The Burt Bacharach Discussion Forum

A couple of contemporary instrumental pieces appear to have a Bacharach influence. I hasten to add this is according to my own ears. Others might wonder what planet I'm on.

But if you click on this link:

[url]http://www.tradebit.com/filesharing.php ... scherzando[/url]

and scroll down to "4. Concerto du vent: II. La marque du vent" you can hear a sample of Saxophonist Nobuya Sagawa playing a piece by Toshiyuki Honda that sounds (to me) like something Burt might have written for a movie soundtrack.

Another Japanese composer, Takashi Yoshimatsu, writes some music that seems sympathetic to Burt's style. In the link below Hiloaki Tsutsui performs the first movement from Yoshimatsu's Fuzzy Bird Sonata. From about the 2:35 mark is where I hear the resemblance.

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Neither Honda not Yoshimatsu appear to have any connection to Mr B, though they are both jazz musicians who write orchestral pieces. Maybe they have a fondness for Ravel.

Martyn.

Les Reed and Barry Mason's 'If We Lived on Top of a Mountain' as recorded by Cleo Laine in 1968 is so indebted to Bacharach it's almost ludicrous and, of course, it just had to be a beautiful song.

pljms, this reminds me so much of the tunes Tony Hatch produced for Jackie Trent! It definitely brings to mind Where Are You Now My Love, a great tune Trent recorded in 1965 and a huge hit in the UK...it is also reminiscent of Bacharach. I've often wondered if Dionne could have returned the favor (with tongue in cheek for Cilla Black) for the US market and had a hit with Where Are You Now.

Yes BtoB, Tony Hatch has never denied Bacharach's influence on his writing and arranging in the '60s. Apart from Les Reed, the other British songwriter who obviously came under Bacharach's spell was Chris Andrews. He wrote several of Sandie Shaw's hits, most of them with a distinct Bacharach flavour and none more so than 'Girl Don't Come':

I wonder if anyone has heard the much underrated but fabulous Helen Shapiro's version of 'I Wish I'd Never Loved You'? I originally thought it was a Burt Bacharach song. I know Helen recorded 'Walk On By' but I'm not sure she receorded any of Burt's other songs. She just missed out on Burt's rise to fame I think as she was just before Cilla Black and Dusty.

.......with a "hint" of Burt !


"blue"

Yes Gillanddon, Helen Shapiro did record another Bacharach song, namely 'Keep Away From Other Girls' which he wrote with Bob Hilliard. Released as a single in '62 it got to No.40 in the UK charts.

Songwriter Teddy Randazzo was often compared to Bacharach in the 60s and I've seen his most famous song 'Going Out of My Head' more than once credited to BB on album sleeves. Another of his 60s songs 'Get Out of My Life' has more than a few Bacharach touches to it. Here it is as sung by Timi Yuro on American TV in the mid-60s:

This is an Italian Bacharach-ian song sung in 1968 by Annarita Spinaci:


A couple of years ago an Italian group, Gabin, wrote songs in Bacharach style:



And this is an interesting French song from the 60s:

Here are some more -

A Girl Called Eddy (Erin Moran) -



and



Kate Earl -



The Pearlfishers -



and

Thanks David, I love the Pearlfishers !
Here's a forgotten masterpiece from a genius songwriter called Paddy McAloon....


"blue"

Interesting subject and I'm pretty certain that BB would have been proud to have composed songs like 'If We Lived on Top of a Mountain', 'Where Are You Now', 'Girl Don't Come' and 'Get Out of My Life'.

Phyllis Nelson's 80's UK hit 'Move Closer' definitely owed a lot to BB, something that more than a few DJs picked up on at the time:

When Jimmy Webb was interviewed on BBC tv a few weeks ago he mentioned Bacharach as an early influence on his music, something he's done many times over the years and I know we've highlighted two or three songs of his on this forum as examples. 'Summer's Daughter' from the 5th Dimension's 'Magic Garden' album is another that owes a lot to Burt, especially in the intro and in the vocal arrangement. Listening to this again 44 years on it made me wonder if we really were aware back then of just how lucky we were to have the likes of Bacharach, Webb, Paul Simon, and Laura Nyro all at their creative peaks at the same time:

Hi Dennis .. there is a fabulous recording of 'I Wish I'd Never Loved You' by Helen Shapiro!

thats Great thanks

Thanks, Sara, for posting the wonderful 5th Dimension track. I'm now finally going to get round to buying The Magic Garden, something I promised myself I would do decades ago, although I do have a sort of 'Best Of' 5th Dimension' 2-CD compilation which contains no less than four tracks from the album.

I've long thought that the wordless vocal track from 1970 'Dimension Five', written by their vocal arranger Bob Alcivar, was probably inspired by 'South American Getaway' which came out the year before.