Bette Midler: Bette (2000)

By the end of the last millennium, Bette Midler had recorded nine studio albums: The Divine Miss M (1972), Bette Midler (1973), Songs for the New Depression (1976), Broken Blossom (1977), Thighs and Whispers (1979), No Frills (1983), Some People’s Lives (1990), Bette of Roses (1995) and Bathhouse Betty (1998), three live recordings: Live at Last (1977), Divine Madness (1980) and Mud Will Be Flung Tonight! (1985), and four soundtrack albums: The Rose (1979), Beaches (1988), For the Boys (1991) and Gypsy (1993).

Some of her movie credits included: The Rose (1979), Jinxed! (1982), Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), Ruthless People (1986), Outrageous Fortune (1987), Big Business (1987), Disney’s Oliver and Company (1988), Beaches (1998), Stella (1990), Scenes from a Mall (1990), For the Boys (1991), Hocus Pocus (1993), The First Wives Club (1996), That Old Feeling (1997), Disney’s Fantasia 2000 (1999) and Drowning Mona (1999).

In 1977, Bette had performed in her own TV special "Ol' Red Hair Is Back", a nod to Frank Sinatra's 1973 album "Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back" which was accompanied by Frank's TV special, "Magnavox Presents Frank Sinatra". Bette earned an Emmy Award for "Ol' Red Eyes" for Outstanding Special-Comedy-Variety or Music. So what about a TV series or sitcom?

Come 11 October 2000, Bette premiered her own TV series entitled "Bette" on the CBS network. The cast featured Kevin Dunn and Robert Hayes as husband Roy, Lindsay Lohan (pilot) and Marina Malota as daughter Rose, Joanna Gleason as best friend and manager Connie Randolph, and James Dreyfus as musical director and accompanist Oscar. Of course, Bette played Bette, and she even recorded an all new song for the TV theme "Nobody Else but You" co-written with Marc Shaiman.

Unfortunately the show, which I managed to catch back in the day for a couple of episodes, didn't last the distance, with eighteen episodes produced in full, while only sixteen made it to air in the U.S.

On a lighter note, it received awards from the following: People's Choice Awards (2001) for "Favorite Female Performer in a New Television Series"-Bette Midler, TV Guide Awards (2001) for "Actress of the Year in a New Series"-Bette Midler, and Excellence in Production Design Award Television for "Episode of a Multi-Camera Series"-Bernard Vyzga (production designer) and Rich Rohrer (assistant art director) for the pilot.

It also received several nominations: a Golden Globe (2001) for "Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series-Comedy/Musical"-Bette Midler, a TV Guide Award (2001) for "New Series of the Year", and a Primetime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Art Direction for a Multi-Camera Series"-Bernard Vyzga (production designer) and Lynda Burbank (set decorator) for the pilot. Now *I* would like to thank Aunty Wikipedia for providing me with this information: *Thank* you.

The day *before* the show debuted on CBS, Warner Brothers Records would release "Bette", her tenth studio album which featured the theme song from the show. This was the CD I came across at one of my local Sanity stores, around the same time as "Bette" first got shown in Oz. Notably, for me, I hadn't seen it anywhere in the new releases section, just sort of tucked away with her other albums in "Singers A-Z". After about roughly twenty years, I finally heard the thing for the first time, and let me tell you... But first!!!

Musically, once again we have a whole raft of songwriting talents being represented here: "That's How Heartaches are Made” from Ben Raleigh and Bob Halley, "In These Shoes" by Kirsty MacColl and Pete Glenister, "God Give Me Strength" from Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach, "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, "Love T.K.O." by Cecil Womack, Gip Noble Jr. and Linda Womack, "Moses" from Patty Griffin, the theme song "Nobody Else but You", "Color of Roses" by Beth Nielson Chapman and Matt Rollings, "Bless You Child" from Billy Steinberg, Rick Nowels and Marie-Claire Cremers, "When Your Life was Low" by Will Jennings and Joe Sample, and the final song "Shining Star" written by Leo Graham, Jr and Paul Richmond. The entire album has been produced by longtime musical associate Marc Shaiman with Don Was and Rick Nowels.

Chart wise: the album "Bette" peaks at #69 on the US Billboard 200 with a total of 226,000 copies sold in the United States as of 2003 according to Nielson SoundScan.

There were two singles released, including the obvious one: "Nobody Else but You" from the TV show, and "In These Shoes". The latter song which was given a maxi-single release including remixes reached #8 and #14 on the US Billboard Dance Music/Club Play Singles and Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales charts. That’s nothing for me to really moan about, *BUT*...

Well, let's just look at these songs, shall we? When I got the CD, I was very much looking forward to hearing "Nobody Else but You" from the TV show, but what I got was somewhat more than I had bargained for. In a great way!

"That's How Heartaches are Made"---this feels like an iconic Bette song, but it doesn’t appear to have been fully recognized as one, and I fail to grasp why, but onwards...

"In These Shoes"---this song feels like Bette Midler's version of Shania Twain's "That Don't Impress Me Much". It also feels like something that would have fit in nicely on "Bathhouse Betty". Maybe play this with "I'm Beautiful". I haven't heard Kirsty's original version.

"God Give Me Strength"---from my first listens, this was the song that rewarded me the most. I was swept away. To me, this was and still is one of the finest moments of Bette's musical career. That probably shouldn't surprise me, I suppose, given the authors behind it. I haven't heard the original version.

"Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)"---I can see why this wound up on the "Jackpot" compilation released a few years later, but it's not the song I personally would have picked. Only because I feel so passionately about others on here! This one is neat and quite mellow. The original was done by the Temptations which I haven't heard.

"Love T.K.O."---this probably has to be the weakest moment for me, but for something that's "weak" it sounds pretty strong out of context. I think a few more listens might change my POV.

"Moses"---even just this one sounds like something that could have been played in a sitcom, much less "Bette". This is a fun little moment tucked away in here.

"Nobody Else but You"---this was the moment I was looking forward to hearing the most, and for everyone out there who watched the show and enjoyed it, I share in your joy!

"Color of Roses"---I can imagine "Color of Roses" fitting into "Some People's Lives" and that's a cool thing. It's not one of the songs I can immediately remember though. Again, I think a few more listens...

"Bless You Child"---You remember when Cher recorded "Believe" in 1998 with that vocal effect and it hit #1 all around the world. It was one of the biggest singles she ever had in her life. Mind you, it was well deserved!!! "Bless You Child", to *ME*, could have been Bette's equivalent to this song. When I listen to this, I can imagine this going straight to #1, and being played on New Year's Eve with fireworks going off everywhere. And just the thought of a single with remixes is sheer delight!

How did this not happen??? "If I Could Turn Back Time" might have been Cher's "Wind beneath my Wings", "Love and Understanding" might have been Cher's "From a Distance", and "Bless You Child" might have been Bette's "Believe". Ugh!!!! If only!!!!

"When your Life was Low"---if I'm feeling keyed up by the next song, then this is surely a good way to unwind again. I guess that's one thing I like about this song.

"Shining Star"---Bette takes us out with this stirring little finale. It's not my favourite closing song of hers, but it's all well and good in its own right, I suppose.

And that brings us to the end of another review. Next up: Bette Midler's Songbook albums released on Columbia Records.

Thank you for reading,

Ryan.