Last week I posted about Best of Duets (you can read about it here) and this week I decided to go with another CD of duets, this time with Barbra Streisand and a varied group of singers.
Some of these songs are hits like “Guilty” and “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers.” And there are familiar songs like “One Less Bell to Answer/A House is Not a Home” and “The Music of the Night” from Phantom of the Opera and “Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead” from The Wizard of Oz.
Using some audio magic, Barbra sings with Judy Garland on “Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again.”
Barbra Streisand Duets from 2002 is a compilation of several styles: traditional to pop. There’s something here for just about every musical taste. Do you remember these songs? GRADE: B (for Barbra)
TRACK LIST:
| 1 | Barbra Streisand With Barry Manilow– | I Won’t Be The One To Let Go Arranged By [Orchestra], Conductor – William RossEngineer – Chris Brooke, David Reitzas, Humberto GaticaExecutive-Producer – Barbra Streisand, Jay LandersMixed By – Mick GuzauskiProducer, Arranged By – Walter AfanasieffProducer, Arranged By, Written-By – Richard MarxWritten-By – Barry Manilow | 4:41 |
| 2 | Barbra Streisand With Barry Gibb– | Guilty Executive-Producer – Charles KoppelmanProducer – Albhy Galuten, Barry Gibb, Karl RichardsonWritten-By – Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb & Maurice Gibb* | 4:25 |
| 3 | Barbra Streisand With Neil Diamond– | You Don’t Bring Me Flowers Arranged By, Conductor – Alan LindgrenProducer – Bob GaudioWritten-By – Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Neil Diamond | 3:25 |
| 4 | Barbra Streisand With Bryan Adams– | I Finally Found Someone Arranged By – R.J. “Mutt” Lange*Arranged By [Strings] – Jack HayesExecutive-Producer – Jay LandersProducer, Arranged By – David FosterWritten-By – Barbra Streisand, Marvin Hamlisch, R.J. Lange*Written-By, Arranged By – Bryan Adams | 3:43 |
| 5 | Barbra Streisand With Ray Charles– | Cryin’ Time Arranged By – Ken Welch, Mitzi Welch*Producer – Martin ErlichmanWritten-By – Buck Owens | 2:18 |
| 6 | Barbra Streisand With Frank Sinatra– | I’ve Got A Crush On You Arranged By – Patrick WilliamsArranged By [Original Arrangement] – Nelson RiddleExecutive-Producer – Jay LandersProducer – David Foster, Phil RamoneWritten-By – George Gershwin & Ira Gershwin* | 3:23 |
| 7 | Barbra Streisand With Celine Dion*– | Tell Him Arranged By [Orchestra], Conductor – William RossExecutive-Producer – Barbra Streisand, Jay LandersProducer – Walter AfanasieffWritten-By – Linda Thompson (2)Written-By, Producer, Arranged By – David Foster, Walter Afanasieff | 4:53 |
| 8 | Barbra Streisand With Donna Summer– | No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) Arranged By [Vocals] – Luther WatersArranged By, Conductor – Greg MathiesonExecutive-Producer – Charles KoppelmanProducer – Gary KleinWritten-By, Arranged By [Vocals] – Bruce Roberts, Paul Jabara | 4:43 |
| 9 | Barbra Streisand With Barry Gibb– | What Kind Of Fool Executive-Producer – Charles KoppelmanProducer – Karl RichardsonWritten-By, Producer – Albhy Galuten, Barry Gibb | 4:07 |
| 10 | Barbra Streisand With Johnny Mathis– | I Have A Love / One Hand, One Heart Arranged By, Orchestrated By – Billy ByersOrchestrated By – Bill Ross*Producer, Arranged By – David FosterWritten-By – Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim | 4:45 |
| 11 | Barbra Streisand With Barbra Streisand– | One Less Bell To Answer / A House Is Not A Home Arranged By – Kenny Welch*Orchestrated By – Peter MatzProducer – Richard PerryWritten-By – Burt Bacharach & Hal David* | 6:32 |
| 12 | Barbra Streisand With Kris Kristofferson– | Lost Inside Of You Arranged By – Pat Williams*Producer – Phil RamoneWritten-By – Leon RussellWritten-By, Producer – Barbra Streisand | 2:55 |
| 13 | Barbra Streisand With Don Johnson– | Till I Loved You Arranged By – Randy WaldmanProducer, Arranged By – Phil RamoneWritten-By – Maury Yeston | 4:17 |
| 14 | Barbra Streisand With Kim Carnes– | Make No Mistake, He’s Mine Executive-Producer – Charles KoppelmanProducer, Arranged By [Strings] – Bill CuomoWritten-By, Producer – Kim Carnes | 4:11 |
| 15 | Barbra Streisand With Vince Gill– | If You Ever Leave MeArranged By [Orchestra], Conductor – William RossExecutive-Producer – Barbra Streisand, Jay LandersProducer, Arranged By – David FosterWritten-By, Producer, Arranged By – Richard Marx | 4:38 |
| 16 | Barbra Streisand With Michael Crawford– | The Music Of The Night Arranged By [The London Symphony Orchestra], Conductor – Andrew Pryce JackmanCo-producer – Barbra StreisandProducer – David FosterProducer [Associate] – Don Reedman, Jeff JarrattWritten-By – Andrew Lloyd Webber, Charles Hart, Richard Stilgoe | 5:38 |
| 17 | Barbra Streisand With Harold Arlen– | Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead Arranged By, Conductor – Peter MatzProducer – Thomas Z. ShepardWritten-By – E.Y. Harburg, Harold Arlen | 1:54 |
| 18 | Barbra Streisand With Judy Garland– | Get Happy / Happy Days Are Here Again Music Director – Mort LindseyWritten-By [“Get Happy”] – Harold Arlen, Ted KoehlerWritten-By [“Happy Days Are Here Again”] – Jack Yellen, Milton Ager | 2:22 |
| 19 | Barbra Streisand With Josh Groban– | All I Know Of Love Arranged By [Orchestra], Conductor – William RossEngineer – David Reitzas, Felipe ElguetaExecutive-Producer – Barbra Streisand, Jay LandersMixed By – Mick GuzauskiWritten-By – Linda Thompson (2)Written-By, Producer, Arranged By – David Foster | 4:29 |
Unfortunately, I do remember “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers.” “Guilty” was better, and the Donna Summer duet was catchy. Don’t know most of them.
Jackie has two albums of Tony Bennett duets.
Jeff, like Jackie, I have the Tony Bennett duets, too. I like the k.d. Lang one but I’m not that thrilled with the Lady Gaga one…
Not a big Steisand fan. Plus, I always though Barbra was the dress code for a sketchy neighborhood saloon.
Jerry, I was always a bit bothered that Streisand didn’t know how to spell “Barbara.”
There are a few of these that I know and enjoy—but, by and large, I’m sure this is not the collection Babs wants to be remembered for: just too much middle-of-the-road/facile/easy-listening music (does anyone really need that much David Foster or Bryan Adams?). What I’d like to hear is a well-engineered mash-up of Barbra’s version of “Stoney End” with the original recorded by the song’s writer, Laura Nyro. That would be a worthwhile use of the magic of recording technology, imho.
Deb, we’ve been listening to Laura Nyro’s greatest hits lately – she wrote a lot of great stuff! – and noticed how close Barbra’s arrangement to “Stoney End” is to her original.
By coincidence, THE ESSENTIAL LAURA NYRO has been in my cd player this week, too. “The Bells” is playing at the moment.
Jeff, now I really have to find that Laura Nyro CD!
Jeff, I need to find my copy of Laura Nyro’s greatest hits!
Deb, I’m with you on “Stoney End” with Barbra and Laura Nyro. Classic song!
Another never-fervent Streisand listener. I won’t run away from these, but most of her partners in her duets over the decades have better batting averages by me.
On this album, I’d a little more than half her partners average worse for me than BS.
Todd, Streisand had most of that pop success with Barry Gibb.
Todd, there’s a wide range of styles on this CD.
I admire her singing voice, but I have low regard for her personally! Pass!
Bob, Streisand has underrated acting prowess. I cry every time I watch THE WAY WE WERE.
I gag every time I hear her pontificate!
As a kid, I enjoyed WHAT’S UP, DOC?
Todd, again, I think Streisand’s performance in WHAT’S UP, DOC? is underrated.
“Using some audio magic, Barbra sings with Judy Garland on “Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again.” ”
Streisand and Garland actually sang these songs together on one of Judy’s TV specials in the 60s.
The video is available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxFvQEanqbQ
But I don’t have the ‘Duets’ album, so maybe they have done some digital tweaking for that version …
Jee Jay, I’m sure all the songs on DUETS were remastered (with some additional tweaking here and there).