The Burt Bacharach Discussion Forum

Yes, 'Seconds' is a truly great song and should be better known. I actually prefer the version on Bacharach's 'Futures' album as sung by Joshie Armstead to Gladys Knight's recording, as much for the arrangement as anything else.

Rio, the instrumental from 1952 by Nat king Cole is 'Once in a Blue Moon' and is an adaptation of Rubinstein's Melody in F and was included in last year's Ace compilation of Bacharach rarities 'There's Always something There', which you really should own. It's actually credited to Bacharach alone, a...

Another Bacharach CD compilation is aways good news and one is reluctant to gripe, but I think the compilers should have kept this collection down to one CD of genuine rare material. To call songs like A House is not a Home, one of BB's biggest standards, Long after Tonight is all Over, I'm a Better...

Yes, thanks to the Song by Song book, I knew they were one and the same person. Bacharach wrote a lot with him under both his names 6 or 7 years ago and I wonder if this song is from that time. I personally don't mind the New Orleans style piano on the track.

One that seems to have slipped through the net as far as this forum's concerned: A few months ago Irma Thomas had a new album released on Rounder called 'Simply Grand' featuring a new Bacharach song written with Steve Krikorian entitled 'What Can I Do', which, based solely on one hearing (BBC Radio ...

I've now watched all the videos and the one I'd like to single out is Lauren Kennedy and her combination of Trains and Boats and Planes and Come and Get Me. The latter song has never been a particualr favorite of mine because i've always thought the chorus was a bit weak, but somehow, maybe because ...

Youtube link below. As has been mentioned before on these pages, this recording is based on the Cryin' Shames' version of the song with the same changes in lyrics and chords. Apparently it's going to be Duffy's next single.

I remember that the song was featured twice in the 1995 BBC TV documentary Burt Bacharach: This is Now; once during a scene showing Bacharach and Warwick in rehearsal with the band and orchestra and then later at the concert itself in Monte Carlo. I agree with Sara and think it's the best thing the ...

For those of you who are interested, Duffy's recorded version of Please Stay has just been released on the re-vamped album Rockferry. According to Wikipedia, it's earmarked to be her next single, probably timed to coincide with the opening of the Joe Meek biopic in which it's featured.

Elvis Costello recorded Please Stay for his Kojak Variety album. Below is a link to a live performance of the song in a small Greenwich Village club in 2007.

I know that she's been singing it on tour (see the Youtube link below) but I haven't heard anything about it being a single. The last thing I heard was that her recording of it was going to feature over the credits at the end of the film. Let's hope her keyboard player plays the right chord sequence...

A remarkably contrasting interpretation of Please Stay by the Cyrin' Shames to the Drifters' US hit. This got to No.26 in the UK in 1966 and was apparently Joe Meek's last production before his violent end. Maybe it's this fact that lends the record an almost eerie atmosphere. My favourite Bacharach...

What a shame Trijntje Oosterhuis is barely known outside the Netherlands because her two Bacharach songbook albums deserved to be hits worldwide.

The only other recording of With Open Arms was by Adam Faith in 1960 and was the b-side of his hit single How About That. Adam Faith was never a great singer and the most interesting thing about this version is John Barry's arrangement, pizzicatto strings and all. Because it goes to the bridge only ...

Since posting the link here to Youtube, I've bothered to re-learn to play With Open Arms on my keyboard. It's very rewarding to play and I think it's a shame that the terribly outdated lyrics are always going to prevent this song from being better known. I think the most crucial factor in what made ...