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1977 studio album by Bette Midler
Broken Blossom is the fourth studio album by American singer
Bette Midler , her second album release in 1977 and her fifth on the Atlantic Records label. Just as Midler's three previous studio albums Broken Blossom includes songs from a wide variety of genres, ranging from
Edith Piaf 's signature tune "
La vie en rose ",
Phil Spector -esque covers of
Billy Joel 's "
Say Goodbye to Hollywood " and
Harry Nilsson 's "Paradise" and hard rock like
Sammy Hagar 's "Red", to a jazzy duet with
Tom Waits , "I Never Talk to Strangers", and a rendition of "
A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes ", originally from
Walt Disney 's 1950 film version of
Cinderella . The album reached No. 51 on
Billboard ' s album chart.
The album was released on CD for the first time in 1993. A remastered version of the album was released by
Atlantic Records /
Warner Music in 1995.
Critical reception
The Globe and Mail concluded that the majority of the songs are "either underperformed or blasted out of all proportion by producer Brooks Arthur, whose quite blatant steal of Phil Spector's production style represents a serious threat to Midler's sincerity."
[4]
Track listing
Side A:
"Make Yourself Comfortable" (
Bob Merrill ) - 3:59
"
You Don't Know Me " (
Eddy Arnold ,
Cindy Walker ) - 3:39
"
Say Goodbye to Hollywood " (
Billy Joel ) - 3:02
"I Never Talk to Strangers" (duet with
Tom Waits ) (Tom Waits) - 3:39
"Daybreak (Storybook Children)" (David Pomeranz, Spencer Proffer) - 3:40
"Red" (John Carter,
Sammy Hagar ) - 3:17
Side B:
"Empty Bed Blues" (J. C. Johnson) - 3:19
"
A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes " (
Mack David ) - 3:09
"Paradise" (
Perry Botkin, Jr. , Gil Garfield,
Harry Nilsson ) - 4:15
"
Yellow Beach Umbrella " (
Craig Doerge ,
Judy Henske ) - 4:24
"
La Vie en Rose " (Mack David,
Louiguy ,
Edith Piaf ) - 2:59
Personnel
Bette Midler –
lead vocals all tracks,
background vocals tracks A3, B3, all background vocals track B4
Craig Doerge –
keyboards tracks A1, B4,
piano track A2
Russ Kunkel –
drums tracks A1, A2
Alan Estes –
congas track A1, percussion tracks A5, B3, B4
Lee Ritenour –
electric guitar tracks A1, A2, A3, B3
Leland Sklar –
bass guitar tracks A1, A2
Jim Horn –
baritone sax track A1
Donny Gerrard – background vocals track A1
Brian Russell – background vocals tracks A1, A3
Chuck Higgins – background vocals track A1
Jimmie Haskell – arranger
strings &
horns track A2
Brenda Russell –
background vocals tracks A2, A3, A5
Clydie King –
background vocals tracks A2, A3, A5
Diane Brooks –
background vocals tracks A2, A3, A5
Bobby Rozario –
musical arranger track A3
Artie Butler – piano tracks A3, A5 B3, arranger tracks A5, B2, B3, arranger strings and horns track B4, arranger strings track B5
Jim Keltner – drums tracks A3, A5, A6, B1, B3, B4
Jack Jennings -
percussion instruments track A3
Chuck Rainey – bass track A3
David Latman – background vocals track A3
Bob Alcivar – arranger track A4
Tom Waits – lead vocals, piano track A4
Frank Vicari –
tenor saxophone solo track A4
Jim Hughart – bass tracks A4, A5, B5
Shelly Manne – drums track A4
Thom Rotella – guitar tracks A5, B3
Ira Newborn – arranger tracks A6, B1, guitars track A6
Don Randi – keyboards track A6, organ track B1
Fred Tackett – guitars tracks A6, B1
Jerry Scheff – bass tracks A6, B1
Steve Porcaro –
synthesizers track A6
John Barnes – piano track B1
David Walker – electric guitars track B1
Steve Douglas –
saxophone track B1
Plas Johnson – saxophone track B1
Don Menza – saxophone track B1
Marshall Royal – saxophone track B1
Gene Goe –
trumpet track B1
Don Rader – trumpet track B1
Bobby Shaw – trumpet track B1
Lew McCreary – bones track B1
Bill Watrous – bones track B1
David Hungate – bass track B3
Ellie Greenwich – background vocals track B3
Mikie Harris – background vocals track B3
Howard Roberts – guitar and
ukulele track B4
Max Bennett – bass track B4
Mike Melvoin – arranger & piano track B5
Production
Brooks Arthur -
record producer ,
sound engineer
Bob Merritt - sound engineer
David Latman - assistant sound engineer
Ivy Skoff - production coordinator
Bones Howe - producer track A4 for Mr. Bones Production
Bob Defrin - cover design
George Hurrell - photography:
Primary recording location: The Record Plant, Los Angeles. Additional recording at Studio 55, Los Angeles.
Charts
References
^ Fawthrop, Peter.
"Broken Blossom - Bette Midler" . AllMusic . Retrieved 27 January 2022 .
^
Christgau, Robert (1981).
"Consumer Guide '70s: M" .
Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies .
Ticknor & Fields .
ISBN
089919026X . Retrieved March 7, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
^ Coleman, Marc;
Brackett, Nathan (2004).
"Bette Midler" . In Brackett, Nathan;
Christian, Hoard (eds.).
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). New York:
Simon & Schuster . p. 540.
ISBN
0-7432-0169-8 .
^ McGrath, Paul (18 Jan 1978). "Bette Midler". The Globe and Mail . p. F2.
^
Kent, David (1993).
Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W.
ISBN
0-646-11917-6 .
^
"Top RPM Albums: Issue 5546" .
RPM .
Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 29 December 2017.
^
"Bette Midler Chart History (Billboard 200)" .
Billboard . Retrieved 29 December 2017.
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