Bette Midler - Experience the Divine: Greatest Hits

Placing the raw beginning of her career (beautifully represented by the stark resignation of "Hello in There") against the brassy persona she has since cultivated ("Miss Otis Regrets") against the overblown A/C cuts that have been her biggest hits ("From a Distance," "Wind Beneath My Wings"), Bette Midler shows on this album why she is a legend and not just a popular recording artist. Being able to raise those enormously popular ballads from muck simply by rising above the production with her expressive, sterling vocals, thus making bland material classy, is one thing. But pulling off the coarseness of "When a Man Loves a Woman" as well as the sultry "Do You Wanna Dance?" in practically the same breath, while never overstating the steadfast certainty of "The Rose," shows range that most pop "stars" can't even spell. Despite that, giving listeners an overview of a 30-year career with more good material than hit singles would be difficult in any case, and some of the choices for this album seem almost arbitrary, considering the single "Beast of Burden" from No Frills and classic cuts like "Come Back Jimmy Dean" from the same album and the wrenching "Superstar" from her stellar debut, The Divine Miss M, are missing. On the plus side, Experience the Divine includes "One for my Baby (And One More for the Road)," which Midler performed as the chosen final guest of Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show. Atlantic did a sound job of culling from her repertoire, and this album represents all that most casual fans would need to get an understanding of the vocalist beyond her hit singles, but, as with any true artist, to truly experience the Divine, you would need to check out each of her albums to find all of the gems. ~ Bryan Buss, All Music Guide

Name Credits Ahmet Ertegun Producer Arif Mardin Producer, Arranger, Compilation Producer, Supervisor, Orchestral Arrangements, Rhythm Arrangements, Compilation Barry Manilow String Arrangements, Vocals (Background), Horn Arrangements, Piano, Producer Bernie Layton Piano Bette Midler Producer, Compilation Producer, Vocals, Compilation Bill Champlin Vocal Harmony Bobby Lyle Piano Buddy Williams Drums Carlos Vega Drums Charlotte Crossley Vocals (Background) Chuck Plotkin Producer Cissy Houston Vocals (Background) Danny Weiss Guitar David Lasley Vocals (Background) Dick Frank Guitar Don York Piano Donny Gerrard Vocal Harmony Doug Sax Digital Remastering Elizabeth Kane Harp Emanuel Green Violin Eugene VanBuren Vocals (Background) Francisco Centeno Bass Gail Kantor Choir, Chorus, Vocals (Background), Horn, Vocals Gene Bertoncini Guitar Gene Gertoncini Guitar Gene Orloff Violin Geoffrey Haslam Producer Grady Tate Drums Greg Gorman Photography, Cover Photo Howard "Buzz" Feiten Guitar Jaroslav Jakubovic Reeds, Reeds (Multiple) Jerry Jumonville Saxophone Jo Ann Harris Vocals (Background) Joel Dorn Producer John West Vocals (Background) Joseph Mero Percussion Kermit Moore Cello Kevin Ellman Drums Laura Allan Vocals (Background) Lewis Hahn Producer Lisa Garber Vocals (Background) Lou Volpe Guitar Malando Gassama Percussion Marc Macino Horn Arrangements, Horn Marc Shaiman Producer, Conductor, Rhythm Arrangements, Piano, Arranger Mark Hatch Horn Mark Underwood Trumpet Melissa Manchester Vocals (Background), Horn, Vocals, Choir, Chorus Merle Miller Horn, Vocals (Background), Choir, Chorus, Vocals Michael Federal Bass, Vocals (Background) Michael Landau Guitar Miles Krasner Trumpet Myrna Smith Vocals (Background) Neil Stubenhaus Bass Norton Buffalo Vocal Harmony, Trombone, Harmonica Pat Rebillot Piano Paul Gaudette Synthesizer, Keyboards Paul Rothchild Producer, Arranger Phil Bodner Clarinet Radio Choir of New Hope Church Choir, Chorus, Vocals (Background) Ralph MacDonald Percussion Ray Lucas Drums Richard Trifan Keyboards Ricky Lawson Drums Robbie Buchanan Rhythm Arrangements, Keyboards Robert "Pops" Popewell Bass Robert Popwell Bass Ron Carter Bass Scott Wittman Creative Consultant Selwart Clarke Viola Sharon Redd Vocals (Background) Steve Hunter Guitar Steve Skinner Arranger Thom Bell Strings, Horn Arrangements, Horn, String Arrangements Ula Hedwig Vocals (Background) Whitey Glan Drums William S. Fischer Strings, String Arrangements