Wind Beneath My Wings [available 10/25/2023]
Written by Jeff Silbar and Larry Henley (1982)
Originally released by Roger Whittaker (1982)
Famously covered by Bette Midler (1988)
“Wind Beneath My Wings” was the song I chose for my first recording project my freshman year as a Vocal performance student at NYU. I recorded it while standing in a dorm room closet for sound proofing. Matt Sklar arranged and played piano. His high school bestie, and my classmate, David Greenberg was the engineer, recording to cassette tape. I couldn’t wait to share my first professional recording with family and friends. I believe I still have the tape somewhere. If I find it, I’ll share it. Until then, here is a recording by the vocalist I am now…33 years later.
DID YOU KNOW?
Although Bette Midler’s version of “Wind Beneath My Wings” is the definitive, number 1 hit everyone remembers, it had been released by 21 artists before her cover that was featured on the soundtrack to the 1998 film “Beaches.”
Jeff Silbar and Larry Henley were a team of Nashville songwriters who wrote the song in 1982. It was originally written as a mid-tempo song with Bob Seger in mind.
Bob Montgomery was asked to record the demo. He chose to change it from a mid-tempo to a ballad. The demo was submitted to several artists over the course of a year with no interest.
The first recording was the title track for an album released by British singer-songwriter artist Roger Whittaker.
Over the following six years, commercially successful covers of the song were released by Lou Rawls who claimed the #10 spot on the Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart and Gary Morris who claimed the #4 spot on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles.
Other releases during that period included covers by Sheena Easton (1982), Gladys Knight & The Pips (1983), Willie Nelson (1984), Patti LaBelle (1985), Irma Thomas (1986), and Perry Como (1987).
I read that Perry Como recorded the song for his last album on the RCA Label. He wanted it released as a single and they refused. He became enraged and vowed to never record for the label again.