The Burt Bacharach Discussion Forum

Hello,

I already have a few Bacharach soundtracks in my shelf (What's New Pussycat, After The Fox & Casino Royale) and now wanted to dig a bit deeper into the composer's output. Can anybody recommend a Bacharach compilation that contains Dionne Warwick's version of "What The World Needs Now"? I have been looking around, but most compilations only contain the Jackie DeShannon version (which I already own). Any help would be very appreciated.

Best regards,

Stefan

Hi,
Regarding Dionne's WTWNN-
Mark will prbably erase this entry..but i think despite Hal David's constant
testament of "oh dionne's version is my favorite...I hate this recording...
it's empty sounding and lame.....
Just my opinion...

Hi...you can find Dionne Warwick's cheerful reading of the song on her 1992 Rhino CD collection "Hidden Gems." I think it's out of print, but you should be able to pick up a used copy on eBay or Amazon.com

Incidentally, I agree with the previous post. Whether or not (as Warwick has somewhat bitterly claimed on occasion) Bacharach appropriated the winning formula he developed in his sessions with Warwick for the gorgeous Jackie Deshannon recording, Warwick's 1966 remake sounds like what it is: a cover. It's not bad. It just has the uninspired, tossed off feel of a cover of somebody else's hit. Which--regardless of how and why--it is.

Besides, the person who should really have been annoyed by Deshannon's success was Gene Pitney, for whom the song was originally slated.

Dionne's mid 60's version is also available on the Sequel Records (2 album 1 CD) release of the "Here I Am" & "Here Where There Is Love" It's available as an import from Tower Records.

A more heartfelt and "far superior version by Dionne" was recorded live on Dec 21, 1993 at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria. It appears on the "out of print" (available used) "Celebration in Vienna" Sony Classical recording featuring Dionne Warwick & Placido Domingo. This is a great album which also includes other solo performances by Dionne ("As Time Goes By" and "O Holy Night"). Also duets with Placido Domingo ("Smile", "Over The Rainbow", "Ave Maria" & "Silent Night"). It also includes a superb medley of Christmas songs performrd by Dionne, Placido and a boys choir. Note: This was also released as a video in 1994. For some unknown reason this album was a well kept secret. Never heard Dionne mention it and never saw it promoted. DW fans should definitely have both the CD & Video!

On the other hand - an ill advised version of WTWNN was recorded by Dionne with the Hip-Hop Nation United and included on the 1998 CD "Dionne Sings Dionne" (4 different versions on the CD single).

Wow... Can you imagine how the 1960's would have unfolded had Gene Pitney launched "What The World Needs Now (Is Love)" ?

I love Pitney, don't get me wrong... but the Jackie de Shannon is pure magic... there is a pathos in that record that is almost unbearable. It hasn't aged an iota.

By the way, the correct title of that song is as I've typed it above, with its parenthetical addition. Hal deserves no less.

I always thought that Dionne was offered the song first and rejected it supposedly because it was still in its country-ish arrangement for Gene Pitney.
(Doesn`t matter to me -- I never cared for the song in any of its incarnations).

I believe that's the primary reason she was annoyed. She turned down the song in its original Pitney-flavored incarnation, only to have it surface as a monster and highly influential top-10 hit for another female artist in a soulful, "Warwick-esque" style during a year in which her own Bacharach/David singles were stalling in the 60s and 70s on the Hot 100.

Although it's admittedly been highly commercialized and overexposed throughout its 40-year history, Deshannon's take is, for my money, one of the very best Bacharach recordings of his amazing career. I actually wish Bacharach and David had continued in the same R&B-ballad vein with Deshannon instead of trying to cultivate a unique Petula Clark-goes-folk niche for her. Although I do like the other songs they recorded together (particularly "Come And Get Me"), it might have been interesting to hear the trio tackle more Warwick cast-offs or also-rans, much as Warwick rerecorded the modest Bacharach/David hits of other R&B artists ("Reach Out For Me," "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself," "Message To Michael," etc.)

Despite my churlish indifference to WTWNN I`m a huge fan of most of Jckie deShannon`s Burt & Hal recordings, particularly "Come and Get Me" which (along with the roughly contemporaneous vocal take of "Saturday Sunshine") made a pop auteurist of me.
A close contender (although not a hit) was "Lifetime of Loneliness."
See? I`m not all negativity!
By the way, just what project are we awaiting that will enable the release of those three un-issued Warner tracks listed in the notes to "Dionne"?

Well Blair - we've already had "Hidden Gems" - why not "Buried Treasure" ??? More realistically - they could appear as bonus tracks with the U.S. remastered release of "Love At First Sight". Are you listening - David Nathan??