With A Voice

[Martin Johnson]

With apologies to Chris1968 who's just posted this video in another slot, I thought given the 'buzz' surrounding the new song 'With A Voice' it deserved a thread of its own. Unfortunately I've been unable to attend any of the recent European concerts so this amateur recording taken from last night's Milan show is the first time I've heard the song and even through the tiny speakers of my iPhone I can discern enough to be impressed by John Pagano's powerful but controlled rendition and what sounds like a strong melody and an interesting set of changes. I look forward to hearing the song properly one day, either in the concert hall or via a studio recording:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7pYIuQA2G3E&t=2s

[Sara D]

The song gave me goosebumps when I heard it performed in Oxford last week and I and it seemed the whole audience loved it judging by the reception it got. Apparently the ink is barely dry on this composition with lyrics by Billy Mann and I can understand Bacharach's haste in getting the song out in the public domain.

[ron hertel]

Martin Johnson & Sara D

One of those songs that you love the first time you hear it! ... John's vocals are excellent and I'm really looking forward to seeing it "live" when Burt performs here in San Diego with The San Diego Symphony on August 3rd! .... Thanks for posting!

Ron

[pljms]

I couldn't agree more, Ron. The song was premiered at the first of the Festival Hall concerts earlier this month and even after the first chorus I remember thinking how special it seemed and by the song's conclusion I thought it was outstanding. Hearing it performed again a week later in Berlin more than confirmed me in my view. It's been said that the best songs often have a natural feel to them in the way the lyric combines with the melody, the melody with the chord sequence, almost like the song had written itself and 'With A Voice' appears to be one of those songs. The fact that it has Bacharach's stamp all over it, particularly in the richness of the chord progression, is just the icing on the cake as far as I'm concerned.

[blueonblue]

One of the best songs Bacharach's composed in years.....can't wait for a 'studio recording'.

The magic's still there !

'blue'

[ron hertel]

.... BIG QUESTION now - who will record the "definitive version" .... Hope John Pagano gets an opportunity!

[Blair N. Cummings]

Sorry, no.
I`ve tried to like this a few times but it still sounds to me like one of those "almosts" he wrote with Carole thirty years ago.
Any other naysayers? C`mon; don`t be shy. I`m taking all the heat.

[pljms]

.... BIG QUESTION now - who will record the "definitive version" .... Hope John Pagano gets an opportunity!

I agree. I can't imagine it being improved upon by anyone else. Having heard him perform the song in concert twice I'd say he's never sounded more impressive.

[blueonblue]

.... BIG QUESTION now - who will record the "definitive version" .... Hope John Pagano gets an opportunity!

I agree. I can't imagine it being improved upon by anyone else. Having heard him perform the song in concert twice I'd say he's never sounded more impressive.

It's John's song......

'blue'

[ron hertel]

Blair:

Give it a "fair chance". .... Looking forward to hearing it "live" next Friday (not a cell phone recording). ... I have always disagreed with you that Burt's work with Carole were "almosts" ... There's some good stuff contained in those Arista CD's and I'm not referring to "That's What Friends Are For" which has probably been overexposed such as songs like "You Light Up My Life" by Debby Boone and "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney!

Ron

[Blair N. Cummings]

Okay, I just listened to it again. It has a couple of nice changes but, really, I don`t hear anything special about it. (It doesn`t help, either, that it`s saddled with a quasi - "inspirational" lyric that made me think of "Wind Beneath My Wings"; I don`t know why).
I think he and Carole wrote a few good songs together. Their album was a gem, and I liked "Midnight Blue" before I knew it was theirs - but wasn`t that the problem with so many of their collaborations? The melody just wasn`t full-on Bacharach. To my ears that`s what is wrong with the new song.
I didn`t set the standard; he did.

Correction:
I knew I should have double-checked this. "Midnight Blue" had a melody composed by its singer, Melissa Manchester (which just may have had something to do with my not pegging it as a Bacharach composition). Nice song from `75 or thereabouts, anyway.

[Martin Johnson]

I have listened to this recording several more times now on a high powered computer and although I still can't quite make out all the lyrics this is so obviously top-notch Bacharach I'm embarrassed now that I didn't quite grasp it straight away. In my defence I can only suggest that it has to have been a definite advantage to have heard this song performed live in concert first, although this doesn't seem to have hindered Ron and Blue.

[Blair N. Cummings]

I was odd-man-out during the discussions of the Some Lovers score, too. Everyone was absolutely sold on "Love Me for an Hour" while I found it forgettable. I loved the melody for "The Only Music I Understand" which prompted only discreet coughs and head-turnings among others.
Oh, well....

[Martin Johnson]

I agree with you, Blair, regarding 'The Only Music I understand', although it wasn't until I saw the London production of 'Some Lovers' that I fully appreciated it. Very touching song, especially when the two male leads harmonise at the end. As for 'Every Other Hour', I loved that too and when Josie James sang it at the Festival Hall in and around 2012 two thousand people held their breath, and I was one of them.

[pljms]

As for 'Every Other Hour', I loved that too and when Josie James sang it at the Festival Hall in and around 2012 two thousand people held their breath, and I was one of them.

Martin, before 'With A Voice' I think hearing Josie James singing 'Every Other Hour' at the Festival Hall in 2013 was the last time I was excited by a new Bacharach song and, yes, I remember the rest of the audience seemingly being equally spellbound. This performance isn't from that show but it's from the same tour and was probably posted here around that time. As soon as I heard the highly characteristic piano intro that evening at the Festival Hall I sensed we could be entering into 'Classic Bacharach' territory.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cXUM01R48oU