Barbra Streisand on a new album, not enough for Meet the Fockers

Barbra Streisand has no longer stopped working since she launched her professional singing career in New York City 65 years ago.

The first performer to earn Egot status, Streisand’s Legacy includes music, theater, film and television.

Now 83, Streisand releases ‘The Secret of Life: partners, Volume Two’, a collection of duets with Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Laufey, Hzier, Sam Smith, James Taylor, Sting, Tim McGraw and Josh Groban. Both Ariana Grande and Mariah Carey accompany her on ‘One Heart, One Voice’.

“The Secret of Life” does not even come two years after she has her huge memoirs of 970 pages, “My name is Barbra”, accompanied from 48 -hour audio book she read. She is also directed by Frank Marshall in the production of a multi -part documentary about her life.

Still, Streisand is pushing: “I am very lazy. I don’t like to work.”

She adds: “I like to be free. I don’t like obligations.”

Streisand credit Jay Landers, her old producing partner and A&R director for more than 30 years, to convince her to record new albums. “I always wanted to end my career, my film career did ‘gypsy’,” says Streisand. “That would have been the book that ended with my ‘funny girl’ game. I couldn’t get that done. Time is so fast. Time is so precious that when Jay spoke about this, I thought:” This is a good idea. ”

“And then work with two great producers, Peter Asher and Walter Afanasieff,” she continues. “Then Jay and I became the executive producers because I have to approve everything. It was the way it was with me in the beginning, and so it is the way I am at the end.”

I spoke with Streisand for this week’s episode of the Podcast “Just for Variety”.

Hello, Barbra.

Hello, I am so happy to read this article. [Streisand is referencing my essay about having open-heart surgery at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. The Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center is located at the hospital.]

Thank you, but don’t let me cry.

What a wonderful thing that my heart center could help you.

Every time I go to Cardio Rehab, I see your name on the door, because there are the offices of your center. But now we have to talk about you.

Wait, wait. What should you do if you go there?

I am on a treadmill and a bike that is connected to a heart monitor and I slowly increase the resistance when I can.

It makes me happy to really hear your story. Okay, what do you want to know about my record?

What will come first, the song or the duet partner?

The number. The music and lyrics, and then the partner. They brought me people who were just fantastic. Everyone was different and yet great.

I listened to “to lose you again” with Sam Smith, the lyrics and the two of you voices, I sat there and I cried.

You must have had such a relationship.

If you sing such a song, do you think of someone?

I don’t think I had something like that, that’s someone with whom you had a good relationship and they want you to try again and you say, “I can’t do it again.” Do you know what? Don’t know. I have to make myself that person. I have to think about how that would feel. It is complicated.

Is it easy to go to that space? Some of these songs are not happy endings.

They make the best songs. The grief of it. The what-have-bone numbers. They are very emotional.

They are songs about mourning the fantasy that did not happen.

That is what happens when you have a love affair and it doesn’t end together. It is very, very sad. If I remember correctly [“To Lose You Again”] Is one of the earlier that I sang. I never listen to my records after I made them.

Never?

No, I don’t do that.

What happens when you drive a car, you are wearing the radio, a song from Barbara Streisand arrives, do you listen or do you turn it off?

No, I don’t think I would go that far. In fact, when I hear something that I recorded 20 years ago, I just evaluate the sound of the orchestra with the voice. That the voice is too loud, too little. When I’m done, like this album, I only listen to it years later. It gives me a different perspective. I don’t watch my movies. I don’t listen to my records.

You have Ariana Grande and Mariah Carey who sing with you on ‘One Heart, One Voice’. How did you decide the two?

They are the hottest, biggest, most beautiful voices. And they both said yes to participate with me.

It has just been announced that Ariana will be in the new ‘Meet the Parents’.

You are kidding.

Shall we see Roz Focker again?

Is she going to FOCKER ROZ?

No, I want to know if you are going to play ROZ. Not Ariana.

That’s very funny.

That would be interesting casting.

Oh my God. They should pay me a lot of money because I was not paid what the other people were paid and so I am pissed off. I was in the time when women were paid less than the men. The head of Universal was Ron Meyer at the time and he actually sent me a bonus control. It was very sweet.

Have you seen “bad” with Ariana?

I showed it to my grandchildren … they loved ‘wicked’.

Do you have?

I just looked at their reaction and they were completely fine with the witches. I was surprised. A four and a six-year-old, you know?

How often do acting offers on your side serious?

I get many offers, but they are funny offers. Well, people were good. It was something that Peter Bogdanovich was going to do and Guillermo del Toro sent it to me, I think. It is a subject that I really love, but I’m not going to tell you. I am not ready to direct again. I think I’ve probably had it.

Tell me about the title of the album.

I sang a song with James Taylor, who wrote the song ‘Secret O’ Life ‘about the passing of time and the passing of time appreciation. As I get older, I appreciate the passage of time. So that means a lot.

Does that mean with a new album, maybe you may play live again?

Oh, God. I doubt it. But there is a small part of me that can consider that. But the other part of me goes, why?

Before we go, I have to ask you, who should the Democrats choose 2028?

Boy, that’s really a difficult question. I can’t answer that. That is complicated. We feel complicated. I feel that the world is in chaos. Our country is the worst of the chaos, I think. I am so sad for what happens. So sad.

Do you think we see a female president in your life?

I don’t know in my life, but certainly in my son’s life. Boy, I will tell you a story – I recently sat on my Pilates table, and somehow my phone played music. I don’t know why because that usually doesn’t. I usually have the news about it. And I hear this voice, the voice of a man, and I thought, “My God! These incredible notes touch and what a song. Very interesting song.” And I said, “Who sings? Can anyone find out who is sings on my phone?” Do you know who turned out to be? My son, Jason. Can you imagine it? I mean, touching these notes. Well, I had to call him and say, “What the hell, Jason?” I couldn’t believe this. I know his voice is brilliant, but do you know who even wrote the song? It was my friend, Quincy Jones. It was the theme of ‘The Pawn Broker’.

If I remember correctly, you brought him on stage at the Hollywood Bowl.

Oh, anyway. When he walked around, was water there? I would not dare to walk around. It was so cold, I thought, “I’m going to fall straight into this hole.” Isn’t he great?

Yes, he is your son.

Well, but he looks very much like me in the sense that he is shy, not really likes to perform for people. That’s why I love recording. I am alone. I can look like a schlump. I don’t have to turn on make -up, I don’t have to perform. I can just sing. And I like to do that. I like to record. I am at home in a recording studio.

This conversation was edited for length and clarity. You can listen to it in its entirety on “Just for Variety” above or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.