Bittersweet White Light
1973 studio album by Cher
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Bittersweet White Light is the ninth studio album by American singer Cher. It is composed mostly of covers of American pop standards and was released in April 1973 by MCA both in the UK and the US. It was the last solo Cher album to be produced by Sonny Bono, then her husband and performing partner. While the album is a favorite among Cher fans,[1] critical reviews were mixed, and Bittersweet White Light was Cher's first commercial failure of the 1970s.
| Bittersweet White Light | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 1973 | |||
| Recorded | 1972–73 | |||
| Studio | Larrabee (West Hollywood) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 34:32 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Producer | Sonny Bono | |||
| Cher chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Bittersweet White Light | ||||
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Production and release
Due to the success of Cher's solo torch spots on The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, such as "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.[1][2]
Bittersweet White Light was a collection of fully orchestrated, lushly-arranged classics. Bono had started in the music business working with "Wall of Sound" producer Phil Spector and the album clearly demonstrates Spector's influence.[1] 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 albums 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.
Critical reception
Bittersweet White Light received mixed reviews from music critics. Rolling Stone said the album "consists entirely of ballad-rocked standards by Kern, Gershwin, etc., and should please the artist's TV fans."[4] Meanwhile, Cash Box praised the album, especially the production, saying it "is far above and quite inventive."[5]
Commercial performance
Bittersweet White Light was her first commercial failure of the 1970s. It charted only on the US Billboard 200 at 140. Unlike the previous release, the album did not enter the Canadian album chart, or 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.[6]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "By Myself" | 3:24 | |
| 2. | "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good" | 3:47 | |
| 3. | "Am I Blue?" | 3:43 | |
| 4. | "How Long Has This Been Going On" | 4:20 | |
| 5. | "The Man I Love" |
| 4:27 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sonny Boy"/"My Mammy"/"Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" (Jolson medley) | 4:12 | |
| 2. | "More Than You Know" | 3:41 | |
| 3. | "Why Was I Born" | 2:45 | |
| 4. | "The Man That Got Away" |
| 4:13 |
Personnel
- Cher – lead vocals
- Sonny Bono – record producer
- Jeff Porcaro – drums
- Dean Parks, Don Peake – guitar
- David Hungate – bass guitar
- David Paich – keyboards
- Joe Sample – keyboards
- Michel Rubini – keyboards
- Jimmy Dale – arrangements
- Ted Dale – conductor
- Albert Harris (tracks A3, A5, B2, B3, B4), Gene Page (track A2), John D'Andrea (track A4), Michel Rubini (track A1), Mundell Lowe – orchestra
- Lenny Roberts – sound engineer
- Bittersweet: The Love Songs Collection (re-issue 1999)
- Re-issue producers: Mike Khouri, Andy McKay
- Compiled by Mike Khouri
Charts
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[3] | 140 |
| US Cash Box Top Pop Albums[7] | 102 |
| US Record World Top 100 LP's[8] | 118 |