"I still have songs to write," says Burt Bacharach

[An Enormous BB Fan]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 09130.html

Dressed in a tracksuit and sneakers, Burt Bacharach walked into the music room of his ranch-style home just as his cell phone started ringing. Apologizing, the songwriter spent the next few minutes telling the caller which instruments and musicians he wanted for his new musical. When the call ended, Mr. Bacharach phoned a Broadway theater owner, gave his name and then found himself on hold. "That's not so bad," Mr. Bacharach said, laughing. "Sometimes I have to spell my name. Or I'm asked what it's regarding."

At age 83, Mr. Bacharach hasn't lost his touch for micromanagement. Though more than 40 years have passed since the premiere of his last musical ("Promises, Promises"), he remains one of America's most prolific and successful hitmakers. On Nov. 26, "Some Lovers"—a new musical based on O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" that Mr. Bacharach co-wrote with lyricist Steven Sater ("Spring Awakening")—will begin previews at the Old Globe in San Diego. "Naturally you hope it gets off the ground and has the legs to get to Broadway," he said, sinking into a living-room sofa.

Starting in the 1960s, Mr. Bacharach's intricate pop-soul melodies became seductive alternatives to rock and rebellion, winning him three Oscars and eight Grammys. He has written 133 Billboard Hot 100 singles—48 in the Top 10—ranking him No. 6 on a list of rock-era songwriters with the most hits. Standouts include "Walk on By," "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," "Close to You," "Arthur's Theme," "That's What Friends Are For" and "The Look of Love"—which inspired Mike Myers's "Austin Powers" film trilogy, in which Mr. Bacharach played himself.

In September, Mr. Bacharach and lyricist Hal David, 90, who partnered on many of those hits, won the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. And earlier this year, Mr. Bacharach co-produced "When Ronan Met Burt," in which Boyzone's Ronan Keating sings Bacharach evergreens. "I'm always trying to make a miniature movie when I write songs," Mr. Bacharach said. "That's why there are peaks and valleys, high points and suspense. I've never been much for one-level records."

Still sporting bachelor-pad looks, caring blue eyes and a shearling-soft voice, Mr. Bacharach exudes male sensitivity and martini-cool sophistication. But below that exterior is a tireless worker and relentless taskmaster. Over the years, in addition to composing hits, Mr. Bacharach has arranged, conducted and produced recording sessions—often putting singers and orchestras through exhaustive rehearsals and double-digit takes.

A YouTube video shows him in 1965 conducting "Alfie" at Abbey Road Studios in London with a visibly exhausted Cilla Black. "I put her through about 30 takes. I was so caught up pushing forward for something magical that I never bothered to stop and ask Sir George [Martin], who was in the booth producing, whether he thought an earlier take was acceptable. He finally came on the speaker and said he thought we had what we wanted on a much earlier take."

Why work so hard? "Control, I guess," he said. "I've always tried to get the best performance from everyone. And sure, sometimes I've gone way too far." Mr. Bacharach is quick to note that his desire for creative control has never been about power or ego. "Look, I'm very nice. When I walk into recording studios, I stay nice. But I get very confident in there. Nervous and confident. Then I start doing all kinds of things musically to ensure I get a heart-grabbing performance."

"Alfie" remains Mr. Bacharach's favorite song—and the only one he sings in full when touring with an orchestra. During our visit, he sat down at his baby-grand piano to play and sing it. "In concert, I usually wait until I'm an hour into the music before I sing 'Alfie,' to make sure the audience is on my side," he said.

Born in Kansas City, Mo., Mr. Bacharach moved with his family to Queens, N.Y., when he was 4 years old. He studied music at Montreal's McGill University and attended New York's Mannes School of Music and California's Music Academy of the West.

In the '50s, Mr. Bacharach teamed with different lyricists and wrote dozens of pop songs. He also came under the influence of lyricist and producer Jerry Leiber. "Jerry could crowd the Drifters into a tiny studio with a string section, four guitars and three percussion players and always wind up with a big, clear sound. He was such a soulful guy."

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CloseChristopher Serra
.From 1958 to 1961, Mr. Bacharach toured with Marlene Dietrich as her musical director, arranger and vocal coach. Though Mr. Bacharach first began writing songs with Mr. David after being introduced to him by a friend at New York's Brill Building in 1956, he said their creative breakthrough came in 1962.

"When singer Jerry Butler agreed to record 'Make It Easy on Yourself,' Calvin Carter, the head of A&R at Vee-Jay Records in Chicago, took a chance on me," he recalled. "He said: 'Do it the way you feel it and I'll be in the booth. Write the arrangement, conduct the orchestra and play piano on it.' When the song became a hit, the experience gave me license to take full control to get the results I wanted."

But a backup singer named Dionne Warwick, who had recorded the song's original demo, wasn't happy. Having been led to believe the song was hers, Ms. Warwick snapped at Mr. Bacharach, "Don't make me over." Messrs. Bacharach and David used that line as the title of her first hit single.

"Dionne was our voice for some time," Mr. Bacharach said. "She was so angry at me in the '60s when many British singers recorded my songs and copied her approach. But I had no control over that. To her credit, Dionne's versions always came out on top. Her voice was so fluent and fluid. Aretha, too. Nearly everyone else sounded under duress singing my melodies."

Did Mr. Bacharach ever worry that pushing singers could lead to diminishing returns? "You push gently," he said, "and work with them and give them love. You smile and say softly, 'Give me one more.'"

That's fine for a recording session. But what about a musical, where there are no retakes? "Soon after 'Promises, Promises,' I vowed never to do another show for precisely that reason," Mr. Bacharach said. "But this is really what I should be doing now. The record business is gone, but I still have songs to write."

[JR]

A great read. Much in the way Marc Myers writes of Burt Bacharach "he remains one of America's most prolific....." Marc in his own right manages to produce great reads each and every day on his website
http://www.jazzwax.com/