Streisand and McCartney reimagine My Valentine

It was a dream I didn’t think of. It seemed impossible. But which turned out to be wonderfully amazing when it did come true. I mean, Barbra Streisand and Paul McCartney singing together. Who would have thought that possible? The duet is My Valentine, which is the second single release from her upcoming album “The Secret of Life: Partners Volume Two.”

The first single was a gorgeous The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, where Streisand duets with Hozier, the Irish singer and songwriter behind the big hit Take Me to Church a few years ago.

It is not but it certainly feels like Streisand is singing with the Beatles. Two titans of popular music out of the same era, as different as night is to day but with their blended voices now sounding beautiful.

Now don’t go all technical with me regarding perfect vocals. You may detect a rasp here and there or be in search for a little shortness of breath that does not happen. All in all, though, Streisand is 83 years old and still sounds magnificent.

Besides, what I am listening to here is history created and decades of memories in one charming package. And what a delight that they picked out the choicest cut from McCartney’s “Kisses on the Bottom” album to be their duet.

That album from 2012 was a collection of covers of old songs given a very British music hall/vaudeville feel. My Valentine written by McCartney and which has Eric Clapton playing the guitar, was the only new original included. A sweet love song, it was composed by McCartney for his wife Nancy Shevell. It has a music video that features Johnny Depp and Natalie Portman.

Like the No. 1 selling “Volume One,” “Partners Volume Two” presents other interesting pairings. This time around, Streisand did not limit herself to only male partners. So, we get Laufey for Letter to My 13-year-old Self and a trio of Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande and Streisand for One Heart, One Voice. And what voices these girls are!

Other tracks to watch out for within the next few weeks are: To Lose You Again with Sam Smith; The Very Thought of You with Bob Dylan; I Love Us with Tim McGraw; Secret O’ Life with James Taylor; Fragile with Sting; Love Will Survive with Seal; and the lone returnee from Volume One, Josh Groban with Where Do I Go From You.

Meanwhile, while waiting, it might be a good idea to revisit Volume One which came out in 2014. Which I did and which I found truly overwhelming given the massive star power of Streisand’s duet partners.

What Kind of Fool with John Legend; Evergreen with Kenny Edmonds; It Had to be You with Michael Buble; People with Stevie Wonder; Come Rain or Come Shine with John Mayer; New York State if Mind with Billy Joel; I’d Want It to be You with Blake Shelton; The Way We Were with Lionel Richie; I Still Can See Your Face with Andrea Bocelli; How Deep is the Ocean with Streisand’s son, Jason Gould; Somewhere with Josh Groban; and Love Me Tender with Elvis Presley’s vocals sampled from his original 1956 recording.

Just a thought, Streisand fan or not, everybody who loves listening to beautiful music should have copies of these two albums. This is because these bring together some of the finest talents of our time in new recordings. The line-ups have never happened before. Only Streisand can make something like this happen. And chances are it will not happen again.

Save perhaps a “Partners Volume Three.” Makes me wonder, who she will invite to join her in that one.