Barbra Streisand & Billy Joel Discuss New PARTNERS Duet

Internationally celebrated recording superstars Barbra Streisand and Billy Joel discuss their new duet of Joel's classic "New York State Of Mind" as featured on Streisand's new duet album PARTNERS as part of a new interview.

"I sang this song because, even though I live in LA now, I'm basically a New Yorker at heart - having been raised and lived there for so long," Streisand says of her affection for Joel's "New York State Of Mind", which she originally recorded for 1977's super-successful SUPERMAN.

"He told me this story about how he was a young songwriter and the fact that I recorded that song impressed the record company, I guess," Streisand reveals of its inclusion on the hit album helping Joel early in his career.

"She really put me on the map as a songwriter," Joel confirms.

"That's what I really consider myself before everything else - [as] a songwriter," Joel relates.

"He knocked me out - the sound of his voice; so strong, so powerful... so full of emotion," Streisand comments of the new duet.

"Her voice sounds great! She still sounds like a kid almost. She's hitting the high notes really good... she's got the power," Joel says of Streisand's vocals on the new duet track.

"I was thrilled that he said yes and would agree to sing with me," Streisand concludes of the collaboration.

The official description of Barbra Streisand's PARTNERS is as follows: ""Partners" is Barbra Streisand's new album, featuring 12 inimitable new Streisand duets with the world's greatest male vocalists. This is the legendary artist's first duets album in more than a decade, and debuts new studio recordings of Streisand classics and others songs. "Partners" is comprised of 12 songs, many of which are regarded as Streisand classics. Among the songs included are "New York State Of Mind," with Billy Joel, "Come Rain Or Come Shine," with John Mayer, "Love Me Tender," with Elvis Presley, "The Way We Were," with Lionel Richie, "What Kind Of Fool," with John Legend, "People," with Stevie Wonder, "I Can Still See Your Face," with Andrea Bocelli, "Evergreen," with Babyface, and Ms. Streisand's first studio-recorded duet with her son Jason Gould, on "How Deep Is The Ocean." Ms. Streisand is currently the best-selling female recording artist in history and the only woman to make the All-Time Top 10 Best Selling artists list. She has recorded 51 gold, 30 platinum and 13 multi-platinum albums in her career, including nine #1s, and is the only recording artist to have accomplished #1 album in five consecutive decades. Recognized as an icon in multiple entertainment fields, Ms. Streisand has attained unprecedented achievements as a recording artist, actor of stage and screen, concert performer, movie producer, film director, author and songwriter. In her accomplished career she has been awarded two Oscars, five Emmys, ten Golden Globes, eight Grammys, a special Tony award in 1970 as star of the decade, and two Cable Ace awards the only artist to receive honors in all of those fields of endeavor. Ms. Streisand is the recipient of the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Endowment for the Arts Medal, two Peabody Awards, A Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a Grammy Legend Award. Ms. Streisand is also the first film director to receive the Kennedy Center Honors."

Barbra Streisand's PARTNERS will be released on September 16.

More information on PARTNERS is available at the official site here.