KENNY ROGERS & DOLLY PARTON - ISLANDS IN THE STREAM

Publicada: 15 d’agost de 1983

Llistes: EUA: #1 (2 setmanes) · Regne Unit: #7

Hi ha cançons que capturen un moment màgic. I d’altres que esdevenen elles mateixes aquest moment: contenidors atemporals d’encant, química i màgia entre gèneres. Quan Kenny Rogers i Dolly Parton van unir forces el 1983 per gravar “Islands in the Stream”, no va ser només un duet—va ser una obra mestra de casualitat, estrelles alineades i sincronització perfecta.

La cançó va ser escrita pels Bee Gees (Barry, Robin i Maurice Gibb) i originalment concebuda com una balada de R&B destinada a Marvin Gaye. Però Gaye la va rebutjar, i la peça va anar a parar a Rogers, que acabava de signar un contracte important amb RCA. Confiar la producció a Barry Gibb podia semblar una aposta arriscada per a un artista de country, però Rogers estava disposat a experimentar.

La gravació, però, no fluïa. Rogers es passava dies intentant trobar el to adequat, la sensació correcta. Res funcionava—fins que algú va tenir una idea: “El que necessitem és la Dolly Parton.” La casualitat va voler que Parton, també contractada per RCA, fos al mateix edifici. Al cap de pocs minuts, era al mateix estudi. La seva veu va transformar la cançó de plana a inoblidable. “La Dolly va entrar, i tot va canviar”, diria Rogers més tard. “Això era la màgia.”

“Islands in the Stream” es va llençar l’agost de 1983 com a single principal de l’àlbum “Eyes That See in the Dark” de Rogers. Va arribar al número 1 del Billboard Hot 100, Country i Adult Contemporary, donant a tots dos artistes el seu segon número 1 al rànquing pop (el primer de Rogers havia estat “Lady”, escrita per Lionel Richie; el de Parton, “9 to 5”).

El títol prové d’una novel·la d’Ernest Hemingway publicada pòstumament el 1970. I el nom li va escaure: la cançó retracta dos amants ferms enmig del caos de la vida—“Islands in the stream, that is what we are” (Illes a la riera, això és el que som).

La química entre Rogers i Parton va alimentar l’èxit del tema. A l’escenari, les seves actuacions eren plenes de picardia i electricitat—mans que es toquen, mirades còmplices, somriures brillants. Sembaven una parella real, i molts fans ho desitjaven. Però era només bona interpretació. “Érem com germà i germana”, va dir Parton. “Mai no el podia atrapar entre dones!”—una frase que sovint repetia amb un somriure murri. Mentre ella estava casada amb Carl Dean des del 1966, Rogers es trobava en el quart dels seus cinc matrimonis.

Els Bee Gees van fer els cors de fons i més endavant van llançar la seva pròpia versió. El 1998, la cançó va ser reimaginada per Pras Michel, Ol’ Dirty Bastard i Mýa a “Ghetto Superstar (That Is What You Are)”. donant-li una nova vida i generació d’admiradors. El 1994, el cantautor mallorquí Tomeu Penya en va fer la seva versió, “Illes dins un riu”, i la va cantar amb l'argentina Adriana Ceballos.

KENNY ROGERS & DOLLY PARTON - ISLANDS IN THE STREAM

Released: August 15, 1983

Charts: US: #1 (2 weeks) UK: #7 

Some songs capture lightning in a bottle. Others become the bottle—timeless containers of charm, chemistry, and cross-genre magic. When Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton joined forces in 1983 to record “Islands in the Stream”, it wasn’t just a duet—it was a masterstroke of serendipity, star power, and perfect timing.

Written by Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees, the song was originally conceived as an R&B ballad—intended for Marvin Gaye. But when Gaye passed on it, the track floated downstream until it reached Rogers, who had just inked a major deal with RCA. Entrusting production to Barry Gibb might have seemed unconventional for a country artist, but Rogers was open to experimentation.

Recording the song, however, proved frustrating. Rogers spent days trying to find the right tone, the right feel. It just wasn’t clicking—until someone floated an inspired idea: “What we need is Dolly Parton.” Parton, also signed to RCA, just happened to be in the same building. Within moments, she was in the studio. Her voice transformed the song from flat to unforgettable. “Dolly walked in, and that was it,” Rogers later said. “That was the magic.”

“Islands in the Stream” was released in August 1983 as the lead single from Rogers’ album “Eyes That See in the Dark”. It rocketed to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Country, and Adult Contemporary charts, giving both Rogers and Parton their second career pop chart-toppers (Rogers’ first was “Lady”, also penned by Lionel Richie; Parton’s was “9 to 5”).

The title was borrowed from an Ernest Hemingway novel, published posthumously in 1970. Fittingly, the song carried its own literary elegance, portraying two lovers standing steady amidst life’s chaos—“Islands in the stream, that is what we are.”

The chemistry between Rogers and Parton fueled the song’s success. Onstage, their performances were flirtatious and electric—hands touching, eyes locking, smiles flashing. They seemed like a real couple, and fans longed for that to be true. But it was just good acting. “We were like brother and sister,” Parton said. “I couldn’t catch him between wives!”—a line she often repeated with a wink. While Dolly had been married to Carl Dean since 1966, Rogers was on his fourth of five marriages.

The Bee Gees, meanwhile, sang background vocals and later released their own version of the song. In 1998, “Islands in the Stream” was reimagined again by Pras Michel, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and Mýa in their hit “Ghetto Superstar (That Is What You Are)”.