The album spawned the single "Fever," a cover version of the 1956 Little Willie John record which was covered by Peggy Lee and whose 1958 rendition became the most widely known version of "Fever" and the singer's signature song. A remix of the song, produced by L.E.X, reached number 4 on the US BillboardDance Club Songs chart in 2006.[2]
AllMusic editor John Bush rated the album three and a half stars out of five and called it "a talented, affectionate record that may not add much to the cause but is a solid tribute [...] Midler's studied boredom in the verses is good enough, but when she reaches the uninhibited chorus, she reveals a marvel of catlike glee. The arrangements, most of them by Manilow, are very good, although they reveal a close knowledge of the originals that contributes to the reverence on display."[3] John Anson, writing for The Lancashire Telegraph found that "it's all too easy to forget that as well as a comedian and actress, Miss M is a great blues and big band singer. This collection of songs originally sung by Peggy Lee gives her a chance to remind us of her vocal talents."[4]
Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook debuted and peaked at number ten on the US Billboard 200, selling 55,000 copies in its first week of release.[5][6] This marked Midler's highest-charting album on the chart since Some People's Lives went to number six in 1991.[7] By October 2006, it had sold 263,000 in the United States.[7]
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