A Gift of Love [Barnes & Noble Exclusive] [Pink Vinyl]

by Bette Midler

Overview

2008's Rhino-issued Jackpot: The Best Bette was the Grammy-winning vocalist and Emmy-winning actress' first career-spanning compilation since 1993, and it served as an excellent window into her often eclectic career, touching on nearly all of her stylistic forays. 2015's Gift of Love is a more myopic take on the greatest-hits package, offering up an amorous 18-track set devoted entirely to Midler's love for balladry. As the humble love song has served as the legendary diva's bread and butter since the '70s, it should hardly come as a surprise that Gift of Love is well stocked with hits. Any proper Midler collection would be incomplete without the holy trinity of last-call karaoke balladry that is "The Rose," "Wind Beneath My Wings," and "From a Distance," and Gift of Love doesn't disappoint, delivering those modern standards early on in the proceedings. It also serves up some less ubiquitous gems, like her spirited 1983 cover of Marshall Crenshaw's "My Favorite Waste of Time" and her sultry, jazzy rendering of the Marvelettes' Smoky Robinson-penned "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game." For the most part, Gift of Love sticks with the benchmarks, with the aforementioned triple threat, "Every Road Leads Back to You" (from For the Boys), and 1995's "It's Too Late" and "As Dreams Go By," the latter two of which appeared on the platinum-selling Bette of Roses leading the charge. Fans looking for a more diversified retrospective should probably check out Jackpot (also a Rhino release), but as the perfect soundtrack for a campy romantic evening or a boozy post-breakup meltdown, one would be hard-pressed to find anything better. ~ James Christopher Monger

Product Details

Release Date:	04/29/2016
Label:	Wea
UPC:	0081227947255
Rank:	56471

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Bette Midler   Primary Artist,Vocals
Paul Jackson, Jr.   Guitar
Andrew Gold   Guitar
Steve Hunter   Guitar
Randy Kerber   Keyboards
Paulinho Da Costa   Percussion
Robbie Kondor   Keyboards,Synthesizer
Bill Champlin   Vocals (Background)
Randy Crenshaw   Vocals (Background)
Bobby Lyle   Piano,Fender Rhodes,Organ (Hammond)
Larry Cohn   Piano,Keyboards
Chris Botti   Trumpet
Cissy Houston   Vocals (Background)
Shelley Woodworth   Oboe
Laura Allan   Vocals (Background)
Chuck Berghofer   Guitar (Bass)
Claude Gaudette   Synthesizer
Chuck Domanico   Guitar (Bass)
Joe Mardin   Drums,Vocals,Keyboards,Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
Lani Groves   Vocals (Background)
Jack Sheldon   Trumpet
James Caan   Vocals
Mark Goldberg   Guitar,Synthesizer
Carlos Cuevas   Vocals (Background)
Jay Dee Maness   Guitar
Joe Sublett   Sax (Tenor)
Ula Hedwig   Vocals (Background)
David Spinozza   Guitar
Waddy Wachtel   Guitar (Electric)
Dean Parks   Guitar
Howard McCrary   Vocals (Background)
John Siegler   Guitar (Bass)
Mark Isham   Trumpet
Lorraine Feather   Vocals (Background)
Lenny Castro   Percussion
Wayne Rodrigues   Sax (Tenor)
Daniel Jacob   Guitar
Jerry Hey   Trumpet
Mark Leonard   Guitar (Bass)
Jerry Barnes   Guitar (Bass),Vocals (Background)
Randy Brecker   Trumpet
Ricky Lawson   Drums
Neil Stubenhaus   Guitar (Bass)
Norton Buffalo   Trombone,Vocals (Background)
Michael O'Reilly   Guitar
Mike Baird   Drums
Michael Boddicker   Synthesizer
Michael Landau   Guitar
Michael Lang   Keyboards
Reggie Hamilton   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Morgan Ames   Vocals (Background)
Jon Joyce   Vocals (Background)
Tom Kelly   Vocals (Background)
Jerry Vivino   Sax (Tenor)
Dan Higgins   Sax (Tenor)
Abraham Laboriel, Sr.   Bass
Tim Pierce   Guitar
Arnold McCuller   Vocals (Background)
Brock Walsh   Guitar (Electric)
Gary Grant   Trumpet
Darrell Leonard   Trumpet
Marc Shaiman   Keyboards
Dave Grusin   Keyboards
Vinnie Colaiuta   Drums
Gary Herbig   Sax (Baritone)
Donna De Lory   Vocals (Background)
Tony Beard   Drums
Steve Skinner   Keyboards,Synthesizer
Sonny Emory   Drums
Dwight Sills   Guitar
Carlos Vega   Drums
Carmen Twillie   Vocals (Background)
Donny Gerrard   Vocals (Background)
Jamie Muhoberac   Keyboards
David Lasley   Vocals (Background)
Kevin Dorsey   Vocals (Background)
Maria Vidal   Vocals (Background)
Mark Goldenberg   Guitar
Robert "Pops" Popwell   Guitar (Bass)
Robbie Buchanan   Keyboards
Jerry Jumonville   Saxophone
Plas Johnson   Sax (Tenor)
Ralph Schuckett   Piano
Myrna Smith   Vocals (Background)
Todd Rundgren   Vocals (Background)
Mark Underwood   Trumpet
Joann Harris   Vocals (Background)
Dave Demare   Guitar
Whitey Glan   Drums
Radio Choir of New Hope Church   Vocals (Background)
Phillip Kennard   Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Bobby Martin   Synthesizer
Cynthia Bass   Vocals (Background)
Eugene VanBuren   Vocals (Background)
Rachele Cappelli   Vocals (Background)
Melanie Taylor   Vocals (Background)
Don Shelton   Vocals (Background)
Nikki Harris   Vocals (Background)
Danny Weiss   Guitar
John Wilcox   Drums
John West   Vocals (Background)
Rick Knowles   Keyboards
Lisa Garber   Vocals (Background)
David Logerman   Drums,Percussion
Larry Cohen   Keyboards,Synthesizer
Buzz Feiten   Guitar
Janis Cercone   Vocals (Background)
Angela Cappelli   Vocals (Background)
Charlotte Crossley   Vocals (Background)
Robert Irving   Synthesizer
Moogy Klingman   Piano

Technical Credits

Tonio K.   Composer
Allen Shamblin   Composer
Paul Rothchild   Mixing,Arranger,Producer
Alvin Stoller   Musician
Amanda McBroom   Composer
Robbie Kondor   Arranger
Susanna Hoffs   Composer
Bette Midler   Musician
Harold Arlen   Composer
Bill Inglot   Mastering
Billy Steinberg   Composer
Bobby Lyle   Arranger
Jack Joseph Puig   Mixing
Joe Mardin   Arranger,Producer
Chuck Plotkin   Producer
Jimmy Vivino   Arranger
Frank Capp   Musician
Cynthia Weil   Composer
Ed Cherney   Mixing,Engineer
Julie Gold   Composer
Don Smith   Mixing
Doug Sax   Mastering
Jeff Porcaro   Musician
Johnny Mercer   Composer
Daniel Jacob   Arranger,Musician
Jerry Blatt   Composer
Kate McGarrigle   Composer
Peter Sinfield   Composer
Michael O'Reilly   Mixing,Engineer,Recording
Paul Richmond   Composer
Tom Kelly   Arranger,Composer,Vocal Arrangement
Tom Snow   Composer
Harvey Mason, Jr.   Musician
Diane Warren   Composer
Arif Mardin   Arranger,Producer,Associate Producer,String Arrangements,Woodwind Arrangement
Brock Walsh   Associate Producer
Marc Shaiman   Arranger,Producer,Vocal Arrangement,Associate Producer,Rhythm Arrangements
Andy Hill   Composer
Steve Skinner   Arranger
Bonnie Hayes   Composer
Lawrence Manchester   Mixing
Jack Malken   Mixing,Engineer
Larry Henley   Composer
Barry Mann   Composer
Frank Wolf   Mixing
Don Murray   Mixing
Don Was   Producer
Jeff Silbar   Composer
Smokey Robinson   Composer
Maria McKee   Composer
Robbie Buchanan   Arranger
Marshall Crenshaw   Composer
Mike Reid   Composer
Leo Graham Jr.   Composer
Shari Sutcliffe   Production Coordination
Roxanne Seeman   Composer
Lisa Maldonado   Production Coordination
Danny Goldberg   Executive Producer
Artie Kane   Musician
Bob Thiele Jr.   Composer
Billie Hughes   Arranger,Composer
Bill Gazecki   Mixing
Daniel Hersch   Mastering
Lisa Glines   Design
Rick Knowles   Producer
Larry Cohen   Arranger
Scott M. Riesett   Producer
Buzz Feiten   Arranger,Musician,Associate Producer
Jonathan Pushnik   Photography
Allen Shambin   Composer
Moogy Klingman   Arranger,Composer,Musician,Producer
Jan Rathbun   Engineer
Joey Sill   Producer