Kenny Rogers Almost Gave Up on “Islands In The Stream”, Then Dolly Parton Rescued the Hit Song

“Islands In The Stream”, the colossal 1983 duet by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, almost didn’t happen. The hit song, named after an Ernest Hemingway novel and penned by the Bee Gees, describes an easy romance. Yet the recording process was anything but.

Originally intended for Marvin Gaye, Barry Gibb suggested it to Rogers when he began producing the country star’s album, Eyes That See In The Dark. However, Rogers, one of the music world’s biggest-selling crooners, struggled to sing it. After four arduous days trying to capture a vocal take, Rogers was ready to give up on the song. Then Gibb proposed turning it into a duet. “What we need is Dolly Parton,” he said.

Enter Dolly

Rogers’s manager invited Parton to the session, and there, in just a few hours, she helped transform the Bee Gees’ R&B tune into a soft rock staple.

“Just for them to even think of me. It’s like Barry said, they said they tried to find the right people, they didn’t know what they were going to do with the song, almost dumped it. And then Barry asked Kenny if he knew a girl named Dolly Parton,” she said.

Baby, when I met you there was peace unknown,
I set out to get you with a fine-tooth comb.
I was soft inside,
There was something going on.

The Gibb brothers sang backing vocals behind Rogers and Parton, who harmonize about a romance that seems of nature. And that’s exactly what it sounds like in their voices.

 “Islands In The Stream” topped both the country and pop charts and remains a touchstone ballad for both artists.

Islands in the stream,
That is what we are.
No one in between,
How can we be wrong?
Sail away with me,
To another world.
And we rely on each other, ah, ah.
From one lover to another, ah, ah.

Finally, on working with Rogers and Gibb, she added, “You want to do well and keeping up with the likes of Barry and Kenny, but I just figure I’ll just always be me and do me and that seems to work.”

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