Since bursting onto the American entertainment scene in early 1973 Bette Midler has quite literally done it all.  She spent three years on the Broadway stage in "Fiddler On The Roof" and has appeared in numerous films including "Down And Out In Beverly Hills", "Ruthless People" and "Beaches" to name but a few.  And of course Bette was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in the 1979 box office smash "The Rose".  After winning the 1973 Grammy Award as "Best New Artist" Bette Midler would go on to have a highly successful recording career as well.  Over the past three and a half decades she has sold millions upon millions of records and has become an American icon.  Her previous greatest hits package "Experience The Divine" was released by Atlantic way back in 1993.  Since that time Bette Midler has changed labels a couple of times and has recorded a number of highly successful albums.  Now in 2008, Rhino Records has seen fit to release a comprehensive single disc anthology that spans her entire career.  "Jackpot: The Best Bette" features 20 of Bette Midler's biggest hits and finest recordings including a bonus track exclusive to amazon.com buyers.  This disc was originally scheduled for release back in February to coincide with the opening of Bette's current two year gig in Las Vegas called "Bette Milder: The Showgirl Must Go On ".  Clearly this is one of the most anticipated releases of the year!

Although I can fully appreciate Bette's impressive body of work some of my favorite Midler recordings happen to be among her earliest.  In 1973  I was absolutely captivated by her remarkable vocal performance on the Top Ten hit remake of the Andrews Sisters classic "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy".  Later that year "Friends" hit the charts and although it was not a huge hit this bouncy tune remains one of my personal favorites.  Both are included in this collection.  As her career progressed Bette Midler would record more and more ballads.  In 1980 Atlantic released "The Rose" from the motion picture of the same name.  This was Bette's biggest hit to this point and the single vaulted all the way to #3 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart.  Throughout her career Bette Midler also enjoyed putting her own stamp on tunes made famous by other artists.  You can sample several of these on "Jackpot: The Best Bette" including "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)",  "When A Man Loves A Woman" and "Beast of Burden".   I suspect you will enjoy them all.  In 2003 Columbia records issued the marvelous "Bette Midler Sings The Rosemary Clooney Songbook" album.  I think this was one of Bette's finest albums ever.  You will find a pair of tunes from that disc including "This Ole House" and "Tenderly" included here. This is great stuff folks!  And of course no Bette Midler collection would be complete without her two biggest singles of all time.  Enjoy once again Bette's haunting vocals on her only #1 hit "Wind Beneath My Wings" and of course "From A Distance" from the fall of 1990!  Both have become timeless classics.

Now for those of you who already own "Experience The Divine" grabbing a copy of "Jackpot: The Best Bette" might not be necessary. That 14 track 1993 collection is wonderful in its own right!  But if you do not yet own a Bette Midler collection then this compilation is definitely the ticket. You will quickly discover that Bette Midler is one of those rare vocalists who can sing just about anything.  The sound quality on "Jackpot: The Best Bette" is impeccable and the cover art is stunning!  Indeed, a Bette Midler collection is essential to any serious collection of American popular music.   Very highly recommended!