The Burt Bacharach Discussion Forum

Sometimes erroneously called JW`s first album, this is a collection of demos pre-dating the Legendary trove and released by Epic in late `68/early `69 to Webb`s fury.
Be forewarned: this is godawful stuff despite a just barely listenable "I Keep It Hid."
I`m just tossing this out for the few who want to hear it all. Saving grace: it runs under a half-hour.

This album was a mis-fire for CBS/Columbia in `82. It has its moments, but it`s not great. Collectors will want it, so here it is:
I`m not certain, but I believe that the luscious blonde on his shoulder was his future amanuensis and web-site manager Robin Siegel until she mysteriously disappeared a couple years ago. All those in the know (certainly not including me) have been tight-lipped about this split.

I've always been led to believe, Blair, that the beautiful blonde on the front cover of 'Angel Heart' was Webb's first wife Patsy. As for the album itself, I think it's poorly produced and Webb's songs are mediocre at best. 'One of the Few' is my favorite track and it was written by someone else, which says it all as far as I'm concerned.

Martin, I`m sure you`re correct about the identity of JW`s companion. She is, however, a dead-ringer for Robin. I only know this because she immediately joined him on stage at the end of the late set at the final Bottom Line gig. At the time, I assumed that she was his "significant other", but Robin corrected me herself on the old JW discussion board.

If Webb has a weakness for beautiful, luscious blondes then he has my deepest sympathy.

After hearing 'Angel Heart' I assumed that JW must be having serious problems with his muse. However, shortly after I heard 'Easy for You to Say' as recorded by Linda Ronstadt (see the link below) and it made me wonder why Webb hadn't cut it himself, so superior was it in my view to anything on his album.

Here`s JW from some thirty years ago performing the song with Glen Campbell on guitar:

The original BJ Thomas version of "Song for My Brother":
Not to be compared with the anodyne Garfunkel adaptation, "Wooden Planes".

Jimmy Webb has the rare gift for writing the most beautiful heartbreaking songs.

"blue"

I can`t recall if I`ve posted these two (relatively minor) rarities before:




There was a recording of "Montage" on the HSII soundtrack album but that track seems unavailable. BTW, the score to this forgettable movie was by Pat Williams,NOT JW so don`t grab your checkbook and head for the rare album sites (or stores, if any still exist).

A recently released rare track by Jimmy.



"blue"

To say the least, I`m not a big Michael Feinstein fan (although I saw his "dueling pianos" tour with JW roughly a decade ago).
Here, `though, is the only version of one of JW`s songs for one of his many un-produced musicals:

Speaking of re-makes and originals, here is the only complete version of "Little Tin Soldier" which may be of interest to exactly three of you.
(No, I`m not a Streisand fan either but what are you gonna do?).

Here`s another obscure song from one of the un-produced musicals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVe4AAe7Vmw
I saw JW perform this himself some years ago on Charles Grodin`s mercifully short-lived cable show. I wish someone would cough up a video of that.
Anyway, I spared you the Feinstein version (which isn`t at all bad, just...Feinstein, and not to my taste).