The Burt Bacharach Discussion Forum

I touched on this subject a couple of years ago, but have reason to revisit it.
I gave a copy of Woman to the most highly intelligent, best read professional woman I know. She`s thirty years old and had never in her life heard of Burt Bacharach.
I haven`t heard today what her response was.
Has anyone else had a similar experience?

I'm pretty confident that here in the UK Bacharach remains highly revered and with his legacy as a great and hugely influential pop composer assured. As to the average intelligent and informed 30 something in this country, my guess is that Bacharach's name is far better known than the likes of Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and Richard Rodgers.

Sara, Gore Vidal perfectly characterized the country of my birth as the "United States of Amnesia."
The songwriters you mentioned at the end of your post were those whose music I first heard. That was what all "Baby Boomers" first heard - the music that our parents had and played. People of my generation who claim that they cut their musical teeth on the Beatles or "Dylan" are just flat-out lying.
It`s not just Bacharach`s legacy I worry about. It`s the entire history of popular music.
I won`t even begin a discussion on how utterly ignorant people here are of classical music or jazz.

It doesn't really matter how intelligent and well-read someone is, if they're not a music lover and they're under forty then it's entirely feasible that they're not going to have heard of Burt Bacharach, remarkable though that might seem to us. I just hope for this particular young woman's sake that she's familiar with at least some of his many hit songs if not his name. 

I've asked many young people if they knew about Burt Bacharach ?
A typical response... "are they a band ? "

Gawd help us !

'blue'

Take it away boys........
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np-UhZPld0g

"blue"

Still astonished by the fact that :The Bell That Couldn't Jingle" rarely is included in Holiday Compilations on the airwaves. .... Also by the fact that Dionne did not include this song on her Christmas album recorded a few years ago! .... Was ideally suited for her back in her peak vocal years! .....

Ron,
I couldn't agree more......very strange ???
I've never heard it on the radio either.

Herb's version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_JSkN4mm1s

'blue'