Bette Midler (album)

Bette Midler is the second studio album by American singer Bette Midler, released in 1973 on the Atlantic Records label. Produced by Arif Mardin and Barry Manilow, Bette Midler includes Midler's interpretations of Johnny Mercer and Hoagy Carmichael's "Skylark", Berthold Brecht and Kurt Weill's "Surabaya Johnny", Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" and Glenn Miller's "In the Mood" as well as a Phil Spector medley.

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Christgau's Record Guide	B+^[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	^[2]

Bette Midler reached No. 6 on the US albums chart and was later awarded a Gold Disc by the RIAA.

The album was released on CD for the first time in 1989. A remastered version of the album was released by Atlantic Records/Warner Music in 1995.

Track listing

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Skylark"	Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer	3:02
2.	"Drinking Again"	Doris Tauber, Mercer	2:48
3.	"Breaking Up Somebody's Home"	Al Jackson Jr., Timothy Matthews	3:49
4.	"Surabaya Johnny"	Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht, Herbert Hartig	4:54
5.	"I Shall Be Released"	Bob Dylan	4:56

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
6.	"Optimistic Voices/Lullaby of Broadway"	Herbert Stothart, Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg / Harry Warren, Al Dubin	2:27
7.	"In the Mood"	Joe Garland, Andy Razaf, *Bette Midler (Wingy Manone)	2:39
8.	"Uptown/Don't Say Nothin' Bad (About My Baby)/Da Doo Ron Ron"	Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil / Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Phil Spector	3:23
9.	"Twisted"	Wardell Gray, Annie Ross	2:25
10.	"Higher & Higher (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me)"	Carl Smith, Raynard Miner, Gary Jackson	4:06

Bette Midler – lead vocals
Barry Manilow – piano, percussion, backing vocals, musical arranger, musical conductor
Ken Ascher – keyboards
Pat Rebillot – keyboards
Don Grolnick – keyboards
David Spinozza – guitars
Cornell Dupree – guitars
Frank Vento – guitars
Hugh McCracken – guitars
Stu Woods – bass guitars
Chuck Rainey – bass guitar
William Salter – bass guitar
Milt Hinton – double bass
Will Lee – bass guitar
Rick Marotta – drums
Grady Tate – drums
Bernard Purdie – drums
Steve Gadd – drums
Luther Rix – drums, percussion
Ralph MacDonald – percussion
Arif Mardin – percussion
Kenneth Bichel – synthesizers
Gene Orloff – concert master
Gail Kantor – background vocals
Merle Miller – background vocals
Sylvia Shemwell – background vocals
Myrna Smith – background vocals
Tasha Thomas – background vocals
Shirley Brewer – background vocals
Ann S. Clark – background vocals
Sharon Redd – background vocals
Robin Grean – background vocals
Charlotte Crossley – background vocals

Arif Mardin – producer
Barry Manilow – producer
Gene Paul – recording engineer
Lew Hahn – recording engineer
Jimmy Douglass – recording engineer for additional recordings
Robbert Warner – recording engineer for additional recordings
Elliot Scheiner – recording engineer for additional recordings
Buzz Richmond – recording engineer for additional recordings
Scott Schreckengosf – recording engineer for additional recordings
George Piros – mastering
Dennis King – mastering
Richard Amsel – cover art
Lee Gurst – backliner photo
Loring Eutemey – album design
Recorded at Atlantic Recording Studios, New York, N.Y.
Additional recordings at A & R Studios, New York, N.Y.; Atlantic Recording Studios, New York, N.Y. & Kaye-Smith Studios, Seattle, Washington
Re-mixed by: Lew Hahn & Arif Mardin

Weekly chart performance for *Bette Midler*
Chart (1973–74)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)^[3]	14
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)^[4]	3
US Billboard 200^[5]	6

1974 year-end chart performance for *Bette Midler*
Chart (1974)	Position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)^[6]	35
US Billboard 200^[7]	87


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)^[8]	Gold	500,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.