Jeff Gower writes:
“Perhaps you already know this, but the legendary jazz pianist McCoy Tyner (played with John Coltrane and many others) has recorded a new CD of all Bacharach interpretations. It will be on Impulse! records and will be released on May 13.
The title is ‘What the World Needs Now – The Music of Burt Bacharach’.”
“Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery” open today! The new film by SNL vet Mike Meyers , about a swinging London photographer/spy frozen in the ’60s and defrosted in the ’90s, features a cameo by Burt as well as a soundtrack featuring Burt and the Posies on “What the World Needs Now Is Love” and former Bangle Susanna Hoffs on “The Look of Love.” Plus, there’s some Mike Flowers Pops, Sergio Mendes, Quincy Jones and more.
Check it out!
No, I’m not dead or asleep at wheel (well that one’s debatable). Sorry I haven’t updated the site recently, but there’s so much to update, it’s kind of a daunting, intimidating task. Any suggestions for updating priorities? Anyway, let’s start by acknowledging March’s smashingly successful revival of Burt’s 1968 Broadway show “Promises, Promises.” The production, starring Martin Short and featuring a showstopping turn from Christine Baranski, was a hit with both critics and fans. Please check out Steve Schenck’s review below (on April 1). That’s when he sent it to me, at least, although I’ve just got around to adding it to the page.
Roberto Pinardi just sent me a list of Bacharach-Warwick dates in America.
How he found out this information from Italy, I don’t know.
| August 5 | Myrtle Beach, VA |
| August 7 | Westbury Music Fair, Long Island, NY |
| August 8-10 | Atlantic City, NY |
| November 9 | Dallas, TX |
| September 27 | Dionne Warwick performs in Los Angeles for a concert “Honoring Hal David.” Might Burt make an appearance? |
Martin Kent writes:
Dates for Dionne Warwick in the UK are as follows:
All ticket prices in sterling.
Dionne will be playing with the BBC Concert Orchestra (I think they supported Burt last year). Hopefully, there will be no sign of Noel Gallagher this time…
Steve Schenck contributes this review of “Promises, Promises”:
I attended the performance on Saturday night, and I must say, I couldn’t have wished for more. I had seen the original production with Jerry Orbach back in early 1970. This production was almost better!
The sound was far superior, given technical advances. But in particular, the orchestra voices were more lush, better blended, fuller. There was a full 30 piece orchestra on the stage and they were dynamite!
The producer/choreographer had a great idea. During that glorious overture, he had girls dancing between lucite columns, giving the feel of the old “Hullabaloo” and “Shindig” shows of the 60’s.
Nearly all the individual voices were superior to what I remember and what I listen to on my cast album recording.
Needless to say, Martin Short and Christine Baranski were terrific! But so were the rest of the cast.
The reviews in the New York papers were very favorable to ecstatic. The Times, Daily News and local Gannett papers all raved over the performances. Even the one who didn’t particularly care for the show as a piece of theatre in 1968 thought that this production was perfect. More than one said the music brought tears to their eyes!
Gossip columnist Liz Smith raved over the production. She says that NY producers are lining up to get rights to bring a full scale revival of the show to Broadway for next season. Let’s hope she’s right!
Burt fans had two reasons to be disappointed by the Grammy Awards broadcast last night. First, Burt and Elvis did not perform as I had heard they would and, second, Burt and Elvis lost to Natalie Cole in the Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals Category. Burt was robbed!
According to the Rhino Web site, the release date for their three-disc Bacharach anthology is now October 1997.
You might have noticed the teaser “The World of Burt is coming soon!” while browsing the A&M Records site. Now, Bill Minnick writes to say that Ice Magazine reports an April 15 delivery of “What the World Needs Now Is Burt,” a Burt Bacharach compilation on A&M. No word yet on a track listing or credits, but since most of Dionne’s records were on Sceptor, is it correct to assume that this release will focus on Burt’s solo albums
? We shall see…
Time to set those VCRs again.
Robbie Leff just wrote to inform me that Burt and Elvis Costello are scheduled to appear together on “The Late Show with David Letterman” on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Robbie has it on good authority that Burt and Elvis will do a live version of “God Give Me Strength,” which they’ll repeat the following night for this year’s Grammy Awards telecast. As you may know, Burt and Elvis are nominated for a Grammy in the “Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals” category for “God Give Me Strength.”