Out now, check out “Rainbow Connection” from Barbra Streisand’s upcoming "Release Me 2" album as Barbra Streisand sings with Muppet legend Kermit the Frog (voiced by Muppet’s creator Jim Henson) this contemporary classic.
The Oscar-nominated song was originally written and recorded by Kermit (Henson) in 1979 for the motion picture The Muppet Movie. Barbra’s solo version of “The Rainbow Connection,” also recorded in 1979 (making her the first artist to cover the song) was originally recorded for her album Wet. When her duet with Donna Summer, “No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)” clocked in at 8 and ½ minutes, the unmixed “The Rainbow Connection” was shelved due to lack of space on the vinyl LP for both songs.
Barbra’s appreciation for Muppets music was a result of her watching The Muppet Show and Sesame Street with her young son Jason Gould.
In 2020, when Barbra was considering various tracks for Release Me 2, the idea of creating a virtual duet of “The Rainbow Connection,” uniting her 1979 vocal with Kermit’s (Henson’s) 1979 vocal was first conceived. The new duet version was produced by Barbra with Jochem van der Saag.
When asked why she wanted to sing with Kermit, Barbra stated, “The opportunity to duet with a legend like Kermit was irresistible. I think of him as ageless and ever-GREEN!”
