Wind Beneath My Wings

Infobox Single
Name = Wind Beneath My Wings


Artist = Bette Midler
from Album = Beaches
B-side =
Released = 1989
Format = CD single, cassette single
Recorded =
Genre = Pop
Length = 4:18 (Edit)
Label = Epic
Writer = Larry Henley and Jeff Silbar
Producer =
Certification =
Chart position = 1 U.S.
Chronology = Bette Midler singles
Last single = "Under the Boardwalk"
(1989)
This single = "Wind Beneath My Wings"
(1989)
Next single = "From a Distance"
(1990)

"Wind Beneath My Wings" is a U.S. number-one single by Bette Midler from the soundtrack of the film "Beaches". It was named Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the Grammy Awards of 1990.

Written by Larry Henley and Jeff Silbar, [ [http://www.risa.co.uk/sla/song.php?songid=14443 RISA Song Lyrics Archive] ] the song was first offered to Kenny Rogers who turned it down (but later recorded a version on his "Love Songs" album in 1997). Incidentally, it was Rogers who presented Midler's Grammy for the song.

About the Song

Track listing

7": USA (Atlantic 7-88972)7": UK (Atlantic A8972)7": Japan (Atlantic PRS-2048)3": Japan (Atlantic 09P3-6159)
# "Wind Beneath My Wings"
# "Oh Industry"

12": UK (Atlantic A8972T)3": UK (Atlantic A8972CD)
# "Wind Beneath My Wings"
# "Oh Industry"
# "I Think It's Going To Rain Today"

CDM: USA (Atlantic PR2615-2) Promo
# "Wind Beneath My Wings" (Edit)
# "Wind Beneath My Wings" (Album Version)

CDM: Germany (Atlantic 756785481-2)

# "Wind Beneath My Wings"
# "From A Distance"
# "In My Life"
# "To Deserve You"

Note: Released in 1996

Trivia

*One of the earliest recorded versions of the song was Colleen Hewett's which was released six years before Bette Midler's #1 hit version, and was already on the Australian charts before Gary Morris's country hit single was released in May 1983.

*In a recent U.K. poll, "Wind Beneath My Wings" was found to be the most-played song at British funerals. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/2173544.stm BBC News article about Most-Played Songs at funerals] ]

*This song is considered to be Midler's signature song.

*The song appears at 269 in the Songs of the Century list compiled by the RIAA.

*The song is often featured in the top five feel-good and film-theme countdowns on such channels as MTV, TMF, and the Music Factory.Fact|date=March 2007

*In mid-2001, the song was covered by Finnish Power metal band Sonata Arctica and released on its EP "Orientation" (available only in Japan).

*It was deemed Britain's favourite North American ballad by Channel 4 (2004).

In Popular Culture

*Midler sang the song at a 9/11 benefit at Yankee stadium.

*The song was mentioned during The Understudy, an episode of Seinfeld. During a softball game, George who is at catcher, taunts Midler (guest-starring as herself) who is batting for the team of the Broadway production of Rochelle Rochelle: "I happened to catch "Beaches" the other night. 'Wind Beneath My Wings'? Give me a break."

*In the television sitcom "Boy Meets World" the characters Morgan and Cory Matthews sing the song in an episode; Morgan for a talent competition and Cory for his father. [http://boymeetsworld.wikia.com/wiki/Better_Than_the_Average_Cory]

*In Code Lyoko, Aelita Hopper mentions this song while flirting with Jeremie Belpois in the second Season 4 episode.

*"Wind Beneath My Wings" was the name of an episode of "Commander in Chief", Geena Davis's short-lived political drama; Midler and Davis are good friends.

*In "Gilmore Girls", Lorelai Gilmore sings a portion of the song to daughter Rory Gilmore in an episode upon discovering Rory was the cause of a fight between her present and ex-boyfriends where they destroyed a house at a party.

*It was mentioned in the US television series Desperate Housewives that Teri Hatchers character Susan Delfino had re-written the song as a tribute to Eva Longoria's character Gabriella Solis, but was not performed.

*It was used in a video tribute to Larry Bird when he retired.

*It was made a playable song on the video song Karaoke Revolution.

*It is featured on the Shark Tale movie soundtrack.

Other Versions

The song has also been recorded by Lou Rawls, Sheena Easton, B.J. Thomas, Perry Como, Gary Morris, Michael Ball, Lee Greenwood, Willie Nelson, Kiki Carter, Nana Mouskouri, Sonata Arctica, Judy Collins, Colleen Hewett, Kris Shay and many others. It was performed by Peggy Lee in Atlantic City as early as 1984. It was performed on season three of the Fox television show "American Idol" by semi-finalist Marque Lynche, and again on season five by finalist Paris Bennett, who was criticized for the choice by judge Simon Cowell as "sounding too old for [her] age". It was also performed by Nicola Roberts during "Popstars: The Rivals", and sung by actor Will Ferrell to actress and long-time Midler fan Megan Mullally.

Although the song has become primarily associated with Bette Midler, other versions of the song were released to the public years before Midler's. Sheena Easton (on her album "Madness, Money and Music") and Roger Whittaker both released versions of the song in 1982, [ [http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/wind.html SongwriterUniverse Magazine - Jeff Silbar Article ] ] though neither had a hit with it. The song entered various U.S. charts the following year in versions by Gary Morris, Gladys Knight & the Pips (their version was released under the title "Hero"), and Lou Rawls (whose version was a top ten Adult Contemporary hit). Because of the songs soaring imagery and the extreme earnestness of Midler's iconic performance, the song has become ripe for parody.

Charts

{| class="wikitable"!align="center"|Chart (2008)!align="center"|Peak
position
-
align="left"|UK UK Singles Chart
align="center"|70 [http://acharts.us/song/37974 UK Singles Chart]

References