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Songs for the New Depression is the third studio album by American female vocalist Bette Midler, released in early 1976 on the Atlantic Records label.
The album which saw Midler making her debut as a composer ("Mr. Rockefeller" and the French language "Samedi et Vendredi"), as well as co-producer and sound engineer features contributions from musicians as diverse as soul singer Luther Vandross, Todd Rundgren and Brazilian jazz accodionist Sivuca. Songs for the New Depression includes Midler's version of Tom Waits' "Shiver Me Timbers", a duet with Bob Dylan, "Buckets of Rain", and opens with her discofied take on Frank Sinatra's standard "Strangers in the Night" which became a #7 hit on the US dance charts. Two of the tracks, "Old Cape Cod" and "Marahuana", were originally recorded during the sessions for 1972 debut album The Divine Miss M but remixed three years later by producers Lew Hahn and Arif Mardin for Songs for the New Depression. The album peaked at #27 on the Billboard album chart.
[edit] Track listing
[edit] Side A
- "Strangers in the Night" (Bert Kaempfert, Charles Singleton, Eddie Snyder) - 3:22
- "I Don't Want the Night to End" (Phoebe Snow) - 3:53
- "Mr. Rockefeller" (Jerry Blatt, Bette Midler) - 4:05
- "Old Cape Cod" (Claire Rothrock, Allan Jeffrey, Milt Yakus) - 2:50
- "Buckets of Rain" (Bob Dylan) - 4:00
- "Love Says It's Waiting" (Nick Holmes) - 1:41
[edit] Side B
- "Shiver Me Timbers"/"Samedi et Vendredi" (Tom Waits)/(Bette Midler, Moogy Klingman) - 6:25
- "No Jestering" (Carlton Malcolm) - 3:59
- "Tragedy" (Gerald Nelson, Fred Burch) - 3:06
- "Marahuana" (Arthur Jonston, Sam Coslow) - 2:30
- "Let Me Just Follow Behind" (Moogy Klingman) - 3:36
[edit] Personnel
- Bette Midler - lead vocals all tracks, backing vocals tracks B1, B2
- Glaswegians Orchestra arranged & conducted by Arif Mardin track A1
- Dianne Sumler - backing vocals track A1
- Luther Vandross - backing vocals track A1
- Norman Pride - conga track A2
- John Siegler - bass guitar tracks A2, A3, A5, B2, B5
- John Wilcox - drums tracks A2, A3, A5, B2, B5
- Todd Rundgren - guitar tracks A2, B2, background vocals track B5
- Moogy Klingman - electric piano, musical arranger, musical conductor, string arrangement track A2, piano, RMI Computer keyboard, Mini Korg synthesizer, arranger & conductor track A3, piano, harmonica & arranger track A5
- Ralph Schuckett - acoustic piano track A2, clavinet track A3, arranging assistance, arranger & conductor track B1, piano, arranger & conductor track B2, piano track B3, Sound City piano, harmonium, string ensemble, arranger & conductor track B5
- David Lasley - background vocals track A2
- Ralph Schuckett - string arrangement track A2, organ track A5
- David Spinolla - guitar tracks A3, B5
- Gail Kantor - background vocals, track A3
- Erin Dickens - background vocals, track A3
- Annie Sutton - background vocals, track A3
- Randy Brecker - horns, track A3, trumpet solo track B5
- Michael Brecker - horns, track A3
- Barry Rogers - horns, track A3
- Dick Hyman - piano, tracks A4, B4
- Milt Hinton - acoustic bass track A4, bass track B4
- Ted Sommer - drums, tracks A4, B4, percussion track B4
- Arif Mardin - arranger & conductor, track A4, backing vocals, arranger & conductor track B4
- Marty Nelson - vocal arranger, track A4
- Bob Dylan - vocal, track A5
- Dave Webster - slide guitar, track A5
- Eric Weissberg - banjo] & mandolin track B1
- Barbara Burton - percussion track B1
- Don Brooks - harmonicas track B1
- Dominick Cortese - accordion track B1
- Boris Matusevitch - concertina track B1
- Steve Gadd - drums track B1
- John Miller - acoustic bass track B1
- Kenny Kossack - fiddle track B1
- John Lissauer - arranger & conductor track B1, saxes, chimes, arranger & conductor track B3
- Mark Rosengarden - drums & percussion track B1
- Jack Malken - additional percussion track B1
- John Miller - acoustic bass track B1
- Sivuca - accordion track B1
- Jerry Friedman - guitar track B2
- Angel Allende - percussion track B2
- Ralph Schuckett - organ track B2, electric piano track B5
- David Nadien - strings track B3
- Barry Finclair - strings track B3
- Raul Poliakin - strings track B3
- Tony Posk - strings track B3
- Gene Orloff - strings track B3
- Harry Lookofsky - strings track B3
- Charles McCracken - strings track B3
- Jessy Levy - strings track B3
- Donny Beard - background vocals track B3
- Charlotte Crossley - background vocals track B3
- Leata Galloway - background vocals track B3
- Diane Green - background vocals track B3
- Ben Harney - background vocals track B3
- Rhetta Hughes - background vocals track B3
- Thomas Moore - background vocals track B3
- Sharon Redd - background vocals track B3
- Ramona Stubblefield - background vocals track B3
- Clifford Townsend - background vocals track B3
- Revelation - background vocals track B3
- Rosie - background vocals track B3
- Erin Dickens - background vocals track B3
- Gail Kantor - background vocals track B3
- a host of others - background vocals track B3
- Mel Davis - trumpet track B4
- William Siapin - flute track B4
- Harry Lookofsky - violin track B4
- Matthew Raimondi - violin track B4
- Emanuel Green - violin track B4
- Gotham - backing vocals track B4
- Rick Derringer - pedal steel guitar track B5
[edit] Production
- Moogy Klingman - record producer for Moogtown Productions
- Jack Malken - production assistant
- Recorded and mixed at Secret Sound Studio, New York, N.Y.
- Jack Malken - recording and re-mix engineer
- Bette Midler - assistant engineer
- Deborah Turbville - photography
- Michaele Vollbracht - shopping bag
- Kenn Duncan - poster photos
- Richard Amsel - inner sleeve illustration
- Aaron Russo - management
- Track A1 recorded at Electric Lady & Media Sound Studios, New York, N.Y.
- Lew Hahn - recording engineer & re-mix engineer track A1
- Gerry Block - assistant engineer track A1
- Dave Wittman - assistant engineer track A1
- Arif Mardin - record producer track A1
- Ahmet Ertegun - production assistance track A1
- Tracks A4 & B4 recorded at Atlantic Recording Studios, New York by Lew Hahn. Re-mixed by Lew Hahn & Arif Mardin.
- Joel Dorn - producer tracks A4, B4
- Bette Midler - producer tracks A4, B4
- Jack Malken - engineer track A5
- Jan Rathbun - engineer track A5
