I’m in heaven because of this HUGE post on Burt Bacharach.
Cannot get enough.
Happy birthday, Burt!
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He neglected the first song that comes to my mind:
“Say yes, yes, to Martini & Rossi on the rocks, say yeeees”
Anyone else remember this?
After such a marvelous list that he put so much work into, the first thing you can say is: “He neglected to …”? Sorry. Pet peeve. It happens all the time with lists, but it’s still kinda annoying. It’s like people read lists in order to see what might be MISSING as opposed to relish what is THERE.
In other news, yes, I love that Martini song. Bacharach is the best. I love the first item on that list, in particular.
Actually, I meant it to be a joke, Sheila. (Obviously not a funny one)… I can still picture him at the piano with Angie Dickinson next to him. That said, straight dry vermouth on the rocks makes my stomach turn.
Ewwwwwww – me too with the vermouth!
Angie Dickinson – what a babe! He was always surrounded by babes.
Walk on By is close to a perfect song. The lyrics seem intrinsic to the melody, as if they were discovered whole, not something created separately. Dusty Springfield’s Look of Love from the Casino Royale album(BTW-an expensive collector’s item if you can find it in the COSO/stereo version)is one of the best, most natural recordings ever made. You want to swim in her voice.
Mmmmmmm Dusty ….
I agree that Walk on by is perfect. You’re so right that you can’t separate lyrics, melody, etc. Amazing.
Just the last 5 items on that mega-list are enough to give anyone pause. Like … holy crap. To be that successful. Sheesh!!
loved those Martini and Rossi commercials…they represented everything i pined for as a poor kid in RI…glamour and beauty and love and sex…thanks for this..u know im a Burt freak!!!! Walk on By is perfect..Dionne’s vocal is as well…so many faves..Barbra’s duet with herself(who else??)on “One less bell to answer/House is not a home”..is the her best(in my obsessed opinion) vocal ever! Even the rock critics of the time(who were not kind to her attempt at pop-music) were in agreement on this one. Glorious. “Dont make me over”young Dionne belting her ass off…Dusty’s version “I just dont know what to do with myself”…the best “sing into ur hairbrush” song ever!!!
so wierd Sheila that we rocked to Dusty when i was in town and now we have some further appreciation! If Dionne hadnt embarrassed herself with the Psychic Friends thing and died young like Dusty ..she’d get the same respect…someday maybe.
I loved that post! I remember singing “Close to You” and “One Less Bell to Answer” over and over to myself when I was a little kid. Didn’t even know what the words meant, I imagine. I was in love with those songs!
DO NOT get me started on Dionne, or Bacharach-and-Dionne, or Bacharach in general.
I am the World’s Greatest Dionne Fan. I have a relationship with Dionne’s interpretation of Bacharach’s songs that is bigger than my life.
BTW – the comment on the Dusty Springfield version of Look of Love is pretty insightful. Not too many people are hip to that these days.
Also: Want to check out something cool… Dionne’s web site has a different classic Dionne/Bacharach/David song on every page.
I really do think Burt Bacharach is pretty much the all-time greatest pop much composer.
CW –
//I have a relationship with Dionne’s interpretation of Bacharach’s songs that is bigger than my life.//
I love that!
It’s just one of the rarest of collaborations I think – songwriter with specific singer – something really magical going on there.
oh CW…i may have met my soul mate in you!! I am also preternaturally close to the Dionne Warwick/Burt Bacharach team…i have been for also 30 years…i love it too much and i get sad and annyoed when others dont “get” it..ya know!