1979 Bette Midler – Thighs And Whispers
Thighs And Whispers is the fifth studio album by American singer Bette Midler. Released in 1979, the album reached #65 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart.
The album’s title is a humorous play on Cries and Whispers, influential Swedish film-maker Ingmar Bergman’s 1973 movie.
The song “Millworker”, written by James Taylor, is from the short-lived Broadway production of Working. Midler’s recording of “Married Men” reached the top 40 of the U.S. Club Play Singles chart. The song was also a UK top 40 hit for Bonnie Tyler the same year. Tyler’s version was the theme to the British film The World Is Full of Married Men.
The album was largely disco-influenced. It saw Midler reunite with producer Arif Mardin and includes Jerry Ragovoy’s “My Knight in Black Leather”, a minor dance-floor hit that peaked at #70 on the US dance charts. “Married Men”, “Hang on in There Baby” and “My Knight in Black Leather”, released at the height of the disco era, were all issued as extended mixes on 12-inch singles.
While the singles and the album itself were largely overlooked at the time, “Big Noise From Winnetka” has since served as the opening number on many of Midler’s tours. The song was originally a swing classic recorded by Bob Crosby and the Bobcats, Gene Krupa and several others in the late 1930s.
Tracks
1 Big Noise From Winnetka (Bob Crosby; Bob Haggart; Gil Rodin; Ray Bauduc; Bette Midler; Marc Shaiman) 06:55
2 Millworker (James Taylor) 04:07
3 Cradle Days (Aaron Neville; Tony Berg) 05:04
4 My Knight In Black Leather (Estelle Levitt; Jerry Ragovoy) 04:52
5 Hang On In There Baby (Johnny Bristol) 06:03
6 Hurricane (Bette Midler; Randy Kerber) 07:30
7 Rain (Mac Rebennack) 03:58
8 Married Men (Dominic Bugatti; Frank Musker) 03:46
Biography
Musicians
1 Big Noise From Winnetka
Bass | Anthony Jackson |
Drums | Al Izzo |
Drums | Mel Lewis |
Guitar | Joe Caro |
Electric Piano | Arthur Jenkins |
Synthesizer | Ed Walsh |
Whistle | Lamar Alsop |
Background Vocals | Merle Miller |
Background Vocals | Robin Grean |
Background Vocals | Ula Hedwig |
Vocals | Bette Midler |
2 Millworker
Keyboards | Randy Kerber |
Bagpipes | Jimmy Maxwel |
Cello | Jesse Levy |
Percussion | Jack Jennings |
Vocals | Bette Midler |
3 Cradle Days
Bass | Will Lee |
Drums | Steve Ferrone |
Guitar | Jeff Mironov |
Guitar | Joe Caro |
Electric Piano | Warren Bernhardt |
Sax | Michael Brecker |
Background Vocals | Diva Gray |
Background Vocals | Luther Vandross |
Background Vocals | Robin Clark |
Background Vocals | Ullanda McCullough |
Vocals | Bette Midler |
4 My Knight In Black Leather
Bass | Will Lee |
Drums | Steve Ferrone |
Guitar | Jeff Mironov |
Electric Piano | Randy Kerber |
Mellotron | Randy Kerber |
Piano | Richard Tee |
Synthesizer | Randy Kerber |
Percussion | Sammy Figueroa |
Background Vocals | Ken Williams |
Background Vocals | Arthur Freeman |
Background Vocals | Billy Gray |
Background Vocals | Carl Hall |
Background Vocals | David Brigati |
Background Vocals | Eddie Brigati |
Background Vocals | Luther Vandross |
Background Vocals | Perry Kroeger |
Background Vocals | Phillip Ballou |
Background Vocals | Ula Hedwig |
Vocals | Bette Midler |
5 Hang On In There Baby
Bass | Will Lee |
Drums | Steve Ferrone |
Guitar | Jeff Mironov |
Guitar | Joe Caro |
Electric Piano | Randy Kerber |
Piano | Richard Tee |
Sax | Eddie Daniels |
Percussion | Sammy Figueroa |
Background Vocals | Babi Floyd |
Background Vocals | Diva Gray |
Background Vocals | Jocelyn Shaw |
Background Vocals | Luther Vandross |
Vocals | Bette Midler |
6 Hurricane
Bass | Willie Weeks |
Drums | Steve Ferrone |
Guitar | David Spinozza |
Guitar | Joe Caro |
Electric Piano | Randy Kerber |
Synthesizer | Randy Kerber |
Marimba | Jack Jennings |
Vibraphone | Jack Jennings |
Percussion | Arif Mardin |
Percussion | Rafael Cruz |
Background Vocals | Babi Floyd |
Background Vocals | Fonzi Thornton |
Background Vocals | Jocelyn Shaw |
Background Vocals | Luther Vandross |
Background Vocals | Ullanda McCullough |
Vocals | Bette Midler |
7 Rain
Bass | Willie Weeks |
Drums | Steve Ferrone |
Guitar | Joe Caro |
Acoustic Guitar | David Spinozza |
Piano | Richard Tee |
Piano | Warren Bernhardt |
Background Vocals | Babi Floyd |
Background Vocals | Jocelyn Shaw |
Vocals | Diva Gray |
Vocals | Bette Midler |
8 Married Men
Bass | Willie Weeks |
Drums | Steve Ferrone |
Guitar | Joe Caro |
Piano | Randy Kerber |
Synthesizer | Randy Kerber |
Sax | Michael Brecker |
Percussion | Crusher Bennett |
Background Vocals | Carl Hall |
Background Vocals | Luther Vandross |
Background Vocals | Ula Hedwig |
Background Vocals | Ullanda McCullough |
Vocals | Bette Midler |
Horns
Reeds | Dave Tofani |
Reeds | Eddie Daniels |
Reeds | Frank Wess |
Reeds | George Marge |
Reeds | George Young |
Reeds | Lew Del Gatto |
Reeds | Michael Brecker |
Reeds | Phil Bodner |
Reeds | Ronnie Cuber |
Reeds | William Slapin |
Trombone | John Gale |
Trombone | Tom Malone |
Trombone | Urbie Green |
Trumpet | Danny Stiles |
Trumpet | John Frosk |
Trumpet | Jon Faddis |
Trumpet | Randy Brecker |
Liner Notes
Producer – Arif Mardin
Producer – Jerry Ragovoy (Tracks 4)
Arranged By (Horns, Strings) – Arif Mardin
Arranged By (Backing Vocals) – Marc Shaiman (Track 1)
Concertmaster (Strings) – Gene Orloff
Conductor – Arif Mardin
Engineer (Additional Recording) – Bobby Warner, Gene Paul, Jimmy Douglass
Engineer (Assistant) – Michael O’Reilly
Mastered By – George Piros
Mixed By – Lew Hahn
Recorded By – Lew Hahn (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8)
Recorded By – Gene Paul (Track 6)
Art Direction – Sandi Young
Photography – William Coupon
Mastered At Atlantic Studios
Recorded At Atlantic Studios
Phonographic Copyright Atlantic Recording Corporation
Copyright Atlantic Recording Corporation