Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Fever
2. Alright, Okay, You Win
3. I Love Being Here with You - Barry Manilow, Bette Midler
4. Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe [From "Cabin in the Sky"]
5. Is That All There Is?
6. I'm a Woman
7. He's a Tramp [From Lady and the Tramp (1955)]
8. Folks Who Live on the Hill
9. Big Spender [From Sweet Charity]
10. Mr. Wonderful [From Mr. Wonderful]

Disc 2:

1. [DVD]

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18014 in Music
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2005-10-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Dual Disc
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.com
Bette Midler and musical director Barry Manilow follow their successful tribute to Rosemary Clooney with a collection of songs immortalized by Peggy Lee. It starts off with the inevitable "Fever," which Midler does in a brassy, finger-snapping way that would feel more at home at the Sands c. 1960 than in a dimly lit 1950s boudoir. It's a deliberate, clever choice that works for Midler. The selection hits predictable bases ("Is That All There Is?", "Big Spender") but it's hard to argue when those bases are so loaded. Midler actually sounds a lot more at ease than on the Clooney disc. She handles the upbeat material as well as could be expected, but she also shines on the slower numbers, delivering sultry takes on "Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe," "I'm a Woman," and "He's a Tramp" (a song copenned by Lee, from the Disney movie Lady and the Tramp). The neglected gem in the collection is Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II's "The Folks Who Live on the Hill," popularized by Irene Dunne in 1937 before being covered by Lee. Manilow's arrangements are deliciously lush and Midler uses a slight vibrato at carefully chosen moments, somehow sounding as if she had suddenly been lifted back to the 1940s. It's a real treat that epitomizes an accomplished album. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews

A Best Bette
The joy of Bette Midler is that she is always herself no matter what material she's performing. I found it refreshing that she didn't attempt to copy the sound of Peggy Lee (as a few other "reviewers" here seem to be expressing). That would have been pointless. Bette is in great form and voice. When Peggy Lee sang these songs, she did it in her own cool style. Bette sings them with sizzling sass and that's divine.

Miss Lee meer the divine Ms M
The trend in music lately is singers (Like Midler, Manilow, Rod Stewart)are recoring classics or standards. It seems to work, because it record sale magic.

Bette Midler has always been a great soulful singer, from the 1970's to present. Last year, Ms M took on the task for recording the Rosemary Clooney (that's George's aunt) songbook. This time she recorded the songs of Peggy Lee.

Lee has been a soulful jazz queen. Midler is one of the few singers today that could take on such Lee standards like "Fever", "He's a Tramp" , "Big Spender", and "Is that all there is?". Midler take on these pieces with such an aplome that you feel they were written today for Midler herself. The weakest song "The Folks who live on the Hill" does not fit Midler's vocal pattern range, she seem straining in that song. The duet with Barry Manilow on "I Love Being Here with you" reminds me of classic Ms M.

Talking about Manilow, who has recorded songs of the 1950, 1960, and the 1970, produced this CD for Midler. He has done a great job arranging & Producing this cd, Mailow make this seem so easy. It reminds that he was Midler's Piano man for years. He arranges these to suit her brassy style and it works so well

The DVD side has some rare Peggy Lee footage and interviews with Midler and others.

So, to quote Peggy Lee, "Is that all There is? Depressingly YES there is, and you want MORE

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

There's No other!
No one sings the classics like Bette! This cd is a beautiful tribute to Peggy Lee but Bette isn't trying to sound like Peggy Lee...It's ALL Bette singing these wonderful songs and she's given those of us who weren't familiar with Miss Lee's music a gift. I knew the songs "Fever", "Big Spender", and "I'm A Woman" but now I've been introduced to more of Peggy Lee's songs through Bette and I want to know MORE! Thank you, Bette and Barry! And Thank YOU, Peggy Lee!

Can't wait for the tour! Remember PROVIDENCE, RI!