Bette Midler is going back to her beginnings and re-releasing her debut album The Divine Miss M.
The Divine Miss M was released in 1972 but it wasn’t really the start of Midler’s show business career. She had a non-speaking role in the 1966 film Hawaii and worked on in off-Broadway including the role of Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof from 1966 to 1969.
In 1970, Bette started playing regularly at the Continental Baths in New York’s Ansonia Hotel with piano accompaniment by Barry Manilow. Her following steadily grew and, in 1972, she was signed to Atlantic records for her debut album, The Divine Miss M.
The album had four producers, Manilow, Ahmet Ertegun, Joel Dorn and Geoffrey Haslam. Manilow was also the music arranger and conductor. Among the musicians on the album were Cissy Houston, Melissa Manchester, Ron Carter, Thom Bell, Dick Hyman and Arif Mardin.
The album included a mix of older standards (Am I Blue?, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy), early rock songs (Chapel of Love, Leader of the Pack) and more contemporary material (Hello in There, Superstar, Delta Dawn).
The album was a major hit, going to number 9 on the Billboard 200 and being certified platinum. Three singles also charted, Do You Want to Dance? (1972 / #17 / #8 Adult Contemporary), Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (1973 / #8 / #1 AC) and Friends (1973 / #40 / #9 AC).
The new edition of the album comes on two-CDs with the first containing a remastered version of the original while the second includes four single versions of songs from the album plus five demos, alternates, and demos, four of which are songs that didn’t make the album. There are also new liner notes written by Midler.
Bette Midler-The Divine Miss M track list
Disc 1
Do You Want To Dance
Chapel Of Love
Superstar
Hello In There
Am I Blue
Friends
Daytime Hustler
Leader Of The Pack
Delta Dawn
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
Friends
Disc 2
Chapel Of Love – Single Mix
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy – Single Version
Do You Want To Dance – Single Mix
Friends – Single Mix
Old Cape Cod – Earliest Recording & Mix
Marahuana – Earliest Recording & Mix
Superstar – Alternate Recording
Saturday Night – Demo
Mr. Freedom And I – Demo
Follow Noise11.com on Facebook and Twitter
——————————————————————————————————————————————
Never miss a story! Get your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to the Noise11 Music Newsletter here
Listen to the Noise11 Music News channel now at iHeartRadio
