New Bette Midler album, It’s The Girls!
coming out in November!
As most of you know, I have an absolute
mania for harmony and vocal groups – I'm mad for the melodies, I’m cuckoo for
the chords! I have been a rabid fan of these groups since I was a mere sprout,
(which was so long ago I’m practically a beanstalk now!) and although I have
jumped feet first into this kind of music many times, I decided to devote an
entire record to some of the girl group music that I have loved since I was a
kid. Yes, Virginia, I MADE A NEW ALBUM!! It’s my 25th album, which I really
can’t believe. How did I manage that? Have I been recording albums I didn’t
know about in my sleep?
My old friend Marc Shaiman and I went into
the studio last spring. We started out by choosing nearly 50 of our favorite
songs and then went through the agonizing process of editing the list down to
only 17; I swear, making some of those decisions, I felt like Meryl in Sophie’s
Choice! We then invited some of our favorite people in to play. A great album
is like a fine wine, it’s not half as good unless you're sharing it with good
friends. While I did a lot of the background chores myself, we also had some
great backing singers in as well. It’s always been a particular thrill for me
to watch and listen to background singers work their magic; the great ones are
great artists. The experience was a thrill and the result is overwhelmingly
happy, except for a couple of ballad surprises, because what’s a Bette Midler
record without little kleenex, right? Hey! It worked for Piaf! We’ve stuffed so
many glorious girl groups into this album - it’s an exquisite explosion of
estrogen! You’ll croon, you’ll cry, and you’ll walk away craving more.
Yes, I love the music these women made, but
I also love the world of the groups themselves. The legends, the rumors, the
hair!! How many movies and books have come out of that world? Not enough, if
you ask me!! Some of the groups were formed and trained at home, like the
Boswells and the Andrews Sisters, some were put together by the labels
themselves, and some met on street corners or subway staircases, looking for an
echo. But whether they were sister acts or musical arranged marriages, they all
had one thing in common – that SOUND! Well, the fantastic outfits didn’t hurt
either. Or the synchronized dances. Okay, so maybe three things in common.
The 50s and 60’s were their heyday, when
girl groups really came into their own, putting their stamp on pop music, and
having a huge influence on the music that came long after they had left the
stage, especially in Great Britain, where they were lionized, imitated and
covered to death...
Some girl groups survived, some didn’t;
some were taken advantage of, some wrote their own rules, many went through
fire just for the chance to sing. There is no denying that much of what they
went through, just as women, was difficult, but there is also no denying that
what they gave to the world is still relevant, and still necessary; joy,
attitude, and the golden dream of a youth that will never fade.
They say behind every great man, there’s a
great woman. Well I think that behind every great woman, there should be at
least two other women singing and dancing in perfect unison. I hope “It’s The
Girls” gives you the impulse to dig deeper into the music and the lives of the
women who made it. You won’t regret a moment…
UPDATE:
Track list:
1. BE MY BABY
Originally performed by The Ronettes
2. ONE FINE DAY
Originally performed by The Chiffons
3. BEI MIR BIST DU SCHÖN
Originally performed by The Andrews Sisters
All Vocals by Bette Midler
4. BABY IT’S YOU
Originally performed by The Shirelles
All Vocals by Bette Midler
5. TELL HIM
Originally performed by The Exciters
6. HE’S SURE THE BOY I LOVE (duet with Darlene Love)
Originally performed by The Crystals
7. MR. SANDMAN
Originally performed by The Chordettes
8. COME AND GET THESE MEMORIES
Originally performed by Martha & The Vandellas
9. TOO MANY FISH IN THE SEA
Originally performed by The Marvelettes
10. TEACH ME TONIGHT
Originally performed by The DeCastro Sisters
11. WATERFALLS
Originally performed by TLC
12. YOU CAN’T HURRY LOVE
Originally performed by The Supremes
13. GIVE HIM A GREAT BIG KISS
Originally performed by The Shangri-Las
14. WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW
Originally performed by The Shirelles
15. IT’S THE GIRL
Originally performed by The Boswell Sisters
All Vocals by Bette Midler
