songs like this are what made 70s radio so wonderfully eclectic. After this played it wouldn't be uncommon to go to Alice Cooper or Aerosmith, then to Diana Ross, then to Bowie or the Stones etc. Top 40 was so much fun.
YES! This is what I listened to on the radio as a young kid in the 70s! This is the version that I learned to love and appreciate... Of course The Andrews Sisters originated the tune, but I've always thought the brass arrangement on this version was more flavorful than the original...
Me too! This is the arrangement I remember. I had this on 45 rpm single and practically wore it out playing it on repeat, driving my family crazy in the process. I’m sure this is what inspired me to take up jazz myself (saxophone, not brass).
I think we can credit some piano player by the name of Barry Manilow for the arrangement. 98% sure that is correct. He played for Bette for years until his career took off.
i remember watching this on TV when it was new. I was favorably impressed that video technology had progressed to where there could be three Bette Midlers like this, so sharp and with no distortion. I was also happy that she'd recorded a new version of this song, which had been one of my favorites for years from listening to my parents old records from the 1930s and '40s starting from when I'd been only about 5 years old.
....this is FAAAAAABULOUS, I've never seen this! ...Love the Album cover as the backdrop, & Bette's giving us an acting Tour De Force here, also...playing THREE different Sisters, and staying in the character(s), throughout the choreography!! ...VERY hard to do, in this time period (1973)! ...She was here to STAY, after this!
Shirley D Only the Divine One can get away with this!! 😉😀This is one of her THREE signature songs (the others being "Friends" & "Wind Beneath My Wings"). 🎶🎵🎤
Way, way back many centuries ago, this came out in my later years of college. As a fan of the Andrews Sisters as well as Bette, I immediately fell in love. In our senior year, Theatre majors were expected to pass a 4 year comprehensive test of everything we'd learned - pass/fail. My study partner (a very dear friend to this day) and I worked up a dance routine to this song, in order to have something to celebrate with (we were confident we would pass!) I give all the credit to Val, as I have two left feet, she choreographed and put up with my klutziness! After results were announced, the theatre dept. students gathered at the local Ramada Inn (hey, there was much else to go to in that town!) to celebrate. Upon our arrival, I loaded the jukebox with quarters and punched in this song several times, knowing that eventually the live band would take a break and the jukebox would take over. Sure enough, the band took a break, the dance floor cleared, and our song came on! We raced to the floor, and proceeded with our routine, something similar to the opening of "Swing Kids", though not nearly that complex! We were great!!! Got great cheers and applause (what else would a theatre major want?) and didn't pay for our drinks for the rest of the night! Putting all that towards one's side, we all 4 passed, and I got a one and only HIGH PASS, for missing only one point on the entire test (answered Othello instead of Otello!) One of the high points of my life, another being getting Best Actor In Musical Award for Charlie in "Tintypes", much to the chagrin of staff member who wanted the part, and I was called down to Akron from Cleveland for the part!
Lol! We were in college around the same time, you in theater, me in music. My friend Joel Bloom and I would listen to the entire album while doing homework. Peace brother! Great story!
I remember hearing this on the radio back in 1973; a remake of the 1940's and liked it as a teenage 16 y/o boy then in high school in Lodi California when living there in that city was awesome!!!
Alex Swish. Swish. Fish. What makes you think that?. Look for the original version by the Andrew sisters and you’ll see where she got the idea.Edit: Oh I see ! 3 of her. Yeah you’re right 😂
Just wish Christina Aguilera didn’t porn it up, it would have been a great remake with her fabulous voice and my grandchildren could have enjoyed it with me. Too bad!
i had this on a 45 when i was 13 (1973). so nice to see this. i like Bette's rendition of this song even more than the original. also love her doing, "Do You Wanna Dance." she's marvelous.
beauty for ashes I was 14 & a high school freshman when it came out in 1973, & I also bought the 45. You know it's a hit when somebody like me - who liked The Beatles, Deep Purple, & other rock bands, & generally HATED the music my parents loved & played - rushed out & bought this 45. Back then, songs that didn't fit with the times were called novelty songs.
Yeah! This was Bette's first big hit. I was 20 in 1973 in Nursing School and I listened to it on the radio so many times. I like her more upbeat version better than the Andrew Sisters too. It's a great old song.
The first time I heard Bette singing this, I was thirteen, and I asked my friend if she was a fan of WWII music. I was so surprised that it was a moder day singer. Love Bette's delivery. Love those 40's style trousers. I really thought she was the Andrews sisters.
Oh wow! I remember hearing this version when I was kid but until just now I didn’t realize it was Midler’s version I had listened to. Which explains why the original by the Andrew sisters didn’t sound like the one I remembered. I like Midler’s version more than the original.
she was never a true "beauty,",, but she sure is so beautiful today,,, gets better with age,, love her always,,, u are the best Miss Bette,,,,,the song, the Wind beneath my wings, was sung at my grandpa's funeral,, and i cry like a big ole baby every time i hear it,, or ur voice for that matter
Yes! This is the arrangement of the song that I once had on a 45 record and played incessantly on repeat trying to parse out the lyrics ( much to the annoyance of my family!). To me this was the arrangement that defined the song, to the extent that hearing the Andrews Sisters original seemed “off”. I had forgotten that this was recorded by the great Bette Midler. Classic!
I just discovered this video tonight and I agree with you. I have facial recognition blindness and honestly cannot tell which one is her. I’m going to go with the one in the middle or on the right.
These days, anybody can clone and sing harmony with themselves in a video by just using their smartphones, but back in 1973, without personal computers or digital cameras, this was cutting edge technology. I remember in 1972, seeing Julie Andrews talk and sing with herself as Eliza Doolittle and Mary Poppins and was completely amazed by it, but when I saw Bette flesh out all three Andrews Sisters in what is, arguably, their most dynamic number, I was completely blown away! With no personal video recorders in those days, this clip was just a happy memory that I would bring back by listening to the 45 record I bought immediately after seeing this show. This memory was SO BIG, that when I just watched this, a little squeezed out and rolled down my cheek. Thanks for posting this!
Never saw the original special so I never saw this. Before VHS / DVD / DVR / WWW if you missed it you could only read about it and imagine. But now you can download the clip to your smartphone and enjoy it anytime you like. Everything Bette does has the energy that makes it look like it was done last week. She's timeless!
Thank you for posting this! I read where Bette said in an interview that after her mom saw this, which was taped in London and ended up being the version that became the hit single, asked Bette: "Where did they get those two girls who looked so much like you?" You gotta love it!
I saw this special when it first aired. This was my favorite part. If memory serves I saw this one other time on you tube and then it got taken down. So this is only the second time I have been able to enjoy it since it originally aired. She is so young and full of energy here, and of course she sings the song brilliantly...all 3 of her. I have see her live twice and she is truly an amazing performer. Don, thank you so much for this post!!!
I remember when I first saw her on.....could have been Mike Douglas....when she did this number with two other girls dressed in uniform. One of her first television appearances. Her act was so different and unique that I knew then that she'd become a big star. I honestly did. Plus, she had a unique...sort of old-fashioned... look about herself which I found very appealing.
What i love is how bette midler made it so easy for us as the audience to figure out each "sisters" personality and back story. We have the red outfit one, who is the eldest sister, she's reserved and does everything perfect and correctly. Her hair isn't down because that isn't a propper lady. Her performing is when she really lets loose but thats it. The regular bette in yellow is the middle sister who is the star if the group, she has the most talent and is just waiting to be discovered and have her big break. She is the most natural at performing and really goes for it each time cause she loves everything about the stage. She also has the biggest opportunity ti make it out of the group and go solo, which is okay cause fame is her end goal tot take care of the family and do what she loves! The youngest sister in purple is the silly vamp of the group. She is the most sexually appealing and does this as a way to show off her sexuality and sensuality. She loves letting her hair down and going to the bars and performing to the many suitors she wants to drive crazy with her charm and good looks.
Bette's version of this song helped me to discover The Andrew Sisters. Interestingly, Christina Aguilera used the same technique (though more sophisticated than 1973) in her video "Candyman."
Someone less talented would’ve played all three parts the same way - she gave each of them separate personalities and saved the star turns for “the girl in the middle.”
![Bette Midler • “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” • 1973 [Reelin' In The Years Archive]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/PPUTtVrfyxE/mqdefault.jpg)
Triple screen photography...awesome.
CBS used it a lot especially on the Sonny and Cher hour.
@Ray yes...I remember it from the "Vamp" skits Cher would fo.
songs like this are what made 70s radio so wonderfully eclectic. After this played it wouldn't be uncommon to go to Alice Cooper or Aerosmith, then to Diana Ross, then to Bowie or the Stones etc. Top 40 was so much fun.
Oh that is so true!! Well said.
Agreed!
70's, 80's canned laughter track made everything less enjoyable though.
Glad they finally realised that fact.
WBLI - 106.1FM…here on Long Island in the 70s and 80s…and exactly that - the top 40!
It truly was a magical time, exposing listeners to so many different genres and performers. I am lucky that I lived it.
One of the best musical performances ever ! Brings me back
Love it! You Go girl! 👏👏👏
YES! This is what I listened to on the radio as a young kid in the 70s! This is the version that I learned to love and appreciate...
Of course The Andrews Sisters originated the tune, but I've always thought the brass arrangement on this version was more flavorful than the original...
Me too! This is the arrangement I remember. I had this on 45 rpm single and practically wore it out playing it on repeat, driving my family crazy in the process. I’m sure this is what inspired me to take up jazz myself (saxophone, not brass).
me too.. I was looking for this version, I didn't remember it was Bette Middler
Same here! I first heard the Andrews Sisters and this is the version that I absolutely love and swing to!
I think we can credit some piano player by the name of Barry Manilow for the arrangement. 98% sure that is correct. He played for Bette for years until his career took off.
Production back then featured the voices front and center. They wouldn't dream of playing over the singers.
I am so happy she is still alive
Bette + Bette + Bette 🤩
Right on!
I loved her then; this is the best year because I was born in late 1973.
I have seen this a million times and I just realize her sisters are her.
Teresa Herman 😂😂That’s amazing
i remember watching this on TV when it was new. I was favorably impressed that video technology had progressed to where there could be three Bette Midlers like this, so sharp and with no distortion. I was also happy that she'd recorded a new version of this song, which had been one of my favorites for years from listening to my parents old records from the 1930s and '40s starting from when I'd been only about 5 years old.
A memorable rendition of the Andews Sisters original. Good on Bette Midler.
Vibrant and memorable
I loved the 40's. All the women and men who entertained the guys. i Betty Grable, Betty Hutton,Alice Faye,Carole Landis.And all the guys at that time.
"Long gone fabulous forties." Which she said 47 years ago from today. Ouch.
Which you said a year ago 😭
Back then this song was just 32 years old. Now its around 80. Bruh.
Ouch!
"Ouch" because time passes? Beethoven premiered his Ninth Symphony in 1824. Ouch! 😉
Yikes! I'm reading this two years later and I remember watching this on television 😭
This is my favorite rendition of this song. I just love the energy it carries.
So do I! I have since I was a kid.
Andrews sisters
@@lancebaker1397 Nope. This is all Bette.
....this is FAAAAAABULOUS, I've never seen this! ...Love the Album cover as the backdrop, & Bette's giving us an acting Tour De Force here, also...playing THREE different Sisters, and staying in the character(s), throughout the choreography!! ...VERY hard to do, in this time period (1973)! ...She was here to STAY, after this!
I agree with your comment 100% - this video is sheer musical brilliance. The Divine Miss M is one very brilliant performer.
check out Carol Burnett's version from 1970: ruclips.net/video/rdiud5iewKs/видео.html
Bette is the best!
I love this song. I know it's been done a hundred different ways by hundreds of singers but NOBODY does it like the Divine Miss M !!!
Shirley D Only the Divine One can get away with this!! 😉😀This is one of her THREE signature songs (the others being "Friends" & "Wind Beneath My Wings"). 🎶🎵🎤
Nobody does it better than the Andrew Sisters. Patti Andrew's performance alone cannot be matched!
CLASSIC....she made this a hit......again. I still have the 45. I was 11
There was obviously no live audience. Excellent editors to be able to do this with the tech available at the time. Bette's amazing :)
Way, way back many centuries ago, this came out in my later years of college. As a fan of the Andrews Sisters as well as Bette, I immediately fell in love. In our senior year, Theatre majors were expected to pass a 4 year comprehensive test of everything we'd learned - pass/fail. My study partner (a very dear friend to this day) and I worked up a dance routine to this song, in order to have something to celebrate with (we were confident we would pass!) I give all the credit to Val, as I have two left feet, she choreographed and put up with my klutziness! After results were announced, the theatre dept. students gathered at the local Ramada Inn (hey, there was much else to go to in that town!) to celebrate. Upon our arrival, I loaded the jukebox with quarters and punched in this song several times, knowing that eventually the live band would take a break and the jukebox would take over. Sure enough, the band took a break, the dance floor cleared, and our song came on! We raced to the floor, and proceeded with our routine, something similar to the opening of "Swing Kids", though not nearly that complex! We were great!!! Got great cheers and applause (what else would a theatre major want?) and didn't pay for our drinks for the rest of the night! Putting all that towards one's side, we all 4 passed, and I got a one and only HIGH PASS, for missing only one point on the entire test (answered Othello instead of Otello!) One of the high points of my life, another being getting Best Actor In Musical Award for Charlie in "Tintypes", much to the chagrin of staff member who wanted the part, and I was called down to Akron from Cleveland for the part!
Thanks for sharing your story, I would have loved to see what your routine was to this great song!
Lol! We were in college around the same time, you in theater, me in music. My friend Joel Bloom and I would listen to the entire album while doing homework. Peace brother! Great story!
Thx for sharing that GREAT memory!
This was quite a task to pull off nearly 50 yrs ago with the technology of the day.
Still good after all these years!
The Bette Midler I miss!!..❤️
Oh Miss Thing🌹 Pure camp!
This is the song that introduced 9 year old me to Big Band and Swing music . Thank You oh Devine one💕
Yes!
Divine Miss "M" (you talented, sassy gal!)...what energy!! Thank you for bringing back the great Andrew sisters. Women with talent!
Right on!
There's no one like Bwtte anymore 😢 legendary
I remember hearing this on the radio back in 1973; a remake of the 1940's and liked it as a teenage 16 y/o boy then in high school in Lodi California when living there in that city was awesome!!!
Best version ever! Better than Andrews Sisters’ original. Enjoyed!
Fabulous Bette!!
The 🌹 brought me here..
Grew up.to the Andrew sister's ❤💙💜
What a talent is the divine Miss M
What's not to like? The great Bette and a great song.
Simply love this. We've got more exposure to jazz and more variety during the 70's. Defin...🤩
So this is where Christina Aguilera got the idea for her Candy Man music video. Nice!
Alex Swish. Swish. Fish. What makes you think that?. Look for the original version by the Andrew sisters and you’ll see where she got the idea.Edit: Oh I see ! 3 of her. Yeah you’re right 😂
Alex Swish. Swish. Fish. I believe he’s referring to Bette putting herself in three’s. That’s what Christina did in her candy Man video.
nonsense
@@lewisc215 Not nonsense. Look it up. That’s exactly it.
Just wish Christina Aguilera didn’t porn it up, it would have been a great remake with her fabulous voice and my grandchildren could have enjoyed it with me. Too bad!
I interviewed Bette in the mid 1970s, she was an awesome lady. Shamefully, this is the first time I've seen this video! Fantastic.
Was she acting yet?
I was 12 yrs old when my 'big brother' took me to see Divine Madness. I thought that performance was the defining version. Just got proved wrong.
i had this on a 45 when i was 13 (1973). so nice to see this. i like Bette's rendition of this song even more than the original. also love her doing, "Do You Wanna Dance." she's marvelous.
+liwmld I still have the 45 and it still plays.
i have the 45 somewhere lol
"Do You Want to Dance?" _that_ one takes me way back; arguably better times.
beauty for ashes I was 14 & a high school freshman when it came out in 1973, & I also bought the 45. You know it's a hit when somebody like me - who liked The Beatles, Deep Purple, & other rock bands, & generally HATED the music my parents loved & played - rushed out & bought this 45. Back then, songs that didn't fit with the times were called novelty songs.
Yeah! This was Bette's first big hit. I was 20 in 1973 in Nursing School and I listened to it on the radio so many times. I like her more upbeat version better than the Andrew Sisters too. It's a great old song.
this my girl. i would love to see her and Dolly do a song together.
unless im already late!!!! lol
The first time I heard Bette singing this, I was thirteen, and I asked my friend if she was a fan of WWII music. I was so surprised that it was a moder day singer. Love Bette's delivery. Love those 40's style trousers. I really thought she was the Andrews sisters.
I did this in drag and turned out very well! It was hell finding a Garrison cap!
My favorite song when I was 4 years old! 😭I played the 45 on my little record player all the time
Raw talent. No one else comes close.
YESSSS, The best version of the song. I love it.
This aired in February of 1973, awesome find!!
Bettes is my favorite version EVER! 😍
Omg love her so much!!!
Fabulous song and interpretation of it by Bette.
Oh wow! I remember hearing this version when I was kid but until just now I didn’t realize it was Midler’s version I had listened to. Which explains why the original by the Andrew sisters didn’t sound like the one I remembered. I like Midler’s version more than the original.
I'm not high enough yet for this shit! Haha!
Go back to your sandbox.
Just in case anyone was wondering why she is called "The DIVINE Ms. M."
she was never a true "beauty,",, but she sure is so beautiful today,,, gets better with age,, love her always,,, u are the best Miss Bette,,,,,the song, the Wind beneath my wings, was sung at my grandpa's funeral,, and i cry like a big ole baby every time i hear it,, or ur voice for that matter
Yes! This is the arrangement of the song that I once had on a 45 record and played incessantly on repeat trying to parse out the lyrics ( much to the annoyance of my family!). To me this was the arrangement that defined the song, to the extent that hearing the Andrews Sisters original seemed “off”. I had forgotten that this was recorded by the great Bette Midler. Classic!
But it's not the version on the album....curious.
Re recored
Holy shit. Bette Midler had sisters??? They look identical. Awesome
I just discovered this video tonight and I agree with you. I have facial recognition blindness and honestly cannot tell which one is her. I’m going to go with the one in the middle or on the right.
Missing this Bette, ridiculously iconic
Her timing and movevement with 3 characters was perfect!
When I was a kid, this felt like she was going back a century to me. Now I realize it's the same as someone today playing Nirvana. Time, you is funny.
Amazing performance,
These days, anybody can clone and sing harmony with themselves in a video by just using their smartphones, but back in 1973, without personal computers or digital cameras, this was cutting edge technology. I remember in 1972, seeing Julie Andrews talk and sing with herself as Eliza Doolittle and Mary Poppins and was completely amazed by it, but when I saw Bette flesh out all three Andrews Sisters in what is, arguably, their most dynamic number, I was completely blown away! With no personal video recorders in those days, this clip was just a happy memory that I would bring back by listening to the 45 record I bought immediately after seeing this show. This memory was SO BIG, that when I just watched this, a little squeezed out and rolled down my cheek. Thanks for posting this!
This is my first time seeing this video and all I've been thinking is how did they do that back then.
Never saw the original special so I never saw this. Before VHS / DVD / DVR / WWW if you missed it you could only read about it and imagine.
But now you can download the clip to your smartphone and enjoy it anytime you like.
Everything Bette does has the energy that makes it look like it was done last week. She's timeless!
The divine Misses M ! ! !
Thank you for posting this! I read where Bette said in an interview that after her mom saw this, which was taped in London and ended up being the version that became the hit single, asked Bette: "Where did they get those two girls who looked so much like you?" You gotta love it!
great Video , i love Bette Midler.....first time i ever say this....Love the song
Thank you xxxx aye.👍👌🤘
I have this version of hers on my phone. Totally love this version.
A dancer!
I saw this special when it first aired. This was my favorite part. If memory serves I saw this one other time on you tube and then it got taken down. So this is only the second time I have been able to enjoy it since it originally aired. She is so young and full of energy here, and of course she sings the song brilliantly...all 3 of her. I have see her live twice and she is truly an amazing performer. Don, thank you so much for this post!!!
I also saw this when it originally ran--sometime in either the spring or summer of 73. Memorable!
I remember when I first saw her on.....could have been Mike Douglas....when she did this number with two other girls dressed in uniform. One of her first television appearances. Her act was so different and unique that I knew then that she'd become a big star. I honestly did. Plus, she had a unique...sort of old-fashioned... look about herself which I found very appealing.
A extraordinary entertainer
What i love is how bette midler made it so easy for us as the audience to figure out each "sisters" personality and back story. We have the red outfit one, who is the eldest sister, she's reserved and does everything perfect and correctly. Her hair isn't down because that isn't a propper lady. Her performing is when she really lets loose but thats it. The regular bette in yellow is the middle sister who is the star if the group, she has the most talent and is just waiting to be discovered and have her big break. She is the most natural at performing and really goes for it each time cause she loves everything about the stage. She also has the biggest opportunity ti make it out of the group and go solo, which is okay cause fame is her end goal tot take care of the family and do what she loves! The youngest sister in purple is the silly vamp of the group. She is the most sexually appealing and does this as a way to show off her sexuality and sensuality. She loves letting her hair down and going to the bars and performing to the many suitors she wants to drive crazy with her charm and good looks.
I love Bette's. Version of this song
Love how they did it
amazing
Thank you for letting us hear Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy song with different singers we enjoyed it much.
Bette's version of this song helped me to discover The Andrew Sisters. Interestingly, Christina Aguilera used the same technique (though more sophisticated than 1973) in her video "Candyman."
I loved how they sometimes were not in perfect sync with the dancing, not being totally perfect just made it seem more like three different ladies.
Fabulous!
Bette always amazing!! Wonder if the outfit she's wearing was The Wiggles inspiration for their's lol
My favorite song EVER
Man would I love an awesome copy of this exact performance... WOW!!! Thanx for posting.
Interesting piece in that it was done when it was all but a foregone conclusion that Vietnam was lost. Also, incredible talent!
It’s 2024 and Bette Midler is still not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 😳
Out of 70 million WW2 vets there's less than 200,000 still around.
Awesome times 3!!!
I adore this and I adore her
love bettes version still sounds good
Someone less talented would’ve played all three parts the same way - she gave each of them separate personalities and saved the star turns for “the girl in the middle.”
Sing It Miss Bette XOXO Love this song Momma Lynne this is 4 Us XOXO Gayle.
2022 AMAZING PERFORMANCE!!!!
great sfx
Came here after hearing it referenced in the ICarly reboot recently
Glad I'm not the only one
Better than the original! Yay Bette!
Wow!....And I thought that I didn’t like Bette M...She literally kicked you-know-what!
how did they make this happen? Mirrors? CGI? drag queens?
わん!!ベットにお似合いの曲と思いけりゃ、矢張り既にカヴァーしてたんだ…遥か昔に!!
それも想像以上のクオリティーで。
Fucking stupendous ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
this faster version is a lot better than the original
Fun fact: I danced to this in my dance recidle-
DAMN RIGHT
It’s a toss up between this finale and A Chorus Line finale as to the greatest Broadway Finale.