The Burt Bacharach Discussion Forum

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20091025/D9BI4LBG0.html

The report says "the condition is in its very early stages." Here's hoping that he will be fine.

Broadway plans too.

I don't want to appear insensitive, but this news really has nothing to do with the career and current activities of Burt Bacharach.

I agree, pljms, especially as the news is all over the media anyway. A post about ALW's music in relation to BB's would be more appropriate for these pages, although I've yet to meet a Bacharach fan who's especially fond of Lloyd Webber's music. I know I'm not!

My sympathies to ALW but I agree Sara...not overly fond of ALW's compositions and I am finding it difficult to identify many commonalities between ALW and BB other than that they are composers...find it hard to even think of them in comparison to one another.

I tend to agree with all of the above comments; however, there is no harm in having some interest in the well being of another successful composer (particularly when it comes to Broadway plays)..... I'm personally looking forward to his sequel to Phantom of the Opera ("Love Never Dies") and would not have been aware of his health issue had it not been posted. ..... Anyone could avoid reading the text of the post along with the responses by simply glancing at the "Subject" matter and skipping over it!

I don't get it. How is writing to criticize an old bacharach-lover poster not known for being off-topic worth one's explicit acceptance of the risk of appearing insensitive?

My post was informative (link) and brief. I did make reference to the fact that the condition probably wasn't serious (I was afraid that some could be unnecessarily distressed) and showed simpathy. Is this not what we would like to expect from forums dedicated to world-renowned composers/song-writing artists, regardless of specific affinities, should it ever, G-d forbid, be announced that Burt has a potentially major health problem?

I sure will continue to be careful about what I post. But hopefully I and others won't be unduly stressed out about people who are too sensitve to bother being sensitive, so that forum participants won't be deprived of relevant information or points of view.


In any event, here are other more specific thoughts about the post and its criticisms.

The story wasn't old when I posted it here. Apparently the issue had just become public. Everything, from the announcement to my posting, happened early Sunday morning in the US.

Possibly the one issue that makes my post clearly within the scope of this forum. Burt wrote with Tim Rice, and both Bacharach and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber may have works opening on Broadway next year, which is huge for those interested in Broadway musicals and probably relevant to production plans of Promises, Promises, a currently hot topic here in this forum. I didn't know about Lloyd Webber's plans when I read that report. I pointed to Webber's plans in my very brief post.

Among other good points made by Ron: the title was very clear.

Rio:
Please - DO NOT BE OVERLY CAUTIOUS - when introducing new topics to the forum. The number of "views" (124 as of today) on Andrew Lloyd Webber's health exceeds the number of views on 21 other subjects posted PRIOR to yours on just the first page of posts. Obviously there was a great deal of interest and I'm glad that you brought this to our attention. ...... It was appropriate and of interest to many who follow the forum. "keep smiling.....keep shining" - and most of all - keep posting - Rio! - that's what fans are for!
Ron

Thank you so much, Ron, for your very caring, supportive, and thoughtfully cheerful message. I am likely to have to stay away from the internet for a couple of days -- your post will surely make my weekend more enjoyable.

Hey Rio,
I'm behind ya also....post anything you think that will be of interest to
music lovers...any of Burt's contemporaries...
Steveo

Although I am not a big fan of ALW, I agree. And I do wish ALW the best with his health. Some who post here are not huge Dionne fans or Dusty fans but they have every right to post here. Although I believe Bacharach is the best pop composer bar none the past 45 years or so, many of his contemporaries were influenced by him...although I have heard little similarity between Bacharach and ALW, that doesn't mean there are none...ALW will always be a show tune composer to me whereas Bacharach was most interested in composing for vocalists and pursuing pop hits and was not confined by concept unless composing for a motion picture and even then he was so damn creative and unique. Promises, Promises had the most "unshow" sounding score and this was evident in that those tunes from Promises, Promises became big hits for Dionne and others. Have never been a big fan of the typical Broadway musical or showtunes as so many are mounted in a familiar way but there was something so unique and intimate about Promises, Promises. Such intimacy is something unusual in my mind anyway for a Broadway musical so Promises Promises was so satisfying to me on so many levels...and it was a groundbreaking production.

BachtoBacharach:
You make some great observations here re: "Promises Promises". I love the songs from that play as much today as I did back in the late 60's. Hope the Broadway revival comes to fruition and would also like to think that someone might wish to do a screen version (I know the play was rooted in the film "The Apartment"). There are a number of great vocalists capable of re-introducing most of those great songs to a whole new generation of potential Bacharach fans. The one number that no one should cover (well - they can try!) is Dionne's recording of the title song. Burt has stated on more than one occasion that he wished he had made it a little less complex. I'm pleased that he did not - and - as far as I am concerned that inimitable recording will forever belong to Burt Hal & Dionne! ....... I'm gonna listen to it now!

Ok so ALW is not directly associated with Burt, but I do know that Tim Rice (collaborated with ALW on many things) is a friend(& admirer) of Burt's.

For those of you who care about such things, prostate cancer is pretty much inevitable for a man who makes it to age 85 and is usually so indolent at that time a guy dies of something else...

David