Walk on By

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2008)

"Walk on By"
"Walk on By" became Warwick's second international million-seller in April 1964
Single by Dionne Warwick
from the album Make Way for Dionne Warwick
A-side	Walk on By
B-side	Any Old Time of Day (Bacharach & David)
Released	April 26, 1964
Format	7" single
Recorded	1964 at Bell Sound Studios, November 1963, Ed Smith Engineer
Genre	Soul, pop
Length	2:55
Label	Scepter
Writer(s)	Burt Bacharach Hal David
Producer	Burt Bacharach Hal David
Dionne Warwick singles chronology
"Anyone Who Had a Heart" (1963) "Walk on By" (1964) "You'll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart)" (1964)

"Walk on By" is a song composed by Burt Bacharach, with lyrics by Hal David for Dionne Warwick. It was recorded at the same December 1963 session that yielded "Anyone Who Had a Heart", which, in 1964, became Warwick's second Top Ten hit. Released in April of that year, "Walk on By" became a landmark single, reaching number six on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number one hit Cashbox's R&B chart.^[1] (Billboard did not print rhythm and blues charts during 1964, the year of the song's peak performance.) The song also reached the top 10 in a brief run on Billboard's easy listening survey.

Like many of Warwick's 1960s Bacharach-composed singles, "Walk on By" was heavily covered in different ways, some of which gained significant chart success. One notable version was by funk/soul musician Isaac Hayes, whose 1969 cover on his groundbreaking album Hot Buttered Soul was transformed into a twelve-and-a-half minute funk vamp. In 1978, The Stranglers recorded a gritty punk-inspired version that hit #21 on the UK charts. In 1982, funk duo D-Train recorded a US-only R&B hit with the song in a disco/funk cover. In 1990, singer Sybil, who had scored her biggest hit a year prior with a cover of Warwick's "Don't Make Me Over", also scored a US R&B hit with this song.

Warwick also recorded a German version of the song, entitled "Geh Vorbei".^{[citation needed]}

Other versions

Hundreds of artists have recorded and performed "Walk on By" on stage, including The Jackson 5 (often as part of a medley with The Love You Save) Aretha Franklin (1964), Helen Shapiro (1964) The Undisputed Truth, Bobby Kris & The Imperials, Mel Tormé, The Lettermen (on their 1964 album She Cried), The Four Seasons (1965), Roland Kirk (1965), Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Stan Getz (1966), Laura Nyro (1970), The Stranglers (1978), George Benson, Stanley Turrentine, Isaac Hayes (1969; as a single on his acclaimed Hot Buttered Soul album), Johnny Mathis, Cliff Richard (for live album Cliff "Live" in Japan '72 with Olivia Newton-John), Gloria Gaynor (1975 album Experience Gloria Gaynor), Melissa Manchester, The Beach Boys, Sybil Lynch (1990), Seal, Average White Band, Melanie Thornton, Gabrielle (1997), The Carpenters, Michael McDonald (2007), Kelly Clarkson and Kiki Dee, Cyndi Lauper, Jazz Jamaica (on Massive, 2004), The Scorchers (on "Stuntin'"), The Capprells and The Sul Brothers Band (one act), Diana Krall (Quiet Nights, 2009).

Florence Ballard (formerly of The Supremes) recorded a version of the song for her debut solo album entitled You Don't Have To in 1968 - a year after she was infamously fired from the group she created. The album was shelved by ABC Records and left unreleased until the release of The Supreme Florence Ballard in 2001.

Versions of Hayes' rendition of "Walk on By" have been sampled and revisited many times, by artists such as Comptons Most Wanted (1991), Notorious B.I.G. (1994), Slick Rick, Hooverphonic, (1995), 2Pac, (1997), MF Doom (1999), Wu Tang Clan (2000), Pete Rock (2001), Non Phixion (2002), Ludacris (2003), Smith & Mighty and DJ Shadow on his Endtroducing debut.

In 2002, singer Ashanti portrayed Dionne Warwick on the hit NBC show American Dreams and performed her version of "Walk On By" on the episode "Silent Night".

In 2003, Alicia Keys recorded a medley of Hayes' version of "Walk on By" and Gladys Knight & the Pips' 1970 song "If I Were Your Woman" for her second album The Diary of Alicia Keys, entitled "If I Was Your Woman/Walk on By".

The Undisputed Truth version of "Walk on By" was sampled by J Dilla on his 2006 album Donuts

Joss Stone's song "Just Walk on By", from the 2007 compilation album Randy Jackson's Music Club, Vol. 1, contains a sample from "Walk on By".

Warwick's version remains the most well-known, however, and in 1998 the song was inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame. The RIAA chose it as one of the Songs of the Century. In 2004, it was ranked #70 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

The Youngs recorded a version of "Walk on By" appearing on their self titled album released on Mimicry Records in 2004.

"Walk on By"
Single by Gabrielle
from the album Gabrielle
Released	August 10 1997
Format	CD single
Recorded	1995
Genre	Pop, R&B, soul
Length	3:21
Label	Go Beat, Universal Records
Gabrielle singles chronology
"If You Ever" (1996) "Walk on By" (1997) "Sunshine" (1999)

Gabrielle version

In 1997, UK singer Gabrielle released her version of "Walk on By" as the fifth and final single from her second self-titled album. It reached #7 in the UK.

Charts

Track listings

UK CD: (GODCD 159)

1. "Walk on By"
2. "Walk on By" (45% Novocaine remix)
3. "Walk on By" (live from TFI Friday)
4. "Something to Talk About"

"Walk on By"
Single by Cyndi Lauper
from the album At Last
Released	2003
Recorded	2003
Genre	Pop
Label	Sony Records
Writer(s)	Burt Bacharach, Hal David

Cyndi Lauper version

"Walk on By" was the first single from Cyndi Lauper's 2003 covers album, At Last. It was also included on Lauper's 2004 DVD Live at Last. It was released as a promo only. Remixes of the song reached #10 on the U.S. dance chart.

Track listings

CD:

1. "Walk on By" (Eddie X club mix) 10:51
2. "Walk on By" (Eddie X dub mix) 7:52
3. "Walk on By" (live version) 3:26
4. "Walk on By" (S.A.F. dub mix) 8:12
5. "Walk on By" (S.A.F.'s Walk to the Dance Floor club mix) 8:10
6. "Walk on By" (Tony Moran mix) 4:31

Chart performance

"Walk on By"
Single by Seal
from the album Best 1991-2004
Released	January 5, 2005
Format	CD single
Recorded	2005
Genre	Soul, pop
Label	Wea
Seal singles chronology
"Waiting for You" (2004) "Walk on By" (2005) "Killer 2005" (2005)

References