Barbra Streisand has found an unlikely singing partner in Kermit The Frog for a new duet of The Rainbow Connection.
The Evergreen star has dropped the pair’s collaboration as the latest track from her forthcoming album ‘Release Me 2’.
It features Kermit’s vocals, voiced by Muppets creator Jim Henson, along with Streisand’s recording of the song, which was originally intended for her 1979 for her album ‘Wet’.
The hitmaker was one of the first to cover the Oscar-nominated ballad, which was originally written and recorded for 1979’s ‘The Muppet Movie’, but axed her solo recording due to time constraints on the LP.
‘Wet’ also features the Donna Summer collaboration No More Tears (Enough Is Enough).
Barbra’s new album features outtakes from her celebrated career, including new collaborations with Barry Gibb and the late Willie Nelson.
In the album notes, the singer writes: “For me, the studio is a combination musical playground and laboratory… a private sanctuary, where the possibility of catching lightning in a bottle always exists.
“Whenever that kind of magic happens, it’s extremely satisfying. Sometimes though, when the arrangement doesn’t quite gel or the song no longer fits the tone of the album it was meant for, the tapes go into the vault for safekeeping.”
“Working on this 2nd volume of Release Me has been a lovely walk down memory lane,” she adds. “A chance to revisit, and in some cases, add a finishing instrumental touch to songs that still resonate for me in meaningful ways.”