The Burt Bacharach Discussion Forum

Hi everyone.

Listening last weekend to all Scepter LPs ...

These two enormous Burt songs, and Dionne vocals, stick to my head above all others ...

Both of them neglected except among Burt/Dionne fans like us ... ever on the radio, ever? .... I don't think so.

It's 110 in Dallas today, and my fevered head is thinking of those tunes. "Go With Love'" beautiful tune with enormous challenges for Dionne which she pulls off in her genius way. "Who is Going to Love Me" from Promises Promises is just a slow build burner and full of passion.

Nothing better. Music has deserted us somehow now.

I would give the typical "what has happened to music?" arguments except that they're true and no one wants to admit it. Accepted as true is that most folks think of the 40s-50s now as the "greatest generation," no argument ...

There was a "greatest generation" in music too, which lasted a few decades before, and beyond. It's over.

Reply to my own post, sorry.

I don't know if these songs have been done "live" in decades. with either Burt or Dionne.

No matter. They stand, greatness, with so many others.

When I want Burt greatness over the last decade, I almost put in the Burt/Elvis Costello VCR at the Sony Studio, I think it's titled on W. 54th St., in NY, 1998. That makes me feel like Burt's greatness isn't so far away ...

Still can get one as cheap as $15 for VCR (never been put on DVD) ....

"Who Is Gonna Love Me" was released as a single back in the the 60's and I recall liking it the first time I heard it on the radio. Another 60's single "Looking With My Eyes" became an all time personal favorite after first hearing it! ........... I've concluded over the years that so much of this great material is just too sophisticated and complex for the casual listener. While there have been a lot of commercially successful BB/HD/DW recordings - so many more deserved the same widespread commercial exposure! ... There are so many factors that influence this!

I absolutely agree .. there is a long list of non commercial BB,HD, DW masterpieces which is maybe why they wern't top of the list in concerts etc when audiences seem to just want the hits so they can stand up and clap! Retrospectively I wish Burt had pushed those longs to the fore, even foresaking commercial failure, but I suppose money has to be made and success achieved. It would be brilliant if some of these great songs could have a glittering high profile relaunch.

Kudos from me to all the above.

Who is Gonna Love Me is one of my very favorites. It seems like you couldn't add or remove anything from that arrangement and not commit a crime, and that it had to be Dionne too.
One thing that I consider a sign of greatness is when someone is admired for something (that I like a lot) and that person has much lesser known works that could easily rival that something and even surpass it in important ways.

Burt Bacharach: Duets and Instrumentals
Including

For The Children
Pacific Coast Highway
Wives and Lovers (suite) [Also: Movie and Theater]
Oscars 2000 Suite [same, maybe]

You've Got It All Wrong (duet) [same]
I've Got My Mind Made Up (duet) [same]
Everchanging Times (duet) [same]
Come in Ogni Ora (live duet)

An almost forgotten "recent" gem is Walking Tall [movie and theater], I think. Among older ones, there are loads I could mention as deserving of another opportunity (even -- or especially -- with the original recordings).

I would also like to listen to Burt's own version of Pennies In The Jar (Nikki Jean pretty much said that there is a Burt version) and the score to the musical that didn't take off several years ago (I enjoyed what I listened when BBC's "This is Now" showed Burt writing and performing it in Del Mar).

Let's hope someday, someone will issue a compilation with ALL the songs Dionne recorded with
Bacharach and David.....there's so many "hidden gems"........

"blue"
PS
C'mon "Rhino" are ya listenin' !!!!!!!!!!!!!

The late Keith Burke who was a contributor to this forum was in the middle of compiling such a collection when he suddenly passed away several years ago. I had the good fortune of corresponding with him. His A-Z compilation got to the "I's" when I received my copy and shortly after that I learned via this forum that he passed away. He had a friend by the name of Bruce (from Arizona) that hopefully finished up the compilation. One of my favorite BB/HD/DW hidden gems is "Is There Another Way To Love You?".

Hi Bruce,
I remember Keith very well, he sent me one song I'll never forget called "After All" by Paul Anka.
And several other Bacharach /David "masterpieces"
.............miss him.

"blue"
PS
Here's the wonderful song you mentioned.

The closest I have found that include "little heard gems" are two items: one on cd, the other on vinyl.
Dionne Warwick, "From the Vaults" (1995, Ichiban - a subsidiary of Warner Special Products) is a 24 track cd, 16 of them early Bacharach/David. Those 24 tracks were taken from 5 albums Ms. Warwick released from 1963 through 1966. Songs, including "How Can I Hurt You", "Window Wishing", "Is there Another Way To love You", "That's Not the Answer" are rarely found on other compilations.

In 1970, "Go with Love" a double vinyl was released, (I believe it was originally released for members of the Columbia Record Club) on the Scepter/Columbia House label. Songs (a total of 23 selections) included are some of the above and also, "As Long As there's An Apple Tree", "Walk Little Dolly", "Let Me Be Lonely" and one of my favorites, which is on both of the above, "In Between the Heartaches".
Again, these two collections contain songs from the early to mid 60's, primarily.

Enjoy!

I just love 'In Between The Heartaches'!

Thanks "blue" for sharing that hauntingly beautiful song. That song puts the "T" in torch! When you mentioned "After All" by Paul Anka, I wondered if Keith also included the other Maestro-written composition "Rainbow" taken from the same Polydor Import album which was released in 1995. It too is another great hidden gem that, thanks to Keith, I play over and over. As I've mentioned in an earlier post, two (2) others that I never can get enough of are "We Should Have Met Sooner" and "When You Bring Your Sweet Love To Me" by Jamie Anders. But back to BB/HD/DW, "Dream Sweet Dreamer" and "Odds And Ends" are the epitome of their hidden gems.

Bruce,
Keith did indeed include "Rainbow"..........glorious track !!!

"blue"

Arranging fact...
Burt learned a lot of the tricks of the trade arranging wise..included is the
horn introduction of Who Is Gonna Love Me, where he delays the introduction by a "sixteenth" (a sixteenth rest), so it comes in just a little late afte the rhythm track is already going...this is split second timing
Steveo