The Burt Bacharach Discussion Forum

Here's a 1961 rarity from the pen of Bacharach & David, produced by Jerry Ragovoy and performed by none other than Frankie Avalon:

http://download.yousendit.com/D65902633ABA5A8D

Enjoy!

A couple of quick impressions of this song and recording...I think
Frankie and company thought this song was an ok filler, and they didn't spend muchg time on the recording of it..Frankie's vocal is a quickie, and he sings flat...his mangagement (Bob Marcucci) decided to release it as a single anyway.

The second thought is, although this is a knock off song, Burt's quirkisms are present here on the bridge...on the lyric "two by two" we have
the standard progression C minor 7th to F which resolves to Bflat,
however Burt is selecting C minor 7th to Fmajor 7th...giving it that
heartbreakchord sound, or that major 7th sound that something isn't quite solid or right...lol

Steveo

Well, I respect the early ballads of Frankie A. with the great Peter DeAngelis' orchestra backings.....and the producing of Marcucci and DeAngelis...NOt Jerry Ragavoy.
I love Peter's etherial "wall of sound" on Bobby Socks To Stockings, or Venus, with the unison girls, the autoharp,vibes, and the mixed choir buried in echo....his choice of chords... just a genius arranger...like Burt!
Well, Frank coldn't get the rights to release and make enuff profit on his old recordings, so he re-recorded them years later so as to have total control of the profits these new "old" versions....not good.........
neither the arrangments or his vocal interpetations have the magic of those early recordings....
A number of other artists have done this, to bad results, although I guess it does reap some monetary gains from some of the unsuspecting public.
Other artists who re-did their originals...The PLatters, Jan and Dean,
Gary Lewis and the Playboys, etc....The list goes on and on - Beware!