When he performed at the Berlin Admiralspalast four years ago, he remembered Marlene Dietrich’s tour of Germany in 1960, which he accompanied as orchestra leader. He saw little of Berlin. Burt Bacharach, the great composer, wasn’t a great speaker. In sparse, touching words he remembered Hal David, his deceased partner and lyricist. And with a cracked, low voice he sang some of his wonderful songs on the piano. Four singers stood behind him on the stage.
Burt Bacharach was born in Kansas City on May 12, 1928; the father made men’s clothing, the mother was a singer and painter. He grew up in New York City and studied at McGill University and the Mannes Conservatory in the 1940s. He wrote the first song that was released for Sammy Kaye. After his military service, he accompanied Polly Bergen, Imogene Coca, Georgia Gibbs and Paula Stewart, to whom he was married from 1953 to 1958, as a pianist.
In 1957 he teamed up with Hal David, a lyricist who found new metaphors for love and who uniquely articulated Bacharach’s sophisticatedly intricate songs. The two worked in the legendary Brill Building in New York. Her first hit was Perry Como’s “Magic Moments” in 1957. In 1958 Marlene Dietrich engaged the stately Bacharach as orchestra leader. After this time he and David had other hits: The Shirelles’ “Baby It’s You”, Chuck Jackson’s “Any Day Now” and Gene Pitney’s “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” (the theme song of the John Ford film) and “Only.” Love Can Break A Heart”.
In 1962 they wrote the first song for Dionne Warwick: “Don’t Make Me Over” referred to an angry outburst from the singer who accused her songwriters of fraud. Warwick then sang “Anyone Who Had A Heart”, “Walk On By”, “I Say A Little Prayer”, “Do You Know The Way To San Jose”, “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” and “Alfie” , the theme song of the film starring Michael Caine (1968). In 1965 they wrote “What’s New, Pussycat?” for Tom Jones. (the theme song of the film), for Dusty Springfield “The Look Of Love” “Casino Royale”, 1967). In 1968, her musical Promises, Promises (based on Billy Wilder’s film The Apartment) was a Broadway hit. “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head,” sung by BJ Thomas, won an Oscar: In “Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid,” Katharine Ross and Paul Newman ride a bicycle to the song.
Her film musical “Lost Horizon” was a spectacular flop in 1973: Bacharach and David sued each other, Dionne Warwick sued both. From then on, Bacharach wrote with Carol Bayer Sager, to whom he was married from 1981 to 1992. “Arthur’s Theme,” the song for Dudley Moore’s comedy Arthur, was a number one hit for Christopher Cross in 1981. In 1985 Bacharach collaborated again with Dionne Warwick: “That’s What Friends Are For” she sang with Elton John, Gladys Knight and Steve Wonder. In 1986 he wrote On My Own for Patti Labelle and Michael MacDonald.
With his admirer Elvis Costello, Bacharach wrote the 1998 album Painted From Memory, a masterpiece of the Torch song. He himself only released a few records under his name, including “Reach Out”, “Burt Bacharach”, “Portrait in Music”, “Living Together”, “Futures”, “Woman”, all of which are rare today. In 2005 “At This Time” was released, in 2011 he recorded an album with Ronan Keating.
Only Cole Porter and Lennon/McCartney have written as many evergreens as Burt Bacharach. They’re in movies, they’re in series, they’re on the radio. And always someone will sing “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head” and think of Katharine Ross and Paul Newman, the epitome of love in a 1969 film.
Burt Bacharach, the song’s maestro, died in Los Angeles yesterday at the age of 94.
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