The Burt Bacharach Discussion Forum

I listened to the song "Life Walker" that Roberto kindly posted. Had never heard of it, and at first I thought it was just a song Roberto liked and wanted to share. After he posted the link to some details about it, I noted that it was a collaborative effort between Burt, one of the Leiber guys, Steve Krekorian(?) and a Japanese writer. The more I listen, I definitely notice Burt's touches in some of the chord progressions, and in the drama and emotion of parts of the arrangement... but I'm wondering - when was it written? To me, it almost has a late 70s disco sound, but I didn't think Burt was writing with those guys in those years; and it's unlike anything he DID write in those years, to these ears at least. What does everyone else think? And does anyone know when the song was written?

I can't definitively speak to when the song was written, but the recording can't be any older than the late-1980s or early-1990s at the very earliest, based upon the arrangement and production. But at that time, he was still immersed in delivering the kind of accessible, undemanding tunes he'd been writing with Carole Bayer-Sager for a decade. Given the syncopated melody lines and dramatic chord progressions, my guess is that this is one of the many compositions that emerged with his signature structural traits intact in the wake of his successful mid-1990s collaborations with Elvis Costello. That's my guess.

Under the "ACE Title Search" at the ASCAP internet site, I found the following information:

"Life Walker" was written by

BACHARACH BURT F
KRIKORIAN STEVEN M
LEIBER JERRY
MORI MASAKAZU

Here is the link:
http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300

And it doesn't give the year. It also says under "Performers": "None found"

And, by the way, Steven M Krikorian is better known as the musician "Tonio K" with whom Burt has collaborated before. And Jerry Lieber, of course, is half the team of Lieber and Stoller -- and they are, of course, a legendary songwriting team ("Hound Dog", "Yakety Yak", "Kansas City", "Stand By Me", "On Broadway", etc. etc. etc.).

Well, what is most of you's verdict(how'd ya like my english?(lol) on this tune?
A good one, or just average?

Steveo

Sorry, but this is the sort of thing Burt tossed off in his sleep during the 80s. It sounds like an out-take from the Night Shift soundtrack.

Was not too impressed...rather boring and rote.

Burt's other collaborations with Krikorian were written or at least recorded from 1999 - 2002. SMAP was apparently Japan's contribution to the Boy Band era, and they were recording during those years; the album cited on youtube is from 2008, but appears to be a compilation. How Jerry Leiber came into it is a mystery, but the result is no testament to his legend, to say the least. Although Burt's signature is ascertainably there, I think we just have to add this to the handful (and it really is only a handful, even in the case of these bizarre foreign projects) of truly irredeemable works!