Bootleg Betty
Video: Bette Midler Sings Up The Ladder To The Roof
By Mister D
May 16, 2025
Bette Midler’s performance of “Up The Ladder To The Roof” is a highlight from The Bette Midler Show, a 1976 HBO television special filmed during her “Depression Tour” at the Cleveland Music Hall on February 6-7, 1976. The show, also released as the live album Live at Last in 1977, captures Midler’s vibrant stage presence and her ability to reinterpret classic songs with her unique flair.
Originally performed by The Supremes in 1970, “Up The Ladder To The Roof” was written by Frank Wilson and Vincent DiMirco and marked the group’s first single with Jean Terrell as lead singer after Diana Ross’s departure. The song’s upbeat tempo and soulful harmonies made it a chart success. Midler’s cover, featured in the finale of The Bette Midler Show alongside “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” and “Friends,” transforms the track with a faster tempo, energetic dance moves, and her charismatic, campy style.
In her rendition, Midler infuses the song with a sense of adventure and optimism, aligning with the lyrics’ themes of love, freedom, and transcendence (e.g., “Come with me, and we shall run across the sky / We illuminate the night”). Her performance is backed by her band, Betsy and the Blowboys, and The Staggering Harlettes (Sharon Redd, Ula Hedwig, and Charlotte Crossley), adding rich vocal harmonies and theatrical flair. The arrangement emphasizes Midler’s dynamic vocal delivery and her ability to blend soul, pop, and theatrical elements, making it distinct from The Supremes’ more polished Motown sound.
The performance is part of a nearly two-and-a-half-hour HBO special that showcases Midler’s eclectic setlist, including hits like “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” and “Lullaby of Broadway,” as well as comedic segments like her Sophie Tucker jokes and the mock lounge act “The Vicki Eydie Show.” The full HBO broadcast ran 134 minutes, but the 1984 home video release was cut to 84 minutes, omitting several songs and segments, though “Up The Ladder To The Roof” remained in the finale. As of 2017, the complete special has not been released in digital format, making the original broadcast a rare gem for fans.
Midler’s take on “Up The Ladder To The Roof” exemplifies her ability to pay homage to musical influences like The Supremes while stamping the song with her bold, theatrical persona, a hallmark of her early career as “The Divine Miss M.” The performance is a testament to her versatility and her knack for connecting with audiences through a mix of nostalgia, humor, and emotional depth.
