Today is the birthday of The Devine Ms. M,
Bette Midler who was born December 1, 1945, in
Honolulu,
Hawaii. Midler released her debut album,
The Divine Miss M, on
Atlantic Records
in December, 1972, which reached Billboard's
Top 10 and became a million-selling Platinum-certified album, earning
Midler the 1973 Grammy Award for Best New Artist. It featured three hit
singles one of which was
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy; it became Midler's first No. 1 Adult Contemporary hit.
Bugle Boy became a successful rock cover of the classic swing tune
originally introduced and popularized in 1941 by the
Andrews Sisters, to whom Midler has repeatedly referred as her idols and inspiration.
Bette Midler, released in 1973 on the
Atlantic Records label, was the follow up to
Divine Miss. Produced by
Arif Mardin and
Barry Manilow, The album includes Midler's interpretations of the
Johnny Mercer and
Hoagy Carmichael song,
Skylark, the
Berthold Brecht and
Kurt Weill song
Surabaya Johnny from
Happy End, a three-act
musical comedy by
Kurt Weill,
Elisabeth Hauptmann, and
Bertolt Brecht which first opened in Berlin at the
Theater am Schiffbauerdamm on September 2, 1929,
I Shall Be Released by
Bob Dylan,
In the Mood by
Glenn Miller as well as a
Phil Spector medley.
21" by 29" fold-out poster
21" by 29" fold-out poster detail
Tracklist:
Side 1:
A1 - Skylark, written by Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer - 3:02
A2 - Drinking Again, written by Doris Tauber, Johnny Mercer - 2:46
A3 - Breaking Up Somebody's Home, Arranged By [Horns] – Arif Mardin, written by Denise LaSalle - 3:47
A4 - Surabaya Johnny, written by Bertolt Brecht, Herbert Hartig, Kurt Weill - 4:52
A5 - I Shall Be Released, written by Bob Dylan - 4:55
Side 2:
B1a - Optimistic Voices, written by E. Y. Harburg*, Harold Arlen, Herbert Stothart, Leo Feist -
B1b - Lullaby Of Broadway, written by Al Dubin, Harry Warren (2)
B2
- In The Mood, Arranged By [Horns] – Arif Mardin, Lyrics By
[Additional] – Bette Midler, Lyrics By [Additional], Arranged By
[Vocals] – Barry Manilow, written by Andy Razaf, Joe Garland - 2:37
B3a - Uptown, written by Mann And Weil - 3:22
B3b - Da Doo Run Run, written by Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, Phil Spector
B4 - Twisted, written by Wardell Gray - 2:23
B5 - Higher And Higher (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me), written by Carl W. Smith*, Gary Lee Jackson*, Raynard Miner - 4:08
Companies, etc.
Manufactured By – Atlantic Recording Corporation
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Atlantic Recording Corporation
Copyright (c) – Atlantic Recording Corporation
Recorded At – Atlantic Studios
Recorded At – A&R Studios
Recorded At – Kaye-Smith Studios
Credits:
Backing Vocals – Ann S. Clark, Charlotte Crosley*, Gale Kantor*,
Merle Miller, Myrna Smith, Robin Grean, Sharon Redd, Shirley Brewer,
Sylvia Shemwell, Tasha Thomas
Bass – Chuck Rainey, Milt Hinton, Stu Woods, Will Lee, Bill Salter*
Concertmaster – Gene Orloff
Cover – Richard Amsel
Design – Loring Eutemey
Drums – Bernard Purdie, Grady Tate, Rick Morotta*, Steven Gadd*
Drums, Percussion – Luther Rix
Guitar – Cornell Dupree, David Spinozza, Frank Vento, Hugh McCracken
Keyboards – Don Grolnick, Ken Ascher, Pat Rebillot
Mastered By – Dennis King, George Piros
Percussion – Ralph MacDonald
Photography By [Back Cover] – Lee Gurst
Producer, Percussion, Piano, Arranged By, Conductor, Backing Vocals – Barry Manilow
Producer, Percussion, Remix – Arif Mardin
Recorded By – Buzz Richmond, Elliott Sheiner*, Gene Paul, Jimmy Douglass, Robert Warner (2), Scott Schreckengost
Recorded By, Remix – Lew Hahn
Synthesizer – Kenneth Bichel*
Notes:
Issued with fold-out poster featuring the cover artwork.
Recorded at Atlantic Recording Studios, New York, NY.
Additional
recording at A&R Studios, New York, NY, Atlantic Recording Studios,
New York, NY, & Kaye Smith Studios, Seattle, Washington.
There
are several versions of this album with varying label typeface and
matrix suffix. This has the MS suffix on the labels matrix. This version
also has the 1973+ Rockefeller Plaza address in the rim text and on the
back cover. There are several other pressings with the pre-1973 1843
Broadway address on the label rim text, but all have the Rockefeller
Plaza address on the back cover.
Although "PR" is etched in the
run-outs on this version, the single 1⅛" press ring is inconsistent with
this being a Presswell pressing.
B3a. Thomas McKinney credited
in error as songwriter on both sleeve and label, correct songwriters are
Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil. Later issues of this release would
correct the error.
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Matrix / Runout (Side A label): ST-A-732989-MS
Matrix / Runout (Side B label): ST-A-732990-MS
Matrix / Runout (Side A runout, etched): ST-A 732989-C PR (upside down)
Matrix / Runout (Side B runout, etched): ST-A-732990 C PR (upside down)
Bette Midler – Bette Midler
Label: Atlantic – SD 7270
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, MS Suffix
Country: US
Released: 1973
Genre: Pop
Style: Vocal
Viewfinder links:
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YouTube links:
Styrous® ~ Friday, December 1, 2023
