Bette Midler (album)

Last updated
Bette Midler
Bette Milder.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 16, 1973
Recorded1973
Genre Vocal
Length32:32
Label Atlantic
Producer Arif Mardin, Barry Manilow
Bette Midler chronology
The Divine Miss M
(1972)
Bette Midler
(1973)
Songs for the New Depression
(1976)
Singles from Bette Milder
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg link
Christgau's Record Guide B+ [1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [2]

Bette Midler is the second studio album by American singer Bette Midler, released in 1973 on the Atlantic Records label. Produced by Arif Mardin and Barry Manilow, Bette Midler includes Midler's interpretations of Johnny Mercer and Hoagy Carmichael's "Skylark", Berthold Brecht and Kurt Weill's "Surabaya Johnny", Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" and Glenn Miller's "In the Mood" as well as a Phil Spector medley.

Contents

Bette Midler reached No. 6 on the US albums chart and was later awarded a Gold Disc by the RIAA.

The album was released on CD for the first time in 1989. A remastered version of the album was released by Atlantic Records/Warner Music in 1995.

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Skylark" Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer 3:02
2."Drinking Again"Doris Tauber, Mercer2:48
3."Breaking Up Somebody's Home" Al Jackson Jr., Timothy Matthews3:49
4."Surabaya Johnny" Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht, Herbert Hartig4:54
5."I Shall Be Released" Bob Dylan 4:56
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Optimistic Voices/Lullaby of Broadway" Herbert Stothart, Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg / Harry Warren, Al Dubin 2:27
7."In the Mood" Joe Garland, Andy Razaf, *Bette Midler (Wingy Manone)2:39
8."Uptown/Don't Say Nothin' Bad (About My Baby)/Da Doo Ron Ron" Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil / Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Phil Spector 3:23
9."Twisted" Wardell Gray, Annie Ross 2:25
10."Higher & Higher (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me)"Carl Smith, Raynard Miner, Gary Jackson4:06

Personnel

Production

Charts

Certifications and sales

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [11] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Broken Blossom</i> 1977 studio album by Bette Midler

Broken Blossom is the fourth studio album by American singer Bette Midler, her second album release in 1977 and her fifth on the Atlantic Records label. Just as Midler's three previous studio albums Broken Blossom includes songs from a wide variety of genres, ranging from Edith Piaf's signature tune "La vie en rose", Phil Spector-esque covers of Billy Joel's "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" and Harry Nilsson's "Paradise" and hard rock like Sammy Hagar's "Red", to a jazzy duet with Tom Waits, "I Never Talk to Strangers", and a rendition of "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes", originally from Walt Disney's 1950 film version of Cinderella. The album reached No. 51 on Billboard's album chart.

<i>With Everything I Feel in Me</i> 1974 studio album by Aretha Franklin

With Everything I Feel in Me is the twenty-first studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, Released on November 25, 1974, by Atlantic Records.

<i>Let Me in Your Life</i> 1974 studio album by Aretha Franklin

Let Me in Your Life is the twentieth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on February 26, 1974, by Atlantic Records.

<i>The Divine Miss M</i> 1972 studio album by Bette Midler

The Divine Miss M is the debut studio album by American singer and actress Bette Midler, released in 1972 on the Atlantic Records label. The title of the album refers to Midler's famous stage persona. The album was co-produced by Barry Manilow, and includes several songs that since have become repertoire standards, such as "Do You Want to Dance?", "Chapel of Love", "Hello In There", "Friends" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy". The album art was designed by Richard Amsel. It was released on CD for the first time in 1990. A remastered version of the album was released by Atlantic Records/Warner Music in 1995. A remastered deluxe edition was released in October 2016.

<i>Songs for the New Depression</i> 1976 studio album by Bette Midler

Songs for the New Depression is the third studio album by the American singer Bette Midler, released in early 1976 on the Atlantic Records label. The album was released on CD for the first time in 1990. A remastered version of the album was released by Atlantic Records/Warner Music in 1995. A limited edition remastered version of the album was released by Friday Music in 2014.

<i>Live at Last</i> (Bette Midler album) 1977 live album by Bette Midler

Live at Last is the first live album by American singer Bette Midler, a two-disc set released in 1977, Midler's fourth album release on the Atlantic Records label. The album spawned from her live, recorded performance, "The Depression Tour" in Cleveland, entitled "The Bette Midler Show". The album was released on CD for the first time in 1993. A limited edition remastered version of the album was released by Friday Music in 2012.

<i>Thighs and Whispers</i> 1979 studio album by Bette Midler

Thighs and Whispers is the fifth studio album by American singer Bette Midler. Released in 1979, the album reached No. 65 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart.

<i>The Rose</i> (soundtrack) 1979 soundtrack album by Bette Midler

The Rose is the soundtrack to the feature film of the same name starring Bette Midler, released in 1979.

<i>Divine Madness</i> (Bette Midler album) 1980 live album by Bette Midler

Divine Madness is an album by American singer Bette Midler and the Harlettes, released in 1980. It is a live recording taken from Midler's Divine Madness concert film, released the same year. The album, however, does not contain any of Midler's comedy routines and features only her musical performances from the show and it in fact only provides half of the songs that appear in the film. The original live recordings were also to a large extent edited and re-recorded in the studio for the soundtrack album.

<i>No Frills</i> (Bette Midler album) 1983 studio album by Bette Midler

No Frills is the sixth studio album by American singer Bette Midler, released on Atlantic Records in 1983. No Frills was Midler's first studio album in four years, following the films The Rose, Divine Madness! and Jinxed!. The rock and new wave-influenced album was produced by Chuck Plotkin, best known for his work with Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, and included three single releases; the ballad "All I Need to Know", a cover of Marshall Crenshaw's "You're My Favorite Waste of Time" and Midler's take on the Rolling Stones song "Beast of Burden".

<i>Some Peoples Lives</i> 1990 studio album by Bette Midler

Some People's Lives is the seventh studio album by American singer Bette Midler. It was released by Atlantic Records on September 4, 1990, in the United States. It contains one of her biggest hits, "From a Distance," which won songwriter Julie Gold a Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1991.

<i>For the Boys</i> (soundtrack) 1991 soundtrack album by Bette Midler

For the Boys: Music from the Motion Picture is the soundtrack to the feature film of the same name starring Bette Midler and James Caan, released on the Atlantic Records label in 1991.

<i>Bette of Roses</i> 1995 studio album by Bette Midler

Bette of Roses is the eighth studio album by the American singer Bette Midler. It was released by Atlantic Records on July 18, 1995, in the United States. The title was a play on the title of one of the tracks, "Bed of Roses". It became Midler's final album for the label, twenty-three years after the release of her debut album The Divine Miss M, since she was transferred to Atlantic's sister label Warner Bros. Records for her next two albums, then left the Warner group completely in 2002 when she signed with the Sony-owned Columbia Records.

<i>Bathhouse Betty</i> 1998 studio album by Bette Midler

Bathhouse Betty is the ninth studio album by the American singer Bette Midler, released in 1998. Bathhouse Betty was Midler's debut album for Warner Bros. Records, after having parted ways with sister label Atlantic Records in 1995 following the moderate commercial success of her later-platinum certified album Bette of Roses. Bathhouse Betty was certified Gold by the RIAA and spawned the Billboard Dance Club chart topper "I'm Beautiful".

<i>Judith</i> (album) 1975 studio album by Judy Collins

Judith is the tenth studio album by American singer and songwriter Judy Collins, released in 1975 by Elektra Records in both stereo (7E-1032) and CD-4 quadraphonic (EQ-1032) versions. Collins recorded Judith three years after her precedent album True Stories and Other Dreams, having been focused during the interim on producing Antonia: A Portrait of the Woman a documentary about Antonia Brico.

<i>Tonin</i> 1995 studio album by The Manhattan Transfer

Tonin' is the sixteenth studio album by The Manhattan Transfer. It was released in 1995 on Atlantic Records. The expression "tonin'" is associated with the vocal groups of the 1950s and 1960s. The songs on this album are favorites of the band's from that era. Singer-songwriter Laura Nyro makes one of her last performances on this recording.

<i>Dionne</i> (1979 album) 1979 studio album by Dionne Warwick

Dionne is a studio album by American singer Dionne Warwick. It was released by Arista Records in May 1979 in the United States. Recorded during the winter of 1978–79, the album marked Warwick's debut with the label. Production on Dionne was helmed by Barry Manilow, who was paired with Warwick by Arista founder Clive Davis. Her highest-charting album since Soulful (1969), Dionne peaked at number 12 on the US Billboard 200 album chart and went platinum in the US.

<i>Beaches</i> (soundtrack) 1988 soundtrack album by Bette Midler

Beaches: Original Soundtrack Recording is the soundtrack to the Academy Award-nominated 1988 film starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey. Midler performs most of the tracks on the album, released on the Atlantic Records label. The album also reunited her with producer Arif Mardin. It features one of Midler's best-known songs, the ballad "Wind Beneath My Wings", which was a number-one hit.

<i>Set the Night to Music</i> (album) 1991 studio album by Roberta Flack

Set the Night to Music is a studio album released by American singer Roberta Flack, released by Atlantic Records on September 17, 1991 in the United States.

<i>Reservations for Two</i> 1987 studio album by Dionne Warwick

Reservations for Two is a studio album by the American singer Dionne Warwick. It was recorded during the spring of 1987 and released on July 30 of that year. Her eighth album for Arista Records, it was again executive produced by label head Clive Davis. Warwick reteamed with Barry Manilow and the duo Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager to work on the album, while Kashif, Jerry Knight, Howard Hewett and Smokey Robinson also contributed to the tracks.

References

  1. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: M". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved March 7, 2019 via robertchristgau.com.
  2. Coleman, Marc; Brackett, Nathan (2004). "Bette Midler". In Brackett, Nathan; Christian, Hoard (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 540. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  3. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  4. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4968". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  5. "Bette Midler Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  6. "Cash Box Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Cash Box . Vol. XXXV, no. 39. New York: The Cash Box Publishing Co. Inc. February 9, 1974. p. 29. ISSN   0008-7289.
  7. "The Album Chart" (PDF). Record World . Vol. 29, no. 1387. New York: Record World Pub. Co. January 19, 1974. p. 28. ISSN   0034-1622.
  8. "The Top 100 Albums of '74" (PDF). RPM . Vol. 22, no. 19. December 28, 1974. p. 15. ISSN   0315-5994 . Retrieved May 16, 2022 via Library and Archives Canada.
  9. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 20, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  10. "Top 100 Albums 74" (PDF). Cash Box . Vol. XXXVI, no. 31. New York: The Cash Box Publishing Co. Inc. December 28, 1974. p. 29. ISSN   0008-7289.
  11. "American album certifications – Bette Midler – Bette Midler". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved December 29, 2017.