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Burt Bacharach

 
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia:

Burt Bacharach

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(born May 12, 1928, Kansas City, Mo., U.S.) U.S. songwriter and pianist. He studied under Darius Milhaud, Bohuslav Martinu, and Henry Cowell. In the 1950s he wrote arrangements for Steve Lawrence and Vic Damone and later toured with Marlene Dietrich. In the late 1950s he began his long association with lyricist Hal David (b. 1921), which would produce many hits especially for singer Dionne Warwick (b. 1940), including "Walk On By," "I Say a Little Prayer," and "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" He and David wrote the successful musical Promises, Promises (1968) and the score for the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969, Academy Award). Bacharach collaborated with singer-songwriter Elvis Costello (b. 1954) on the album Painted from Memory (1998).

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Gale Encyclopedia of Biography:

Burt Bacharach

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Composer/arranger Burt Bacharach (born 1928) established himself in the 1960s as one of America's premier pop songwriters. After achieving considerable success with recordings by Dionne Warwick and B.J. Thomas, among many others, he found his style of music out of fashion during the 1970s and 1980s. In the late 1990s, he returned to active composing as a new generation discovered his music.

The sophisticated melodies of Burt Bacharach were among the defining sounds of American popular music in the 1960s and early 1970s. In an era when rock gained ascendancy, his elegant compositions echoed the heyday of the great Broadway and Tin Pan Alley songwriters. In tandem with lyricist Hal David, Bacharach created songs graced with complex rhythms and fresh harmonic patterns that were rich in color and mood. The Bacharach/ David team produced a remarkable body of work for the stage and screen as well as for the record-buying market. The Carpenters, Tom Jones, B.J. Thomas, Dusty Springfield and, most of all, Dionne Warwick were among the artists who popularized Bacharach's songs. The start of the 21st century found him increasingly productive, working with new collaborators and releasing retrospectives of his best work.

Early Years

Burt Bacharach was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on May 12, 1928. His father, Bert Bacharach, was a syndicated columnist and men's fashion journalist. His mother, Irma, was an amateur singer and pianist who encouraged her son to study music. Moving with his family to Forest Hills, New York, Bacharach studied cello, drums and piano as a child. His first strong interest was in sports. However, by the time he reached high school his piano playing abilities began to make him popular at school functions and local dances. Beyond his classical training, Bacharach found inspiration by sneaking into Manhattan jazz clubs and absorbing the sounds of such bebop innovators as Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. After high school, he studied music at McGill University in Montreal and at New York's Mannes School of Music. It was at the latter school that he came under the influence of composer Darius Milhaud, who encouraged his young student to develop his melodic talents.

During a stint in the armed services from 1950 through 1952, Bacharach was kept busy performing at army bases as part of a dance band. Back in civilian life, he became a New York nightclub pianist and arranger, working with such singers as Vic Damone, Steve Lawrence and the Ames Brothers. In 1953, he married vocalist Paula Stewart and began to find work in Las Vegas. His horizons broadened further when he signed on as actress/singer Marlene Dietrich's musical director in 1958. Bacharach began to become more serious about songwriting during this time. Exposure to the music of Brazilian bossa nova composers Antonio Carlos Jobim and Dori Caymmi helped him develop his style further.

First Recordings

Bachrach's first hit recordings included Marty Robbins' "The Story of My Life" (1957) and Perry Como's "Magic Moments" (1958). Undoubtedly his oddest early tune was "The Blob" (1958), the novelty theme song from the horror film of the same title. His songwriting partnership with lyricist Hal David was beginning to solidify, paving the way for the exceptional songs that would come out of them a few years later. David and Bacharach worked together in New York's legendary Brill Building, a haven for hardworking songwriters. Increasingly, Bacharach was taking chances with his music. Some of his more unusual melodic and harmonic ideas met resistance from record companies. "All those so-called abnormalities seemed perfectly normal to me," he commented in the liner notes to The Look of Love: The Burt Bacharach Collection, a CD retrospective released by Rhino Records in 1998. "In the beginning, the A and R [Artist and Repertoire] guys, who were like first lieutenants, would say, 'You can't dance to it' or 'That bar of three needs to be changed to a bar of four,' and because I wanted to get the stuff recorded, I listened and ended up ruining some good songs. I've always believed if it's a good tune people will find a way to move to it." His unorthodox but appealing work began to reach a wider audience with such tunes as "Baby It's You" (recorded by the Shirelles and, later, by the Beatles) and "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance" (a 1962 hit for Gene Pitney).

The elements that would define the Bacharach sound began to fall into place in the early 1960s. "Make It Easy On Yourself," released as a single by pop/rhythm and blues singer Jerry Butler in 1962, displayed the melodic grandeur and bittersweet lyric sentiments that would become the hallmarks of later hits. An even more significant release that same year was "Don't Make Me Over," the first Bachrach/ David song recorded by Dionne Warwick. Her delicate phrasing and ability to convey both strength and vulnerability made her the ideal interpreter of the duo's songs. Warwick was able to handle the intricacies of Bacharach's demanding music with ease. The result was a series of enduring hit singles, among them "Anyone Who Had A Heart" (1963), "Walk On By" (1964), "I Say A Little Prayer" (1967) and "Do You Know The Way To San Jose" (1968). Bacharach arranged and co-produced his hits with Warwick, surrounding her voice with elegant strings, muted trumpets, tastefully-used background singers and other touches that became his trademarks.

Numerous other artists in both America and Britain found success with Bacharach/David songs, including Jackie DeShannon ("What the World Needs Now is Love"), Dusty Springfield ("Wishin' and Hopin"'), Herb Alpert ("This Guy's in Love With You"), and Sandie Shaw ("(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me"). Such films as What's New, Pussycat? Alfie, and Casino Royale featured the duo's material on their soundtracks. Bacharach and David made yet another leap when they wrote the score for the 1969 stage musical Promises, Promises, which enjoyed a long Broadway run and earned both a Tony and a Grammy Award.

In an era when songwriter/performers became the norm, Bacharach remained largely behind the scenes. His limited singing abilities were not seen as the best vehicles for his music. That being said, he did release a series of albums on his own, among them 1965's Hit Maker and 1967's Reach Out. These and subsequent efforts emphasized his arranging abilities as much or more than his vocal talents. The 1970s began on a high note for Bacharach when his score for the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid won an Academy Award, with the Bacharach/David song "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" chosen as best theme song as well. The success of "One Less Bell to Answer" by the 5th Dimension" and "(They Long to Be) Close to You" by the Carpenters (both 1970) continued the songwriting team's winning streak into the new decade.

Collaboration with David Ended

Unfortunately, the chemistry between Bacharach and David began to sour after their music for the 1973 film Lost Horizon proved to be a critical and commercial failure. The songwriters sued each other over a publishing dispute and their years of collaboration ended. Bacharach's career went into decline and he was largely absent from the record charts for the remainder of the 1970s. He remained a familiar enough figure to appear in television advertisements for Martini and Rossi vermouth with his then wife, actress Angie Dickinson.

It wasn't until the early 1980s that Bacharach began to emerge from his career doldrums. A working relationship with lyricist Carole Bayer Sager led to the pair's marriage in 1982. Among the Bacharach/Sager songs of note from this period was "Arthur's Theme (The Best that You Can Do)," recorded by Christopher Cross for the 1981 film Arthur. Another tune of theirs, "That's What Friends Are For," was released as an AIDS research benefit recording in 1986 and featured vocals by Dionne Warwick and Elton John, among others. The song became a hit and led to further recordings with Warwick in the early 1990s.

Revival in 1990s

Remarkably, a Bacharach revival began in the mid-1990s, when a younger generation discovered the so-called "easy listening" music of the 1960s. Such notable young rock acts as Oasis and Stereolab began to perform Bacharach songs, reworking his classic melodies in a modern context. The composer was the subject of a British television documentary and his recordings were reissued in several CD anthologies. British singer/songwriter Elvis Costello, a long-time fan, collaborated with Bacharach on a song for the 1996 film Grace of My Heart, which led to an album's worth of songs together, Painted From Memory two years later. Bacharach and Costello went on a concert tour in 1998 as well. Enjoying his renewed celebrity, Bacharach shared the stage with Oasis at a 1996 London concert and made a cameo appearance in the 1997 film comedy Austin Powers.

Bacharach continued to remain active into the new century, performing occasional shows with symphony orchestras and working on stage musicals. In May 2001, he accepted the Royal Academy of Music award, presented by King Carl Gustav XVI in Stockholm. Such recognition confirmed Bacharach's stature as one of popular music's most distinctive and enduring songwriting talents.

Books

Contemporary Musicians, Gale, 1997.

Gammon, Peter. Oxford Companion to Popular Music, Oxford University Press, 1991.

Stambler, Irwin, Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock and Soul, St. Martin's Press, 1977.

Online

"Burt Bacharach Biography," Rolling Stone. com,http:www.rollingstone.com (November 15, 2001).

Columbia Encyclopedia:

Burt Bacharach

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Bacharach, Burt (băk'ərăk'), 1928-, American composer, arranger, and conductor, b. Kansas City, Mo. He began his career playing piano with jazz bands in the 1940s and then as a pianist and arranger for nightclub acts, notably with Marlene Dietrich in the 1950s. With lyricist Hal David, Bacharach produced many popular songs from the late 1950s to the early 1970s, including more than 50 top singles. These include "Don't Make Me Over," "What the World Needs Now," "Walk On By," and "Do You Know the Way to San Jose." The team also provided words and music for the successful Broadway musical Promises, Promises (1968) and the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969; Academy Award). The partnership ended in 1973, and Bacharach began working with lyricist Carole Bayer Sager in 1981 (they married the following year). The two scored a big hit with their song "That's What Friends Are For" in 1986. Bachrach has also written soundtracks for later films, e.g., Arthur (1981; Academy Award), Grace of My Heart (1996, with rocker Elvis Costello), and Austin Powers (1997). Bacharach's music utilizes a variety of styles, including Latin, rock, and gospel, and is marked by unexpected chord changes.
Quotes By:

Burt Bacharach

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AMG AllMovie Guide:

Burt Bacharach

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Biography

During his heyday in the mid-to-late 1960s, American composer and songwriter Burt Bacharach wrote many popular tunes for Broadway and films. Many of these songs such as "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," and "What the World Needs Now" have become American standards. He is the son of syndicated newspaper columnist, Bert Bacharach. After receiving professional training, Bacharach served in Korea as a concert pianist in the Army. After his military stint, he became a professional accompanist for such entertainers as Vic Damone, Joel Grey, and Polly Bergen, but he did not really get his big break until he began working as the conductor-arranger for Marlene Dietrich, on her world concert tour, while simultaneously penning songs for Broadway musicals and films. Bacharach's songs during the '60s and early '70s are distinguished for their complex, highly syncopated rhythms and clever lyrics. Many of them were made popular by Dionne Warwick and Jack Jones. He won two Academy Awards in 1969 for the soundtrack for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and for the song Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head from the same film. Many of his tunes were written with lyricist Hal David. Though not as popular as he once was, Bacharach continues to score films and has also established a career as a solo entertainer and performs concerts and in nightclubs all over the country. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
Gale Musician Profiles:

Burt Bacharach

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Songwriter, pianist

In a career spanning nearly six decades, songwriter Burt Bacharach has attained a virtual star status usually reserved for those on the other side of the recording process. After firmly establishing himself as a highly original tunesmith by the early 1960s, Bacharach became not only a household name, but even a publicly visible persona. As Francis Davis noted in the Atlantic Monthly, by the early 1970s, Bacharach had been acknowledged by critics and listeners as "a 'national idol'—a celebrity songwriter who was to his day what Stephen Foster, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, and Cole Porter had been to theirs." Crafting a distinct style of melody, notably in collaboration with lyricist Hal David, Bacharach provided vocalists with the music for a vast list of hits, as well as for numerous acclaimed film soundtracks. While Bacharach's separation with David in the early 1970s was followed by a period of general stagnation, by the 1990s the composer was celebrated anew by a young generation of musicians who found great artistry in Bacharach's body of easy listening works.

Bacharach was born on May 12, 1928, in Kansas City, Missouri, before his parents relocated to New York City. Although he strived to become a football star, the young Bacharach was limited to a steady diet of cello, drum, and piano lessons at his mother's behest. Taking the study of music to heart, Bacharach exposed himself to jazz and classical performance through formal training, as well as by sneaking into local jazz clubs where he witnessed legends such as Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. After serving in the armed forces from 1950 to 1952, Bacharach immersed himself in music theory and composition study at the Mannes School of Music in New York City; McGill University in Montreal, Canada; the Music Academy of the West, in Santa Barbara, California, where he received a scholarship; and at the New School for Social Research. It was at the New School where Bacharach benefitted from the tutelage of Darius Milhaud, of whom many claim to have sharply influenced Bacharach's style.

Throughout the 1950s, Bacharach cut his teeth as a musician by serving as a piano accompanist and arranger to a number of performers before making his first attempts at songwriting. After meeting crooner Vic Damone in Germany, Bacharach worked alongside the singer for several years, leading to engagements with a virtual pantheon of club circuit celebrities including the Ames Brothers, Joel Grey, Steve Lawrence, and Paula Stewart, who married Bacharach in 1953. While acting as musical director to legendary German actress and chanteuse Marlene Dietrich, Bacharach's first steps in songwriting led him into a collaboration with lyricist Mack David, with whom Bacharach wrote the kitschy theme song to the science fiction film The Blob. Despite the fact that the song was actually a hit record, Bacharach quickly ended his partnership with David, but not before meeting his younger brother Hal David. Bacharach hit the top forty for the first time with the lyrical accompaniment of the junior David, providing country performer Marty Robbins with "The Story of My Life" in 1957 and crooner Perry Como with "Magic Moments" in 1958. Although it would take several years before the duo began working with each other exclusively, these first chart hits mark the start of one of the most fertile partnerships in popular music history.

Early Success with Hal David
As the 1960s began, so did the salad days of Bacharach's career, whereupon the composer cemented his most successful partnerships and developed a sophisticated, recognizable style. The onset of the decade found the songwriter supplying tunes for singers such as Gene Pitney and Chuck Jackson, and extensively for the group The Drifters, including "Mexican Divorce" and "Please Stay," both of which were created with lyricist Bob Hilliard. By 1962, with the release of Bacharach and David's "Make It Easy On Yourself" by pop/soul singer Jerry Butler, the composer had written, in Atlantic Monthly writer Francis Davis's words, "the first Bacharach song to sound vaguely like a Bacharach song… All these years later what's remarkable about the song is how grown up it sounds—as much a reflection of Bacharach's elegant melodic line as of the stoicism conveyed by Butler's vocal and David's lyrics." Bacharach and David had finally struck a delicate balance of songwriting, while not a formula. However, it was the discovery of vocalist Dionne Warwick, then a highly trained session vocalist for The Drifters, that rounded out the Bacharach/David team, illustrated by "Don't Make Me Over," released in 1962. Warwick's extreme versatility and range allowed Bacharach to indulge in the untraditional meter shifts and other devices which are his signature. With an ideal vocalist, the composer found a perfect match for melodies that were sophisticated and yet "deceptively simple." Despite what the ear thinks its hearing, noted Davis, "they rarely change key; what often accounts for their oddity is Bacharach's refusal to modulate into an easier key where another songwriter might, in order to give the singer a break."

From 1962 to 1970, the Bacharach/David/Warwick relationship became an institution in popular music, producing 39 charting singles, including eight which entered the top ten. In addition to the many Warwick pieces, among them "Walk On By," 1964; "Trains and Boats and Planes," 1966; "I Say A Little Prayer," 1967; and "Do You Know The Way To San Jose," 1968, a number of Bacharach's compositions also found success with other vocalists. To name only a few, Jack Jones's 1963 version of "Wives and Lovers;" Jackie DeShannon's classic 1965 recording of Bacharach's "What The World Needs Now Is Love;" trumpet virtuoso Herb Alpert's "This Guy's In Love With You," 1968; and The Fifth Dimension's "One Less Bell To Answer," recorded in 1970, were all chart toppers. As various Bacharach songs were re-recorded by a roster of diverse performers, it grew apparent that while the composer's work was sometimes captured in a definitive recording, as was the case with many Warwick cuts, the songwriting itself transcended any single version. Bacharach had established an identity, even an image, with popular audiences—he had even appeared in a fittingly romantic television vermouth advertisement with his then wife, actress Angie Dickinson—a feat almost unheard of for the usually invisible role of composer. However, Bacharach did not easily slip into his newly accrued public persona. "I found it a hard transition moving to the center of the stage," he recalled in a New Musical Express interview in 1996. "A lot of my musical life had been spent in the back or conducting for singers, and suddenly I was doing concerts by myself as the star, as the attraction. I had to talk to the audience but I could hardly get a word out because I was so nervous. It was tough."

By the early 1970s, Bacharach had achieved not only the appreciation of mass audiences, but also critical appreciation and even scholarly attention. Critics such as Popular Music and Society's Bruce A. Lohof publicly acknowledged the complexity and innovation in Bacharach's body of work, and ranked him among other giants of American songwriting. In 1970 the composer had been awarded two Academy Awards for his musical contributions to the previous year's film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, which boasted the song "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" in addition to Bacharach's original score. Although this was the first time Bacharach had secured the Oscar, he had previously been nominated several times for his impressive film scores and songs, including What's New, Pussycat? in 1965, the theme song from Alfie in 1967, and "The Look of Love," written for the James Bond spoof Casino Royale, also in 1967. In addition, the Bacharach/David score for the long-running stage musical Promises, Promises, launched in 1969, garnered a Tony Award as well as a Grammy for its cast album.

The End of an Era
Given the success of Bacharach and David's film collaborations, it was surprising that their score for the 1973 remake film Lost Horizon was a resounding failure. Besides being generally condemned by audiences and critics alike for its histrionically romantic overtures, Lost Horizon's production also resulted in feuding between Bacharach and David. Their differences finally heated into lawsuits, and one of the most celebrated partnerships in popular music dissolved. The bitter breakup cut both David and Bacharach's careers to the quick, and for the rest of the decade the unhinged duo floundered in vain to find teamings with comparable chemistry. At this point, Bacharach turned to performing his own established material, both live and on record, but it was clear that his music was most successful when vitalized by other vocalists. With the exception of Bacharach's solo album Reach Out, released in 1967, the composer's self-recorded output was devoid of the charisma that made his songs popular, and albums such as Living Together (1972) and Woman (1979) are largely forgettable.

The pairing of Bacharach with lyricist Carol Bayer Sager marked the advent of a decidedly adult-oriented turn in the composer's career. After developing a work relationship with Sager in the early 1980s, resulting in the Academy Award winning tune "Arthur's Theme (The Best That You Can Do)," recorded by Christopher Cross for the 1981 film Arthur, Bacharach married his new partner in 1982—he had divorced Dickinson the previous year—and continued to compose with his new wife. While Bacharach's work with Hal David tended to be popular with audiences of all ages, his work throughout the 1980s is characterized by its easy listening, middle-aged appeal that most critics see as falling below his standards of the 1960s. Nonetheless, Bacharach returned to the charts with Sager collaborations such as "On My Own," an emotive soul duet recorded in 1986 by vocalists Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald, and "That's What Friends Are For," also recorded in 1986 as a fund raiser for AIDS research. The latter song featured vocals by Elton John and Dionne Warwick, and marked the reunion of Bacharach with his most celebrated interpreter. In addition to work with Sager, Bacharach expanded his portfolio with other writers, including R&B singer/songwriter James Ingram. Still, none of his later work recaptured the timeless quality achieved with David in past decades.

Although Bacharach's own work had entered a period of relative stagnation, by the early 1990s the composer's career received an unexpected boost. After years of confinement to an adult listening constituency, Bacharach's classic work of the 1960s became treasured anew by young fans and songwriters, many of whom had ironically come from polarly opposite music traditions such as punk rock and new wave. Critics such as Davis credit some of Bacharach's newfound exposure to subcultural ironic appreciation,, "among fans of what is variously called 'cocktail,' 'bachelor pad,' and 'E-Z listening'—those strange young record collectors with an overdeveloped (or under-developed?) sense of kitsch, wardrobes of Rat Pack leisurewear…, and too many good albums in their collections already." Although this kind of keenly postmodern "appreciation" ultimately devalued Bacharach's talent, many contemporary listeners truly found mastery in records found in parents' collections. "Why is this happening?" asked critic Lorraine Ali rhetorically in the Los Angeles Times. "It may reflect the maturation of the musically involved. Kids who were bombarded for most of their lives with noise and anti-melody are finding sensory relief in songs that go down smooth and easy." As a result, many young rock bands began to cite Bacharach as an influence as well as to perform his pieces, including the experimental French/British outfit Stereolab, American folk-rockers REM, and England's Oasis, just to name a few.

A New Generation of Fans
Accordingly, the Bacharach revival has included a number of tributes and retrospectives. In 1996, Bacharach's longtime label A&M released a career spanning compilation album, The Look of Love: The Classic Songs of Burt Bacharach, which was followed by an exhaustive three CD portrait by Rhino Records a year later. British television made the composer the subject of a documentary/tribute entitled Burt Bacharach: This Is Now, which was subsequently shown on American airwaves. Bacharach launched a European tour with Dionne Warwick to favorable reviews and performed at New York's Rainbow Room for a New Year's Eve television special. In addition, the flattered Bacharach fully endorsed the attention of his new generation of fans, collaborating with British songwriter Elvis Costello on the song "God Give Me Strength" in 1995 and performing his own "This Guy's In Love With You" alongside Oasis vocalist Noel Gallagher at London's Royal Festival Hall in June of 1996. The composer even made an amusing cameo appearance in the 1997 spoof film Austin Powers, another example of the blurry line between irony and adoration.

With the retro movement, Bacharach's songs began appearing regularly in motion pictures, including two additional Austin Powers movies, Two Weeks Notice, the re-make of The In-Laws, and Catch Me if You Can.

In July of 2000, A Tribute to Burt Bacharach & Hal David was held at Royal Albert Hall in London. It was later released on CD and DVD in 2001. Then, in 2002, a musical based on the careers of Bacharach and David called What the World Needs Now opened in Sydney, Australia. A musical based on Bacharach and David opened at the Brooks Atkinson Theater on Broadway in New York City. In December of 2003, a television special, McCormick Presents Burt Bacharach: Tribute on Ice, with superstar skaters Brian Boitano, Ilia Kulik, and Nicole Bobek. Bacharach craze was everywhere.

Bacharach shows no signs of slowing down. Indeed, he appears to be speeding up, continuing to make appearances and play with music. Whether ironically motivated or in earnest, and regardless of future compositions, Bacharach has undeniably earned a place in the canon of popular music.

Selected discography
What's New Pussycat?, Rykodisc, 1965.
After the Fox, Rydodisc, 1966.
Reach Out, A&M, 1967.
Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, A&M, 1969.
Make It Easy on Yourself, A&M, 1969.
Burt Bacharach, Polydor, 1971.
Living Together, A&M, 1972.
In Concert, A&M, 1974.
Greatest Hits, A&M, 1974.
Burt Bacharach's Greatest Hits, A&M, 1974.
Futures, MVP Japan, 1977.
Classics, Vol. 23, A&M, 1987.
Walk on By, Universal, 1987.
Songbook, Alex, 1995.
The Magic of Burt Bacharach, Charly, 1996.
Easy Loungin' Collection, Universal, 1996.
The Look of Love: The Classic Songs of Burt Bacharach, A&M, 1996.
The Best of Burt Bacharach, Polygram, 1996.
Burt Bacharach Plays His Hits, MCA, 1997.
I'll Never Fall in Love Again, Polygram, 1998.
The Look of Love: The Burt Bacharach Collection, Rhino, 1998.
One Amazing Night, N2K, 1998.
A Man & His Music, Spectrum, 1998.
The Greatest Hits of Burt Bacharach, Metro, 2001.
What the World Needs Now: Burt Bacharach Classics, A&M, 2003.

Sources
Periodicals
Atlantic Monthly, June 1997.
Billboard, May 26, 2001, p. 12.
Los Angeles Times, April 1, 1995.
New Musical Express, April 13, 1996.

Online
"Burt Bacharach," Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Website, http://www.awardsdatabase.oscars.org (April 25, 2004).
"Burt Bacharach," All Music Guide, http://www.allmusic.com (April 25, 2004).
Burt Bacharach Official Website, http://www.bacharachonline.com (April 25, 2004).
Recording Academy Grammy Awards, http://www.grammy.com (April 25, 2004).
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists:

Burt Bacharach

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  • Genres: Rock

Biography

With a hit-single track record spanning four decades, Burt Bacharach became one of the most important composers of popular music in the 20th century, almost equal to such classic tunesmiths as George Gershwin or Irving Berlin. His sophisticated yet breezy productions borrowed from cool jazz, soul, Brazilian bossa nova, and traditional pop to virtually define and undoubtedly transcend the staid forms of Brill Building adult pop during the 1960s.

Born May 12, 1928, in Kansas City, he studied cello, drums, and piano as a child, and was later transplanted to New York City by his father, a syndicated columnist. The time spent in New York gave him a chance to sneak into clubs to watch his bebop heroes Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker; he also played in several jazz bands during the 1940s. Bacharach studied music theory and composition at the Mannes School in New York, at Berkshire Music Center, at the New School for Social Research (with Darius Milhaud), at Montreal's McGill University, and at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, CA. A period in the Army interrupted his concentration of music study, but even while serving in Germany, Bacharach arranged and played piano for a dance band. He also played in nightclubs and backed Steve Lawrence, the Ames Brothers, and Paula Stewart. Bacharach was discharged in 1952, and he married Stewart on December 22nd of the following year.

On returning to the U.S., he began writing songs for Lawrence, Patti Page, the Ames Brothers, and others, but his first hit came from Marty Robbins in late 1957 when Robbins took "The Story of My Life" to the American Top 20 and the number one spot in England. The single was also notable for its co-composer, Hal David, who became Bacharach's songwriting partner and collaborated on most of his big hits. The Bacharach/David team followed up in January 1958 with Perry Como's "Magic Moments," another U.K. chart-topper and a Top Five entry in America. Bacharach's marriage dissolved in 1958, and he left for Europe to tour with Marlene Dietrich. He returned in 1961, and wrote several songs for the Drifters with Bob Hilliard (including "Mexican Divorce" and "Please Stay") before reuniting with Hal David. At an arranging session, he found the singer who became the ultimate vehicle for his songs: Dionne Warwick who was working as a member of the Drifters' backup vocal group, the Gospelaires.

By late 1962, Bacharach and David began focusing most of their composing energy on Warwick, who was the recipient of 15 Top 40 singles from 1962 to 1968 (including the Top Tens "Anyone Who Had a Heart," "Walk on By," "Message to Michael," "I Say a Little Prayer," "Valley of the Dolls," and "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?"). The duo also remained dominant in England, where Frankie Vaughan, Cilla Black, Sandie Shaw, the Walker Brothers, and Herb Alpert all hit number one with Bacharach/David compositions. As if their schedule wasn't busy enough throughout the '60s, the songwriters contributed film scores for What's New Pussycat?, Alfie, and Casino Royale. The film featuring their most celebrated score, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), won Oscars for Best Original Score and Best Theme Song for "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" (plus two non-musical Academy Awards). Bacharach and David began working on the musical Promises, Promises in the late '60s; it won a Tony and a Grammy Award (for cast album) during a popular three-year Broadway run. Bacharach hit the charts himself in 1969, with the show's "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" reaching the Top 100. Surprisingly, this was not his only foray into recording; Bacharach had reached number four in the U.K. charts in May 1965 with "Trains and Boats and Planes," and he released several popular solo albums during the late '60s.

The beginning of the '70s looked bright for Burt Bacharach, as the Carpenters took "(They Long to Be) Close to You" to number one in the U.S. in July 1970. The forecast was premature, though, as three of his closest partners -- Hal David, Dionne Warwick, and his second wife Angie Dickinson -- left him. He gathered several accolades for an eponymous 1971 album featuring renditions of his previous hit compositions, but later albums were disappointing and Bacharach's next hit was over a decade in coming. Finally in 1981, he collaborated with Christopher Cross, Carole Bayer Sager, and Peter Allen on the Oscar-winning "Arthur's Theme." Bacharach married Bayer Sager just one year later, and together they wrote Roberta Flack's Top 20 hit "Making Love," as well as "Heartlight" which Neil Diamond took to number five.

Once Bacharach resumed composing he began to hit, and 1986 was one of his finest years, with two American number ones: "That's What Friends Are For" (by an all-star group including Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder) and a duet by Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald titled "On My Own." He divorced Sager in 1991, but worked with Dionne Warwick again two years later on "Sunny Weather Love," from her Friends Can Be Lovers album. Also in 1993, Bacharach contributed songs to James Ingram, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Tevin Campbell. Around the same time, many alternative bands began name-checking the hitmaker as an influence, and Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher joined him on the stage of the Royal Albert Hall as well as including a picture of him on the cover of Oasis' Definitely Maybe. BBC-TV focused on Bacharach in a January 1996 documentary, and a three-disc retrospective of his compositions was released by Rhino in 1998. That same year he collaborated with Elvis Costello on the acclaimed Painted From Memory, and was celebrated at an all-star concert at Radio City Music Hall which later formed the basis for the LP One Amazing Night. The 2005 album At This Time found Bacharach writing lyrics for the first time. Tonio K helped with the lyrics, Elvis Costello, Dr. Dre, Chris Botti, and Rufus Wainwright also contributed to the album. ~ John Bush, Rovi
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Burt Bacharach

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Burt Bacharach

Burt Bacharach performing in a concert in 2008
Background information
Birth name Burt F. Bacharach
Born May 12, 1928 (1928-05-12) (age 83)
Origin Kansas City, Missouri, US
Genres Pop, vocal
Occupations Composer, pianist, singer
Instruments Piano
Years active 1954–present
Associated acts Hal David, Elvis Costello, Dionne Warwick, Dusty Springfield, Marlene Dietrich, Cilla Black, Dr. Dre, Ronan Keating

Burt F. Bacharach (play /ˈbækəræk/ bak-ə-rak; born May 12, 1928) is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick. Following on with the initial success of this collaboration, Bacharach went on to produce hits with Dusty Springfield, Bobbie Gentry, Jackie DeShannon and others.

As of 2006, Bacharach had written 70 Top 40 hits in the US, and 52 Top 40 hits in the UK.[1]

Contents

Biography

Origins

Burt Bacharach was born in Kansas City, Missouri, but grew up in the Forest Hills section of New York City, graduating from Forest Hills High School in 1946. He is the son of Irma (née Freeman) and Bert Bacharach, a well-known syndicated newspaper columnist,[2] and is of German-Jewish descent.[3] Bacharach studied music at McGill University, under Helmut Blume, at the Mannes School of Music, and at the Music Academy of the West in Montecito, California. His composition teachers included Darius Milhaud, Henry Cowell,[4] and Bohuslav Martinů. Following service in the Army, Bacharach worked as a pianist, both as a solo player and as an accompanist for singers such as Vic Damone, Polly Bergen, Steve Lawrence, the Ames Brothers and Paula Stewart (who became his first wife). For some years he was musical arranger for Marlene Dietrich as well as touring with her.

Early songwriting work

In 1957, Bacharach and lyricist Hal David were introduced while at the Brill Building in New York City, and began their writing partnership. Almost a year later, they received a significant career break when their song "The Story of My Life" was recorded by Marty Robbins for Columbia Records, becoming a No. 1 hit on the U.S. country music charts[4] in late 1957. Soon after, "Magic Moments" was recorded by Perry Como for RCA Records, and became a No. 4 U.S. hit in February of that year. These two songs were back-to-back No. 1 singles in the UK ("The Story of My Life" in a version by Michael Holliday), giving Bacharach and David the honor of being the first songwriters to have written consecutive No. 1 UK singles. In 1959, their song "Make Room for the Joy" was featured in Columbia's film musical Jukebox Rhythm, sung by Jack Jones.

In the early 1960s, Bacharach wrote well over 100 songs with David. The two were associated throughout the '60s with Dionne Warwick, a conservatory-trained vocalist.[4] Bacharach and David started writing a portion of their work with Warwick in mind, leading to one of the most successful teams in popular music history.[5]

Over a 20-year period, beginning in the early 1960s, Warwick charted 38 singles co-written or produced by Bacharach and David, including 22 Top-40, 12 Top-20, and nine Top-10 hits on the American Billboard Hot 100 charts. During the early '60s, Bacharach also collaborated with Bob Hilliard on a number of songs, including "Please Stay" and "Mexican Divorce" for The Drifters, "Any Day Now" for Chuck Jackson, "Tower of Strength" for Gene McDaniels, and "Dreamin' All the Time" and "Pick Up the Pieces" for Jack Jones.

Other singers of Bacharach songs in the '60s and '70s included Bobby Vinton ("Blue on Blue"); Dusty Springfield ("The Look of Love" from Casino Royale), (a cover of Dionne Warwick's "Wishin' and Hopin'"); Cilla Black (a cover of Dionne Warwick's "Anyone Who Had a Heart"), Cher ("Alfie"); The Shirelles, The Beatles ("Baby, It's You"); The Carpenters ("(They Long to Be) Close to You"); Aretha Franklin ("I Say a Little Prayer"); Isaac Hayes ("Walk on By", from the Hot Buttered Soul album); B. J. Thomas ("Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head", "Everybody's Out of Town"); Tom Jones ("What's New, Pussycat?"); Engelbert Humperdinck ("I'm a Better Man"); Sandie Shaw ("(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me"); Jack Jones ("Wives and Lovers"); Jackie DeShannon ("What the World Needs Now Is Love"); Gene Pitney ("Only Love Can Break a Heart", "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance", "24 Hours from Tulsa" and "True Love Never Runs Smooth"); Herb Alpert, ("This Guy's in Love with You");[4] Liz Damon's Orient Express ("Loneliness Remembers What Happiness Forgets); Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 ("The Look of Love"); Jerry Butler, the Walker Brothers ("Make It Easy on Yourself"); and the Fifth Dimension ("One Less Bell to Answer").

Bacharach songs were adapted by jazz artists of the time, such as Stan Getz, Cal Tjader and Wes Montgomery. The Bacharach/David composition "My Little Red Book", originally recorded by Manfred Mann for the film What's New, Pussycat?, and promptly covered by Love in 1966, has become a rock standard; however, according to Robin Platts' book "Burt Bacharach and Hal David", the composer did not like Love's version.[6] The title of the song is likely a tongue-in-cheek reference to Mao Zedong's Little Red Book, which was first published by the Communist Party of China in April 1964.

Bacharach composed and arranged the soundtrack of the 1967 film Casino Royale, which included "The Look of Love", performed by Dusty Springfield, and the title song, an instrumental Top 40 single for Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. Bacharach and David also collaborated with Broadway producer David Merrick on the 1968 musical Promises, Promises, which yielded two hits, the title tune and "I'll Never Fall in Love Again", for Dionne Warwick. The year 1969 marked, perhaps, the most successful Bacharach-David collaboration, the Oscar-winning "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head", written for and prominently featured in the acclaimed film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Style

Bacharach's music is characterized by unusual chord progressions, striking syncopated rhythmic patterns, irregular phrasing, frequent modulation, and odd, changing meters. Bacharach has arranged, conducted, and co-produced much of his recorded output.

An example of his distinctive use of changing meter is found in "Promises, Promises" (from his score for the musical of the same name). His style is sometimes also associated with particular instrumental combinations he is assumed to favor or to have favored, including the prominent use of the flugelhorn in such works as "Walk on By", "Nikki", and "Toledo".

1970s and 1980s

Bacharach had his own ABC-TV special in 1972.

In 1970, Johnny Mathis issued a double-LP album set, "Sings the Music of Bacharach & Kaempfert," for Columbia. It consisted of 21 tracks in a heavyweight gatefold picture sleeve. The Bert Kaempfert tracks were done in the arrangement style of the German composer and orchestra leader, and the Bacharach tracks were in the American's upbeat style.

In 1973, Bacharach and David were commissioned to score the Ross Hunter-produced revival of the 1937 film, "Lost Horizon" for Columbia Pictures. The result was a critical and commercial disaster, and resulted in a flurry of lawsuits between the composer and the lyricist, as well as from Warwick. She reportedly felt abandoned when Bacharach and David refused to work together. Bacharach tried several solo projects (including the 1977 album Futures), but the projects failed to yield hits.

By the early 1980s, Bacharach's marriage to Angie Dickinson had ended, but a new partnership with lyricist Carole Bayer Sager proved rewarding, both commercially and personally. The two married and collaborated on several major hits during the decade, including "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" (Christopher Cross), co-written with Cross and Peter Allen; "Heartlight" (Neil Diamond); "Making Love" (Roberta Flack); "On My Own" (Patti LaBelle with Michael McDonald), and perhaps most memorably, "That's What Friends Are For" in 1985, actually the second single which reunited Bacharach and singer Warwick. The profits for the latter song were given to AIDS research. Bacharach's 1980s tunes showed a new sound.

Other artists continued to revive Bacharach's earlier hits, giving them a new audience in the 1980s and 1990s. Examples included Luther Vandross' recording of "A House is Not a Home"; Naked Eyes' 1983 pop hit version of "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me", and Ronnie Milsap's 1982 country version of "Any Day Now". Bacharach continued a concert career, appearing at auditoriums throughout the world, often featuring large orchestras as accompaniment. He occasionally joined with Warwick, appearing in sold-out concerts in New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.

1990s and beyond

In 1990, Deacon Blue charted number 2 in the UK singles chart with an EP entitled "4 Bacharach & David Songs", with the first track, "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" receiving extensive media coverage. In 1996, jazz pianist McCoy Tyner recorded an album of nine Bacharach standards that featured Tyner's trio with an orchestra arranged and conducted by John Clayton. In 1998, Bacharach co-wrote and recorded a Grammy-winning album with Elvis Costello, Painted from Memory, on which the compositions began to take on the sound of his earlier work. In 2006, he recorded a jazz album with Trijntje Oosterhuis and the Metropole Orchestra called The Look of Love (Burt Bacharach Songbook) which was released in November that year.[7] Bacharach collaborated with Cathy Dennis in 2002 to write an original song for the Pop Idol winner Will Young. This was "What's in Goodbye", and it appears on Young's debut album From Now On. During July 2002, Young was a guest vocalist at two of Bacharach's concerts, one at the Hammersmith Apollo and the other at Liverpool Pops.

Another star treatment of his compositions was the 2003 album Here I Am featuring Ronald Isley, revisiting a number of his 1960s compositions, and also the Vandross arrangement of A House Is Not a Home.

Bacharach's 2005 solo album At This Time saw a departure from past works in that Bacharach penned his own lyrics, some of which dealt with political themes. Guest stars on some tracks included Elvis Costello, Rufus Wainwright, and hip-hop producer Dr. Dre.

On October 24, 2008, Bacharach opened the BBC Electric Proms at The Roundhouse in London, performing with the BBC Concert Orchestra accompanied by guest vocalists Adele, Beth Rowley and Jamie Cullum. The concert was a retrospective look back at his unparalleled six-decade career, including classics such as "Walk On By", "The Look of Love", "I Say a Little Prayer", "What The World Needs Now", "Anyone Who Had A Heart", "Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa" and "Make It Easy on Yourself", featuring Jamie Cullum.

In early 2009 Bacharach worked with Italian soul singer Karima Ammar and produced her debut single Come in Ogni Ora. The song has been heard during the 59th Sanremo Music Festival and also features him playing piano.

Film and television

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Bacharach was featured in a dozen TV musical and variety specials videotaped in the UK for ITC, several were nominated for Emmy awards for direction (by Dwight Hemion). The guests included artists such as Joel Grey, Dusty Springfield, Dionne Warwick, and Barbra Streisand. Bacharach and David did the score for a short-lived ABC-TV series, ABC Stage 67, for a show titled On the Flip Side, starring Rick Nelson as a faded pop star trying for a comeback. While the series' ratings were dismal, the soundtrack showcased Bacharach's abilities to try different kinds of musical styles, ranging from (almost) 1960s rock, to pop, ballads, and Latin-tinged dance numbers.

In 1969, Harry Betts arranged Bacharach's instrumental composition "Nikki" (named for Bacharach's daughter) into a new theme for the ABC Movie of the Week, a TV series which ran on the U.S. network until 1976. The arrangement by Betts is published by MCA Duchess Music Corporation (BMI).

During the 1970s, Bacharach and then-wife Angie Dickinson appeared in several TV commercials for Martini & Rossi beverages, and even penned a short jingle ("Say Yes") for the spots. Bacharach also occasionally appeared on TV/variety shows, such as The Merv Griffin Show, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and many others.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Bacharach had cameo roles in Hollywood movies including all three Austin Powers movies. His music is credited as providing inspiration for these movies, partially stemming from Bacharach's score for the 1967 James Bond film Casino Royale. During subsequent Bacharach concert tours, each show would open with a very brief video clip from the movie Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, with Mike Myers (as Austin Powers) uttering "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Burt Bacharach."

Bacharach appeared as a celebrity performer and guest vocal coach for contestants on the television show, "American Idol" during the 2006 season, during which an entire episode was dedicated to his music. In late 2006, Bacharach appeared as the celebrity in a Geico auto insurance commercial, where he sings and plays the piano. He translates the customer's story through song ("I was hit...in the rear!")

In 2008, Bacharach featured in the BBC Electric Proms at The Roundhouse with the BBC Concert Orchestra.[8] He performed similar shows in the same year at the Walt Disney Concert Hall[9] and with the Sydney Symphony.

Legacy and influence

  • Songwriter Jimmy Webb acknowledged Bacharach's influence on his work[10] as did singer-songwriters Laura Nyro[11] and Mark Hollis.[12]
  • In interviews, Donald Fagen from Steely Dan cited Bacharach's combination of "Ravel-like harmony and street corner soul" as an early influence.[13]
  • On the cover of Oasis' debut album Definitely Maybe, there is a framed picture of Bacharach to the left resting up against the sofa – Bacharach is cited influence on chief songwriter and guitarist Noel Gallagher. Later, Gallagher performed a duet of "This Guy's In Love With You" live with Bacharach.[14] Gallagher admits to having stolen elements of that same song when composing the Oasis track "Half the World Away".[15]
  • The British duo Swing Out Sister cites Bacharach as a major influence as well.[16]
  • Composer, singer, and songwriter Mary Edwards used Bacharach-influenced motifs on her debut album "A Smile in the Mind".[17]
  • The British band Saint Etienne were influenced heavily by Bacharach's piano motifs.[18]
  • Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson cited Bacharach as a heavy influence on his songwriting.[19]
  • Welsh rock/electronic/psychedelic band Super Furry Animals were influenced by Bacharach's distinctive sound.[20]
  • American jazz pianist Bill Cunliffe cited Bacharach's music which he described as "jazz oriented" as an important influence in his early years.[21]
  • The 2011 Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps, the defending Drum Corps International World Champion show, was entitled "The Beat My Heart Skipped" and was entirely based on Bacharach's songs.[22]

Personal life

Bacharach has been married four times. His first marriage was to Paula Stewart, which lasted five years (1953–58). His second marriage was to actress Angie Dickinson, which lasted fifteen years (1965–80).[2] Bacharach and Dickinson had a daughter, Nikki, who committed suicide in 2007 at age 40.[23] His third marriage was to lyricist Carole Bayer Sager, which lasted nine years (1982–91). Bacharach and Bayer Sager collaborated on a number of musical pieces, and had a son, Cristopher. Bacharach married his current wife, Jane Hansen, in 1993; they have two children.

Television and film appearances

Discography

Albums

  • Hitmaker!Burt Bacharach Plays His Hits (1965)
  • What's New Pussycat? (Film Soundtrack) (1965)
  • After the Fox (Film Soundtrack) (1966)
  • Reach Out (1967)
  • Casino Royale (Film Soundtrack) (1967)
  • On the Flip Side (Television soundtrack) (1967)
  • Make It Easy on Yourself (1969)
  • Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Film Soundtrack) (1969)
  • Promises, Promises[24] (Original Broadway Cast Recording) (1969)
  • Burt Bacharach (1971)
  • Lost Horizon (Film soundtrack) (1973)
  • Burt Bacharach in Concert (1974)
  • Living Together (1974)
  • Futures (1977)
  • Woman (1979)
  • Arthur (Film soundtrack) (1981)
  • Night Shift (Film soundtrack) (1982)
  • Arthur 2: On the Rocks (Film soundtrack) (1988)
  • One Amazing Night (1998)
  • Painted from Memory with Elvis Costello (1998)
  • The Look of Love: The Burt Bacharach Collection [2-Disc Compilation] (2001)
  • Motown Salutes Bacharach [Compilation] (2002)
  • Isley Meets Bacharach: Here I Am with Ronald Isley (2003)*
  • Blue Note Plays Burt Bacharach [Compilation] (2004)
  • At This Time (2005)
  • Colour Collection [Compilation] (2007)
  • Marlene Dietrich with the Burt Bacharach Orchestra (2007)
  • Burt Bacharach: Live at the Sydney Opera House with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (Live) (2008)

Singles

Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song, 1965.
This song was also recorded much later by Oasis' Noel Gallagher in tribute to Bacharach on his 70th Birthday. According to Robin Platts' book What The World Needs Now the song was not written with Alpert, a non-singer with limited range, in mind, but was altered to suit him. Originally written as "This Girl's in Love With You" and recorded with that title by Dionne Warwick);.
This song was originally written for the movie Night Shift and performed on the soundtrack by Rod Stewart. In 1986, a version by Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, and Elton John became the Billboard's no. 1 song of the year, raising millions for AIDS charities. The song also won the Grammy for "Song of the Year" and was a Grammy nominee for "Record of the Year");

Broadway works

Other recordings

As arranger, conductor
  • For Marlene Dietrich:
  • Live at the Café de Paris (1954)
  • Dietrich in Rio (1959)
As composer
  • For SMAP:
  • Super.Modern.Artistic.Performance (2008 – song: Life Walker)
Tribute albums
  • Jazz musician John Zorn produced a 2-CD set of Bacharach tunes (1997), featuring several avantgarde musicians, as part of his Great Jewish Music series.
  • Marie McAuliffe's Ark Sextet released the Bacharach tribute album "Refractions" in 1998. McAuliffe had been featured on John Zorn's tribute album.
  • To Hal and Bacharach is a 1998 tribute album with 18 tunes, performed by notable Australian artists.
  • Michael Ball's 2007 album Back to Bacharach
  • The Concord Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps's 2011 show "The Beat My Heart Skipped" was a tribute to the music of Burt Bacharach.
  • What the World Needs Now: Big Deal Recording Artists Perform the Songs of Burt Bacharach

References

  1. ^ "Burt Bacharach: A House Is Not A Homepage". Bacharachonline.com. http://www.bacharachonline.com/bacharach_bio.html. Retrieved May 19, 2011. 
  2. ^ a b "Burt Bacharach Biography (1928?-)". Filmreference.com. http://www.filmreference.com/film/5/Burt-Bacharach.html. Retrieved May 19, 2011. 
  3. ^ Brian Boyd (October 10, 2005). "He'll Say A Little Prayer For You". The Irish Times. http://www.irishtimes.com/theticket/articles/2005/1028/1130314565347.html. Retrieved May 19, 2011. 
  4. ^ a b c d "Show 24: The Music Men-Part 2". Written, Narrated and Produced by John Gilliland; Chester Coleman, Associate Producer. John Gilliland's The Pop Chronicles. February 1969. Retrieved on May 19, 2011.
  5. ^ The Look of Love: The Burt Bacharach Collection-Liner Notes, Rhino/WEA, November 3, 1998 
  6. ^ Robin Platts (2003). Burt Bacharach & Hal David: What the World Needs Now. Collector's Guide Publishing. ISBN 978-1-896522-77-7. 
  7. ^ PlatoMania.nl Scheduled Dutch album releases. Retrieved: October 25, 2006
  8. ^ "BBC Electric Proms 2008". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/electricproms/2008/schedule/. Retrieved May 19, 2011. 
  9. ^ "Close To You: Burt Bacharach In Concert". npr.org. July 3, 2008. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92182050. Retrieved May 19, 2011. 
  10. ^ Later...with Jools Holland. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40xZIEvDhE0. Retrieved May 18, 2011. 
  11. ^ "Bio". lauranyro.com. http://www.lauranyro.com/bio.htm. Retrieved May 19, 2011. 
  12. ^ Alan McGee (April 9, 2008). "Wherefore art thou Mark Hollis?". The Guardian (UK). http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2008/apr/09/markhollis. Retrieved May 19, 2011. 
  13. ^ "Five Minutes with Donald Fagen". Performing Songwriter (performingsongwriter.com). Mar/Apr 2006. http://performingsongwriter.com/articles-interviews/5-minutes-interviews/donald-fagen/. Retrieved May 19, 2011. 
  14. ^ Stewart Oskenhorn (December 22, 2007). "At 79, Bacharach proves he’s got staying power". Aspen Times Weekly. http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20071222/ASPENWEEKLY03/275401891. Retrieved May 18, 2011. 
  15. ^ Chris Taylor (July 2, 2006). "Noel Gallagher Fesses Up To Bacharach Rip". Gigwise.com. http://www.gigwise.com/article.php?contentid=19195. Retrieved May 19, 2011. 
  16. ^ Brenna Sanchez. "Swing Out Sister Biography". musicianguide.com. http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608003533/Swing-Out-Sister.html. Retrieved May 19, 2011. 
  17. ^ "Biography". The Sound and Music of Mary Edwards. http://maryedwardsmusic.com/biography.html. Retrieved May 19, 2011. 
  18. ^ Ernesto Lechner (June 29 May 2006). "The Angelic Attitude Of Saint Etienne". savoyjazz.com. http://www.savoyjazz.com/sites/savoy/sjNews/etienne19.asp. Retrieved May 19, 2011. 
  19. ^ Skip Heller (May 15, 2000). "Burt Bacharach Re-Examined, 1995". Adventures In Sound. http://wlt4.home.mindspring.com/adventures/articles/bacharach.htm. Retrieved May 19, 2011. 
  20. ^ Matt Bell (January 2002). "Super Furry Animals". SoundOnSound.com. http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Jan02/articles/superfurry.asp. Retrieved June 10, 2011. 
  21. ^ "A Fireside Chat With Bill Cunliffe". AllAboutJazz.com. February 29, 2004. http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=1231. Retrieved June 7, 2010. "When I was a kid, I was listening mostly to classical music because my dad had a lot of it in the house. I listened to all the stuff that was on the radio in the Sixties and Seventies." 
  22. ^ The Blue Devils. "The Beat My Heart Skipped". http://blueforyou.com/bluedevils/index.php/featured-products/the-beat-my-heart-skipped-2011.html. Retrieved January 17, 2012. 
  23. ^ Gavin Martin (October 17, 2008). "Burt Bacharach – Meet the maestro". Daily Mirror (UK). http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv-entertainment/music/2008/10/17/burt-bacharach-meet-the-maestro-115875-20810632/. Retrieved May 19, 2011. 
  24. ^ "Promises, Promises- Opening Night Production Credits". Internet Broadway Database. http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=3438. Retrieved 2011-05-18. 

External links
1992–1999
2000–2009
2010–present

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 
Related topics:
The Music of Burt Bacharach: What the World Needs Now (1998 Album by Various Artists)
Walk on By (1987 Album by Burt Bacharach)
The Burt Bacharach Album: Broadway Sings the Best of Burt Bacharach (1998 Album by Various Artists)

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