political theme.

Here is one of my favourite songs from Guilty Pleasures, "Night Of My Life"...

**jack020** · 05-04-2025, 09:35 AM

Again: there is nothing in the book that is not on the website!

**jack020** · 05-04-2025, 09:38 AM

The better version, sorry Carlo

From The Essential John Luongo - The Dance Mixes / Download only

**jack020** · 05-04-2025, 09:54 AM

**jack020** · 05-04-2025, 09:56 AM

**Philles/Motown Gary** · 05-05-2025, 01:52 AM

Originally Posted by carlo

Thanks for the book recommendation, Gary. I had been eyeing that particular book for a few years and had put the thought out of my mind, since I already have several large books on Barbra. I was doubting whether I really needed this, in light of my limited shelf space. I didn't realize until now that it is written by Matt Howes, who runs the Barbra Archives website [which is what Jack is referring to]. I may need to get this book

I am looking forward to the release of her second volume of duets! I am especially curious about the collaboration she did with Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande! I wasn't expecting to like this new single with Hozier, mostly because I saw it was Hozier...but I was pleasantly surprised. It is indeed beautiful!

A couple of my favourite Barbra albums include her Broadway Album and Guilty Pleasures, which was a follow-up to Guilty, both of which she did with Barry Gibb. If you haven't heard Guilty Pleasures yet, Gary...I highly recommend it

Her previous studio album "Walls", was also pretty solid, but overall a bit too sad/slow, due to the political theme.

Here is one of my favourite songs from Guilty Pleasures, "Night Of My Life"...

You're very welcome, Carlo. Go ahead -- get the book. You'll love it! And, yes, I have Barbra & Barry's "Guilty Pleasures" CD [[nearly every track is a winner!), and also her "Walls" CD. I, too, love it! Discovering her music of the past 25 years has opened up whole new vista's for me as far as Barbra the Entertainer is concerned. Dying for a new music entertainer to pick up the slack these days, Barbra Streisand filled the void beautifully. Can hardly wait for her new "Partners [[Vol. 2)" CD to get here!

**Philles/Motown Gary** · 05-05-2025, 02:03 AM

Originally Posted by jack020

Jack, how cool that Barbra provided a self-spoken ad for her new upcoming CD release! That extra touch makes it extra special!

**Philles/Motown Gary** · 05-05-2025, 02:14 AM

My only disappointment regarding the upcoming "Partners [[Vol. 2) is that it will contain only 11 tracks, whereas "Partners [[Vol. 1)" had 16 tracks. I'm wondering.... Do you think there's any chance that Target might sell a deluxe version of "Partners [[Vol. 2)" featuring additional bonus tracks, as they often-times do?

**Boogiedown** · 05-05-2025, 01:56 PM

Originally Posted by jack020

I don't know Ariana grande from Lady Gaga BUT this is terrific on her part. She puts some nice fresh life in this song ...

[& if I'm paying for a live show ...this is the kind of moment I'm hoping for ....]

**Boogiedown** · 05-05-2025, 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by Philles/Motown Gary

I was never much of a Streisand fan -- especially her 1960's Broadway/MOR era. In fact, back in the day, she struck me as being kinda.... well, boring and wierd.

Flash ahead to 2024 when I discovered the best reference book I've ever seen on a recording artist:

BARBRA STREISAND - THE MUSIC: The Albums - The Singles by Matt Howe [[Hard Cover, 279 pages).

This incredible book covers each and every Barbra Streisand album ever released including LP/CD title, catalog #, high quality front- and back-cover album photos; tracklist; release date, producer credits; arranger credits; recording engineer[[s); liner notes credit; photographer credit; album/CD release date; and restoration credit [[if applicable). The entire hard-cover book is printed on high-quality glossy paper, and is super-impressive from start-to-finish. The first three quarters of this amazing book describes, to-a-tee, every one of Babs' albums/CDs, while the last section of the book gives the same treatment to each and every Streisand 45 released throughout the years.

As an added bonus, author Matt Howe offers his own personal review of each of Streisand's releases.

If you need further proof of the completeness of this Streisand-music Bible, one glance at the countless 5-star reviews will surely convince you.

Realizing that I had to admit to liking some of Streisand's newer love songs from the '70s onward, I went onto YouTube and checked out each and every tune from each and every one of her albums listed in this book. I couldn't believe what I had been missing all of these years. I was not only pleased but thrilled to discover that her musical style had changed considerably from those '60s Broadway/MOR recordings. I ended up ordering most of the majority of Streisand's CD's from Amazon. If you think there's the slightest chance you might like to own a few of her CDs, give this beautiful book a chance. I can guarantee you won't be sorry. If you want just a few of her CDs, I can highly recommend her duets and partners CDs. They're gorgeous!

Photo of the above book on Amazon.
https://a.co/d/23vXYEz

Nice info/ input Gary

There's a receptiveness about you that I like very much ....I think you approach listening to music wanting to like it .... and it must've been a nice surprise to decide .... hey maybe I do like Babs stuff ....
I don't have that ...
I'm a very hard sell.

**Philles/Motown Gary** · 05-06-2025, 01:00 AM

Originally Posted by Boogiedown

Nice info/ input Gary

There's a receptiveness about you that I like very much ....I think you approach listening to music wanting to like it .... and it must've been a nice surprise to decide .... hey maybe I do like Babs stuff ....
I don't have that ...
I'm a very hard sell.

Well, thanks, Boogie! For me, becoming a Barbra Streisand fan happened quite by chance.

Back in the late '90s, I discovered a syndicated late-night radio show called "The Delila Show" on which Delila, the radio DJ, would take on-air requests from her listeners who were dedicating power ballads to their sweethearts. [[Yeah, it's kinda corny, I know; but when you're a sucker for love songs and strings, what can I say?) Anyway, one of the songs she played was a brand new ballad by Barbra Streisand & Vince Gill titled "If You Ever Leave Me". One listen was all it took to make me buy Barbra's latest CD at the time -- 1999's "A Love Like Ours", which contained the above-mentioned Streisand/Vince Gill duet.

https://youtu.be/kPcOoQqJKXk?si=LEqmtBF8PxSeyQr-

Damn! I still get goosebumps from that! I mean, how could I not fall in love with a magnificent performance like that? There's no way it could have NOT inspired me to check out ALL of her later recordings.... and buy them all! [[Of course, that was a few years ago. There's no way I could afford to do that now.)

You're right, Boogie! Discovering all of Streisands 1980s-through-current-day CD's all at once was a musically-thrilling journey -- not unlike the thrill of a kid at Christmas!

**Circa 1824** · 05-10-2025, 08:39 AM

I have never been a fan of Streisand. But, I love the new album cover picture. It is perfect. I also greatly respect her drive for perfection on every project. She not only has a voice, she has a brain. Thus, her fans are rarely disappointed.