Bette of Roses

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Bette of Roses
Studio album by
Bette Midler
ReleasedJuly 18, 1995
Length50:35
LabelAtlantic
ProducerArif Mardin
Bette Midler chronology
Gypsy
(1993) 		Bette of Roses
(1995) 		Bathhouse Betty
(1998)
Singles from Bette of Roses

Bette of Roses is the eighth studio album by the American singer

Sony-owned Columbia Records
.

Composition

Bette of Roses marked a change in musical direction as it exclusively included contemporary material composed by songwriters in the

adult contemporary and adult Top 40
markets rather than the pop or dance charts.

Promotion

A remixed dance version of Maria McKee's country rock ballad "

Hot Dance Club Play
chart.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Cash Box(favorable)[2]
Los Angeles Times[3]
Music & Media(favorable)[4]
Robert Christgau(dud)[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[6]

AllMusic editor Peter Fawthrop rated the album four out of five stars and called Bette of Roses a "very focused album." He further wrote: "Midler brings a very poignant and inspiring set this time round; with less emphasis on laughs, it almost works as an extension of 1990's Some People's Lives [...] There is a certain degree of sentimentality on Bette of Roses, but it never turns drippy [...] Bette of Roses, like so many of the Divine Miss M's offerings, is cause for celebration."[1] Los Angeles Times critic Jean Rosenbluth found that "pretty much the only thing about Bette of Roses that will raise a smile is its cute title. Which is not to say the album is wholly without appeal. It's just that the entertainment it provides is so, well, mainstream. The shallowness of the material practically every selection is the aural equivalent of a romance novel – is almost unbearable. And the presentation isn't much better."[3] In a retrospective review of the album, Peter Piatkowski from PopMatters called the album "a warm embrace."[7]

Chart performance

Upon its release, Bette of Roses proved to be Midler's lowest-charting studio album since 1983's No Frills, peaking at number 45 on US Billboard 200 and number 55 on the UK Albums Chart.[8] A steady seller, it was eventually certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2001, six years after its original release.[9] In the United Kingdom, it was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in 2013.[10]

Track listing

All tracks produced by Arif Mardin.

Bette of Roses track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Know This Town"
Pete Sinfield
5:09
10."It's Too Late"
4:42
11."I Believe in You"
4:34

Personnel

Musicians

Production

  • Arif Mardin – record producer, musical arranger
  • Marc Mann – producer
  • Robbie Buchanan – producer, arranger
  • Robbie Kondor – producer, arranger
  • Steve Skinner – producer, arranger
  • Bonnie Hayes – producer, arranger
  • Buzz Feiten – associate producer, arranger
  • Maria McKee – arranger
  • Bruce Brody
    – arranger
  • Andy Grassi – engineer
  • Michael O'Reilly – engineer
  • Jack Joseph Puig – engineer
  • George Marino – mastering
  • Recorded at The New Hit Factory and Right Track Recording, New York; Andora Studios, Conway Studios and Record One, California.

Charts

Chart performance for Bette of Roses
Chart (1995) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[11] 51
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[12] 69
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[13] 74
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[14] 45
UK Albums (OCC)[15] 55
US Billboard 200[8] 45

Certifications

Certifications for Bette of Roses
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[10] Silver 60,000^
United States (RIAA)[9] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ a b c AllMusic Review
  2. ^ Baltin, Steve (August 5, 1995). "Pop Albums" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 13. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Rosenbluth, Jean (July 16, 1995). "ALBUM REVIEW : BETTE MIDLER; "Bette of Roses"". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  4. ^ "New Releases: Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. August 26, 1995. p. 7. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  5. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Bette Midler". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  6. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8
    .
  7. ^ Piatkowski, Peter (28 July 2022). "Bette Midler's 1995 LP 'Bette of Roses' Is a Warm Embrace". PopMatters. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Bette Midler Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  9. ^ a b "American album certifications – Bette Midler – Bette of Roses". Recording Industry Association of America.
  10. ^ a b "British album certifications – Bette Midler – Bette of Roses". British Phonographic Industry.
  11. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 187.
  12. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 29618". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  13. GfK Entertainment Charts
    . Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  14. ^ "Bette Midler ベット・ミドラー - Japan - Albums - Bette of Roses ベット・オブ・ローゼス". Oricon (in Japanese). オリコン. Archived from the original on February 19, 2013. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
  15. ^ "Bette Midler | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bette_of_Roses&oldid=1145914506"