Mister D: My eldest cat of 17 years, Chaka, has been very sick with kidney disease, but she has been one of Bette’s biggest feline fans:-) When she heard me upstairs playing Bette’s new CD, she decided to get out of her warm little bed to do some promotion. Let’s give a hand to Chaka! She’s still my little baby, altho I have 2 other young cats.
Seattle Gay News
Oct. 10, 2003
It makes perfect sense for Bette Midler to immerse her divine self into a
catalog of songs by the late, great Rosemary Clooney. She’s essentially
one of her followers. With the help of old friend Barry Manilow, who
produced her first two breakthrough albums, Midler settles right into a
string of the Girl Singer’s hits, all originally recorded in the 1950’s.
Midler’s perky persona makes a delightful presence on the sprightly “Come
On-A My House” and the zesty “Mambo Italiano,” which features a
high-kicking arrangement by Manilow and Robbie Buchanan, who also serve
as co-producers for this fine, timely tribute. When she isn’t getting
cheeky with Manilow, as in the Bing Crosby/Clooney bopper “On a Slow
Boat to China,” she’s singing shoulder to shoulder with Linda Ronstadt
on “Sisters.” The album’s finest moments are Midler’s down-home,
bluegrassy version of “This Ole House” and her glistening touch to
Crosby’s nostalgic “White Christmas,” which Clooney repolished in 1954.
Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook is a soaring success in
two ways. First, it provides a glorious avenue for Midler to strut her
pop-to-showtunes vocal expertise. And second, it packs in plenty of va-va
voom in an homage to a singer who put style and class on an out-of-reach
shelf. Given the chance to do a legend justice, Midler simply marvels.
Tower.com
10/13/03
Recorded at Sony Music Studios, Culver City, California; The Hop, Studio City, California; Schnee Studios, North Hollywood, California. Includes liner notes by Bette Midler, Barry Manilow.
Bette Midler occupies a unique place in the world of pop vocalists; she’s recorded in so many styles (blowsy rockers, glossy pop ballads, intimate cabaret) that she’s impossible to pigeonhole. So it’s not such a shock to find her reaching back to an earlier era of pop singing for THE ROSEMARY CLOONEY SONGBOOK. In paying tribute to her beloved Clooney, Midler engages the services of none other than MOR icon Barry Manilow as arranger, a role he played for her before embarking on his solo career. This is far from a by-the-numbers stroll through the Clooney catalog, though. Midler and Manilow dip into smooth jazz (“Come On-A My House”), boogie-woogie (“On a Slow Boat to China”), Americana (“This Ole House”), and orchestrated jazz (“Hey There”) among other modes, introducing these Clooney-associated tunes to a whole new generation.
