The Divine Miss M Fan Site
Audio: Bette Midler – IN THE MOOD (Live in Texas, 1983)
By The Divine Miss M Fan Site
August 19, 2026
The Quick Story “In the Mood” started as a 1939 Glenn Miller swing instrumental, later given lyrics by Andy Razaf.
By the time bette midler arrived, it was already an American standard.
She camped it up, sped it up, and turned it into a comedy-swing showpiece for her 1973 album.
What Bette Did to It
Her version is pure Divine Miss M energy:
big?band sparkle,
twinkling vocals,
rewritten, cheeky lyrics,
and that bathhouse?born theatricality.
It’s the track where she proves she can take a classic and make it funny, brassy, and unmistakably hers.
Chart & Release Notes
Released as the album’s lead single in January 1974, it hit:
51 on the Hot 100
18 on Adult Contemporary
Not a blockbuster, but a solid early hit that helped define her “revivalist?comedienne” lane.
Performance lore shows bette midler used “In the Mood” as a crowd-igniter.
She often stretched it into a full comedy routine.
Bootlegs from ’76–’78 show her riffing and mugging, turning the song into a mini-vaudeville act.
Fun Trivia
Her lyrics differ from the original — she leans into vintage slang and campy innuendo.
International single sleeves vary wildly (collectors love the French and Japanese pressings).
It’s one of her most frequently bootlegged live numbers.
It’s the earliest example of her big?band comedy style that later evolved into songs like “Otto Titsling.”
Why It Matters
“In the Mood” is the bridge between her bawdy bathhouse beginnings and her polished theatrical persona. It’s a snapshot of early Bette: fearless, funny, and fully in command of her own mythology.
