Burt Bacharach on steroids????

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geoff85
Posts: 371
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 11:55 pm

Burt Bacharach on steroids????

Post by geoff85 »

Sorry if the title was misleading. Ha ha. Now that I have everyones attention. What songs show Burt unrestrained not so much quintessential Burt as much as Burt amplified. Meaning employing as many of his idosynracies into one song.

For me it would have to be Promises Promises. The meter changes are ridiculous. I think it went from 6/8 to 3/4 almost suddenly in parts and there were some other meters I cant figure out right now. The instrumentation is classic Burt but the horn section and rhythm section were wild(in a good way).


Tom Jones Promise her anything is another song that shows off Burt's fun side the only slight departure is the electric guitar which displaces the typical banjo type instrument Burt uses.



Trini Lopez Made in Paris also shows off Burt's quirks as well and just how well adapted Hal David had become to writing to them.



Dionne Warwick Another Girl is Bacharachian at its extreme. Brazilian Baion beat check. Meter change check. Piano solo to end the measure check. Picasso strings check. Timpani drums for max effect check. Extended Brass section solo check. Glorious backup singers check. Died and went to heaven(me) check.

I love the blues ending too.



Dionne Warwick Who gets the guy. Burt has a fondness for that 2/4 rythm he used in everyones out of town. This song has Burt's most quintessential instrumentation. The beloved Banjo with accompanied whistling, horn section on deck with the beloved french horn. Even an organ makes a sneaky cameo. Beautiful!!




The things I will not miss is quintessential Burt with Jimmy Webb instrumentation. The Brazilian Baion beat is present here in parts with more woodwinds than normal. It seems a sitar also replaces the banjo. The complexity and quirks are all here.



Dionne Warwicks lesser known Loneliness Remembers what happiness forgets is probably as Bacharachian as a Bacharach song can get. If i has to choose one song that defines his sound for me personally for me this is it. This is the only time i have heard him admit(in the interview preceding the song) the Brazilian influence on his work. This song sounds straight out of Rio in the 60's more so than any of his other songs. This is Dionne Hal and Burt at their best if you ask me.



Are there any other songs you feel have a strong Bacharach sound? Please add.
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