Maps of Music

The Divine Miss M (1972)

Where the lyrics of The Divine Miss M take you, and where it was really made.

The title is not a person's name: "The Divine Miss M" points to Bette Midler's well-known stage persona.

Key places

Where the album was recorded (1972)

Recording site Atlantic Studios (New York City) — The album was recorded at Atlantic Recording Studios in New York. The studio is the recording place credited on the album page. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• The Divine Miss M: debut album by American singer and actress Bette Midler
• Released in 1972 by Atlantic Records
• Title refers to Midler's well-known stage persona
• Produced in collaboration with Barry Manilow
• Tracks include "Do You Want to Dance?", "Chapel of Love", "Hello In There", "Friends" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"
• Several of these tracks have since become standards in Midler's repertoire
• First released on CD in 1990, then remastered in 1995 by Atlantic Records/Warner Music
• Quadraphonic edition, catalog #QD 7238, issued the same year as the original mono and stereo versions

Background

• Midler began singing at the Continental Baths, a gay bathhouse in New York City's Ansonia Hotel, in summer 1970
• Piano accompanist Barry Manilow became close to her there and later co-produced the album
• Her core following was built during the Continental Baths period, and many of the album's songs were sung in her live performances
• "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" is a rock cover of the classic swing tune first popularized in 1941 by the Andrews Sisters
• Midler repeatedly named the Andrews Sisters as her idols and inspiration

Recording

• Recorded at Atlantic Recording Studios, New York
• Several tracks recorded for the album did not make the final cut, and some were later released on Songs For The New Depression
• Lew Hahn served as recording engineer
• Remixed by Geoffrey Haslam, Lew Hahn and Bob Liftin at Regent Sound Studios and Atlantic Studios

Cover

• Cover art by Richard Amsel
• Cover art direction and design by Richard Mantel
• Backliner photo by Kenn Duncan

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · ko.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

• Received positive reception from critics
• Robert Christgau gave the album an A− in a contemporary review
• Christgau noted that the album and its track selection suggest a nutty quality without distracting from Midler's voice

Reappraisal

• AllMusic's Mark Deming wrote retrospectively that Midler's interpretations of "Delta Dawn" and "Hello in There" are powerful and moving
• Deming said the album captured the many facets of Midler's musical personality
• Deming said her quirks were a rich part of what made her music so powerful
• Joe Marchese of The Second Disc reviewed the quadraphonic CD release, noting immersive 4.0 spatialization with instruments and vocals placed across discrete channels

Records

• Reached the Top Ten on Billboard's album chart
• Platinum certification from the RIAA in the United States
• Platinum certification in Canada
• Spanish Wikipedia gives its US chart position as No. 9
• Three hit singles: "Do You Want to Dance?", "Friends" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"
• "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart
• Won Midler a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1973

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The album's title refers to Midler's well-known stage persona.
• Early promotional DJ copies swapped "Hello in There" with "Daytime Hustler", and the order was changed because three emotional ballads sat on the same side.
• Several tracks recorded for the album, including "Old Cape Cod" and "Marijuana", were later released on Bette's 3rd album, Songs For The New Depression.
• Midler told Johnny Carson she always wanted to move like the Andrews Sisters.
• In 1973, the album won Midler a Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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