Bette Midler (album)

Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Studio album by Bette Midler
Released	November 16, 1973
Recorded	1973
Genre	Vocal
Length	32:32
Label	Atlantic
Producer	Arif Mardin, Barry Manilow
Bette Midler chronology
Singles from Bette Milder
	"In the Mood";

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Christgau's Record Guide	B+^[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	^[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.

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.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Skylark"	Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer	3:02
2.	"Drinking Again"	Doris Tauber, Mercer	2:48
3.	"Breaking Up Somebody's Home"	Al Jackson Jr., Timothy Matthews	3:49
4.	"Surabaya Johnny"	Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht, Herbert Hartig	4:54
5.	"I Shall Be Released"	Bob Dylan	4:56

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(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 Jackson	4:06

Personnel

Bette Midler – lead vocals
Barry Manilow – piano, percussion, backing vocals, musical arranger, musical conductor
Ken Ascher – keyboards
Pat Rebillot – keyboards
Don Grolnick – keyboards
David Spinozza – guitar
Cornell Dupree – guitar
Frank Vento – guitar
Hugh McCracken – guitar
Stu Woods – bass guitar
Chuck Rainey – bass guitar
William Salter – bass guitar
Will Lee – bass guitar
Milt Hinton – double bass
Rick Marotta – drums
Grady Tate – drums
Bernard Purdie – drums
Steve Gadd – drums
Luther Rix – drums, percussion
Ralph MacDonald – percussion
Arif Mardin – percussion
Kenneth Bichel – synthesizer
Gene Orloff – concert master
Gail Kantor – background vocals
Merle Miller – background vocals
Sylvia Shemwell – background vocals
Myrna Smith – background vocals
Tasha Thomas – background vocals
Shirley Brewer – background vocals
Ann S. Clark – background vocals
Sharon Redd – background vocals
Robin Grean – background vocals
Charlotte Crossley – background vocals

Production

Arif Mardin – producer
Barry Manilow – producer
Gene Paul – recording engineer
Lew Hahn – recording engineer
Jimmy Douglass – recording engineer for additional recordings
Robbert Warner – recording engineer for additional recordings
Elliot Scheiner – recording engineer for additional recordings
Buzz Richmond – recording engineer for additional recordings
Scott Schreckengosf – recording engineer for additional recordings
George Piros – mastering
Dennis King – mastering
Richard Amsel – cover art
Lee Gurst – backliner photo
Loring Eutemey – album design
Recorded at Atlantic Recording Studios, New York, N.Y.
Additional recordings at A & R Studios, New York, N.Y.; Atlantic Recording Studios, New York, N.Y. & Kaye-Smith Studios, Seattle, Washington
Re-mixed by: Lew Hahn & Arif Mardin

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for *Bette Midler*
Chart (1973–74)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)^[3]	14
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)^[4]	3
US Billboard 200^[5]	6
US Top 100 Albums (Cash Box)^[6]	5
US The Album Chart (Record World)^[7]	4

Year-end charts

1974 year-end chart performance for *Bette Midler*
Chart (1974)	Position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)^[8]	35
US Billboard 200^[9]	87
US Top 100 Albums (Cash Box)^[10]	42

Certifications and sales


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)^[11]	Gold	500,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

^ 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.
^ 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.
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4968". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
^ "Bette Midler Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
^ "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.
^ "The Album Chart" (PDF). Record World. Vol. 29, no. 1387. New York: Record World Pub. Co. January 19, 1974. p. 28. ISSN 0034-1622.
^ "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.
^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1974". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 20, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
^ "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.
^ "American album certifications – Bette Midler – Bette Midler". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 29, 2017.

[CG-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.

[kent-3] Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

[group=-4] "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4968". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 29, 2017.

[ac_Billboard200_Bette_Midler-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.

[United_StatesBette_MidlerBette_MidleralbumCertRef-11] "American album certifications – Bette Midler – Bette Midler". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 29, 2017.

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v t e Bette Midler
Discography Songs Awards and nominations
Studio albums	The Divine Miss M Bette Midler Songs for the New Depression Broken Blossom Thighs and Whispers No Frills Some People's Lives Bette of Roses Bathhouse Betty Bette Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook Cool Yule It's the Girls!
Soundtracks	The Rose Beaches For the Boys Gypsy
Live albums	Live at Last Divine Madness Mud Will Be Flung Tonight
Compilations	The Best of Bette The Best of Bette (II) Just Hits Experience the Divine: Greatest Hits (Jackpot!) The Best Bette Memories of You A Gift of Love
Video albums	Divine Madness The Bette Midler Show Diva Las Vegas The Showgirl Must Go On
Singles	"Do You Want to Dance?" "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" "Friends" "In the Mood" "Strangers in the Night" "Old Cape Cod" "Buckets of Rain" "Married Men" "Hang On in There Baby" "You're Movin' Out Today" "Big Noise from Winnetka" "When a Man Loves a Woman" "The Rose" "My Mother's Eyes" "Chapel of Love" "All I Need to Know" "Favorite Waste of Time" "Beast of Burden" "Under the Boardwalk" "Wind Beneath My Wings" "From a Distance" "Night and Day" "In My Life" "To Deserve You" "In This Life" "You Don't Own Me" "My One True Friend" "I'm Beautiful" "White Christmas" "Fever" "Be My Baby"
Concerts and tours	Diva Las Vegas Kiss My Brass The Showgirl Must Go On Divine Intervention Tour
Books	The Saga of Baby Divine
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