The Burt Bacharach Discussion Forum

I'm am currently dazzled by the album SOGNI PROBITI, the 2002 anthology of BB/HD hits, sung in Italian by veteran pop singer, Ornella Vanoni.

Vanoni has a smoky, laid-back sprech-stimme not unlike that of Dionne Warwick's. Her vibrato, especially, can be remarkably similar to Dionne's at times.

But what's really blowing me away on this album are these amazing arrangements... They're really good... really sophisticated, dense in sonority both synthesized and traditional, immaculately produced, and often have some very tasteful "reharms" going on that are absolutely acceptable. They work.

I understand that Burt did in fact play piano on one cut-- her version of "Love's (Still) The Answer". But I'm wondering if he played or arranged the other tracks on this album?

I ask because they're truly up to a Bacharachian standard in every way.


Comments? Further info? Other lovers of this album?


pops

Correction: The correct title of this album is SOGNI PROIBITI by Ornella Vanoni, 2002.

I would love to get this CD but I don't see it listed on Tower Records. I hope I can find it somewhere!

What's interesting, of course, is that here is yet another singer, in 2005, who is dedicating an entire new CD to the songs of Burt Bacharach. His effect on people, as a composer, is monumental. His music, unlike most of his contemporaries, never goes stale or gets dated or goes out of fashion.

I see that she sings a new and great song that Burt wrote which is on the Isley album entitled "Love Is (Still) The Answer." It is such a fantastic piece of music that I'm shocked that no other singer has made it a big hit.

Here's a review and picture of her (click link below).


Magic moments

On the scene for over forty years, Ornella Vanoni is one of the most prolific and versatile artistes in the Italian singing world. With extraordinary vocal gifts and an unmistakable personality, over the years the Milan-born singer has shown admirable curiosity, which has led her to fall in love with the most varied musical worlds (take Brazil, for example, to which she dedicated her wonderful album “La voglia, la pazzia, l’incoscienza e l’allegriaâ€￾ in 1976; or, ten years later, “Ornella &...â€￾, an enjoyable disc of songs by top composers, performed with jazz musicians of the calibre of Gil Evans, Herbie Hancock, Lee Konitz, Herbie Mann).
So it is not surprising that in her latest cd, “Sogni proibitiâ€￾ (Sony), she has felt the need to pay tribute to Burt Bacharach, a composer of themes so universal that they can now be justly considered “standardâ€￾ pieces, just as those of Gershwin, Porter and Mercer already are.
Our only regret is to see our beloved Ornella always reproposing pieces that have been published before: we need hardly recall that she recently produced two other works, “Un panino, una birra e poi...â€￾ and “E poi...la tua bocca da baciareâ€￾, composed entirely of successes from the sixties and seventies. The results are first-rate, there is no doubt about that: but we would really like to hear her test herself with new compositions, engaged in new adventures.
Returning to her latest production, she explores Bacharach's repertoire, coming up with his most precious gems: from the classic “Magic momentsâ€￾ to “Raindropsâ€￾ and “I'll never fall in love againâ€￾, and signs off with the superb new piece “Love’s (still) the answerâ€￾, in which she is accompanied at the piano by Bacharach himself. With the excellent support of a group of fine instrumentalists, as well as the Millennium Chamber Orchestra, Vanoni still seems to be in great form, able to enchant the listener: it is a pity that the programme includes only Italian versions (perhaps to satisfy the desires of the recording company), because in this way the delicate onomatopeic blend and the magic of many titles are irremediably lost. We can only hope that, in the future, this fine singer will be a bit more daring.


http://www.italica.rai.it/eng/principal ... anoni3.htm

Oh, I dunno about that review's last comment... Part of the greatness of this record is the superb Italian translations themselves.

It makes me wonder: were these particular translations done recently for Vanoni's record, or were they the "default" Italian translations done back in the 60's when those songs intially came out? These are great... "Magic Moments" is especially a tour-de-force.

Not all translations of BB/HD's songs have been as graceful, IMHO. I never thought the French version of "You Won't Get To Heaven (If You Break My Heart)" as sung by Dionne on that LIVE AT THE OLYMPIA album showed good prosody with the melody. Only my opinion.

D.

Great CD, you can listen to a Bacharach Song a thousand times and it never seems to grow old. Love the Italian interpertation.
Strong Buy on this one.
Tom