Very Dionne was the singer's final original Scepter album. She soon after signed a groundbreaking contract with Warner Bros. Records, where she debuted with 1972's Dionne – her final production by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Soon the one-time "Triangle Marriage" had an acrimonious split, forcing Warwick to sue her friends and producers for their refusal to work together on the albums they were contractually obliged to produce for her. Warwick remained with Warner Bros. where she was teamed with producers like Holland-Dozier-Holland, Jerry Ragovoy, Steve Barri and Michael Omartian, and most successfully, Thom Bell. Though the Warner Bros. years represented diminishing commercial returns following the smash chart-topper "Then Came You," Warwick would be on top again when Clive Davis signed her to Arista. But that's a tale for another day. Each of Warwick's Warner Bros. albums are getting first-time expanded editions.
Dionne [[1972) features mono single versions of "Close to You" and "If We Only Have Love."
Just Being Myself [[1973) adds single versions of "Don't Let My Teardrops Bother You," "I Think You Need Love," "You're Gonna Need Me" and "Just Being Myself."
Then Came You [[1975), so named for the Thom Bell production added to the Jerry Ragovoy-helmed LP, includes Warwick and Bell's other track with The Spinners, "Just as Long as We Have Love," plus mono promo singles of "Sure Thing" and "Take It From Me."
Track of the Cat [[1975), Warwick's full-length Thom Bell collaboration, hosts a staggering amount of bonus material – 10 tracks, total: both sides of the single "I Didn't Mean To Love You" b/w "He's Not For You" [[Warner Bros. WBS-8280, 1976), the mono single version, stereo single version, "Special Disco Mix," 12-inch single version and single instrumental version [[whew!) of "Once You Hit The Road," and the mono promo single version, 12-inch single version and 12-inch instrumental version of "I Didn't Mean to Love You."
Love at First Sight [[1977) includes three bonuses: "Don't Ever Take Your Love Away" in promotional mono and stereo mixes, plus "Keepin' My Head Above Water."
Although there is no previously unreleased material on any of these discs, this still represents the most sweeping reissue program for Dionne's catalogue since the sadly-aborted, near-definitive Rhino Handmade series. And perhaps one day, the wealth of previously unreleased material will see the light of day. Some particular treasures remain from the Warner Bros. years. Two additional songs, "Too Far to Reach" and "You Hurt Me So," were shelved for Just Being Myself. "Someone Else Gets the Prize" and "We Need to Go Back" were also recorded by Warwick with Nickolas Ashford and Valarie Simpson following the Just Being Myself sessions, and remain unreleased.
And then there's the "Holy Grail" of Warwick's Warner recordings: three songs recorded at a June 1974 reunion session with Burt Bacharach and Phil Ramone. With Bacharach estranged from Hal David, the composer turned to Bobby Russell and Neil Simon for lyrics, and produced three songs with Warwick. Ramone manned the controls at Los Angeles' A&M Studios for the session. "Plastic City," "And Then You Know What He Did," and "And Then He Walked Through the Door" all remain unreleased to this day. It's been reported that at least one of these songs may have been written for a proposed film version of Promises, Promises. Though none of this trio appears on the WEA Japan reissues, we're thrilled to confirm that the Bacharach/Russell song "And Then You Know What He Did" will soon appear for the very first time on a new 25-song compilation entitled Dionne Warwick Sings Burt Bacharach. This disc will be available [[at least initially) as an exclusive in conjunction with the PBS special Burt Bacharach's Best. The special will be broadcast this June. Watch this space for more information as it becomes available!
The titles are currently set for July release in two batches as follows:
July 9 Releases
Presenting Dionne Warwick [[1963) [[Mono/Stereo)
Anyone Who Had a Heart [[1964) [[Mono/Stereo)
Make Way for Dionne Warwick [[1964) [[Mono/Stereo plus bonus tracks)
The Sensitive Sound Of Dionne Warwick [[1965) [[Mono/Stereo)
Here I Am [[1965) [[Mono/Stereo plus bonus track)
Dionne Warwick in Paris [[1966) [[Mono/Stereo)
Here Where There Is Love [[1966) [[Mono/Stereo)
On Stage and in the Movies [[1967) [[Mono/Stereo)
The Windows of the World [[1967) [[Mono/Stereo plus bonus tracks)
The Magic of Believing [[1967) [[Mono/Stereo)
In The Valley of the Dolls [[1968) [[Mono/Stereo plus bonus tracks)
Promises. Promises [[1968) [[with bonus tracks)
July 23 Releases
Soulful [[1969) [[with bonus tracks)
Dionne Warwick's Greatest Motion Picture Hits [[1969) [[First time on CD, plus bonus tracks)
I'll Never Fall in Love Again [[1970) [[with bonus tracks)
Very Dionne [[1970) [[duplicates track listing of Rhino Handmade RHM2 7869, 2004)
The Dionne Warwicke Story: A Decade Of Gold [[1971) [[2 CDs; First time on CD)
From Within [[1972) [[2 CDs; First time on CD)
Dionne [[1972) [[with bonus tracks)
Just Being Myself [[1973) [[with bonus tracks)
Then Came You [[1975) [[with bonus tracks)
Track of the Cat [[1975) [[with bonus tracks)
Love At First Sight [[1977) [[with bonus tracks)
Bookmarks