Festival Info Netherlands
REVIEW : BETTE MIDLER – IT`S THE GIRLS!
2-15-2015
The divine Miss M, who on her last birthday again 69 candles was blowing, it is known to us as an actress, comedian, cabaret artist, activist, singer and diva. But we had to do it all again as no new album. Her latest release, the Christmas compilation Cool Yule, which they then another Grammy nomination was already eight years ago. Luckily we had the previous 24 albums to overcome us.
By any insistence of producer, fan and friend Marc Shaiman, who wrote the music of Hairspray, popped the multitalented Bette Midler last year behind the recording microphone. Luckily it was not chosen reluctantly because the lady in question for something close to her heart. Namely by groups of women sang harmonies. The album It’s The Girls! is so full of Girl power but with that touch of Bette.
Covers are the flamboyant lady not strange; she’s with hits like “From a Distance” and “Wind Beneath My Wings” was announced. This new album is a continuation of her albums as Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook and Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook , or the soundtrack of ‘For The Boys’. Bette Midler strokes down with vocal classics from a period of the thirties to the nineties spans.
Singing ladies like the Andrews and Boswell Sisters to the Ronettes and Chiffons or TLC of all is to hear something back. Bette Midler not throw us into the deep but let’s warm up with the faithful reproduction of the sung by The Ronettes with album opener ‘Be My Baby’. The equally close to the original permanent ‘One Fine Day’, with the exception of the more peppery drums, does have the advantage that you Bette her own background doo wop vocals hear singing. The time of the big band comes back into the sensual rendition of “Bei mir bist du schoen” from the Andrew Sisters. Where Bette throws her sex appeal in battle and enters her stage persona in the foreground. Even with “You Can not Hurry Love” Midler experimenting things off.
Whoever had hoped to hear a country-like remake of The Supremes now comes into their own. Upbeat, a banjo and a touch of hillbilly pop. But all this country mirth, we believe there is too much of a good thing. The diva is all in its groove with “Give Him a Great Big Kiss”, was bustling original of The Shangri-Las, but the stage artiste Midler has beside the horn and pounding drum beat some more jazzed by cloning themselves again in the backing vocals and delicious gossip with itself.
The only thing we have our question is ‘Waterfalls’. The only just modern song, an R & B hit TLC from 1995 is among all the other older songs. The interpretation is fine. Midler has thrown because the brake at the original tempo and instrumentation exchanged for a simple piano and string accompaniment. This simplification put the lyrics in the spotlight. Allowing the emotions of the listener are full bombarded like this lady already did with “Hello In There”. From serious and sad to uplifting and exuberant this grande dame has it all. Also the fact that she knows that sometimes you should not tinker too much like the original song is already good enough to hollow.
As we heard at the beginning of the album with ‘One Fine Day’ Be My Baby ‘but also closer’ It’s The Girl ‘a charleston originally in 1931 by The Boswell Sisters. But when she or go all out and unpacking is also a feast for the ear as in “Give Him a Great Big Kiss,” “He’s Sure the Boy I Love (Duet with Darlene Love) or with a touch of Hawaii sprinkled ‘Mr. Sandman ‘by the Chord Elles’ from 1964.
