The Burt Bacharach Discussion Forum

It seems like every good thing about recent (last half century !!) songwriting came together in the late 60s and VERY early 70s - melody and even beautiful melancholy/minor keys-tunes were popular, became classics, etc ... Lyrics could go any way you wanted. Even James Brown would do Shadow of Your Smile (or something like it, sorry I'm exaggerating .... ) .. No shame in being "deep" then .. BB and Beatles showed the way.

I thought I was hip to everything but just discovered Scott Walker's work courtesy of the great Marshall Crenshaw - his radio shows archived, if you haven't heard, please listen to this 15-minute stream from "Scott 3" ... Tunes 1, 2, and 4 are all Scott as writer and tune 3 is Jacques Brel, a fav of Scott's. He's identified with "The Sun Ain't Going to Shine Anymore, a great 60's pop tune, but this stuff on his own is just a revelation, really. BB meets Sinatra, crudely put .. but better than anything you could wish for:

http://www.marshallcrenshaw.com/audio/2005/100402.htm

Or save the mp3 from there too ...

Thnx everyone, I had to share after listening to this stream 20 times, just ordered the CD. I understand "Scott 4" is as good or better ..

Bumping my post, srry ... I fergot to say exactly how beautiful these songs are .. so nice and original are the main part of these tunes ... then come dramatic modulations on the bridges ... unforgettable. These are real tunes folks that have gone undiscovered ... The arrangements are all just reverb-soaked strings/orchestra and nylon string guitar. Ravishing in listening, and will always be remembered. Nick Drake fans, this is the more undiscovered great stuff than even Nick. OK I'll shut up now, hope you enjoy ...

Thanks - I have always loved The Walker Brother's version of Make it Easy on Yourself - and I'm familiar with his Jaques Brel interpretations - Jackie is a classic. But I'd never had a chance to hear his own songs so thanks for the link.
Might I (again) suggest Richard Hawley's Coles Corner - A new song that is steeped in the era that you reference. You will undoubtedly enjoy it....

Gosh, i have finally found a post that i've been trying to express
my own feeling all these years. That is:
beautiful melancholy/minor keys-tunes were popular, became classics, etc in that great music era.

You haven't exaggerated a bit in saying James Brown did
"The Shadows of your smile". In fact i heard a version by Stevie
Wonder in BBC radio 2 weekly show "The sound of the 60s"
where Brian Matthew digs up those rare and hidden gems of the 60s
I am going to share some with you (i've recorded them into mp3)
To start with, share with you 2 of my fav. versions of Shadow of your
smile:





Then a Nick Drake type song by a short-lived group in the 60s
called Nirvana (not the recent rock band). The song is called
Aine Cherie which has that melancholy/minor keys tune that is
beautiful.
I put the mp3 up in
http://www.streamload.com

Login as
webbburt777
(password is jimwebb)
Click on the "My Files" link in the left window,
then click "COntinue" and then you will see the song.
Either hear it online or download it.

Lots of such music to come for all of you who are into such music styles

Ah, Brian matthews just played the hauntingly pretty song
Joanna yesterday.
You could hear it online here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/mainfram ... undsixties

Advance to around 9:06 am to hear this song.

Oh yeah, Scott Walker's great!

My favorite record of his (besides "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore))"is: "My Ship Is Comin' In"

Also not to be missed are his versions of Jacques Brel's "Jackie".... the song that scandalized Britain in the late 1960's.

and his version of "I Don't Want To Hear It Anymore", written by Randy Newman.

Okay, who's heard Walker's most recent stuff, like 1997's Tilt? I'd be interested in hearing what people who know Walker primarily through his Bacharach covers think of his more recent avant muzak material. It's striking, to say the least, and more than a little unsettling, which is something you certainly can't say about most "pop" music. He's a fascinating character.

Edited to add: Whoa, great news!

I just went to Amazon to post a link to Tilt and discovered Scott has a brand new album out, Drift. It was released on June 6, 2006, on the great British label, 4AD. It's Scott's first new album in nine years. This is unbelievably great news for Walker fans.