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The Burt Bacharach Forum is a board to discuss the music and career of composer Burt Bacharach and performers associated with his songs.

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steveo_1965
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Joined: Wed Aug 23, 2006 2:17 pm
Location: Los Angeles

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helcio mazzuco
Posts: 36
Joined: Wed Mar 22, 2006 6:22 pm
Location: Brazil

Be True To Yourself on the charts

Post by helcio mazzuco »

Dear Steveo,
I've done a research on BTTY performance on the charts and here's what I got...Billboard POP charts # 34 (for 7 weeks) and Cash Box # 36 (for 8 weeks). I probably heard this song for the very first in early 90's (when a Bobby Vee compilation called Legendary Master Series was released) and I'd say that it was love at first listening. I thought it was a very catchy Bacharach tune..I love that ending...
Take care,
Helcio
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KeithBurke
Posts: 152
Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 8:22 pm

Post by KeithBurke »

That's The Way I'll Come To You (1957)/Bobby Vee:
http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?a ... A176723BB7

Anonymous Phone Call
(1962)/ Bobby Vee:
http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?a ... 971606264F

Be True To Yourself
(1963)/Bobby Vee:
http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?a ... 9E765F2EED

True Love Never Runs Smooth (1964)/ Bobby Vee:
http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?a ... 4E14215AE1
blueonblue
Posts: 1540
Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2006 3:22 am

bobby vee

Post by blueonblue »

Hi Keith,
It's interesting listening to these songs as slowly but surely they evolve
into the much more daring and familiar "Bacharach Sound"....
Like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.......fascinating !!!

Thanks a million Keith..........wonderful stuff !!!
"Blue"
An Enormous BB Fan
Posts: 1194
Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2004 11:14 pm

Re: bobby vee

Post by An Enormous BB Fan »

blueonblue wrote:Hi Keith,
It's interesting listening to these songs as slowly but surely they evolve
into the much more daring and familiar "Bacharach Sound"....
Like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.......fascinating !!!

Thanks a million Keith..........wonderful stuff !!!
"Blue"
Yes, good point, blue. The early songs give no real indication of what a genius he would become. Burt was quoted as saying (relatively recently) that he couldn't write the kind of songs he used to write (he was referring to the early Dionne Warwick period, not the period before that) if he tried. He definitely went through various "periods". For example, his work with Carole Bayer Sager is very unique unto that time period. For example, the songs in Carole's "Sometimes Late At Night" album are wonderful, but so different from the songs he wrote from '64 to '70.

I also think that when Florence Greenberg took Burt under her wing and gave him a home (so to speak) -- Scepter Records -- where he could write and arrange as he pleased was a great influence on him with respect to his having total autonomy of his creative output. Burt has spoken about his early days as a songwriter and how "A&R men ruined my songs"... how they wouldn't let him put in a 2/4 bar for example.

So I'm wondering if these early songs were written to please someone other than himself. I think when he worked for Florence he could make a record that way he wanted to make a record.

Burt has said on more than one occasion that when he started out, he felt that he could write 2, 3, 4 songs a day, that's how bad the songs on the radio were to him. After listening to some of these first efforts by Burt (thanks to Keith (again!)), I could see why he felt that way.

Edit: Of the four songs above, I think "True Love Never Runs Smooth" is the most "Bacharach" sounding of them. I love it and it's so unlike some of the earlier average and humdrum compositions. It's like two different composers entirely.

Another thing: I have True Love Never Runs Smooth by Gene Pitney. Who sang that song first? Bobby Vee was a big star for a brief period of time, so I can't figure out who covered who with it?
blueonblue
Posts: 1540
Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2006 3:22 am

classic!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Post by blueonblue »

Hi Enormous,
And let's not forget "Be True To Yourself"..........a very underrated
"Bacharach Classic"...........tremendous !!! 8)

"Blue"
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