Bootleg Betty Celebrating the 46th Anniversary of Bette Midler’s Divine Madness Album By Mister D November 7, 2026
Divine Madness (1980): Bette Midler’s Live Circus in Vinyl Form
It was released on November 7, 1980.
Divine Madness is Bette Midler’s first live album.
It serves as the soundtrack companion to her concert film of the same name.
It features the Harlettes and her band, blending rock, pop, standards, girl-group nostalgia, and theatrical showmanship [en.wikipedia.org].
Unlike the film, the album contains only the musical performances and omits Bette’s celebrated comedy monologues. Several performances were also edited and partially re-recorded in the studio before release.
Chart Performance & Sales
Reached No. 34 on the Billboard 200 album chart in the United States.
It was considered a moderate commercial success, performing respectably but not approaching the blockbuster sales of The Rose soundtrack
I could not verify an official U.S. sales certification (Gold or Platinum) from the sources reviewed. The available sources confirm its chart peak but do not provide a certified sales total.
Awards & Nominations
Although the album itself did not receive major Grammy nominations, the concert film Divine Madness earned recognition:
Golden Globe Nomination (1981)
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Bette Midler for Divine Madness
This nomination followed the enormous acclaim she received for The Rose, showing that Hollywood recognized the concert film as a significant performance vehicle.
Not the complete concert.The album contains only a portion of the songs performed in the film and none of Bette’s comic routines. [en.wikipedia.org]
“My Mother’s Eyes” mystery. It was released as a single from the album. However, the performance was ultimately omitted from the final theatrical film. [en.wikipedia.org]
Lost footage alert. Footage for “My Mother’s Eyes” and “Shiver Me Timbers” has never been restored to home video editions and remains among the most sought-after missing Divine Madness performances by fans.
A transitional Bette document. The show captures Midler moving away from the bathhouse-cabaret style of the 1970s into a full-scale arena concert performer following the success of The Rose. This makes Divine Madness an important bridge between “The Divine Miss M” and the major mainstream superstar she would become in the late 1980s.
CD history. The album first appeared on CD in 1989, then received a remastered reissue in 1995.
Bootleg Betty Archivist’s Take
Among Bette collectors, Divine Madness is remembered less as an album.
It is a snapshot of her most electrifying live period.
The film preserves the visual spectacle.
Several performances differ from the movie versions.
Divine Madness captures a stage act that many fans consider peak rock-and-roll Bette.
Fun fact: The album’s title comes from a phrase frequently associated with Bette’s stage persona: part diva, part comedienne, part force of nature… and entirely, gloriously mad
