Islands in the Stream

This article is about the song. For other uses, see Islands in the Stream (disambiguation).

"Islands in the Stream"
Single by Kenny Rogers featuring Dolly Parton
from the album Eyes That See in the Dark
B-side	"I Will Always Love You"
Released	July 1983 (U.S.)
Recorded	May 1983, Middle Ear, Miami Beach Lion Share Recording Studios and One Way Recording, Los Angeles
Genre	Pop, Country
Length	4:08
Label	RCA
Writer(s)	Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb
Producer	Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson
Certification	Platinum (US)
Kenny Rogers singles chronology
"You Were a Good Friend" (1983) "Islands in the Stream" (1983) "This Woman" (1984) Dolly Parton singles chronology "Potential New Boyfriend" (1983) "Islands in the Stream" (1983) "Save the Last Dance for Me" (1984)

"Islands in the Stream" is the title of a song written by the Bee Gees and sung by American country music artists Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. It was released in August 1983 as the first single from Rogers' album Eyes That See in the Dark and the second pop number-one for both Rogers and Parton (Rogers having been there with 1980's "Lady" and Parton with 1981's "9 to 5"). They went on to record a Christmas album together, and had an additional hit with their 1985 duet "Real Love". The Gibbs originally wrote the song for Marvin Gaye in an R&B style, only later to change it for the Kenny Rogers album.^[1]

It also spent two weeks as the number one country song and in the year's final countdown was the number one song of the year of 1983. In December of that year it was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipping two million copies in the US.^[2] In Australia, the song was number one for one week in December 1983 and becoming one of the highest selling singles of 1984. In 2005, the song topped CMT's poll of the best country duets of all time; Parton and Rogers reunited to perform the song on the CMT special.

In April 2008, South Bend, Indiana radio station WZOW played the song continuously for several days on end.^[3] This was a stunt used to draw attention to the station's format change from alternative rock to adult contemporary.

Chart performance

Chart (1983)	Peak position
Australian Singles Chart	1
Austrian Top 40	1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	1
Canadian RPM Top Singles	1
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks	1
Irish Singles Chart	2
Dutch Top 40	5
New Zealand Singles Chart	2
Norwegian Singles Chart	2
Swedish Singles Chart	3
Swiss Singles Chart	2
U.K. Singles Chart[4]	7
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles	1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks	1

Preceded by "True" by Spandau Ballet	Billboard Adult Contemporary (chart) number-one single October 15, 1983 (4 weeks)	Succeeded by "All Night Long (All Night)" by Lionel Richie
Preceded by "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler	Billboard Hot 100 number-one single October 29-November 5, 1983	Succeeded by "All Night Long (All Night)" by Lionel Richie
Preceded by "Lady Down on Love" by Alabama	Billboard Hot Country Singles number-one single October 29-November 5, 1983	Succeeded by "Somebody's Gonna Love You" by Lee Greenwood
	RPM Country Tracks number-one single November 12-November 19, 1983	Succeeded by "One of a Kind Pair of Fools" by Barbara Mandrell

Cover versions

• The Bee Gees, who wrote the song, performed it on their concert album One Night Only. Years later in 2001, the Bee Gees released their own version of the song on their compilation album Number Ones. Robin Gibb performed lead vocals on the track, which included (part of) the chorus from the 1998 hip-hop hit "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)" by Pras (which also featured Ol' Dirty Bastard and introduced singer Mýa). This version was also included on the Mythology box set released in November 2010.
• Swedish pop and country singer Kikki Danielsson covered the song on her 1983 album Singles Bar, with lyrics in Swedish by Ingela "Pling" Forsman as "Öar i ett hav" ("Islands in a sea").^[5]
• In 2010 Ronan Keating performed the song with Australian country singers The McClymonts.
• Canadian vocalist Leslie Feist recorded a version of this song with her friends the Constantines. It appeared as number 9 on the bonus disc in the Deluxe Edition of The Reminder.
• In the US television series The Office, Michael Scott performs a karaoke version of the song in the E-mail Surveillance episode. While waiting for someone to join him for the duet, Michael awkwardly finds himself singing the female part in falsetto until he is finally joined by the Jim Halpert character.^{[citation needed]}
• It is the opening track of Barry Manilow's 2007 album The Greatest Songs of the Eighties, sung with Reba McEntire.^[6]
• My Morning Jacket covered Islands in the Stream in the encore of their August 12, 2011 concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. The song featured Neko Case, who performed as the opening act earlier in the evening.

Barry Gibb demo version

"Islands In The Stream"
Song by Barry Gibb from the album The Eyes That See In The Dark Demos
Released	2006
Format	Digital download
Recorded	May 1983 Miami Beach, Florida
Genre	Country
Length	3:59
Label	iTunes
Writer	Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb

"Islands In The Stream" is a song recorded by Barry Gibb for Kenny Rogers for his album Eyes That See in the Dark, which was kept private until 2006.

Personnel

• Barry Gibb - vocals, guitar
• Robin Gibb - vocals
• Maurice Gibb - vocals, guitar
• Albhy Galuten - piano, synthesiser

Comic Relief version

Preceded by "Right Round" by Flo Rida featuring Kesha

UK Singles Chart number-one single (Vanessa Jenkins and Bryn West Comic Relief version) 15 March 2009

Succeeded by "Poker Face" by Lady GaGa

"Barry Islands in the Stream"
Single by Vanessa Jenkins and Bryn West featuring Sir Tom Jones and Robin Gibb
Released	8 March 2009 (Download) 9 March 2009 (CD)
Format	Download, CD, DVD
Genre	Pop, Charity, Comedy, Country
Writer(s)	Barry, Robin &Maurice Gibb

In March 2009, actors Ruth Jones and Rob Brydon, in character as Vanessa Jenkins and Bryn West from the hit BBC show Gavin & Stacey, released a version of the song as a single for Comic Relief. Robin Gibb and Sir Tom Jones appear on the single as backing singers. Titled "(Barry) Islands in the Stream" in reference to the Barry Island setting of Gavin & Stacey,^[7] it entered the UK Singles Chart at number 1 on 15 March 2009. By making No.1 this meant the Gibb Brothers had achieved No. 1 songs in five successive decades, the first songwriters to do this.

References

• The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits

1. ^ Johnny Walker interview with Robin and Barry Gibb BBC Radio 2 30 August 2010 17:00
2. ^ "American single certifications – Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton – Islands in the Stream". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?artist=%22Islands+in+the+Stream%22.  If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
3. ^ :Indiana Aiwaves:
4. ^ "Chart Stats - Kenny Rogers And Dolly Parton - Islands In The Stream". chartstats.com. http://www.chartstats.com/release.php?release=10949. Retrieved 29 July 2011. 
5. ^ Information at Svensk mediedatabas
6. ^ The Greatest Songs of the Eighties at Allmusic
7. ^ What's On TV.co.uk