| Thighs and Whispers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 1979 | |||
| Recorded | 1979 | |||
| Genre | Disco, pop | |||
| Length | 42:12 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Producer | Arif Mardin | |||
| Bette Midler chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Thighs and Whispers | ||||
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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.
The album was largely disco-influenced. It saw Midler reunite with producer Arif Mardin and includes Jerry Ragovoy's "My Knight in Black Leather", a minor dance-floor hit that peaked at #70 on the US dance charts. [1] "Married Men", "Hang on in There Baby" and "My Knight in Black Leather", released at the height of the disco era, were all issued as extended mixes on 12-inch singles. The album's title is a humorous play on Cries and Whispers , influential Swedish film-maker Ingmar Bergman's 1973 movie.
The song "Millworker", written by James Taylor, is from the short-lived Broadway production of Working . [2] Midler's recording of "Married Men" reached the top 40 of the U.S. Club Play Singles chart. [1] The song was also a UK top 40 hit for Bonnie Tyler the same year. [3] Tyler's version was the theme to the British film The World Is Full of Married Men .
While the singles and the album itself were largely overlooked at the time, "Big Noise From Winnetka" has since served as the opening number on many of Midler's tours. The song was originally a swing classic recorded by Bob Crosby and the Bobcats, Gene Krupa and several others in the late 1930s.
The album was released on CD in 1990. A remastered version of the album was released by Atlantic Records/Warner Music in 1995.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C+ [5] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
The album has received mixed reviews from music critics. Robert Christgau gave the album a C+ and wrote a humorous review in which he wrote that "the songs are pretty good, and when you listen up they get better" but conclude that "the songs aren't that good. And they don't get that much better." [5] Stephen Holden of Rolling Stone wrote that the album "is the most convincing proof yet that Bette Midler is a stage personality in the tradition of Ethel Merman and Liza Minnelli, entertainers whose talents can't be captured in a recording studio either." [7] The Globe and Mail concluded that "the very title of this album alone indicates that Bette Midler is still trying to be better known for being Bette Midler than she is for being a great pop singer, and the music found on the album still shows that she isn't yet sure who or what Bette Midler is supposed to be." [8]
AllMusic's Joe Viglione retrospectively wrote that despite Midler being in fine voice and "such a consistent and dynamic artist" the release is "an uneven album" but "still has its moments." [4]
| Chart (1979) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart (Kent Music Report) [9] | 28 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [10] | 28 |
| US Billboard 200 [11] | 65 |
| Year | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Atlantic | LP | – |
| 1990 | Atlantic | CD | 16004 |
| 1995 | Atlantic/WEA | Remastered CD | 82786 |
| 2005 | Atlantic | CD | CD-16004 |
| Studio albums | |
|---|---|
| Soundtracks | |
| Live albums | |
| Compilations | |
| Video albums | |
| Singles |
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| Concerts and tours | |
| Books | |
L.A. Is My Lady is the 57th and final solo studio album by American singer Frank Sinatra, released in 1984 and produced by Quincy Jones. While the album was Sinatra's last, he recorded five further songs, only four of which have been officially released.
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 #51 on Billboard's album chart.
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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.
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The Paul Simon Anthology is the fourth greatest hits compilation album by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon, which was released in 1993. It featured one previously unreleased track, "Thelma".
The Warriors: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the 1979 film The Warriors. The soundtrack was released on March 16, 1979 by A&M Records.
Naughty is the second solo album by American R&B and funk singer Chaka Khan, released on Warner Bros. Records in 1980.
Chaka is the debut solo album by singer Chaka Khan. It was released on October 12, 1978 through Warner Bros Record label.
Trampoline is the fifth studio album by the American country music band The Mavericks. The album was released on March 10, 1998, by MCA Nashville. It includes the singles "To Be with You", "Dance the Night Away" and "I've Got This Feeling". Although none of these singles were Top 40 hits on the U.S. country charts, "Dance the Night Away" reached number 4 on the UK Singles Chart and "I've Got This Feeling" reached number 27.
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Heads is the fifth album by the jazz musician Bob James, released in October 1977. It was his first album released on his newly formed Tappan Zee label, which was distributed by Columbia Records. All of his Tappan Zee albums are distributed by E1 Music. The album reached number one on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.
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Carole Bayer Sager is the debut studio album by American songwriter Carole Bayer Sager, released in 1977 by Elektra Records. It included the song "You're Moving Out Today", which became a 1977 Australian number one single and also reached number 6 in the UK Singles Chart. The album itself was also a success in Australia, reaching the top 10, as well as receiving a gold certification there. It was produced by Brooks Arthur.
...Too is the second studio album by American songwriter Carole Bayer Sager, released in 1978 by Elektra Records. The album reached number 68 on the Australian chart.
