It’s The Girls
As most of you know, I have an absolute mania for harmony and vocal groups ”“ I’m cuckoo for the chords, I’m mad for the melodies! 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? Let me know if you spot Bette Midler’s Slumber Sessions.
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 ”“ these songs are my babies! 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 if you’re not 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. And to be honest, fantastic backup singers keep me on my toes; I’ve got to up my game if I don’t want these vocal virtuosos to upstage me! 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? 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 of the music of this era.
1. Be My Baby
2. One Fine Day
3. Bei Mir Bist Du Schon
4. Baby It’s You
5. Tell Him
6. He’s Sure The Boy I Love (Duet With Darlene Love)
7. Mr. Sandman
8. Come And Get These Memories
9. Too Many Fish In The Sea
10. Teach Me Tonight
11. Waterfalls
12. You Can’t Hurry Love
13. Give Him A Great Big Kiss
14. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
15. It’s The Girls
US Release Date: Nov 4
UK Release Date: Nov 10
Other Release Dates: November 18
