I bring to you this post, divine inspiration from my Divine Inspiration the one, the only, the original Bette Midler and her tidal wave of a debut album "The Divine Miss M."
You all know how hard I have to try and reel myself in for this album. For this woman. For this deity. I'll do my best. I'm like an Evangelical writing about Jesus!
The Divine Miss M is the persona that Bette Midler created as an up-and-coming legend in the Continental Baths in the basement of the Ansonia Hotel on New York's Upper West Side. This persona was a way for her to say and sing outlandish, outrageous social improprieties and to be crass and controversial. Yes, this is BEFORE the artist we know today as Madonna. Facts people, I'm stating the facts. You can watch some rare archival Bette at the Baths footage here:
After 3 years as a cast member of the hugely successful Broadway musical "Fiddler On The Roof," Bette began singing around New York clubs and dives. In 1970, the owner/manager of The Continental Baths, a gay bathhouse on the Upper West Side of NY was looking for an act. He hired Bette via word-of-mouth. At first show, with a knock on her dressing room door from the stage manager asking how to introduce her, she allegedly said, "Tell them I'm Divine!" What emerged albeit braless and heavily made-up, was the dame who became The Divine Miss M. Backing her up on piano was another legend in the making, Barry Manilow. Soon the place was overflowing with homos and heteros clamoring for an anointing. Of those heteros, one was Johnny Carson who promptly booked her on his show and introduced her to the national audience. From the Baths, Bette moved to Downstairs At The Upstairs, a now fabled NYC cabaret where she was beheld and signed by Ahmet Ertegun, Co-Founder/CEO of Atlantic Records!
Initially, Bette recorded a number of songs, torch-like in nature, with Joel Dorn producing; the man responsible for Roberta Flack's quiet storm success. Unimpressed with low-key song selection, Barry Manilow stepped in to assist bringing the Divine to Di-Vinyl! With a booking at Carnegie Hall, Bette performed a number of shows--all recorded by Barry Manilow who brought the tapes back into Atlantic Records--they demanded an album similar to the tapes. What transpired is what we hear today on the genre-jumping, eclectic lusciousness of "The Divine Miss M." You can listen here to a leaked recording from the Carnegie evening. Her vocals will blow you away. AWAY!
The Divine Miss M was released in November of 1972. Of the eleven tracks six were produced by Barry Manilow--these six tracks are essentially live studio performances of Bette singing with the band and background singers (including Cissy Houston and Melissa Manchester). What Manilow captured here was the essence of seeing Miss M live and what we're left with is a sonic boom so supreme you'll feel like you've got a front-row-seat at the Bathhouse. Rounding out the set are five tracks produced by Joel Dorn--a collection of mid-tempo and torch songs that ooze emotion. This album is a display of the sheer velocity Bette possesses to change and channel emotion on the head of a pin.
"Do You Want To Dance?" is the album opener and a much more adult approach to the original song by Bobby Freeman in the 50s. Where his version was an ode to a soda shop and a sock hop, Bette's is an all-but-subtle invitation to hit the sheets. Many music historians claim Donna Summer's "Love To Love You Baby" as the first with an orgasmic come-on, but I beg to differ. The bridge of this song, with Bette moaning "Ahh, that's right" as the strings escalate into ecstasy is so orgasmic you'll need a cold shower afterward!
"Superstar" a song made most popular by The Carpenters and Luther Vandross has never sounded more authentic or appropriately interpreted than it has here by Midler. The song is about a groupie and was initially popularized by Rita Coolidge on Joe Cocker's "Mad Dogs And Englishmen" live record. But Bette Midler embodies the song as the groupie singing the lines "Don't you remember you told me you loved me baby?" Where The Carpenters, a wonderful duo, sanitized the song by changing the lyric "...and I can hardly wait just to sleep with you again" to "...be with you again," Bette sang it as written, and with a longing sad enough to make you teary-eyed. She kills this song--KILLS IT on this Manilow-produced track.
"Daytime Hustler" is badass Bette. Produced as well by Manilow, this song has Bette telling off a man before Beyonce was telling her man to take "everything (he) own(ed) in the box to the left." This song is also a great display of the singing power Bette possesses--most know her for her inspirational ballads, but Bette can really rock!
"Am I Blue" is pure channeling of Billie Holiday. Bette lays it out here with a cigarette-whiskey smoked plea of a woman scorned. Again, like all her material, she doesn't just sing a song--she embodies a song and can make you believe she's lived a life of despair.
"Friends" serves as both a mid-album intermission and an album closer--the first produced by Joel Dorn, the latter produced by Manilow. Written by Mark "Moogy" Klingman (who would later produce an album for Bette), this song became Midler's Bathhouse and concert signature. Never has this song been more poignant than during the AIDS crisis of the 80s, and significant in my life because I adhere to the gospel of every word of it!
Tissues are required for "Hello In There" a song about an elderly woman dealing with the loneliness of growing old. Just listen to the story and how she once again steps into the skin of the old woman who recounts the loss of her son "Davy in the Korean War..."
Though I could do a play-by-play on all the tracks of the album, I'll leave you with one final note about Bette's rendition of "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." Made popular in the 40s by the Andrews Sisters during WWII, Midler's version here is--I'm gonna say it--Divine! What makes her version unique is that she dubbed all the vocals. Which means she is singing the bottom, middle and top lines of the entire song--sung individually by 3 Andrews Sisters on the original. For 1972, this was a tough feat because Bette was layering vocals onto tape and having to listen to herself in playback and overdub in the same breath and diction to match each vocal line perfectly. She went on to be nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female (losing to Roberta Flack for "Killing Me Softly With His Song).
Bette did pick up a Grammy that year for the coveted Best New Artist, beating out the likes of Barry White and Marie Osmond. She was the most original in that category! The following year, in true Bette fashion, she presented the Album Of The Year Award but first had a little something to say about winning the Best New Artist the year before. Have a look at 1:21:
There you have it music lovers--a classic album in all its holiness, The Divine Miss M from Bette Midler. If you love eclecticism, if you love all sorts of music, look no further than this singular Gem-Of-A-Jam album which gives you Pop, Soul, Jazz, Blues, and Rock--All of the music that makes this artist--Bette Midler, the most divine in my book, my favorite artist ever! All things are possible through my Lord and Savior Bette Midler. All hail. Amen!
