Burt Bacharach, Dies at 94

Burt Bacharach, the acclaimed composer and songwriter behind dozens of mellow pop hits from the 1950s to the 1980s, including “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” “[[They Long to Be) Close to You” and the theme from the movie “Arthur,” has died, a family member of Bacharach confirmed to CNN.

He was 94.

A major figure in 20th century pop music, Bacharach scored major hits in a variety of genres, from Top 40 to country to rhythm and blues and film scores. He wrote hit songs for a wide range of artists, including Dusty Springfield, Dionne Warwick, Tom Jones, Neil Diamond, the Carpenters and Christopher Cross.

Many of his songs were classified, perhaps unfairly, as “easy listening” – a gentle, old fashioned style of music with few rough edges. Most were far removed from the sounds of rock and roll, funk, disco or other popular genres of his time.


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https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/09/enter...ath/index.html

Sad, Sad News! Rest In Peace Burt Bacharach.

Sad to learn of his passing today [as per his Wikipedia, it seems he passed yesterday].

Such a prolific talent. I don't know if I've ever heard a song of his that I didn't like. Too many favourites to name. Here's one of them.

Another Night [[Bacharach/David)

https://youtu.be/9sed2w-A1eE

https://youtu.be/9sed2w-A1eE

Dionne Warwick Remembers Burt Bacharach From CNN.com-

“Burt’s transition is like losing a family member.” “These words I’ve been asked to write are being written with sadness over the loss of my Dear Friend and my Musical Partner. On the lighter side we laughed a lot and had our run ins but always found a way to let each other know our family like roots were the most important part of our relationship. My heartfelt condolences goes out to his family letting them know he is now peacefully resting and I too will miss him.”

RIP to a brilliant composer with an unparalleled catalog. He brought an orchestral sweep and sophistication to popular music. So many beautiful songs, so many favorites...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnykiIlv8Yw

So many great songs sung by so many great singers. I will just pick one out of so many favs. RIP Burt.

https://youtu.be/thl3rDvsyrI

Rest In Peace Thank you for your music.

There are no superlatives that would overstate his talent. Thankfully, his legacy of work will last forever. RIP sir.

I've liked his work since forever. Due to Burt's age, I can't say I was surprised by his death. His music and arrangements for Dionne and for his own albums were the kind that made you "play that part again." Burt sure knew how to end songs. My wife and I always bring that up when we listen to his albums and Dion's. One of the reasons, I knew that my wife and I were meant to be was that we both liked his albums. I say that because I never met anyone else that liked him and bought his albums. My wife use to sneak away from home when she was much younger and go to a Sears Roebuck store to buy Burt's albums.

I saw Burt and Dionne at the Chicago Theater in the 80's. This was when Burt, Hal and Dionne overcame the things that caused their break up. A few years later my wife and I saw him and and Elvis Costello in concert. I was thinking about Burt yesterday as I was playing Dionne's albums while cleaning up at home. Back in the late 60's and 70's, I use to wonder if Thom Bell ever met Burt. Their beautiful arrangements sure had a lot in common. It was many years later [[thanks to the internet) that I read how much Thom liked Burt. With both of them now gone, I am sad and also thankful and give glory to God for the talents he bestowed upon them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by carlo

Sad to learn of his passing today [as per his Wikipedia, it seems he passed yesterday].

Such a prolific talent. I don't know if I've ever heard a song of his that I didn't like. Too many favourites to name. Here's one of them.

Another Night [[Bacharach/David)

https://youtu.be/9sed2w-A1eE

https://youtu.be/9sed2w-A1eE

---

I love this song too. In fact, I think it’s one of the few songs where you really can tell how hard it would be to sing it. I think with Bacharach, although many of his melodies are hard to sing you don’t really notice that when you hear them. But this one is different. I don’t think it was that big of a hit but I always thought it was just a fascinating, beautiful song. It reminds me a little, oddly enough, of the Marvelettes’ “He’s a Good Guy” because it kind of seems like two different songs stitched together. Oh well, I better stop trying to explain. Great choice! What a loss.

Sad news indeed. I am a huge Dionne fan but for years I appreciated just her and never gave any real thought to the importance of having great writers, arrangements, etc. behind each song. My personal favorite Bacharach/David/Warwick composition is I Just Have to Breathe, from the 1972 Warner Brothers album. If Burt played the piano on that song, as I have always assumed to be the case, it was a masterpiece.

Hi Mr-June,

This is what Thom told me many years ago, when we were talking about Deniece Williams' cover of "It's Gonna Take A Miracle" -
............
Thom Bell: “I think Teddy Randazzo and Bobby Weinstein did that song [[plus Lou Stallman). I love their writing. And I love the arranging that Don Costa does for Little Anthony and the Imperials. That was the first guy that turned me on – Don Costa! They had I’m on the Outside [[Looking In), Hurt So Bad, Goin’ Out Of My Head… After that came Burt Bacharach, another one I loved. They were applying their classical training, I believe, to so-called r&b, modern music. I didn’t know anything about the so-called r&b music at all, until I was about seventeen-eighteen, because that’s not where my family was leaning me. I come from the classical end of it.”
.........
Best regards
Heikki

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by carlo

Sad to learn of his passing today [as per his Wikipedia, it seems he passed yesterday].

Such a prolific talent. I don't know if I've ever heard a song of his that I didn't like. Too many favourites to name. Here's one of them.

Another Night [[Bacharach/David)

https://youtu.be/9sed2w-A1eE

https://youtu.be/9sed2w-A1eE

---

I love Dionne's "Another Night"! While it wasn't one of her well known songs, it's one of the more complex Burt Bacharach songs [along with "Promises Promises"]. There's a segment in the Dionne Warwick documentary where they talk about her skill as a singer & her ability to sing Burt's complex melodies and time signature changes. "Another Night" is a prime example of that.

Burt Bacarach was a musical genius. Thanks to artists like Dionne Warwick, B.J. Thomas, Dusty Springfield, and Elvis Costello, the world of music will never be the same without him. May Burt RIP.

Live Performance - Burt Bacarach & Elvis Costello
"This House Is Empty Now"
https://youtu.be/xID7AxShew0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkLN_DIMg24

One of his last videos?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgMB3VWd2EQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-r20ZDo0SY

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by heikki

Hi Mr-June,

This is what Thom told me many years ago, when we were talking about Deniece Williams' cover of "It's Gonna Take A Miracle" -
............
Thom Bell: “I think Teddy Randazzo and Bobby Weinstein did that song [[plus Lou Stallman). I love their writing. And I love the arranging that Don Costa does for Little Anthony and the Imperials. That was the first guy that turned me on – Don Costa! They had I’m on the Outside [[Looking In), Hurt So Bad, Goin’ Out Of My Head… After that came Burt Bacharach, another one I loved. They were applying their classical training, I believe, to so-called r&b, modern music. I didn’t know anything about the so-called r&b music at all, until I was about seventeen-eighteen, because that’s not where my family was leaning me. I come from the classical end of it.”
.........
Best regards
Heikki

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Thanks Heikki. You always come up with something interesting for the conversation.

A sad day but so pleased I was to see him [[not live unfortunately) playing concerts into his 80s.

A litany of brilliant songs over many decades.

Amazing to think he performed with both Marlene Dietrich and Adele [[and many, many, many more).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05ZZ6w2qilY&ab_channel=derek868.