Bittersweet White Light
Encyclopedia
Bittersweet White Light was the ninth studio album by American
singer-actress Cher
. The album was released on April 1973 by MCA
. It was the last solo Cher album produced by then-performing partner and husband Sonny Bono
. While many fans consider the album to be her best vocal performance, Bittersweet White Light, composed mostly of covers of American pop standards, was Cher's first commercial failure of the 1970s. It was Cher's first record released only by MCA
, both in the UK and the US.
" like "My Funny Valentine
" and "What a Difference a Day Makes
", Bono decided she should record an album featuring modern arrangements of standards from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s.
Bittersweet White Light was a collection of fully orchestrated, lushly-arranged classics. Producer Bono had started in the music business working with legendary "Wall of Sound
" producer Phil Spector
and the album clearly demonstrates Spector's influence. Songs in the record range from Gershwin tunes "How Long Has This Been Going On?
" and "The Man I Love
" to Al Jolson's "Sonny Boy
" to Judy Garland
's "The Man That Got Away
" to Duke Ellington's "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good
". The album was promoted on her successful "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
" show. The title of the album was reported to be taken from the staging of such songs on her television show—which she performed in front of a torch spotlight. Bittersweet White Light was also the first of Cher's album's to feature medleys, "Jolson Medley", and with track mixed, "How Long Has This Been Going On" with "The Man I Love" and "Why Was I Born" with "The Man That Got Away". The other albums that got tracks mixed together were Take Me Home and Prisoner.
Bittersweet White Light was re-released on CD in 1999 under the name Bittersweet: The Love Songs Collection along with selected ballads tracks from other Cher albums, including Cher
, Half-Breed
and Dark Lady
. The disc was compiled and co-produced by Mike Khouri.
said about the album that it "consists entirely of ballad-rocked standards by Kern, Gershwin, etc., and should please the artist's TV fans."
at #160. The album, unlike the previous, didn't enter in the Canadian album chart and in any European charts. Due to the album's lack of success, only one single was released, "Am I Blue
".
It missed the Billboard Hot 100
chart, peaking at #111 in Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-actress Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
. The album was released on April 1973 by MCA
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
. It was the last solo Cher album produced by then-performing partner and husband Sonny Bono
Sonny Bono
Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono was an American recording artist, record producer, actor, and politician whose career spanned over three decades.-Early life:...
. While many fans consider the album to be her best vocal performance, Bittersweet White Light, composed mostly of covers of American pop standards, was Cher's first commercial failure of the 1970s. It was Cher's first record released only by MCA
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
, both in the UK and the US.
Album information
Due to the success of Cher's solo torch spots on "The Sonny & Cher Comedy HourThe Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour is an American variety show based on the married couple of American pop-singer Cher and her husband, Sonny Bono. The show ran on CBS in the United States, when it premiered in August 1971...
" like "My Funny Valentine
My Funny Valentine
"My Funny Valentine" is a show tune from the 1937 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart musical Babes in Arms in which it was introduced by former child star Mitzi Green...
" and "What a Difference a Day Makes
What a Diff'rence a Day Made
"What a Diff'rence a Day Made" is a popular song originally written in Spanish by María Méndez Grever , a Mexican composer, in 1934. Originally, the song was known as Cuando Vuelva A Tu Lado...
", Bono decided she should record an album featuring modern arrangements of standards from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s.
Bittersweet White Light was a collection of fully orchestrated, lushly-arranged classics. Producer Bono had started in the music business working with legendary "Wall of Sound
Wall of Sound
The Wall of Sound is a music production technique for pop and rock music recordings developed by record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, California, during the early 1960s...
" producer Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
and the album clearly demonstrates Spector's influence. Songs in the record range from Gershwin tunes "How Long Has This Been Going On?
How Long Has This Been Going On?
"How Long Has This Been Going On?" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin for the musical "Funny Face" in 1928.Replaced by "He Loves and She Loves" in Funny Face, it was eventually introduced in the musical Rosalie by Bobbe Arnst.-Notable recordings:*Audrey Hepburn in...
" and "The Man I Love
The Man I Love (song)
"The Man I Love" is a popular standard, with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by his brother Ira. Originally part of the 1924 score for the Gershwin government satire Lady, Be Good as "The Girl I Love", the song was deleted from the show as well as from both the 1927 anti-war satire Strike Up...
" to Al Jolson's "Sonny Boy
Sonny Boy (song)
"Sonny Boy" is a song written by Ray Henderson, Bud De Sylva, and Lew Brown. The hyper-sentimental tearjerker was featured in the 1928 talkie The Singing Fool. Sung by Al Jolson, the 1928 recording was a hit and stayed at #1 for 12 weeks in the charts and was a million seller...
" to Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
's "The Man That Got Away
The Man that Got Away
"The Man that Got Away" is a popular song, published in 1953 and was written for the 1954 version of the movie A Star Is Born. The music was written by Harold Arlen, and the lyrics by Ira Gershwin...
" to Duke Ellington's "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good
I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good)
"I Got It Bad " is a pop and jazz standard with music by Duke Ellington and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster published in 1941...
". The album was promoted on her successful "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour is an American variety show based on the married couple of American pop-singer Cher and her husband, Sonny Bono. The show ran on CBS in the United States, when it premiered in August 1971...
" show. The title of the album was reported to be taken from the staging of such songs on her television show—which she performed in front of a torch spotlight. Bittersweet White Light was also the first of Cher's album's to feature medleys, "Jolson Medley", and with track mixed, "How Long Has This Been Going On" with "The Man I Love" and "Why Was I Born" with "The Man That Got Away". The other albums that got tracks mixed together were Take Me Home and Prisoner.
Bittersweet White Light was re-released on CD in 1999 under the name Bittersweet: The Love Songs Collection along with selected ballads tracks from other Cher albums, including Cher
Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves (album)
Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves is the seventh studio album by American singer-actress Cher, released on September 1971 by Kapp Records. For the realization of this album, Cher left her husband Sonny Bono to produce the album, and for the first time she collabored with Snuff Garrett and with Al Capps for...
, Half-Breed
Half-Breed (album)
Half-Breed is the tenth studio album by American singer-actress Cher, released on October 27, 1973 by MCA. For the production of the album Cher returned with Snuff Garrett and Al Capps. Half-Breed was the second record for MCA and also promoted on her successful "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour" show...
and Dark Lady
Dark Lady (album)
- Personnel :* Cher - lead vocals* Snuff Garrett - record producer* Lennie Roberts - sound engineer* Al Capps - arrangement assistance* Richard Avedon - photography* Calvin Klein - dress- Chart positions :...
. The disc was compiled and co-produced by Mike Khouri.
Critical reception
Bittersweet White Light received mixed reviews from music critics. Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
said about the album that it "consists entirely of ballad-rocked standards by Kern, Gershwin, etc., and should please the artist's TV fans."
Chart performance and single
Bittersweet White Light was her first commercial flop of the seventies. It charted only in the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
at #160. The album, unlike the previous, didn't enter in the Canadian album chart and in any European charts. Due to the album's lack of success, only one single was released, "Am I Blue
Am I Blue?
"Am I Blue?" is a song written by Harry Akst and Grant Clarke in 1929, and was a big hit that year for Ethel Waters. It has become a standard and has been covered by numerous artists.-Other versions:...
".
It missed the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart, peaking at #111 in Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100...
.
Track listing
Additional notes- "Jolson Medley" is a medley of the songs "Sonny BoySonny Boy (song)"Sonny Boy" is a song written by Ray Henderson, Bud De Sylva, and Lew Brown. The hyper-sentimental tearjerker was featured in the 1928 talkie The Singing Fool. Sung by Al Jolson, the 1928 recording was a hit and stayed at #1 for 12 weeks in the charts and was a million seller...
", "My MammyMy Mammy"My Mammy" is a U.S. popular song with music by Walter Donaldson and lyrics by Joe Young and Sam M. Lewis.Though associated with Al Jolson, who performed the song very successfully, "My Mammy" was performed first by William Frawley as a vaudeville-style act during 1918. Jolson heard the song and...
" and "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie MelodyRock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody"Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" is a popular song written by Jean Schwartz, with lyrics by Sam M. Lewis and Joe Young. The song was published in 1918....
".
Credits
- Cher - lead vocals
- Sonny Bono - record producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
- Jeff PorcaroJeff PorcaroJeffrey Thomas "Jeff" Porcaro was an American session drummer and a founding member of the Grammy Award winning band Toto. Porcaro was one of the most recorded drummers in history, working on hundreds of albums and thousands of sessions...
- drum programming - Dean ParksDean ParksDean Parks is an American session guitarist and record producer from Ft. Worth, TX.-Albums:Dean was member of The North Texas State One O'clock Lab Band before moving to Los Angeles to work with Sonny and Cher in 1970. Dean is best-known through his many contributions to albums by Steely Dan...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - David PaichDavid PaichDavid Frank Paich is a session musician, keyboard player, recording producer, arranger, vocalist and main composer of the Los Angeles-based rock/pop band Toto. David is the son of the late jazz composer, musician, and arranger Marty Paich...
- keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Joe SampleJoe SampleJoseph Leslie "Joe" Sample is an American pianist, keyboard player and composer.He is one of the founding members of the Jazz Crusaders, the band which became simply The Crusaders in 1971, and remained a part of the group until its final album in 1991 .- Biography :Sample began playing the piano...
- keyboards - Ted Dale - keyboards
- Lennie Roberts - sound engineer
- Bittersweet: The Love Songs Collection (re-issue 1999)
- Re-issue producers: Mike Khouri, Andy McKay
- Compiled by Mike Khouri
Chart positions
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| United States Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
140 |