Herb Alpert's next album includes new Bacharach-Costello composition

[bminnick]

Via theseconddisc.com:

Herb Alpert is about to release his latest studio album, Human Nature, on September 30, and it looks to be an exciting set even by the high standards of the eternally youthful trumpeter. His fourth album in three years, Human Nature features five original songs plus reworkings of Steve Porcaro and John Bettis’ “Human Nature” (the 1983 Michael Jackson hit), Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “Alfie” and “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” and a world premiere composition from Bacharach and Elvis Costello, “Look Up Again.”

http://theseconddisc.com/2016/08/22/tas ... ptember-9/

[blueonblue]

When I first heard this track back in 1974 I thought it was a Bacharach composition.
I was wrong as usual, it was written by Herb Alpert....you could have fooled me ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm6hlENMm2o

'blue'

[Blair N. Cummings]

Okay; I have a question. What was the point of Burt and "Elvis Costello" writing another batch of songs if they had no intention of recording or releasing them? It will surely be nice to hear the one on Herb`s album but where are the rest of them?

[bminnick]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91YorY0No8Y

[Blair N. Cummings]

This beats the hell out of that schlocky "Po" theme. Once again, "Elvis" seems to have elicited the very best from Burt. This is just superb!

[kyleburke]

You're not kidding, Blair - I finally acquired this. It's heart wrenching in the way only Burt can write. Absolutely top-notch. Why can't Elvis and Burt record these languishing works???!

[Blair N. Cummings]

I read somewhere a while back a statement by Declan to the effect that "There doesn`t need to be another album."
I don`t know if he was drunk, depressed, or if it applied to his own subsequent compositions. Has he released anything over the past few years?
And, anyway, my question stands: Why take the time and trouble to write ten or so songs if there is no intention to make them available?

[Martin Johnson]

I couldn't agree more. Has Bacharach ever featured any of these songs in concert? I certainly can't remember any in the several I've attended in recent years.

[pljms]

One possible conclusion that can be drawn from Burt and Elvis's apparent reluctance to make the songs available to the general public whether through recordings or concert performances is that neither man is particularly proud of them.

[kyleburke]

Wasn’t there some talk that they were written with the intent of combining them with songs from “Painted from Memory” as a musical theatre work?

[Blair N. Cummings]

Yeah, and there was also a rumor that Dianne Krall was going to record them.
If, indeed, the songs just didn`t measure up to standards they must have been genuinely god-awful considering some of what Bacharach has allowed to come out under his name in recent decades. (I`m thinking, but not exclusively, of the less-than-reputation-enhancing collabs with "Tonio K").
It would be nice if someone in the know would just come clean. We don`t receive much news from Bacharach HQ any more.

[nowmedical]

postby bminnick » Fri Sep 30, 2016 3:02 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91YorY0No8Y

This doesn't work on YouTube, but I need to hear this track! What's it called please?

[Blair N. Cummings]

The title is "Look Up Again." It`s beautiful.
Update: I just checked; it`s available on Spotify...at least in the US. It`s under Herb Alpert`s name.

[nowmedical]

Thank you, got it on Spotty.

[Hank]

Would definitely love to hear the vocal version of this.
I'm hearing something along the lines of, "oh - if I could just become forgetful....."