MIDLER'S LATEST ALBUM TO INCLUDE HER TRADEMARK HUMOR.

Byline: Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Expect to hear Bette Midler's naughty wit at work on the yet-untitled album she expects to finish this month. The word from record producer great Arif Mardin is that the disc will be ``full of fun. Bette felt she neglected to have a little humor on her last album - that was the feedback she got. This one definitely has her trademark humor, plus some great ballads and a wonderful dance number.''

Mardin, whose work with Midler includes the giant hits ``Wind Beneath My Wings'' and ``From a Distance,'' is producing four cuts on her latest record. At the same time, he's producing three songs on a new Diana Ross album. And he's also working on several other projects - all on the eve of the launch of ``I Will Wait,'' Mardin's first crack at writing a classical opera. The work debuts June 17 at New York's Salon Theater, and you'd better believe there'll be plenty of Mardin's pals from the pop-music world present to cheer him on.

Mardin - whose lengthy list of collaborators includes Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Phil Collins, the Smashing Pumpkins and Barbra Streisand - says he started writing ``I Will Wait'' about five years ago as a short, informal piece. It kept growing.

Meanwhile

You've seen the history books. You've seen the TV miniseries. Now get ready for ``The Civil War'' Broadway show, from Frank Wildhorn (``The Scarlet Pimpernel''). Wildhorn's concept ``is to do `The Civil War' as an album with well-known singers first, then put it on Broadway and later make it into a TV special,'' reports record producer Mardin. He is working with Patti LaBelle on part of that ``Civil War'' album now. ``It's a tremendous project, with beautiful songs that bring the two sides together. It's a healing piece,'' he says. Other artists and producers are working on ``The Civil War'' simultaneously, and ``everyone is trying to finish the recording in about a month,'' Mardin says, for release this year.

The industry eye

As investigative reporter Maureen Orth is completing her book about Gianni Versace murderer Andrew Cunanan, she's handing off the completed material to Oscar-winning scriptwriter Freddie Raphael, who's working on the screenplay for Jerry Weintraub's movie about Cunanan's world of sex, drugs and murder. Actually, Raphael needn't hurry with the script. Weintraub doesn't plan to start the drama for a while. Right now, Weintraub is making ``Soldier'' with Kurt Russell and Jason Scott Lee. This fall, he expects to start his long-planned bio-pic of reggae legend Bob Marley, with Ron Shelton directing. After the Marley project is in the can, Shelton and Weintraub will bring the story of Weintraub's relationship with Col. Tom Parker - Weintraub's mentor as well as Elvis Presley's - before the cameras. And then, Weintraub will make the Cunanan feature. At least, those are the plans.

Spreading the green

An Irish festival might not be the first place you'd look to find the acclaimed Harlem Gospel Choir performing - but the ensemble will be on hand Saturday at the Guinness Fleah in New York. The choir will be linking up with the Chieftains to sing ``Shenandoah'' and ``The Long Journey Home.'' World-music mixer extraordinaire and chief Chieftain Paddy Maloney cooked up the idea. The Chieftains then will set out on a tour that'll include L.A.'s Universal Amphitheatre - with guest artist Sinead O'Connor - June 24 and conclude in San Francisco on June 28. The band's ``Fire in the Kitchen'' album, which highlights music of Canada's Cape Breton, debuts June 16.

Kitschy, kitschy coup

Here's more evidence that MTV is diversifying its programming. The rock-music network is plotting an episodic series called ``The Super Action-Adventure Team,'' which is actually a takeoff on the unforgettable (even if you want to forget) ``Thunderbirds'' kids' marionette show of the '60s. The aim is to make ``The Super Action-Adventure Team'' funny and over the top. Well, with MTV, at least we know we can count on the latter.

With reports by Stephanie DuBois.

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3 Photos

Photo: (1) Bette Midler

``Full of fun''

(2) Patti LaBelle

``Civil War'' album

(3) Sinead O'Connor

Guest artist