Dionne Warwick - Ashford & Simpson: We Need To Go Back

[soren1974]

Dionne Warwick's career at Warner Bros. in the 1970s was, apart from her 1974 duet with The Spinners, Then Came You, overall a commercial failure, despite the involvement of high profile producers such as Holland-Dozier-Holland, Thom Bell and Jerry Ragovoy. She would not land a major hit until 1979's I'll Never Love This Way Again, written & produced by Barry Manilow for her first album with Arista.

However, Ashford & Simpson recorded two gorgeous tunes with her in 1973 that mysteriously did not appeal to Warner. "She's so fast - she catches on so quickly to musical ideas," said Valerie Simpson in an interview with Blues & Soul, December 1973. While the two tracks sat in the can for a year, they were asked to remix the tracks because Dionne wanted to redub the vocals, but even after that Warner shelved the tracks to the duo's disappointment: "Well, that day a few plates got smashed about and it wasn't exactly one of our better days, you could say."

Both tracks were gathering dust for 40 years before seeing the light of day in 2013. Listening to We Need To Go Back now, it is inexplicable how this could be rejected. The full 7:24 mix has only just now been released in 2023, 50 years after it was recorded. Interestingly, Ashford & Simpson completely rewrote the song but kept the original verses for Angela Bofill's Rough Times in 1978 [[also covered by Candi Staton as a 1979 B-side).



The second track, Someone Else Gets The Prize, is just as gorgeous and classic A&S. They never recorded the song with anyone else, but the lyrical theme was of course recycled for Diana Ross in 1979 as No One Gets The Prize.



What a shame a full album never materialized because this could have been as wonderful as Diana Ross's three Ashford & Simpson albums.

[Bluebrock]

Dionne Warwick's career at Warner Bros. in the 1970s was, apart from her 1974 duet with The Spinners, Then Came You, overall a commercial failure, despite the involvement of high profile producers such as Holland-Dozier-Holland, Thom Bell and Jerry Ragovoy. She would not land a major hit until 1979's I'll Never Love This Way Again, written & produced by Barry Manilow for her first album with Arista.

However, Ashford & Simpson recorded two gorgeous tunes with her in 1973 that mysteriously did not appeal to Warner. "She's so fast - she catches on so quickly to musical ideas," said Valerie Simpson in an interview with Blues & Soul, December 1973. While the two tracks sat in the can for a year, they were asked to remix the tracks because Dionne wanted to redub the vocals, but even after that Warner shelved the tracks to the duo's disappointment: "Well, that day a few plates got smashed about and it wasn't exactly one of our better days, you could say."

Both tracks were gathering dust for 40 years before seeing the light of day in 2013. Listening to We Need To Go Back now, it is inexplicable how this could be rejected. The full 7:24 mix has only just now been released in 2023, 50 years after it was recorded. Interestingly, Ashford & Simpson completely rewrote the song but kept the original verses for Angela Bofill's Rough Times in 1978 [[also covered by Candi Staton as a 1979 B-side).



The second track, Someone Else Gets The Prize, is just as gorgeous and classic A&S. They never recorded the song with anyone else, but the lyrical theme was of course recycled for Diana Ross in 1979 as No One Gets The Prize.



What a shame a full album never materialized because this could have been as wonderful as Diana Ross's three Ashford & Simpson albums.

Totally agree. Dionne and Nick & Val were a magical combination. Heaven knows why Warners rejected these great songs. I would have loved a full album, but i love all Dionne's Warners albums. The new box set is wonderful.

[Boogiedown]

I’d say partly Warner didn’t like the idea of signing a 60s artist whining about missing the ol’ days of good music…..
kind of a buzz kill

[Bluebrock]

I’d say partly Warner didn’t like the idea of signing a 60s artist whining about missing the ol’ days of good music…..
kind of a buzz kill

Dionne has often said the wrong thing at the wrong time. She upset Barry Gibb big time by declaring she disliked Heartbreaker just as she was about to promote it!

[Boogiedown]

Dionne has often said the wrong thing at the wrong time. She upset Barry Gibb big time by declaring she disliked Heartbreaker just as she was about to promote it!

Yikes!
didn’t Tina turner do something similar regarding WHATS LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT

[Bluebrock]

Yikes!
didn’t Tina turner do something similar regarding WHATS LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT

Not sure if Tina said that, but if she did then it did not affect the success of the record and neither did Dionne's unfortunate choice of words have a negative effect on the success of Heartbreaker.

[reese]

Yikes!
didn’t Tina turner do something similar regarding WHATS LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT

I think Tina heard the original recording of the song and it was very un-Tina like. She asked Terry Britten to change some things and he did. And of course, they did go on to further hits with the MAD MAX theme and her BREAK EVERY RULE album.

[Boogiedown]

As I’m trying to recall , I believe she commented that she didn’t hear a hit in it at all and was surprised when it was .

[Boogiedown]

…… a polite way of her saying she thought it was a piece a