The Burt Bacharach Discussion Forum

What Am I Doing Here (Cut from the Original Score):
http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?a ... 493C2232C5

Let's Pretend We're Grown Up (Cut from the Original Score):
http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?a ... 0F61D3D44D

Tick Tock Goes The Clock (Cut from the Original Score):
http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?a ... 511451301F

Seconds/Gladys Knight Version: (Written For The Film)
http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?a ... 9237066040

Promises Promises/ Jill O'Hara Version (Cut from The Original Cast Recording):
http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?a ... 1A4775ADBE

You've Got It All Wrong (Written For The Revival):
http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?a ... 65254F658B

Thanks Keith,
Promises, Promises....one of the best musicals....ever !!!
"You've Got It All Wrong"..one of the best Bacharach/David songs ever !!!

Nuff said,
"Blue"

I've never read Simon's libretto--does Jill's character sing Promises Promises in the show or was it just recorded? Does Let's Pretend creep anyone else out a bit?

And Seconds was recorded then for both Futures and by Gladys?

Eric-
None of the productions of Promises Promises I have ever seen had Fran Kubelik singing the title song anywhere in the show. My guess is that Jill O'Hara recorded it for the original cast album but it was nixed at the eleventh hour in order to retain the continuity of the show.

I agree with you, Let's Pretend We're Grown Up is a little 'creepy'. But these lyrics are coming from the same man who wrote :"When I'm hurt, I revert, back to my doll and to my doll I sing..." (Walk Little Dolly 1967).

As far as Seconds. Mr. Bacharach and Mr. David were not on speaking terms (circa 1974) when the proposed film version of Promises was being batted around. Neil Simon who wrote the screenplay for the film was enlisted to write the lyrics for a new song (Seconds) for the film. When the bottom fell out of the film getting produced Gladys Knight and the Pips picked up the song for their 1974 LP 'I Feel A Song', which went on to win the Grammy that year for Best R&B LP. Mr. Bacharach arranged and produced the Gladys Knight version of Seconds so all was not lost. Seconds resurfaced in 1977 on the brilliant Futures LP.

Let me add my thanks, Keith, for your kindly posting the links to these songs. Regarding these cut pieces from the "Promises, Promises" show, I have to say that my 2 favorite ones are "What Am I Doing Here?" and "Tick Tock Goes the Clock." I have the CD that presents the demo recordings that were done; but I also have the "Lost in Boston" tapes that offer both these songs with full orchetration and, at least in the case of "Tick Tock" multiple voicing. These are terrific pieces! I heard or read somewhere that the reason why "Tick Tock" was cut was not any lack of satisfaction with the song, but rather, the performers just couldn't sustain the singing and dancing that the song required. It's a long song, difficult to sing, and filled with tempos that require energetic dancing. "What Am I Doing Here?" is one of those Bacharach gems which, when you just look at the melody line, seems unlyrical, leading nowhere, unattractive to the ear. But then, with the orchestrations and proficient singing, it just melts you.

I tried to get those Lost in Bostons thru a retailer here in Canada (I can't order online at the moment) as I'm a fan of some of the other shows they have cut songs from (ie Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along, Coleman's Sweet Charity) but was told they're outa print I know the booklets for Boston give explanations as to why the songs wee cut--could you type what they said for the two included? (I'm pretty sure Let's Pretend never even made it into tryouts)

As for Let's Pretend it sounds like in a way they were tryign to comment on how the kids might mimic and learn from their parents bad behaviour--which adds another seriouser side to Promises Promises but then the lyrics and melody are so jaunty it's hard to know what to take from it

Was You've Got it All Wrong done for the Martin Short Encores staging? I think Tick Tock may have been added to that too (it was rumoured it would lead to a full scale revival--like the Encores CHicago did--but it never happened )

As for the Neil Simon song--he also wrote another song with Burt that Dionne recorded right?

Yes, Bacharach/Simon compositions were part of the unreleased three-song Burt/Dionne session. I believe Phil Ramone was involved in those recordings, too.

Well, I checked my "Lost in Boston" tapes, and they have no liner notes about the songs. They just indicate what shows they were from, who sings them, and production credits.

The demo recordings for Promises, Promises from the "Broadway First Take, Vol. 2" CD has some notes:

1) Promises, Promises - Rose Maire Jun & Kenny Karen - This is the show's final song, although first in this program. It is the hollow promise of career advancement that sets the ironic tone of the musical. Like much Bacharach/David work, the shifting rhythmic accents provide enormous energy.

2) What Am I Doing Here? - Rose Marie Jun - Cut from the score, perhaps becuse of a preponderance of ballads. A beautiful ballad, it is sung here with moving introspection by Rose Marie Jun. It questions why this intelligetn woman continues in a futile affair with a married man. She asks herself, "When am I ever gonna learn?"

3) Upstairs - Kenny Karen (who gleaned this interpretation directly from Burt Bacharach) - With his"U-u-u-u-pstairs" slide and his youthful vigor, this performance actually has more of the joyous feeling of the hero, Chuck, than Jerry Orbach's stage performance.

4) You'll Think of Someone - Rose Marie Jun & Bernie Knee - A tenuous duet. Chuck is trying to interest Fran in sharing interests and hobbies with him but she is oblivious to him. The song is a trenchant comment on non-communication.

5) She Likes Basketball - Kenny Karen - An optimistic jazz waltz, the kind of song in which Bacharach/David have no peers. On the line where he dribbles right down the court and shoots for the basket, you can almost feel him take off from the floor.

6) Let's Pretend We're Grown Up - Rose Marie Jun & Leslie Miller - Cut from the score and as far as I know, never recorded. Intended for the office party scene that ends Act 1 (subsequently ended by "Turkey Lurkey Time"). It shows girls' mixed emotions towards boys as something stemming from childhood. Something they only expose when they are tipsy.

7) Wanting Things - Kenny Karen - In his opera, Tosca, Puccini gave the most passionate music to the villain, Scarpia. So it is here, for Sheldrake, a lying cad, is given this song, performed here with such feeling by Kenny Karen. The song really helps the believability of the musical, for it gives this bounder a third dimension, fleshing out his character.

Tick Tock Goes the Clock - Burt Bacharach, Rose Marie Jun & Leslie Miller - Cut from the show. Several trenchant messages are chouched in this rhythmic, light-hearted song about time for marriage slipping away. The cruelty of conformity is beautifully stated in this lyric, which Hal David called his "favorite song in the show." Burt Bacharach joins in the singing of the nonsense syllables between the choruses and at the opening.

9) Whoever You Are I Love You - Rose Marie Jun - This seminal number, somewhat like an art song, has enough exquisite phrases for three songs. Jun delivers a performance of poignancy and power. Beginning and ending with a haunting, "Sometimes your eyes look blue to me," crescendoing with "from moment to moment" and climaxing on "whoever you are, I love you," this is one of the finest and most moving show songs of the decade.

10) Christmas Day - the ensemble - Sung in the show by half a dozen choristers in the pit. It was intended as a pastiche, with lyrics such as :Learn to give/try to live/each day like Christmas day." It has a moving noel-like melody that adds to the variety of the score.

That's all I could find in the way of notes on these songs. Steve

Thank you very, very much, Keith.

I had a better impression of You've Got It All Wrong before I listened to the two mp3 recordings. Maybe it has to do with the fact that seeing it live is a very different experience.

For the last day of the Encores performances I took a friend on his birthday. He was my roommate for a couple of years when I studied at NYU, and he had listened to those songs at home. At the end of the show he had tears in his eyes and he hugged me saying "Now I understand you. Bacharach is a genius." So I guess the actual thing can help change our perception of the work. I still like the song a lot, but it had a much greater effect on me when I listened to it live.

I didn't know Hal liked Tick Tock that much (thanks for that post, Steve S.!). Of the cut songs it probably is my favorite. But, overall, Promises, Promises, Whoever You Are and Knowing When To Leave and Wanting Things are, by far, my favorites. It's probably the case that Burt thought likewise when he chose to include those in his superb Make it Easy on Yourself album.

Rio-

Here's a link to the live version of You've Go It All Wrong from the soundboard of the Encores production of Promises:
http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?a ... D340A611BC

I don't know what happened to me. I somehow thought the version you offered at the start of this thread was not the one you had offered a while back and which prompted me to say, at the time, that I wasn't too impressed with it (though I was in awe with the one at the show). It is not surprising that neither one impressed me half as much as I thought they would.

But I have to say you made my weekend posting this recording from the pit. This is as powerful as I remember it. Now I can confidently say You've Got It All Wrong is up there with the other ones I said were my favorites from the show.

I can't thank you enough, Keith.

Rio-
You are more than welcome for the selections from Promises Promises. I'm glad in some small way I have been able to "throw a little joy your way". It has always been my pleasure to share whatever I have with you and many of the other forum regulars. Others, (you know who you are), not so much.

-K-