Burt Bacharach - A life in Song, Festival Hall, London

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Martin Johnson
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Re: Burt Bacharach - A life in Song, Festival Hall, London

Post by Martin Johnson »

Joss Stone's In-between the Heartaches is already being trailed in the British media before the TV broadcast as one of the highlights of the show. I suppose it's only a matter of time before it's available on YouTube but in the meantime here's her recording of Alfie:

pljms
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Re: Burt Bacharach - A life in Song, Festival Hall, London

Post by pljms »

Along with Alfie Boe's 'If I Could Go Back', Joss Stone's 'In between the Heartaches' is the performance from the show I'm looking forward to seeing again the most on the TV broadcast, not forgetting, of course, the now customary brilliant performances of Bacharach's three singers of 'Anyone Who Had a Heart', 'Waiting for Charlie to Come Home' and 'God Give Me Strength'. In fact, Josie James's 'Anyone Who Had a Heart' inspired the most spontaneous standing ovation I've ever witnessed in a concert hall.
Paul
nowmedical
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Re: Burt Bacharach - A life in Song, Festival Hall, London

Post by nowmedical »

Seems at least three of us were there - Martin, pljms and me - and maybe more, so if you see yourself in the audience on TV, take a photo and post it here?
Martin Johnson
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Re: Burt Bacharach - A life in Song, Festival Hall, London

Post by Martin Johnson »

Not sure about the photos, Nowmedical. I was in the middle of the stalls, hopefully well away from the cameras. The fourth member of this site I know to have been there was the lovely Sara.
Sara D
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Re: Burt Bacharach - A life in Song, Festival Hall, London

Post by Sara D »

I think this will probably make a better TV show than it did a live event. I was so thoroughly pissed-off with the interview not being miked properly that I let it spoil the music side of the evening, which was very stupid of me because there were several outstanding performances.
Martin Johnson
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Re: Burt Bacharach - A life in Song, Festival Hall, London

Post by Martin Johnson »

Three songs from the concert were missing in the TV broadcast, Waiting for Charlie to Come Home, God Give Me Strength and Promises, Promises. Also I'd say up to 10 to 15 minutes of the interview were cut to help shoe-horn the show into a 90 minute TV programme. However, the problem with the interview being so tightly edited is that it made Michael Grade seem even more of a ham-fisted interviewer than he did on the night, if that's possible. Seeing and hearing all the guest singers again on the TV show confirmed me in my original impression that it was the vocalists who seemed the least inhibited by the occasion and the fact that Bacharach was sat just feet away who gave the most convincing and ultimately moving performances, namely Joss Stone and Alfie Boe.
Marcel
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Re: Burt Bacharach - A life in Song, Festival Hall, London

Post by Marcel »

To me Joss Stone did a great rendition of In Between the Heartaches.
A very difficult and though song to sing.
I didn`t like the performance of The Windows Of The World, Do You Know The Way To San Jose.
The singers were not capapable enough to sing these songs!
Rebecca Ferguson, Micheal Kiwanuka, Laura Mvula, Sophie Ellis Bextor...they tried it....but in my opinion not good enough!

Howerer, Alfie Boe,Joss Stone and Shaun Escoffery did a great job.
Even Justin Hayward did his best but his voice is a little bit to light for a song like What The World Needs Now!

So where were Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, Cliff Richard or even Elton John that night?
If you want to pay a tribute to a man of the highest level in music business you should respect him and treat him that way!

But, who am i to give this hard opinion?
Just want to say BURT BACHARACH still is my music hero!

Thank you BURT for those incredible songs that you has given the world....and to Hal with his great lyrics and all the other collaborators of you!

kind regards,

Marcel :-)
blueonblue
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Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2006 3:22 am

Re: Burt Bacharach - A life in Song, Festival Hall, London

Post by blueonblue »

Marcel wrote:To me Joss Stone did a great rendition of In Between the Heartaches.
A very difficult and though song to sing.
I didn`t like the performance of The Windows Of The World, Do You Know The Way To San Jose.
The singers were not capapable enough to sing these songs!
Rebecca Ferguson, Micheal Kiwanuka, Laura Mvula, Sophie Ellis Bextor...they tried it....but in my opinion not good enough!

Howerer, Alfie Boe,Joss Stone and Shaun Escoffery did a great job.
Even Justin Hayward did his best but his voice is a little bit to light for a song like What The World Needs Now!

So where were Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, Cliff Richard or even Elton John that night?
If you want to pay a tribute to a man of the highest level in music business you should respect him and treat him that way!

But, who am i to give this hard opinion?
Just want to say BURT BACHARACH still is my music hero!

Thank you BURT for those incredible songs that you has given the world....and to Hal with his great lyrics and all the other collaborators of you!

kind regards,

Marcel :-)
.....and where was Dionne Warwick ????????

"blue"
nowmedical
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Location: london

Re: Burt Bacharach - A life in Song, Festival Hall, London

Post by nowmedical »

Agreed, Joss Stone stole it. The guests are certainly B-list, and none are of particular relevance to Burt. Interesting to compare with the US equivalent concert "One Amazing Night" which also used some lesser stars (Chrissie Hynde, Ben Folds Five) but also brought in some heavyweights - (Sheryl Crow and Luther V), and then Dionne and Elvis C who of course have personal BB connection.

But Martin has hit the nail on the head - why did they pick a twerp like Michael Grade to anchor? He's not any kind of presenter or interviewer, he laughed at the wrong times, didn't know when to shut up, and couldn't have made the auto-cue more obvious if he'd tried. Any I don't think he knows anything in particular about BB. Strange choice indeed. Also, who left all the bits of yellow tape on the microphones??
blueonblue
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Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2006 3:22 am

Re: Burt Bacharach - A life in Song, Festival Hall, London

Post by blueonblue »

nowmedical wrote:Agreed, Joss Stone stole it. The guests are certainly B-list, and none are of particular relevance to Burt. Interesting to compare with the US equivalent concert "One Amazing Night" which also used some lesser stars (Chrissie Hynde, Ben Folds Five) but also brought in some heavyweights - (Sheryl Crow and Luther V), and then Dionne and Elvis C who of course have personal BB connection.

But Martin has hit the nail on the head - why did they pick a twerp like Michael Grade to anchor? He's not any kind of presenter or interviewer, he laughed at the wrong times, didn't know when to shut up, and couldn't have made the auto-cue more obvious if he'd tried. Any I don't think he knows anything in particular about BB. Strange choice indeed. Also, who left all the bits of yellow tape on the microphones??
Joss Stone, Alfie Boe, Josie James and Shaun Escoffery were brilliant, Burt looked quite emotional after Shaun's rendition of "A House is not a Home"

Paul Gambaccini should've interviewed Burt.

"blue"
pljms
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Re: Burt Bacharach - A life in Song, Festival Hall, London

Post by pljms »

Here's Alfie Boe's 'If I Could Go Back'. Bacharach really loved this:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=77n6-F0g-04
Paul
Nicko
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Re: Burt Bacharach - A life in Song, Festival Hall, London

Post by Nicko »

More exposure for Burt on New Years Eve

BBC Radio 2 at midday " What the World needs Now is Burt Bacharach" ---- Paul Gambaccini talks to Burt Bacharach ( duration 2 hours).
Martin Johnson
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Re: Burt Bacharach - A life in Song, Festival Hall, London

Post by Martin Johnson »

Thanks Nicko. I don't think there's anyone on the planet better qualified for an in-depth interview with Bacharach than Paul Gambacinni. Talking of BBC radio, when's Burt going to be featured on Desert Island Discs?
Nicko
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Re: Burt Bacharach - A life in Song, Festival Hall, London

Post by Nicko »

Martin Johnson wrote: Talking of BBC radio, when's Burt going to be featured on Desert Island Discs?
Why have you heard that he's recorded a Desert island discs show?
Hank
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Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:51 pm

Re: Burt Bacharach - A life in Song, Festival Hall, London

Post by Hank »

Agree with most of the previous comments. Wouldn’t it have been wonderful if Dusty had been around for these tribute shows ?
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