Bacharach, David and Warwick – three strikes against the Roc

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BachtoBacharach
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Bacharach, David and Warwick – three strikes against the Roc

Post by BachtoBacharach »

Interesting.....


Bacharach, David and Warwick – three strikes against the Rock Hall
Posted on 20 September 2010. Tags: Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick, goldmine, Hal David, Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Rock Hall snubs, Rock Music, vinyl


Hal David, Burt Bacharach (seated) & Dionne Warwick

By Phill Marder

Of all those ignored by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame thus far, DIONNE WARWICK may be the most puzzling of all. If it’s because she is considered easy listening and not Rock, the induction of Abba should cure that problem. But it’s a misconception, anyway, for under the guidance of Burt Bacharach (more on him later), Warwick was responsible for some of the most memorable rhythm & blues recordings of the early ’60s. As a result, she became one of the most successful female recording artists of the Rock age, both in singles and albums.

From her start as a background singer for the Drifters and demo provider for the Shirelles, Warwick steadily provided a string of hits. Yes, some bordered on the easy listening side, but many were almost heavy, starting with her first hit “Don’t Make Me Over” followed by “This Empty Place,” also done by the Searchers, “Make The Music Play,” also done by the Drifters, “Anyone Who Had A Heart,” “Walk On By,” “Reach Out For Me,” a cover of Lou Johnson’s version, “You Can Have Him,” a cover of Roy Hamilton’s big smash, “Message to Michael,” also recorded by Johnson in addition to Jerry Butler as “Message To Martha,” “Are You There (with Another Girl),” covered by the Buckinghams, “I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself,” covering Tommy Hunt’s version, “(There’s) Always Something There To Remind Me,” done by too many artists to name, and a cover of Butler’s “Make It Easy On Yourself.”

In the ’70s, she combined with the Spinners to hit No. 1 with “Then Came You.” In the 80s she paired with the Bee Gees for the top 10 “Heartbreaker” and with Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder in the No. 1 “That’s What Friends Are For,” hosted the TV show “Solid Gold” and made a prominent appearance on the “We Are The World” single. Also, some of her album cuts such as “Wishin’ & Hopin’,” copied almost note for note by Dusty Springfield, and “Close To You,” done by the Carpenters, provided the groundwork for other artists to have hits.

She’s won Grammy Awards, appeared in film and participated in countless charity events. This could go on and on. The bottom line is that her accomplishments have eclipsed almost every female singer and most male singers of the Rock age, many of whom already have been inducted. In one year, Warwick, recording for the tiny Scepter label, had more records in the top 10 of the Hot 100, the chart that measures all music, than inductees Ruth Brown and LaVern Baker did combined in their entire careers. While Brown and Baker put many singles on the R&B charts, check Warwick’s record. She held her own with both on the R&B singles chart and crushed both on the R&B album charts. Springfield, also already inducted, was one of Rock’s great female voices, but, again, her accomplishments pale compared with those of Warwick. Of course, Springfield, Brown and Baker recorded for Atlantic Records and the co-founder of Atlantic Records, Ahmet Ertegun, was chairman of the Hall of Fame. That might explain Warwick’s exclusion.

Suffice it to say, if Warwick had recorded for Atlantic she would have in the Hall of Fame years ago.

Then again, last year Wanda Jackson, who recorded for Capitol, was inducted while Warwick still waits. I’d love to hear the explanation for that.

BURT BACHARACH & HAL DAVID – Almost every great songwriting pair of the Rock & Roll era has been inducted. But not the greatest of all?

This duo not only wrote more hit songs than any combo in history, Bacharach, with his incredible productions and arrangements, changed the face of Rock & Roll. Suddenly, Rock could be classy as well as crude, brilliant music as well as primal energy.

If this pair has been snubbed because they weren’t rock enough, consider this partial list of artists who have recorded their works. Those in bold already have been inducted into the Hall of Fame:

The Beatles; The Shirelles; The Beachboys; BJ Thomas; The Buckinghams; The Carpenters; The Drifters; Gene Pitney; Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass; Jerry Butler; Manfred Mann; Marty Robbins; Chuck Jackson; The Searchers; Ray Charles; Tom Jones; The Walker Brothers: Gene McDaniels; Charlie Gracie; Frankie Avalon; The Turbans; Tommy Hunt; The Isley Brothers; Cliff Richard; Bobby Vee; Timi Yuro; Steve Alaimo; Jay & the Americans; Ray Peterson; Linda Scott; Bobby Vinton; Adam Wade; Paul Anka; Brook Benton; Maxine Brown; Jackie DeShannon; Freddie & the Dreamers; Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas; Irma Thomas; Cilla Black; Trini Lopez; Rick Nelson; Dusty Springfield; Lenny Welch; The Fifth Dimension; Mark Lindsay; Susanna Hoffs; and, of course, Dionne Warwick, who became one of the era’s biggest-selling artists primarily by recording Bacharach-David compositions.

In addition, Bacharach compositions written with other lyricists have been recorded by Elvis, Stephen Bishop, Gene Vincent, Etta James, Gloria Lynne, Del Shannon, Marv Johnson, Tammi Terrell, Gladys Knight & the Pips, The Pointer Sisters, Christopher Cross, Nicolette Larson, Aretha Franklin, Neil Diamond, Roberta Flack, Quarterflash, Rod Stewart, Peabo Bryson, Melissa Manchester, Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald, Kenny Rogers, Natalie Cole, Ray Parker Jr., Chris DeBurgh, Desmond Child, James Ingram, The Stylistics, Earth, Wind & Fire, Chicago and Johnny Mathis to name just a very few. Then throw in recent collaborations between Bacharach and Ronnie Isley and Bacharach and Elvis Costello and you’ve got an impeccable resume.

Every pair of composers currently in the Hall of Fame deserves to be there. But the first songwriting duo inducted should have been Burt Bacharach & Hal David. No pair has written more timeless classics. As Debbie Harry once commented, “If you can really get it together in three minutes…that’s what pop songs are all about.” And that’s what Bacharach & David were all about.


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Read more: Bacharach, David & Warwick - 3 Strikes Against the Hall | Goldmine Magazine http://www.goldminemag.com/blogs/bachar ... z1WLOxYgmC
Blair N. Cummings
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Re: Bacharach, David and Warwick – three strikes against the

Post by Blair N. Cummings »

By now everyone is sick of reading about how pointless I think these awards and various halls of fame are. There is, `though, something peculiar about the Triumvirate`s absence here. It has seemed, from the institution`s inception, to be far more difficult to be excluded from rather than inducted into the RRHF. Almost everyone who ever committed a note to polyvinyl chloride has been recognised. Certainly, anyone who sold any respectable number of "units" has been hustled in regardless of talent. So, okay, if only so that we never have to read another article about this, let`s get these three in there.
(Then, maybe we can petition Detroit to close the damn thing since there hasn`t really been any rock and roll - as opposed to metal, disco, and rap - for over thirty-five years).
BachtoBacharach
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Re: Bacharach, David and Warwick – three strikes against the

Post by BachtoBacharach »

Blair, the true irrelevance of the RRHOF is borne out in the fact that it has struggled financially and has not generated the buzz that everyone thought it would when it was originally conceived. Does anyone really care about the RRHOF? The RRHOF is constantly struggling with reinventing itself and despite some high powered appeals from some of the finest in the industry (Bruce Springsteen, etc.) the RRHOF has never attained the kind of revelancy the hype machine of the RRHOF would suggest that it has. Few pay it a bit of mind except to wonder why so many irrelevant acts have been inducted and so many relevant acts have been left out. I would place the RRHOF on par with a Billboard Music Award...forgotten about a day after it's awarded.
Dionnefan
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Re: Bacharach, David and Warwick – three strikes against the

Post by Dionnefan »

I absolutely love the quirky songs in Dionne/Burt/Hal's catalog such as Paper Mache, Loneliness Remembers, Green Grass, etc. One of my particular favorites is Walk Little Dolly. The great interplay between Dionne and Cissy doing their "la la la las" and then Dionne singing her heart out in the end. Besides the Beatles, was there any other mainstream pop/soul star doing the offbeat kind of stuff Dionne did? I really believe D/B/H are one of the major major creative forces in the history of popular music.
gillanddon
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Re: Bacharach, David and Warwick – three strikes against the

Post by gillanddon »

Yes it's odd that Burt, Hal and Dionne have been passed by .. something political going on eh? It's good to hear BtoB from this side of the pond that the RRHOF doesn't have that much sway and that we shouldn't lose too much sleep over the fact that they are not included. The RRHOF could do itself a major favour by turning their belated invitations into a major event but by the sounds of things they don't have that much initiative?
BachtoBacharach
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Re: Bacharach, David and Warwick – three strikes against the

Post by BachtoBacharach »

By now, the RRHOF is so irrelevent it doesn't matter...it would be nice to see Dw/BB/HD inducted but it's no big deal anyway. It has not really done much for any of those inducted.
BachtoBacharach
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Re: Bacharach, David and Warwick – three strikes against the

Post by BachtoBacharach »

BTW, the RRHOF is in Cleveland! Yes, that Cleveland!
Blair N. Cummings
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Re: Bacharach, David and Warwick – three strikes against the

Post by Blair N. Cummings »

Where did I get the idea that this thing was in Detroit? Did they turn it down? Did I imagine it?
At least I knew where A&R Studios were, having lived in the City. I`ve never been to the mid-west.
An Enormous BB Fan
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Re: Bacharach, David and Warwick – three strikes against the

Post by An Enormous BB Fan »

Great article, B2B.

As that article shows, until Burt, Hal and Dionne are inducted, then it's simply a hall of shame.
maestrofan
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Re: Bacharach, David and Warwick – three strikes against the

Post by maestrofan »

After seeing this subject discussed several times I thought that perhaps Ms. Warwick, Mr.Bacharach and Mr. David may have not responded to overtures from the nominating committee or whoever puts the list of nominees together. Has anyone ever asked the 3 of them a question on the subject? Maybe they are not interested in being included.
They certainly should be at the top of the list for the Kennedy Center honors while they are all still with us.
Blair N. Cummings
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Re: Bacharach, David and Warwick – three strikes against the

Post by Blair N. Cummings »

I just knew that the subject of these pointless "honors" was going to be raised again. I urge all clamoring for the Triumvirate to be so recognised to examine the list of inductees to date and then decide just what in HELL such an award can possibly mean.
Energies might be better expended trying to have Dionne`s, Hal`s, and Burt`s waxen likenesses erected in the hallowed halls of Madame Tussaud`s.
ron hertel
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Re: Bacharach, David and Warwick – three strikes against the

Post by ron hertel »

Blair:
You raise a valid point re: "these pointless honors"; however, I'll take a pass on "The House Of Wax" (just too creepy!) ........ I truly would like to see them recognized as part of the annual Kennedy Center event. They are clearly such an obvious choice and the proper vocalists and musicians paying tribute would make for a most entertaining segment of the program! ...... Furthermore - it would remind viewers from every generation over the past 50 to 60 years of their unmatched musical contributions........... An added bonus would be introducing a whole new generation to some of their great work!
Blair N. Cummings
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Re: Bacharach, David and Warwick – three strikes against the

Post by Blair N. Cummings »

I`ve simply got to remember that irony just cannot be conveyed on-line. I wasn`t really serious about Mme. Tussaud`s.
I was/am serious about the Kennedy Center nonsense. Youngsters ( I sound like Ed Sullivan!) not already familiar with the Triumvirate`s music will not discover it on this punishing broadcast. They`ll find it via YouTube and i-tunes or not at all.
ron hertel
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Re: Bacharach, David and Warwick – three strikes against the

Post by ron hertel »

Gee Blair - thought my "House Of Wax" reference confirmed I was aware of your facetious intent! ..... I couldn't care less about the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" nonsense. On the other hand - I was/am serious about the Kennedy Center Program (let's dispense with the term "honors")! ......... "Ed" - let me tell you this - my "youngsters" (both in their 20's) appreciate and enjoy the works of the Triumvirate as a result of growing up listening to their music (they had no choice), watching their videos and accompanying us to Warwick & Bacharach concerts through the years ....... Both are fans of all kinds of music and my youngest is the drummer in a rock band that just returned from a European tour.
Blair N. Cummings
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Re: Bacharach, David and Warwick – three strikes against the

Post by Blair N. Cummings »

Ron, you help make my point: your offspring were exposed to this music through you. They were not brought in by seeing a tacky television show.
My larger point is only that although I doubt Burt, Hal, or Dionne would decline a Kennedy Center plaque, trophy, coffee mug or whatever it is I can`t imagine any of them losing any sleep over their exclusion. As I`ve said before, there are far too many awards chasing far too few deserving artists. The best tribute any artist can have is the knowledge that their work will outlive them and that appreciative and knowledgeable people will make sure that others will get to know it.
It`s no kind of honor to line up with Oprah Winfrey and Elton John to fill in network air-time between high-end car commercials. That`s all I mean.
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