was worried.
She had just spent six days a week for six weeks recording the audiobook version of her 鈥� which became more than 48 hours of discussing her storied, EGOT-winning career and the unexpected life that came with it. But now, it was time to record a new album with a stunning lineup of duet partners that ranged from current hitmakers Hozier and Sam Smith to legends Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney and James Taylor. And when producers played the songs for her, she couldn鈥檛 sing along. Her mighty voice would just squeak.
鈥淢y voice was shot,鈥� Streisand, 83, told The Associated Press, calling from her home in Malibu, California. 鈥淚 mean, I literally prayed to God in front of that microphone, 鈥楲et my voice be there for me.鈥� And I don鈥檛 know how, but it was there.鈥�
Fans will be able to hear that for themselves on Friday, when her album arrives in stores and on streaming services. And despite her misgivings, Streisand shows she can still deliver the performances she wants, while also coaxing them out of others.
Bob Dylan: 鈥榃ould you sing with me?鈥�
Her duet with Dylan had been decades in the making. In 1970, Dylan sent Streisand a bouquet of flowers and a note 鈥� written in what she believes was crayon 鈥� asking, 鈥淲ould you sing with me?鈥�
But they did not connect until decades later, when their styles had converged a bit. When Streisand started work on her new album, she sent Dylan a copy of her memoir with an inscription referring to their time separately performing as teenagers and hoping it was time to finally sing together.
Choosing to rework the Ray Noble standard 鈥淭he Very Thought of You鈥� 鈥� popularized by everyone from Nat King Cole and Tony Bennett to Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald 鈥� turned out to be a surprise. It's not one of her personal favorites, though it is her longtime manager Marty Erlichman鈥檚 favorite song.
Dylan, one of the most only wanted to sing a standard, not one of his own classics. 鈥淚sn鈥檛 that great?鈥� Streisand said. 鈥淚 would鈥檝e sung anything with him.鈥�
She also agreed to his request to keep everyone else out of the studio when they recorded 鈥� including who often goes to her sessions.
鈥淚 had heard he wrote 鈥楲ay, Lady, Lay鈥� for me,鈥� 鈥淪o I thought, 鈥楲et鈥檚 make this lush, romantic track.鈥欌��
Though Dylan has a reputation for not taking much direction from producers, Streisand said he was very receptive to her suggestions.
鈥淗e was totally open to 鈥榃hy don鈥檛 you maybe try this?鈥� or 鈥楶hrase it this way鈥� or 鈥楾ry something else鈥� 鈥� just like I do as a director in movies and he was my actor that day,鈥� she said. 鈥淭o capture his originality and his voice and his phrasing, it was just an exciting experience.鈥�
McCartney worries about his 鈥榁alentine鈥�
Her experience with McCartney was more daunting. There was a full film crew on hand, led by Oscar-winning director Frank Marshall, to capture the recording of for an . Streisand said that added to the challenges of the session.
鈥淗e was kind of shy about it and I understand him,鈥� she said about recording 鈥淢y Valentine鈥� with McCartney. 鈥淚 walked into a room of 25 people (to sing) and I don鈥檛 like that.鈥�
McCartney he was 鈥渢errified鈥� during the three-hour session.
鈥淚 thought, 鈥榃ell, this will be easy because it鈥檚 my song, it鈥檚 鈥淢y Valentine.鈥� What can go wrong?鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淏ut what I鈥檇 forgotten was that they鈥檇 arranged it so that it had to go in Barbra鈥檚 key and then in my key. So, to get from Barbra鈥檚 key into mine was kind of difficult. ... It wasn鈥檛 easy at all!鈥�
They quickly worked it out. 鈥淚t turned out great,鈥� said Streisand, who released the song in May as one of the album鈥檚 preview singles.
It鈥檚 another single, though, that is resonating even more. 鈥淟etter to My 13-Year-Old Self,鈥� Streisand鈥檚 duet with hit No. 1 on the iTunes chart earlier this month, topping Sabrina Carpenter鈥檚 鈥淢anchild鈥� and Mariah Carey鈥檚 鈥淭ype Dangerous鈥� on release day.
Streisand related to the song because it reminded her of a middle-school report she wrote called 鈥淢y Thirteen Years,鈥� which meant so much to her that she still has it. In neat, cursive writing, she recalled what her life was like, her love of Shakespearean sonnets and the death of her father, Emanuel. 鈥淚 was too young to realize what had happened,鈥� she writes in the report.
Streisand connects to her 鈥�13-Year-Old Self鈥�
It was at age 13 that Streisand also made her first record, when her mother brought her to Nola Studios in Manhattan to record 鈥淵ou鈥檒l Never Know鈥� and 鈥淶ing! Went the Strings of My Heart.鈥�
鈥淲hen I was 13, that鈥檚 a very distinguished year in my life,鈥� Streisand said. 鈥淪o I hear this song 鈥� and it really hit me.鈥�
She worked with Laufey to turn the original, which Laufey sang solo, into a duet. They settled on Laufey singing as the 13-year-old and Streisand as her mother. Streisand said she was 鈥渁bsolutely thrilled鈥� with how it turned out and how fans have responded to it.
Sure, duet success is nothing new to Streisand, who has topped the charts with Neil Diamond on 鈥淵ou Don鈥檛 Bring Me Flowers,鈥� and Donna Summer on 鈥淣o More Tears (Enough Is Enough),鈥� and a string of albums including 鈥淒uets,鈥� and
But 鈥淭he Secret of Life: Partners, Volume 2鈥� is different. Streisand said her worries about the world and President Donald Trump鈥檚 second administration may have subconsciously contributed to her selection of some of the album鈥檚 more serious tracks 鈥� like Sting鈥檚 鈥淔ragile鈥� and her reworking of 鈥淟ove Will Survive鈥� from last year鈥檚 鈥淭he Tattooist of Auschwitz鈥� series into a duet with Seal.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to be happier,鈥� Streisand said. 鈥淏ut every time I turn on the television 鈥� and I鈥檓 a glutton for punishment, obviously 鈥� I鈥檓 fascinated and horrified at the same time, you know?鈥�
At a recent dinner with Streisand said he described the current state of Washington as 鈥渃reated chaos, corruption and cruelty.鈥�
Streisand added, 鈥淚 thought, 鈥楾hat kind of sums him (Trump) up.鈥欌��
However, Streisand, who has retired from touring, said she does plan to work on achieving the goal she set out in her memoir: To enjoy life more. 鈥淭he Secret of Life鈥� 鈥� named from the as well as a children鈥檚 book she reads her grandchildren 鈥� has sparked thoughts about what enriches her life.
鈥淭he secret of life is spending time with people you love,鈥� she said, adding she plans to release a string of photos of her and her 鈥渟ecrets,鈥� including her husband, her son Jason Gould, and other friends, family and,
Streisand is in her 鈥渟top and smell the roses鈥� era.
鈥淚鈥檓 getting older by the day, by the minute, and you have to take a look at your life from that point of view again, you know?鈥� Streisand said. 鈥淚 look in the mirror and go, 鈥楬ow much time do I have left?鈥� 鈥� I鈥檝e had several projects I鈥檝e never fulfilled, but I have such fulfillment now with people that I love.鈥�
Glenn Gamboa, The Associated Press
