Bette Midler - The Divine Miss M

Bette Midler's debut album displays how raw her talent was at the beginning of her career, a coarseness that has been lost as she's honed her persona into something brassier. Not that brassy's bad; she's just matured as a performer. But listen to this, then throw in 1990's fine Some People's Lives to see how she shines with both voices. On The Divine Miss M, the atmosphere is so intimate it's like she and the band are right in front of you, so when she turns "Superstar" into a quiet portrait of stunned heartbreak it's almost uncomfortable to bear witness to her breakdown. And when she and her backup singers turn in superior versions of "Chapel of Love" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," it's like having a front row seat to a girl-group concert. By turns bawdy and melancholy (and in an anguished "Delta Dawn," she pulls off both in the same song), this is a superstar at her finest. Every cut's a gem. Few contemporary vocalists can pull off the bleakness of "Hello in There" or the forlornness of "Am I Blue?" with such genuine shades of feeling. Perhaps because she is an accomplished actress as well, Midler's emotions always ring true. Though her talent hasn't wavered in the years since this debut, few of the collections that followed have been as consistent, revealing, or of such high quality. ~ Bryan Buss, All Music Guide

Name Credits Ahmet Ertegun Producer Barry Manilow Producer, Piano Bette Midler Vocals Beverly McKenzie Vocals (Background) Cissy Houston Vocals (Background) David Spinozza Guitar Deirdre Tuck Corley Vocals (Background) Dick Dyman Piano Dick Frank Guitar Dick Hyman Piano Don Arnone Guitar Emanuel Green Violin Gail Kantor Choir, Chorus, Vocals Gene Orloff Violin Geoffrey Haslam Producer Joel Dorn Producer Kermit Moore Cello Kevin Ellman Drums Lewis Hahn Engineer Melissa Manchester Vocals, Choir, Chorus Merle Miller Horn, Choir, Chorus Michael Federal Guitar (Bass), Bass Milt Hinton Bass, Guitar (Bass) Pat Rebillot Piano Ralph MacDonald Percussion Ray Lucas Drums Renelle Broxton ?, Vocals (Background) Ron Carter Guitar (Bass), Bass Selwart Clarke Viola Todd Sommer Drums William S. Fischer Arranger