Burt Bacharach

https://variety.com/2023/music/obituaries-people-news/burt-bacharach-dead-american-music-1235517943/

https://variety.com/2023/music/news/burt-bacharach-best-songs-1235518533/

 

While Burt Bacharach was talented as a pianist, conductor, arranger, and producer, his greatest contributions to American popular music were the hundreds of songs that he composed. Variety’s excellent “Best Songs” article (referenced above) characterizes his work as “musically sophisticated, complex and often downright weird, combining a world of influences — from jazz and classical to bossa nova and westerns — along with startling yet seemingly smooth key and time-signature changes, unusual voicings and more.” Although he worked with various performers and lyricists over the course of his career, his work with Hal David and Dionne Warwick is undoubtedly one of the most prolific and satisfying songwriter/performer collaborations ever.

 

A number of years ago, when my former employer had a big employees-and-family picnic every June, I was hanging out with a couple when one of them mentioned that she would shortly be heading out to San Jose for the project that she was working on. When I asked, tongue in cheek, whether she knew the way to San José, I learned that neither one of them had much use for Bacharach and David’s work. How could one possibly mention them in the same breath as, say, Bob Dylan.

 

Hey – I like Dylan too! But surely the world is large enough for both. So, Rick and Kay, these lists are for you.

 

Favorite Bacharach/David songs, Dionne Warwick division:

The Windows Of The World

Walk On By

Do You Know The Way To San José

Anyone Who Had A Heart

I’ll Never Fall In Love Again

Trains And Boats And Planes

Promises, Promises

Don’t Make Me Over

Reach Out For Me

The Green Grass Starts To Grow

 

Favorite Burt Bacharach songs, other artists (written with Hal David unless otherwise noted):

The Look Of Love – Dusty Springfield

Any Day Now – Chuck Jackson, Ronnie Milsap [Burt Bacharach/Bob Hilliard]

Make It Easy On Yourself – Jerry Butler, The Walker Brothers*

Long Ago Tomorrow – B.J. Thomas

I Say A Little Prayer – Aretha Franklin*

One Less Bell To Answer – The 5^th Dimension

On My Own – Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald [Burt Bacharach/Carole Bayer Sager]

(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance – Gene Pitney

You’ll Never Get To Heaven (If You Break My Heart) – The Stylistics*

Twenty-Four Hours From Tulsa – Gene Pitney

 

* - also recorded by Dionne Warwick