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Friday, August 24, 2012

Baby Got Bacharach

A few days ago I received an email from one of my oldest and dearest friends. Attached was a link to a youtube video.

There are many reasons why this particular friend and I have remained as such over the past 15 years... one of them is because we share an unabashed love of the music of Mr Burt Bacharach.

If, for some of you, this name causes you to draw a blank - don't worry. You know who I am talking about, you just don't know that you know. He's the creator of a billion* hit songs that have been sung by every major artist over the past... oh, let's say 50 years. I'm not googling this knowledge, you'll just have to trust my very vague promises that I know what I'm talking about.

Anyway, to modern ears, his music may tend to sound a little corny, a little sappy, but yet so wonderfully sincere, so alternately full of joy and heartache - there is just no way to NOT love the Bacharach.

He's an Oscar and Grammy winner several times over, his music has been featured in hundreds of films and tv shows, he's had multiple tribute concerts and albums in his honor, and recently he's the winner of the Gershwin Prize presented by the Library Of Congress. He's President Obama AND Glee approved. Lookout!

Everyone has a favorite song, whether it's : What The World Needs Now Is Love, A House Is Not A Home, Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head, Close To You, Do You Know The Way To San Jose, Say A Little Prayer, Walk On By, Anyone Who Had A Heart, I'll Never Fall In Love Again, Always Something There To Remind Me, Baby It's You, The Look Of Love, What's New Pussycat....

Oh shoot, why don't you just pick one out for yourself? I  am only too happy to get you started on your quest to get a little Bacharach.






By the by, I don't often get the chance to say this, but Luther Vandross was the shit. This is a beautiful version of Windows Of The World into, yes, an apologetically "adult easy listening" but still awesome version of What The World Needs Now.


Arguably one of the "sezziest" versions of Walk On By by Mr Issac Hayes, who covered a number of Bacharach hits.


The 16 year old in me is so super excited to have found this version of Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head (although I'm a little confused by some of the editing choices of whoever put this video together).


I would be remiss to forget the woman who made a career off of singing Bacharach, Dionne Warwick:


Wynonna officially becomes my favorite Judd for singing one of my favorite songs.


I could easily drown my page in videos... but instead I encourage you to keep your ears open for a delicious Bacharach cover. They pop up more than you realize and each one is generally a delight.

Oh. In case you were curious, the video my friend sent me is of Cilla Black singing my favorite BB song, Alfie.


*Ermmmm, okay. Maybe not a billion. I haven't counted.

2 comments:

Mike Boody said...

Even "sezzier" is her performance in 'Austin Powers: the man of mystery'.

Anonymous said...

oh clark. remind me to tell you my best true memory of any performance of alfie ever (the best conjectural one would be the one in which you play cilla black singing alfie in her upcoming, also speculative, biopic). love to you. jfo