Always Something There - Ace compilation

[ferper]

Hello:

There is a new compilation coming of Bacharach songs, this time by ACE records: "Always Something There: a Burt Bacharach Collectors Anthology". It is expected to be released on June 30. There is no info of track listing, but Amazon UK has a cover:



Ace Records website only list it as COMING SOON: http://www.acerecords.co.uk/

This label has very good titles, so let's wait and see.

Regards
Fernando

[nymusicalsguy]

There could be no better news! Ace's Songwriters & Producers series is consistently the best reissue line on the market today -- given competition only by Ace's other lines. Previous entries have included THE POMUS & SHUMAN STORY, 3 volumes of THE LIEBER & STOLLER STORY; 2 volumes of Jack Nitzsche productions; 1 for Brian Wilson; 1 for Goffin & King; 1 for Jerry Ragovoy. Needless to say, I'm thrilled they've finally gotten around to Burt! Play.com supplies the tracklisting:

Once In A Blue Moon (Instrumental) - Nat 'King' Cole
How About - Della Reese
Wild Honey - Cathy Carr
The Last Time I Saw My Heart - Marty Robbins
Crazy Times - Gene Vincent
I Looked For You - Charlie Gracie
Three Friends (Two Lovers) - The Turbans
You're Telling Our Secrets - Dee Clark
I Wake Up Crying - Del Shannon
Thirty Miles Of Railroad Track - The Hammond Brothers
Move It On The Backbeat - Burt & The Backbeats
The Story Of My Life - Big Al Downing
Gotta Get A Girl - Frankie Avalon
Third Window From The Right - Dean Barlow
So Long Johnny - Jackie Deshannon
True Love Never Runs Smooth - Don & Juan
That's The Way I'll Come To You - Bobby Vee
If I Never Get To Love You - Gene Pitney
Rain From The Skies - Adam Wade
That's Not The Answer - Vi Velasco
Send Me No Flowers - Doris Day
More Time To Be With You - Brook Benton
They Don't Give Medals (To Yesterday's Heroes) - Ben E King
Made In Paris - Trini Lopez
(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me - Lou Johnson
Dream Sweet Dreamer - Dionne Warwick

+++

While only 2 recordings are new to me, nearly half are new to CD, and knowing Ace, they'll sound pristine! Great news.

[blueonblue]

Fantastic.........some really rare stuff here !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"blue"

[mark]

This is exciting news. It'll be great to finally have a CD quality version of "Move It On The Backbeat."

[ferper]

It's great to have the tracklisting, thank you!

Now, on to the countdown for its release.

[nymusicalsguy]

EXTRA special kudos to Ace for including "Move It On The Backbeat", indeed. If I recall correctly, Hip-O Select tried to license this track for their (also phenomenal) Bacharach box, SOMETHING BIG, and they were unable to do so. Glad Ace has finally made it happen. Also as is customary with most Ace releases, I'd expect a thick, 30-page or so full-color booklet with lavish track annotations and photographs of the original 45 sleeves!

[mark]

That's just what I was thinking re "Move It On the Backbeat." It seems strange to me that a UK label could successfully license that track while Hip-O Select, which I believe is owned by Universal, couldn't. Something about those U.K. labels. There was (and maybe still is) a label called Charly that put out some really outstanding New Orleans R&B collections when I was in college, filled with cool, rare stuff you couldn't find on Rhino's N.O. compilations. How they managed to license it whereas domestic labels could not, I don't know.

PS: I posted this news on the front page of the site and credited you, NYMusicalsGuy, and Fernando with the scoop. Who knows how long I can maintain my enthusiasm, but for the time being with the new WordPress format, I'm going to try to keep up a steady stream of news....

[nymusicalsguy]

Love the new design and News section, Mark! Beautiful work!!!

There's a great new(ish) coffee table book (well, it's paperback, but close to a coffee table book...) on the history of Ace Records which goes into a little detail about their process in licensing, etc. etc. There's some fascinating stuff in there, and the whole Ace team seems really dedicated, too, to preserving music of Burt's era and beyond.

[Alistair]

Mine shipped today from amazon.co.uk - should have it by Tuesday, hopefully!
Alistair

[ferper]

Mine shipped today from amazon.co.uk - should have it by Tuesday, hopefully!
Alistair

That's great. Mine was shipped today too, but it will take at least 2 or 3 weeks since I live overseas.

Let us know your impression when it arrives.

Best regards
Fernando

[Alistair]

CD arrived today! Great package (as always from Ace) - 20 page booklet: packed to the gunwhales with record label , sheet music and artist pictures, recording details, facts and figures, and a nice appreciation and track listing detail list from Mick Patrick. No stone (or recording) is left unturned - or unplayed! I have transferred it to my iPhone and will listen to it on the way to work tomorrow. Can't wait to hear "Move It On the Backbeat" for the first time!
Look forward to hearing others views on this long-awaited issue.
Alistair

[Alistair]

Well! I gave this CD a listen to and from work today: all I can say is, all Bacharachians need to get this for their collections!
If only for the truly wonderful (and raucous) "Move It On the Backbeat", which I guarantee you will want to play over and over - I did! From the opening fanfare of trumpets, to the raunchy singing of Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick - background vocals have never been so "foreground" as here; changes of rhythm and beat, all that plus the distinctive Burt Bacharach melody - this really is an undiscovered gem.
Also great is Adam Wade's "Rain From the Skies", complete with trademark Bacharach flowing melody and intricate rhythm patterns - well ahead of its time, I think.
Then there are the more familiar, but still welcome songs here too - I have always loved Dionne's "Dream, Sweet Dreamer" with its lullaby-like tone; "Send me No Flowers" - Doris Day goes "pop" with Burt in the '60's; the plaintive "So Long, Johnny" from the underrated Jackie De Shannon (a longtime Bacharach supporter, I reckon) and many other sweet-sounding Bacharach rarities.
The only odd choice (in my opinion) is the last track on the CD - Nat "King" Cole's instrumental "Once In A Blue Moon" more Rubinstein than Bacharach, but this doesn't mar what is an otherwise exemplary issue - one of the best of 2008!
Any other reviews out there?

Alistair

[nymusicalsguy]

I think the compilers must have included the Nat Cole instrumental as it was the first-ever recording of a Bacharach tune. I can see, er, hear it being jarring, though! Love "Rain From The Skies" -- can't wait to finally be able to hear it (and the other true rarities!) in pristine sound. Bring on a Volume Two, Ace...

[ferper]

Finally got the CD. Great compilation by Ace, as always. The booklet is full of information with covers of the singles.
My favorites: Rain from the Skies - Adam Wade, That's not the Answer - Vi Velasco, Send me no Flowers - Doris Day and Dream Sweet Dreamer - Dionne Warwick. I keep listening those tracks, specially That's not the Answer, great song and singing.

Great work Ace! Keep them coming.

[pljms]

Two of the tracks, 'Third Window from the Right' by Dean Barlow and 'Move it on the Backbeat' by Burt and the Backbeats, were played on last Saturday's 'Sounds of the 60s' on BBC Radio 2. I'm still getting a lot of pleasure listening to this compilation and it doesn't matter how untypical many of the songs are, they all contain at least a dash of the Bacharach magic. And the more I hear Doris Day's 'Send Me No Flowers' the more I'm astonished that it wasn't a huge hit.