So, here’s our first one that really brings out the art history student in me. In particular, this one just screams Alphonse Mucha and Art Nouveau. Do you see it?
I’m afraid Mucha doesn’t get any credit for it in discogs though. Instead, that goes to Richard Amsel.
It was one of his first works, and came about from a mutual friendship between him and Barry Manilow, and between Manilow and Midler. Amsel would get 18 more album cover credits, but would be mostly known for movie posters and TV Guide covers.
He would die tragically young, at age 37, of AIDS.Among Amsel’s other credits, there are a few more for Midler, as well as some for music as wide-ranging as Leonard Cohen, Kenny Rogers, Mozart, and Eddy Arnold (and with a ton of movie soundtracks).
The Divine Miss M was actually Midler’s debut. It’s also something of a greatest hits album as well – "Do You Want to Dance?," "Chapel of Love," "Hello in There," "Friends," "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" … Interestingly, it also includes “Delta Dawn” and “Leader of the Pack.” In fact, they were all covers.
Indeed, Midler was much better known for her performances and unique stage presence than as a singer/songwriter. And that may be why I’ve never been much of a fan. Oh, that and her associations with disco of course.
That said, she is a very popular entertainer, having supplemented her musical career with a second one on stage and screen. Over the years, she has won “three Grammy Awards, four Golden Globes, three Emmy Awards, and two Tony Awards. She has sold over 30 million records worldwide, and has received four Gold, three Platinum, and three Multiplatinum albums by RIAA” (Wikipedia).
The only other two Midler covers I care for:
Let's end this post with a look at Bette in her younger days, looking particularly hot (and very 70s-ish):
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