Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook

1	You'll Never Know 1:44
2	This Ole House 3:02
3	On a Slow Boat to China / Barry Manilow 2:31
4	Hey There 3:30
5	Tenderly 3:11
6	Come On-A My House 1:50
7	Mambo Italiano 2:50
8	Sisters (White Christmas) / Linda Ronstadt 2:53
9	Memories of You 3:20
10	In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening 2:44
11	White Christmas (White Christmas) 3:16

Barnes & Noble

Bette Midler and Barry Manilow -- contemporary musical legends touched by the personal warmth and grand vocal artistry of the late Rosemary Clooney -- have come together to pay homage to one of the greatest and most beloved American singers. Although he does sing on one of the album’s tracks (“A Slow Boat to China”), Manilow mainly sticks to behind-the-scenes roles as producer and arranger; the spotlight remains on Midler’s still strong, spunky, and affecting vocals. Clooney put her stamp on some endearing and enduring material over the years, and here Midler turns her sights on such signature numbers as the touching ballads “Hey There,” and “Tenderly,” as well as the humorous hits “Come On-a My House” and “Mambo Italiano.” (Linda Ronstadt has fun dueting with Midler on “Sisters”). As heartfelt as it is well executed, this pleasurable tribute reflects well on Midler, Manilow, and the absent lady of the hour, Rosemary Clooney. William Pearl

All Music Guide

Cabaret icon Bette Midler reunites with her old piano partner Barry Manilow for the first time in over 30 years to toast one of their mutual idols on Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook. Clooney was one of the top jazz/pop vocalists of the '50s whose clear, bright tone, impeccable melodicism, and smiling, girl-next-door image came together to make classics out of tunes like "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" and "Hey There" -- both covered here. In that tradition, Midler's plucky blonde persona and genre-crossing style and Manilow's modern day blend of Mercer and Porter make this album work -- most of the time. Mostly what you get is the Divine Miss M and "Mister Manila," as Midler affectionately refers to Manilow, returning to their '70s New York roots on "On a Slow Boat to China," a solid and classy version of "Sisters" with Linda Ronstadt taking the Betty Clooney role, and a very Dixie Chicks-esque contemporary bluegrass reworking of "This Ole House." Least of all, you get limp, hip-hop-lite arrangements of "Come On-A My House" and "Mambo Italiano," which only serve to drain the songs of any swing and makes the twee-period lyrics all the more cloying. Nonetheless, Midler -- who can carry a tune on personality alone -- sounds elegant and alive here and Manilow's classy orchestral arrangements frame the proceedings with the urbane glow of nostalgia for a time -- be it the '50s or the '70s -- when a big band, a great song, and blonde with a nice voice were all you needed for a good time. Matt Collar