Cissy Houston versus Dionne Warwick and Burt Bacharach

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BachtoBacharach
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Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2007 3:32 pm

Cissy Houston versus Dionne Warwick and Burt Bacharach

Post by BachtoBacharach »

In reference to the Cissy Houston post in the YouTube topic ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQHF1OFhL9Q ) Myrna Smith and Estelle Brown are dead on the money...not only did the Sweet Inspirations record a version of Alfie...it was pretty bad...and Bacharach was not impressed when Cissy insisted on playing it for Burt to let him know how Dionne should have sung it! Estelle also points out that you don't mess with the melody of a Bacharach tune...Estelle also pointed out that the tune, as presented by the Sweet Inspirations, was nothing unique and was sung pretty much as a run-of-the mill gospel interpretation...Estelle states that yes everyone could sing the way they (Cissy) did but Dionne had something special. Obviously, Bacharach agreed as he lifted the needle off the 45 and handed it back to Cissy without even so much as a comment. It is the impression of many including myself, that Cissy resented Dionne's great success and couldn't for the life of her understand why Dionne had become such a big, big star when obviously (tongue-in-cheek here) Cissy was so much more talented in every way...and it's not an understatement that Cissy truly felt that way. I have written that Dionne, like many, many celebrities have narcissistic tendencies, but Cissy from all accounts and borne out by her book on Whitney appeared to be a narcissistic control freak with a nasty and mean streak...competitive as hell and even seemed to resent her daughter's success in many ways...she pushed Whitney mercilessly and was always so critical of everything her children did...kind of a love-hate thing seems to me. Cissy didn't like anyone and was an extremely negative and opinionated. Lot's of drama in the Houston family from the get go...Dionne's home life and upbringing was very stable by comparison...strong mother and very supportive father.

Here's the Sweet Inspirations Alfie with Cissy on the lead... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b_xwXDGHL0.

Here's another hilarious outtake from the "This Time" documentary on The Sweet Inspirations. This clip regarding hijinks with Aretha...and Aretha calling Dionne from the studio when she and the Sweet Inspirations were cutting her remake of "I Say A Little Prayer" in 68...she phoned Dionne's home...apparently Dionne's spouse, Bill Elliot answered and Aretha asked to speak to "the millioneiress" to let her know she had just cut the tune and did it better than Dionne...of course back in 67-68, Dionne's original was the more popular seller and charted higher in the US and was considered the definitive version in the US for many years until revisionists (and UK fans, where Aretha's version became a hit there in 68) propelled Aretha's version to the fore in the nineties and Bacharach joined suit. Dionne at the time was the bigger, more mainstream star but Aretha was bearing down on her like a Mack truck. Dionne apparently took it in stride because both women express admiration for each other and you didn't hear the stories about a rivalry then or now as you did between Aretha and Diana Ross and others. In the clip, Estelle and Myrna also address Aretha's affinity for mink coats and bus rides!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sou3HXPNpsY
An Enormous BB Fan
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Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2004 11:14 pm

Re: Cissy Houston versus Dionne Warwick and Burt Bacharach

Post by An Enormous BB Fan »

I love this juicy gossip stuff! Thanks B2B. (And, by the way, good to see you again. I was wondering where you were.)

By the way, Aretha was on David Letterman last year (singing "Rolling In The Deep" -- fantastic too -- that dress!!). Right behind her, singing backup, was none other than Cissy. I never saw a backup sing with as little effort as Cissy. At times it appeared as if she wasn't singing at all. A lot had to be going through her head and I got the strong feeling that she didn't even want to be there. It's on youtube for all to see.
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