Burt Bacharach Always Gave Us His Best

If I asked you to “Name a Burt Bacharach Song,” there’s no doubt in my mind that you could come up with one immediately, whether you first learned of his work in the 1950s or three more decades beyond. News of his passing at the age of 94 just broke hours ago on the American Songwriter blog.

There’s no question that a Bacharach composition is going to be a theme of love—whether love won, love lost, searching for love, or giving up on love…Burt WAS love, or at least one of its best emissaries. What do you do when you can’t find the right words to put in a heartfelt wish on a blank card, or how do you tell someone that you’re going to recover from the hole in your heart that you’re feeling now? A Bacharach song is always a good idea. He had one for everyone.

[Photo: Milan Italy 26/10/2008, live concert of Burt Bacharach at the Arcimboldi Theater. Used with permission]

As he is best remembered, a YouTube creator was kind enough to compile a “Barbra Sings Burt Bacharach-Hal David Songbook,” so click and let it play and walk back in time to your childhood, all you Baby Boomers, and some of his best work is there.

On this next YouTube, “What’s New Pussycat?” (Tom Jones) and Alfie (Cilla Black and Dionne Warwick),” as only Barbra Streisand can deliver them reminds you immediately of who they were the big hits for: “Close to You” (The Carpenters), “One Less Bell To Answer” (Fifth Dimension) and more.

Think of singer Dionne Warwick and you can immediately call to mind, “Walk on By,” “I Say a Little Prayer (for you),” “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again,” and “What Do You Get When You Fall in Love?” Then you’d also call to mind the name Hal David, Burt’s most prolific co-writer over the years. Together they were the dynamic duo.

Beyond writing, though, you could always find that Burt could sing his own songs and compel your heart to heal as anyone who might have shared his work on their own record labels. But when others brought them to life, there’s no denying what the difference is between catchy tune and solid gold. Take for example, “Arthur’s Theme,” the theme song for the Dudley Moore movie, “Arthur.” Four writers are credited: Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, Christopher Cross, and Peter Allen (not necessarily in that order).

Yet, how do you share credit? Who writes what in that situation? As the story goes, it was Peter Allen who came up with “When you get caught between the moon and New York City” (he was on a plane "stuck in a holding pattern" at New York's JFK Airport). That phrase was the hitmaker because simply “made the song.” However the collaboration, it’s Christopher Cross’ voice and all the lyrics and the complete melody and arrangement that had people all singing about the moon, New York City, and “the best that you can do is fall in love.” And it certainly helped box office ticket sales to be sure.

“On My Own” sounded “sweet” when Carole Bayer Sager and Burt Bacharach were sharing it, here, but according to Songfacts, they’d promised it to Patti LaBelle, who loved the song. but when the rich sound of Michael McDonald came shining through, together with Dionne Warwick, it simply MADE the song. That’s what incredible songwriters can do…they are the “assist” to the slam dunk of a golden hit that the song stylist can take from memorable to unforgettable.

While Burt was married to Carole Bayer Sager for nine years, their compositions together were heartfelt gold. From that pairing one special gem was, “That’s What Friends Are For,” which brought the collaboration of Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder, and Sir Elton John.

Burt said it all for so many when nothing less would do. His memory, and his music, live on forever, thank goodness, and thank you God, for Burt Bacharach.