Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook
Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 30, 2003 | |||
Recorded | May 19–23, 2003 | |||
Length | 30:51 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Producer | Barry Manilow, Robbie Buchanan, Exec Producer Jay Landers, Garry Kief, Assoc Producer, Scott Erickson, Marc Hulett[1] | |||
Bette Midler chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook | ||||
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook is an album by the American singer Bette Midler. It was produced by Barry Manilow and marked the first time that Midler had worked with Manilow in more than twenty years. It was also Midler's first album for Columbia Records after nearly 30 years recording for Warner Music Group (being signed at times to both Atlantic Records and Warner Bros. Records). Columbia Records is owned by Sony Music Entertainment.
After the death of singer Rosemary Clooney in the summer of 2002, Manilow claims to have had a dream that he would produce a tribute album and Midler would be the singer on the album. In the liner notes, Midler writes, "When Barry approached me ("I had this dream!") about recording an album of Rosemary's standards, I was excited, but apprehensive. I wanted to be respectful, but I felt we had to find something new to say as well, and in these (mostly) new arrangements...I believe we have."
Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook was Midler's first album with Columbia Records after being dropped by Warner Bros. in 2001 for declining record sales. The album peaked at #14 on The Billboard 200 with 71,000 copies sold in its initial week of release,[3] and been certified Gold by the RIAA. (As of August 2005, the album had sold 721,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan).[4] It was followed up with Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook, which was somewhat less successful.
Track listing
- "You'll Never Know" (Mack Gordon, Harry Warren) – 1:44
- "This Ole House" (Stuart Hamblen) – 3:02
- "On a Slow Boat to China" (Frank Loesser) – 2:31 – Duet With Barry Manilow
- "Hey There" (Richard Adler, Jerry Ross) – 3:30
- "Tenderly" (Walter Lloyd Gross, Jack Lawrence) – 3:11
- "Come On-a My House" (Ross Bagdasarian, Sr., William Saroyan) – 1:50
- "Mambo Italiano" (Bob Merrill) – 2:50
- "Sisters" (Irving Berlin) – 2:53 – Duet with Linda Ronstadt
- "Memories of You" (Eubie Blake, Andy Razaf) – 3:20
- "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" (Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer) – 2:44
- "White Christmas" (Irving Berlin) – 3:16
Personnel
- Bette Midler – vocals
- Dean Parks, George Doering, Michael Thompson – guitar
- Randy Waldman, Barry Manilow, Steve Welsh, Robbie Buchanan – piano
- Chuck Berghofer – bass
- Gregg Field, Vinnie Colaiuta – drums
- Herb Pedersen – banjo
- Kenny Blackwell – mandolin
- Beverly Staunton, David Steele, Hans Stamer, Warren Stanyer – background vocals
- Jorge Calandrelli, Patrick Williams, Ray Ellis – conductor
Charts
Chart (2003) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA)[5] | 28 |
US Billboard 200[6] | 14 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[7] | Gold | 500,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ allmusic.com
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ "Ask Billboard: Betting on Bette". Billboard. October 15, 2003. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ "Ask Billboard: First Clooney, Now Lee". Billboard. August 30, 2005. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Bette Midler – Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
- ^ "Bette Midler Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
- ^ "American album certifications – Bette Midler – Bette Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook". Recording Industry Association of America.