The Burt Bacharach Discussion Forum

Give up ?
Well, it's a track called "Marriage French Style" that Burt wrote for "What's New Pussycat" Here's a"clip" that also includes a very beautiful instrumental version of "Here I Am"


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I love this.
I was once putting together a Winter themed mix CD.
I wanted to include this so to justify it's inclusion, I labelled it "Sleigh Ride to Wengen" by Marvolo's Toe !

Dionne rehearsing with the great Mica Paris and Rob Shrock and full orchestra for the Royal Albert Hall concert: "I'll Never Fall in Love Again".

GehVorbei wrote:Dionne rehearsing with the great Mica Paris and Rob Shrock and full orchestra for the Royal Albert Hall concert: "I'll Never Fall in Love Again".

Does Rob's style of conducting remind you of anyone??

Absolutely! I like Dionne together with Kathy Rubico but with Rob recently there is an extra element of excitement.

Burt in Edmonton ' 77


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It's unfortunate that Kelly Clarkson's only representation here is from a pretty terrible three-singer rendition of "Say a Little Prayer" from midway through the competition. Here's her "Walk on By" from Bacharach Week:

BB chose "Anyone Who Ever Had a Heart" but Kelly chose to play it safe (which didn't hurt her in the long run but is disappointing just the say), expressing an unfounded lack of confidence in her upper register. The "Walk on By" performance may be an acquired taste, suggestive of Kelly's idol, Etta James, but I prefer it to the Wonder Bread version that Sheryl Crow sang at the White House last summer. Clarkson still owes us that "Anyone Who Ever Had a Heart," though ...

The six "Idol" finalists, including Clarkson and Tamyra Gray, learn from BB himself just how tricky his modulations are, in "That's What Friends Are For." The actual performance is a bland non-event until 2:34, when Kelly Clarkson brings the crowd to life with a powerful flourish.

A bone fide "oddity" from the vaults of youtube.....


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I've long thought that 'Paper Mache'' is one of Bacharach's most beguiling melodies (and chord progression) and here is a very rare cover of the song by Dutch singer Rita Reys from her '.........sings Burt Bacharach' album from the early 70s. Yet another title from that extremely long list of Bacharach songs that deserve to be better known and are just waiting to be discovered by the mass public.

Yes Martin, 'Paper Mache' is a real beauty and I like Rita Reys recording of it.

I've been playing 'Painted From Memory' a lot recently and it still moves me more than any other work of Bacharach's since the 60s. Several years before he co-wrote and recorded that remarkable album Elvis Costello covered Bacharach and Hilliard's 'Please Stay', a personal favorite of mine since the Cryin' Shames had a UK hit with it in '66. Certainly Costello's version owes more to their recording than it does to the Drifters'.

Dionne's granddaughter Cheyenne Elliot performing at B.B. King Blues Club in NYC last week. She has matured beautifully as a vocalist but (unfortunately) there are only hints of the Drinkard family sound. I wasn't so sure a couple of years ago but she has clearly the potential to become a great singer, too,

Quite impressive! ...... Attention - Clive Davis! .......... You may just have your 3rd (Drinkard, Warrick, Houston) success story here - displaying her own style! ....... Father David and Grandmother Dionne must be very proud!

Pljms, apparently the Crying Shames version of 'Please Stay' was adapted from an earlier recording by Zoot Money, including the change in the lyrics, and I think it's that version that Elvis Costello based his rendition on. Curiously, I saw Zoot Money playing Hammond and occasionally singing as part of Alan Price's band a year or so ago and I wondered whether he'd perform it, only for Alan Price to sing it instead alone at the piano with Zoot looking on from the bar! Here's Zoot Money's recording from around '64, featuring one Andy Summers on guitar:

You're right, Martin. For me at least the Drifters' version was too upbeat and the arrangement by Zoot Money and the subsequent recordings by Money himself, the Cryin' Shames and Elvis Costello succeeded in really bringing out the song's poignancy. A recording by Duffy from two or three years ago doesn't stray very far from the Zoot Money arrangement either:

Such a great version, arranged by the most talented Thom Bell, here's Nancy Wilson singing "(They Long to Be) Close To You: