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Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook (2003)

Where the lyrics of Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook take you, and where it was really made.

Barry Manilow says a dream about Rosemary Clooney started this tribute album, which reached #14 on the Billboard 200 and sold 71,000 copies in its first week.

Key places

Recorded in Culver City (2003)

Recording site Barbra Streisand Scoring Stage — The album was recorded by engineer Bill Schnee at a studio in Culver City, California. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded in North Hollywood (2003)

Recording site Larrabee Sound Studios — Part of the album was recorded at Schnee Studios in North Hollywood, a district of Los Angeles. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded in Studio City (2003)

Recording site TRS Studios — Part of the album was recorded at The Hop in Studio City, a district of Los Angeles. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook: 2003 studio album by Bette Midler
• Tribute to singer Rosemary Clooney, who died in June 2002
• Produced by Barry Manilow, their first collaboration in over two decades
• Released 30 September 2003 on Columbia Records, Midler's first album for Columbia and Sony Music
• Eleven tracks, all originally recorded by Clooney between 1951 and 1958

Background

• After Clooney's death, Manilow claimed to have dreamed of a tribute album with Midler providing vocals
• Midler had spent nearly 30 years with Warner Music Group before this album
• Midler and Manilow had not spoken for years before the project
• Midler had no record contract at the time and had considered an independent label
• Manilow secured a contract with Columbia Records for her

Recording

• Engineered by Bill Schnee, assisted by Scott Erickson and Ryan Petrie
• Recorded at Sony Music Studios in Culver City, The Hop in Studio City, and Schnee Studios in North Hollywood
• Produced by Barry Manilow and Robbie Buchanan
• Mixed by Bill Schnee; mastered by Doug Sax and Robert Hadley at the Mastering Lab in Hollywood

Cover

• Design by Gail Marowitz and Ian Cuttler
• Photography by Michael O'Neil, Peter Fletcher, Michael Ochs and Charles Peterson
• CD sticker reads: Bette Midler teams up with Barry Manilow for a loving musical tribute to Rosemary Clooney

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Career

• Born December 1, 1945 in Honolulu, Hawaii; American actress, comedian, singer, and author.
• Moved to New York City in 1965 and began in off-off-Broadway plays, then appeared in Fiddler on the Roof and Salvation on Broadway in the late 1960s.
• Rose to prominence in 1970 singing at the Continental Baths, a gay bathhouse in New York, where she built a core following.
• Debut album The Divine Miss M (1972) earned the 1973 Grammy for Best New Artist.
• Starred in the film The Rose (1979), earning an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe.
• Won Record of the Year for "Wind Beneath My Wings" from the film Beaches (1988).
• Has over 30 million records sold worldwide, with 14 solo studio albums since 1970.
• Received a Tony Award for Hello, Dolly! (2017 Broadway revival) and a Kennedy Center Honor in 2021.

Activism

• Founded the New York Restoration Project in 1995 to revitalize neglected parks in disadvantaged New York neighborhoods.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Jim Farber in the New York Daily News praised the record in late September 2003, saying Midler approached Clooney's 1950s hits with spirit and a touch of acting
• Farber also wrote that the arrangements sound contemporary without sounding dated, and that the songs swing
• Nick Clooney, Rosemary's brother, called the album great and said Bette was Bette rather than an imitator
• Brian Newcomb of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch said most of the Songbook keeps the traditional pop-jazz big-band sound that was Clooney's strength
• Newcomb found Midler respectful and sometimes restrained, with her best moments on In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening and Mambo Italiano
• Chuck Taylor in Billboard (18 October 2003) said the album goes well beyond a typical tearful collection of old hits by adding humor and sarcasm
• Taylor credited Barry Manilow's production as essential to the record
• Miriam Di Nunzio in the Chicago Sun-Times (16 November 2003) wrote a very laudatory review
• T.L. Ponick of the Washington Post said Midler reproduces Clooney's vocal traits with surprising fidelity
• Greg Morago of the Hartford Courant called it a labor of love and said the record made him want to hear more of Clooney
• Baby A. Gil in The Philippine Star praised the arrangements and said she wanted more than eleven tracks

Reappraisal

• Matt Collar, AllMusic editor, gave the album four stars out of five
• Collar said Midler sounds elegant and alive, and Manilow's orchestral arrangements frame the record well
• Collar was clearly more critical of the covers of Come On-a My House and Mambo Italiano
• The Rolling Stone Album Guide gave the album three stars in 2004
• The Dutch site muziekweb.nl hoped the record would bring a new generation to Clooney's own recordings

Records

• Entered the Billboard 200 at number 14 two weeks after release
• Sold 71,000 copies in its first week
• Certified Gold by the RIAA
• Stayed five weeks in the Top 50
• Best chart entry of Midler's career in 13 years
• Nominated for a 2004 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, against Clooney's own The Last Concert

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Barry Manilow said a dream of Midler singing Clooney songs in a 1950s setting led him to call her about the project.
• Midler wrote one of the two liner notes, and Manilow wrote the other.
• Midler considered withdrawing from the Grammy contest because she wanted Clooney to win. On Manilow's suggestion, she decided to give any prize to Clooney's family.
• Manilow played Bing Crosby on On a Slow Boat to China and played piano on the track.
• Linda Ronstadt sang the sister role on Sisters, a song Clooney first sang in the 1954 film White Christmas.
• The album's success prompted Midler to release a Peggy Lee tribute album in 2005.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

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