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.

Thighs and Whispers
Studio album by
Bette Midler
ReleasedOctober 1979 (1979-10)
Recorded1979
GenreDisco, pop
Length42:12
LabelAtlantic
ProducerArif Mardin
Bette Midler chronology
The Best of Bette
(1978)		 Thighs and Whispers
(1979)		 The Rose
(1979)
Singles from Thighs and Whispers
  1. "Married Men"
  2. "Hang on in There Baby"
  3. "My Knight in Black Leather"
  4. "Big Noise from Winnetka"
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideC+[2]
Rolling Stone(mixed)[3]

Album information

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.

The album was released on CD in 1990. A remastered version of the album was released by Atlantic Records/Warner Music in 1995.

Track listing
Side one
  1. "Big Noise from Winnetka" (Ray Bauduc, Bob Crosby, Bob Haggart, Gil Rodin) – 6:56
  2. "Millworker" (James Taylor) – 4:07
  3. "Cradle Days" (Tony Berg, Aaron Neville) – 5:05
  4. "My Knight in Black Leather" (Jerry Ragovoy) – 4:53
Side two
  1. "Hang on in There Baby" (Johnny Bristol) – 6:04
  2. "Hurricane" (Randy Kerber, Bette Midler) – 7:30
  3. "Rain" (Mac Rebennack) – 3:58
  4. "Married Men" (Dominic Bugatti, Frank Musker) – 3:47

Personnel

Chart performance

Album
Chart (1979) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart (Kent Music Report)[4] 28
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[5] 28
US Billboard 200[6] 65

Singles
Single Chart (1979) Peak
position
"Big Noise from Winnetka" U.S. Billboard Club Play Singles[7] 98
"My Knight in Black Leather/Hang on in There Baby" U.S. Billboard Club Play Singles[7] 70
"Married Men" U.S. Billboard Club Play Singles[7] 32
"Married Men" U.S. Billboard Pop Singles[7] 40

Release history
Year Label Format Catalog
1979AtlanticLP–
1990AtlanticCD16004
1995Atlantic/WEARemastered CD82786
2005AtlanticCDCD-16004

Notes
  1. Allmusic review
  2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: M". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 7, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. Rolling Stone review
  4. David Kent (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970 - 1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  5. "Swedishcharts.com – Bette Midler – Thighs and Whispers". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  6. "Bette Midler Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  7. "Bette Midler - Charts & Awards". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on 18 April 2013. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
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