Burt Bacharach

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Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach, c.1995
Background information
Born	May 12, 1928
Origin	Kansas City, Missouri
Genre(s)	Pop
Occupation(s)	Composer, Pianist, Singer
Instrument(s)	Piano
Years active	1957 - Present
Associated acts	Hal David Dionne Warwick

Burt Bacharach (IPA: [/bɝt-ˈbæ.kə.ˌɹæk/], born May 12, 1928 in Kansas City, Missouri) is an award-winning American pianist and composer. He is best known for his many pop hits from 1962-70, with lyrics written by Hal David, many of which were sung by Dionne Warwick. As of 2006, Bacharach had a total of 70 Top 40 hits in the U.S., and 52 Top 40 hits in the U.K. [1]

Contents 1 Family 2 Professional biography 2.1 Early work 2.2 1970s and 1980s 2.3 Later work 2.4 Film and television 3 Legacy and influence 4 Trivia 5 Selected discography 6 Hit singles 7 Other Notable Recordings 8 Complete Work for Broadway 9 References 10 External links

[edit] Family

Bacharach has been married four times, first to Paula Stewart (1953-1958), second to actress Angie Dickinson (1965-1980), third to lyricist Carole Bayer Sager (1982-1991)—with whom he collaborated on a number of pieces—and fourth (since 1993) to Jane Hanson. He has four children, two girls and two boys. Nikki Bacharach, Bacharach and Dickinson's daughter - for whom he wrote the instrumental piece 'Nikki' - died of suffocation using a plastic bag and helium on January 4, 2007 at age 40.^[1] Nikki spent 9 years at the Wilson Center, a psychiatric residential treatment facility for adolescents located in Faribault, MN. Nikki had Asperger Syndrome, a high functioning form of autism.^[2]

[edit] Professional biography

Bacharach studied music at McGill University, the Mannes School of Music, and the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California. His composition teachers included Darius Milhaud, Bohuslav Martinů, and Henry Cowell. In the 1950s and early 1960s he was the pianist, arranger and bandleader for Marlene Dietrich, with whom he toured.

Bacharach's music is characterized by unusual chord progessions, striking syncopated rhythmic patterns, irregular phrasing, frequent modulation, and odd and changing meters. It tends toward a greater climactic effect than most popular music, especially greater than most popular music of the period in which he is most associated. Bacharach is more than a mere songwriter, having himself arranged, conducted, and co-produced much of his recorded output. An example of his use of distinctive use of changing meter is found in "Promises, Promises" (from his score for the musical of the same name). In this song, he incorporates a very complex time signature sequence of |3/8|÷|4/8|3/8|÷|4/8|.

[edit] Early work

In 1957, Bacharach and lyricist Hal David were introduced at the famous Brill Building in New York City, and began their songwriting partnership. Almost a year later, they received a major career break when their song "The Story of My Life" was recorded by Marty Robbins for Columbia Records, becoming a #1 hit on the U.S. Country charts in late 1957. Soon afterwards, "Magic Moments" was recorded by Perry Como for RCA Records, and became a #4 U.S. hit in February of that year. Other hits quickly followed. "Heavenly" was recorded by Johnny Mathis and became a gold record in the U.K. Later the same year another Bacharach song, "Faithfully", also achieved gold record status with Mathis in the U.K.

In the early 1960s, Bacharach wrote well over a hundred songs with David, including a wealth of popular hits throughout the 1960s and 1970s, many of which still enjoy popularity today. Bacharach and David were associated throughout the sixties with Dionne Warwick, a conservatory-trained vocalist. She began working for the duo when they needed a good singer to "demo" their songs properly for other artists. Bacharach and David noticed that Warwick's demos often exceeded the quality of the performances others were recording^{[citation needed]}. They started writing a portion of their work specifically with Warwick in mind, which led to one of the most successful teams in popular music history.^[3] Over a twenty year period, beginning in the early 1960s, Warwick managed to chart 38 singles co-written or produced by Bacharach, including an twenty-two Top-40 hits on the American Billboard Hot 100 charts.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Bacharach's songs were made famous by a number of popular singers in addition to Warwick, including The Beatles, The Carpenters, Aretha Franklin, B.J. Thomas ("Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head"), Tom Jones (What's New, Pussycat"), The Stranglers, Dusty Springfield, The Drifters, Jack Jones, Jackie DeShannon (What the World Needs Now is Love"), and Luther Vandross.

In addition to mainstream pop, many Bacharach songs were adapted by jazz artists of the time, such as Stan Getz 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 music standard. He composed and arranged the soundtrack of the 1967 film Casino Royale. Bacharach and David also collaborated with Broadway producer David Merrick on the 1968 musical production of Promises, Promises, which yielded several major hit songs (including the title tune). 1969 saw, perhaps, the most successful Bacharach-David collaboration ever, with the song "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head", which was prominently featured in the acclaimed film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" won the Oscar award for Best Song and also was Bacharach's biggest worldwide hit.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] 1970s and 1980s

By the early 1970s, changing public tastes created a more competitive atmosphere for pop music. In 1973, Bacharach and David opted to try their hand at reviving a classic 1937 film, Lost Horizon, and turned it into a film musical for Columbia Pictures. The result was a critical and commercial disaster, and resulted in a flurry of lawsuits between the songwriter and lyricist, as well as from Warwick, who 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 any memorable hits.

By the early 1980s, Bacharach's marriage with Angie Dickinson had failed, but a new partnership with lyricist Carole Bayer Sager proved more rewarding, both commercially and personally. The two married, and collaborated several major hits during the decade, including "Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)" (Christopher Cross), "Heartlight" (Neil Diamond), "Making Love", "On My Own", and perhaps most memorably, "That's What Friends Are For" in 1985, 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, proving that Bacharach's work could continue to change with the times.

Other artists continued to revive Bacharach's earlier hits, giving them an entirely new audience in the 1980s and 1990s. Examples included Naked Eye's 1983 dance version of "(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me", Ronnie Milsap's smash 1982 country version of "Any Day Now", and many others. Bacharach also continued a successful concert career, appearing at auditoriums throughout the world, often featuring large orchestras as accompaniment. He also occasionally joined with Warwick, appearing in sold-out concerts in New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.

[edit] Later work

In 2006, Bacharach recorded a jazz album with Trijntje Oosterhuis and the Metropole Orchestra called The Look Of Love (Burt Bacharach Songbook) which is scheduled for released around November 20, 2006.^[4]

[edit] Film and television

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Bacharach was featured in a dozen TV musical/variety specials videotaped in the U.K. for ITC, several of which were nominated for Emmy awards for direction (by Dwight Hemion). The guests included artists such as Joel Grey, Dusty Springfield, and Barbra Streisand. Bacharach and David also 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, his instrumental composition "Nikki" (named for his daughter) premiered as the theme for the ABC Movie of the Week, a TV series which eventually ran on various nights of the week until 1975. Also during the 1970s, Bacharach and then-wife Angie Dickinson appeared in several memorable 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 has had cameo roles in a number of Hollywood movies including all three Austin Powers spy spoof movies. His music is also credited as providing inspiration for these movies, partially stemming from Bacharach's score for the 1967 James Bond film Casino Royale.

During subsequent Burt Bacharach concert tours, each show would open with a very brief video clip from the movie Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, with Mike Myers (as Austin Powers) uttering "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Burt Bacharach." In late 2006, Burt 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!")

[edit] Legacy and influence

• Popular songwriter Jimmy Webb has acknowledged Bacharach's influence on his work.
• On Status Quo's album Heavy Traffic, Track number 8 is named "Diggin' Burt Bacharach."
• On the cover of Oasis' first album Definitely Maybe, there is a framed picture of Bacharach to the left resting up against the sofa. Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher also performed a duet of "This Guy's In Love With You" live with Bacharach.
• Estonian alternative-avantgarde guitarist/composer Leonid Soybelman released an album named Much Ado About Burt Bacharach's Walk On By.
• The British duo Swing Out Sister cites Bacharah as a major influence as well.
• The British band Saint Etienne were influenced heavily by Bacharach's piano motifs.

[edit] Trivia

• Bacharach owned successful racehorse Soul of the Matter who won a one million dollar prize race in 1995 and was a close second in another (1996 Dubai World Cup).

[edit] Selected discography

• 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[2] (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)
• Isley Meets Bacharach: Here I Am with Ronald Isley (2003)*
• At This Time (2005)

[edit] Hit singles

The following is a list of Bacharach hit singles that appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio airplay and/or significant commercial sales.

• "The Story of My Life" (Marty Robbins, (US Country and Western no. 1, pop no. 15, 1957 - his first hit)
• "Magic Moments" (Perry Como, US no. 4 / UK no. 1, 1957/1958 - his first big pop hit)
• "The Blob" (The Five Blobs, 1958 with Mack David—brother of Hal David—from the movie The Blob)
• "Heavenly" (Johnny Mathis 1959)
• "Faithfully" (Johnny Mathis 1959)
• "Baby It's You" (The Shirelles, 1961, then The Beatles, 1963, then Smith, 1969 US #8)
• "Any Day Now" (Chuck Jackson, 1962, then Ronnie Milsap, 1982)
• "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance" (Gene Pitney, 1962)
• "Only Love Can Break a Heart" (Gene Pitney, (1962)
• "Don't Make Me Over" (Dionne Warwick, 1962)
• "Make it Easy On Yourself" (Jerry Butler, 1962, then a UK no. 1 for the Walker Brothers, 1965)
• "Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa" (Gene Pitney, 1963)
• "Blue on Blue" (Bobby Vinton, 1963)
• "Anyone Who Had a Heart" (Dionne Warwick, 1963, Dusty Springfield, 1964, and Luther Vandross in 1986)
• "(They Long to Be) Close to You" (Richard Chamberlain, 1963, then Dionne Warwick, 1965, Johnny Mathis and The Carpenters (US no. 1, 1970). In 1969 Grammy nominee Record of the Year.
• "Wives and Lovers" (Jack Jones, 1963). Grammy nominee Record of the Year and Song of the Year
• "Wishin' and Hopin'" (Dionne Warwick, 1963, then Dusty Springfield (who had a U.S. Top Ten hit with it), 1964, Stephanie McIntosh, 2006)
• "Walk on By" Dionne Warwick, 1964, then Isaac Hayes, 1970 and The Stranglers in 1978) 1983 Jo Jo Zep, 2006 Seal
• "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" (Dusty Springfield, (UK no. 3 hit, 1964, then The White Stripes, 2003)
• "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me" (Dionne Warwick, Sandie Shaw, UK no. 1, 1964, then Naked Eyes, 1982)
• "A House Is Not a Home" (Brook Benton, 1963, Dionne Warwick, 1964, then Luther Vandross, (1981)
• "What the World Needs Now Is Love" 1965 Jackie DeShannon)US #7
• "What's New Pussycat?" (Tom Jones, 1965, from the film What's New, Pussycat?, US #3)

This song was nominated for the Academy Award for Original Song in 1965.

• "Alfie" (Cilla Black, 1966, then Cher, 1966, then Dionne Warwick, 1967, originally from the movie of the same name)

This song was nominated for the Academy Award for Original Song in 1966, and won Bacharach a Grammy for instrumental arrangement in 1967.

• "My Little Red Book" (Love, 1966)
• "I Say A Little Prayer" (Dionne Warwick, 1967, then Aretha Franklin, 1968)
• "The Look of Love" (Dusty Springfield, 1967, from the soundtrack of the movie Casino Royale, Dionne Warwick, then Sergio Mendes & Brazil '66, 1968)

This song was nominated for the Academy Award for Original Song in 1967.

• "One Less Bell to Answer" (Keely Smith, 1967, then The 5th Dimension, 1970 US #2)
• "This Guy's in Love with You" (Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, US no. 1, (4 weeks, 1968)

This song was covered by Oasis' Noel Gallagher in tribute to Bacharach on his 70th Birthday. The song was written specifically for Alpert, a non-singer with limited range.

• "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" (Dionne Warwick, 1968)
• "Promises, Promises" (Jill O'Hara, 1968, and Dionne Warwick, 1968)

The Broadway soundtrack won Bacharach a Grammy in 1969.

• "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" (B.J. Thomas, US no. 1, 1969, Johnny Mathis 1969 in Great Britain, from the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid)

This song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1969. Bacharach also won the Academy Award and Grammy for Original Score for the movie. Grammy nominee Song of the Year

• "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" (Dionne Warwick (1969) then Bobbie Gentry (UK no. 1, 1969), originally from the musical Promises, Promises). Grammy nominee Song of the Year [competed against himself in this category]
• "Arthur's Theme (The Best That You Can Do)" (Christopher Cross, 1981, from the movie Arthur)

This song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1981. Grammy nominee Record of the Year and Song of the Year

• "That's What Friends Are For" (1982)

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 an enormous hit, raising millions for AIDS charities. The song also won the Grammy for Song of the Year. Grammy nominee Record of the Year

• "On My Own" (Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald, 1986)

[edit] Other Notable Recordings

• 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.
• To Hal and Bacharach is a 1998 tribute album with 18 tunes, performed by notable Australian artists.

[edit] Complete Work for Broadway

• Marlene Dietrich (1968) - concert - music arranger and conductor
• Promises, Promises (1968) - musical - composer - Tony Nomination for Best Musical
• André DeShield's Haarlem Nocturne (1984) - revue - featured songwriter
• The Look of Love (2003) - revue - composer
• The Boy from Oz (2003) - musical - additional composer

[edit] References

1. ^ The Washington Post (January 5, 2007) Burt Bacharach's daughter commits suicide
2. ^ Independent News & Media (08 January 2007) Asperger's syndrome: The ballad of Nikki Bacharach
3. ^ "The Burt Bacharach Collection" - CD issued by WEA Europe (liner notes)
4. ^ PlatoMania.nl Scheduled Dutch album releases. Retrieved: October 25, 2006

[edit] External links

• Burt Bacharach--interactive career timeline, concert photos, composer credits
• Biography
• Art of the States: Burt Bacharach
• The Hitmaker Archive--a database of recordings of Burt Bacharach's songs
• [3] The Hitmaker Archive of recordings by Marlene Dietrich associated with Burt Bacharach's musical direction
• Burt Bacharach on Internet Broadway Database
• Burt Bacharach at the Internet Movie Database
• Rhinocasts Podcast interview with Ron Shapiro
• Burt's blog.
• A 2006 audio interview

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