Bette Midler

Bette Midler

The Divine Miss M (LP)

RECORD LABEL / RELEASE INFO:

Atlantic Records (US) / 1972 / SD-A-722567-SP
LP 33 1/3 rpm vinyl record

STUDIO CREDITS:

Produced by:
Joel Dorn
Barry Manilow
Geoffrey Haslam
Ahmet Ertegun

Musicians include:
Barry Manilow-Piano
Ron Carter-Bass
Ray Lucas-Drums
Ralph MacDonald-Percussion
Horns and string arrangements by Thom Bell

Background Vocals:
Cissy Houston
Renelle Broxton
Deidre Tuck
Beverly McKenzie
Melissa Manchester
Gail Kantor
Merle Miller
Michael Federal
Barry Manilow

TRACKLISTING:

Side 1)
1. Do You Want To Dance?-2:56
2. Chapel Of Love-2:52
3. Superstar-5:09
4. Daytime Hustler-3:29
5. Am I Blue-5:21

Side 2)
1. Friends-2:49
2. Hello In There-4:15
3. Leader Of The Pack-3:41
4. Delta Dawn-5:16
5. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy-2:26
6. Friends-2:50

NOTES:

From 1971 to about early 1974, Miss Bette Midler would play all over New York Clubs in an act she called "THE DEVINE MISS M". It featured an orchestra, background singers (including Melissa Manchester and Cissy Houston) and lavish costumes (that showed off her exquisite breasts). At first they only played GAY clubs, which explains the GAY fascination with BETTE. Then in 1973, she was the feature attraction when The Copacabana re-opened after four years with it's doors closed. I was there!!

This album is all the songs in that show. It features many songs that were played in the earliest DISCOS, before DISCO music. Songs such as "FRIENDS" with it's fast paced rhythm would pack the dance floors. "LEADER OF THE PACK" was another song that stood out. "DELTA DAWN" was yet another big track that everyone danced to.

The classic oldie "CHAPEL OF LOVE" had a revival when BETTE MIDLER did it, it too would make the dance floors full. But the TWO biggest hits that made BETTE a SUPERSTAR, and the QUEEN of early GAY DISCOS in NEW YORK CITY were the biggest singles she ever had. When "BOOGIE WOOGIE BUGLE BOY" was played, everyone got off their asses and danced!! It was on the radio, on television, and quite possibly, her biggest hit ever!! If BETTE MIDLER had a bigger hit that that one, it would have to be her version of "DO YOU WANT TO DANCE?" Her interpretation of this classic song was so sexy, so soulful, so enchanting, that to this day, it is considered one of the all-time great SLOW BALLADS EVER RECORDED!!

This album, while certainly not DISCO, would get plenty of play in all the early clubs that soon would be called DISCOS. I always expected that BETTE would be DISCO'S first superstar, but she didn't take that road, this album made her bigger than that, she didn't need DISCO. This album is solely responsible for her becoming the STAR she was/is!! On my scale from 1-10, I can't give her a 10, it simply is not enough!! If you really want the music that was played as DISCO was born, then you have to have this album.

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