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Post by rick on Nov 4, 2014 13:50:42 GMT -5
New York Times' Review of Bette's new album Bette Midler, "It's the Girls!" The spark of madcap mischief that has lit up Bette Midler’s performances for more than four decades has hardly dimmed, as evidenced by “It’s the Girls!,” her bubbly first studio album in eight years and one of her best. This tribute to girl groups, from the Boswell Sisters to TLC, was produced with Ms. Midler’s longtime collaborator, Marc Shaiman, the composer of “Hairspray,” some of whose songs strongly echo classic ’60s hits produced by Phil Spector. That music, along with Motown, is in Ms. Midler and Mr. Shaiman’s bones, and their fit is as comfortable as ever. Continue reading the main storyContinue reading the main storyContinue reading the main story Ms. Midler’s brash, mouthy vocal persona is still capable of sounding playfully transgressive, at least by ’60s standards. She injects songs like the Marvelettes’ “Too Many Fish in the Sea” with a defiant air of girl power, which in those days was synonymous with winning and worshiping a sexy bad boy. As vintage oldies mellow into latter-day standards, the reverence surrounding them tends to inhibit any remakes, but not here. The tempos are breezy on the album’s remakes of the Exciters’ “Tell Him” and the Chiffons’ “One Fine Day.” A lighthearted, cotton candy version of “Be My Baby” is all the better for not pushing a martial grandiosity. Not all the songs adhere to the style of the originals. The Chordettes’ “Mr. Sandman” is infused with zany Hawaiian guitar that makes its funny/gushy lyrics even more amusing. Most important, Ms. Midler brings her sense of humor. At the end of the Shangri-Las’ hit “Give Him a Great Big Kiss,” she announces that she must rush back to the I.C.U. to visit her sweetheart: “He’s 98, you know,” she explains. “I’ve known him since this record came out.” -- STEPHEN HOLDEN
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2014 14:13:41 GMT -5
I love the song selection, sounds like fun, thanks
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Post by fabtastique on Nov 4, 2014 15:20:52 GMT -5
Got this today, really like it .... fun and typical Bette even if a few of the arrangements are light and fluffy. I hope its a hit for her!
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Post by rick on Nov 4, 2014 17:43:22 GMT -5
I love the song selection, sounds like fun, thanks Robert, glad you appreciate Bette's song choices. Just an FYI, I had posted before in the thread on "Bette: Talk To Me of Mendocino" that Target stores and Target.com has the exclusive Deluxe edition of "It's the Girls!" that has "Talk To Me of Mendocino" as a bonus track. Of course, Linda's version of "Mendocino" was on her "Get Closer" album. The other bonus track on the Deluxe edition of "It's the Girls!" is "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game," the old Marvelettes' song.
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Post by rick on Nov 10, 2014 4:27:27 GMT -5
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Post by fabtastique on Nov 13, 2014 4:46:47 GMT -5
I am liking this CD, its selling quite well I think too.
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Post by Tony on Nov 23, 2014 20:06:42 GMT -5
I am just getting around to listening to this CD for the first time. I am liking this enough I am sure it will get a follow-up listen. It has me wanting to go to a Bette Midler concert- I've never seen her live. I see that Bette Midler is doing a concert in London next year too.
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Post by rick on Nov 24, 2014 3:05:57 GMT -5
I am just getting around to listening to this CD for the first time. I am liking this enough I am sure it will get a follow-up listen. It has me wanting to go to a Bette Midler concert- I've never seen her live. I see that Bette Midler is doing a concert in London next year too. Glad you are liking the CD. Were you able to pick up the Deluxe Edition from Target that has "Talk to Me of Mendocino" and "The Hunter Gets Captured By the Game," by any chance? Curious to hear how you compare Bette's version of "Mendocino" with Linda's. I have my own preference and that is for Linda's version, but I don't dislike Bette's. I also know that you are a Motown fan and there are quite a few Motown covers on the CD. One of my favorite tracks is the very different interpretation of "Come and Get These Memories." I think it was smart of Bette and Marc Shaiman to turn some of these songs inside out and do them differently. I always loved the Martha and the Vandellas' version of "Come and Get These Memories," but I really am affected by this slowed-down version on "It's the Girls!" What do you think, Tony? Also, of the songs (on the Deluxe CD), several have been recorded by Linda, too. Not just "Talk to Me of Mendocino," but also "Be My Baby" and "Tell Him." Another thing I noticed. Did you notice on “Too Many Fish in the Sea” that at the very end of the fade instead of singing the usual chorus, Bette and the girls sing, “There’s smart ones, dumb ones, deaf ones, blind ones” ? It reminded me how Linda changed the lyrics to “Tell Him” at the end on her fade with “Tell Him That You’re Never Gonna Love Him, Tell Him That You’re Always Gonna Leave Him….” It makes me smile that they mix it up like that. Bette will be here in L.A. at the end of May. Am hoping to go.
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Post by Partridge on Dec 7, 2014 15:37:54 GMT -5
Yes, I did get the Target edition. Even thought I've listened to the CD several times, I've only listened to the two bonus cuts the first time. (Something always comes up to remove me from my listening situation before I reach the very end.)
For some reason, the song I usually skip over is You Can't Hurry Love. I would rather have had a less known song from the Supremes- maybe The Happening or Come See About Me.
I liked Bette's version of Mendocino-- that has never been one of my favorite Linda Ronstadt songs, and that has nothing to do with Linda's great interpretation- the song just never resounded with me.
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