Dionne: New Bacharach Songs ??

[BachtoBacharach]

In a newpaper article for a New Jersey paper regarding Whitney's death, the reporter also stated the following:

"Warwick is currently putting the final touches on her latest disc "50th Anniversary," that will boast a new crop of songs written by legendary singer-songwriter Burt Bacharach."

I've not heard of any new tunes written by Bacharach for Warwick. I am hopeful that this is not another of Dionne's dreadful remakes of her Bacharach/David hits. I wouldn't mind a Bacharach retrospective of tunes she hasn't cut or new tunes but those recycled hits have not proven to be worthwhile listening when one has the spectacular originals to listen to.

[Blair N. Cummings]

Even if it`s true, I already wish that they hadn`t done it. Dionne cannot handle material of the inventiveness and range that characterised her earlier work with Burt. Competing with one`s youth is always a dangerous business, but this is an extreme example. It`s conceivable that Burt was able to taylor interesting melodies for her gravely diminished talent, but I`m afraid we`re all going to be disppointed and that they will have rounded off their collaborative lives with a turkey. I genuinely hope that I`m wrong.

[BachtoBacharach]

I truly suspect it will be those dreadful remakes simply because Dionne was planning a part 2 to her My Friends and Me project featuring male singers. I understand that she had already had the material in the can but due to the failure of part 1, part 2 was never released. In its original concept it was to be a one off but she had recorded so many duets for the project that she and her son Damon, who produced the project, decided to split the release. I have a sinking suspicion that some of those duets may surface on that release. I will admit that, even with her vocal limitations, she did a good job on the Sammy Cahn project...was very surprised and was expecting something cringeworthy. It wasn't and with the right material she can carry an album although comparisons will be inevitable...it happened to Sinatra, Fitzgerald, etc. I went back and listened to some of Dionne's work at age 45-50 on YouTube and compared that to Whitney's work at the same age and Dionne still had a commanding range and such incredible control then. I believe that if Dionne had taken care of her voice and not smoked heavily, she would sound much better now. Same for Aretha etc. Age does change a voice but heavy smoking has definitely taken a huge, cumulative toll on Dionne's voice.

[GehVorbei]

She's in the Studio with Phil Ramone and anything that comes out of that combination should be superior to Burt's collaboration with Ronan Keating.

[burtchifan]

From what I have read, these are NEW songs written by Burt and Hal, and the album will be produced by Phil Ramone! It doesn't get any better than that.

[BachtoBacharach]

Burtchifan,

Where have you read this? Tell us more. This is great news if Dionne is back in the studio with Burt, Hal and Phil and with new Bacharach material. I am surprised that Burt's camp has been largely silent about such a collaboration...they promote everything else to the hilt...Dionne was very non-specific when she mentioned a release to mark her 50th years in show biz...somehow I got the impression that this might be something less than a full-blown album project...I hope I am wrong but there's been so little in the press regarding the actual nature of the project. If anyone has specifics, please share!

[gillanddon]

Let's hold fingers and toes and everything else for something cool and not a cringeworthy turkey!!

[nymusicalsguy]

Dionne's official Facebook page indicates "a couple" of new Bacharach and David songs will appear on the Phil Ramone-produced CD, and links to this article describing "some new original songs" by the team:

http://www.etonline.com/news/119911_Dio ... index.html

Joe

[Blair N. Cummings]

It looks like BtoB was right. She`s going to be "revisiting" old material and including a couple songs that Burt and Hal wrote independently of eachother. Good; I can listen to the latter on YouTube.

[BachtoBacharach]

Oh dear, after listening to the ET interview, as Blair pointed out, my suspicions are confirmed. This is not an album chock full of new Bacharach/David material as some have led us to believe. I am expecting some dreadful revisits, some possibly newly recorded but I think much of this will be material culled and recycled from Dionne Sings Dionne, Dionne Sings Dionne II, Dionne: My Friends and Me I and Dionne: My Friends and Me II, the latter two produced by her son Damon Elliott and having possibly the tinniest, most cheap sounding production ever...obviously done of a shoestring. I wonder if Phil was brought in to augment those tracks and clean them up? Perhaps Dionne will even duet with her old self in a similar vein that Natalie Cole duetted with her late dad, Nat King Cole, as she has duetted with possibly every known singer in the universe and she's all that's left. What a concept. Dionne TRULY Sings Dionne! A video of 1964 Dionne singing Anyone Who Had A Heart with 2012 Dionne...quick get me a phone...I need to call her; she'll think it's a great idea...on second thought, call Stephen King... I have a new idea for his next horror novel. I know this sounds cynical, but what tipped me off that this was not the MAJOR thing it's being hyped to be is the silence from Bacharach and Ramone. Oh Dionne, when will you learn???? Not this again!!!

[GehVorbei]

With "fans" like you, who needs enemies...Why don't you just stop you constant negativism, slurs and plain nastiness towards Dionne. It's so predictable and just annoying...Her last album was great and hit the top 10 of the Billboard jazz album charts.

She's now in the studio with Phil Ramone, who's the best possible producer for such a project. The last "recycling" job he did was for Tony Bennett last year, which got a couple of Grammy nominations and wins.

They are apparently revisiting some of her hits from all eras, some album cuts that were not hits and some songs that Bacharach and David did with other partners...I'm actually looking forward to the latter two categories.....I really liked the one Bacharach track she did on the Sammy Cahn album, which I wasn't aware of before...Maybe they are doing one of the Costello numbers.

That would be reason enough for me to buy the album.

[Blair N. Cummings]

You know, BtoB was actually complimentary toward Dionne`s last recording. It is simply an audible fact that she hasn`t nearly the voice she once had.
Anyway, why is it that some believe that to be a fan of someone`s work implies being uncritically enthusiastic about everything that individual does? It`s not heresy to point out, as I have often done, that too many of Burt`s post-70s compositions seem more than a trifle bland. It is not treason to note that Dionne really can`t sing even her own catalogue anymore. She acknowledges it herself every time she chops an octave or two off of them, which she now does routinely.
Lighten up! We criticise friends, "significant others", politicians...hell, everyone!What grants an exemption to musicians?

[BachtoBacharach]

Thanks Blair for defending my right to post here and state my feelings. As for GehVorbei, no I will not stop posting. I say what I think...you say what you think. What's the difference? I don't say to you to stop with your "contant positivism", do I? No, again, you say your thing and I'll say mine. There's room for all. As for your assumption of my "fan" status...I bet I have contributed more and longer to Dionne's financial well-being than most who post here...so, in the words of the brilliant Catherine Tate...how very dare you! LOL! You assume too much! By the way, Geh, weren't you the poster here who expressed with such forcefulness and disdain that those who believe that Dionne's voice was adversely and negatively impacted by 50 years of heavy cigarette smoking were sadly mistaken (translate...stupid)?

Here is a clip from the Golden Camera Awards this year where Dionne sings "That's What Friends Are For". It illustrates, in my opinion, that Dionne's voice has aged and been damaged by years of heavy smoking. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tIAOu8alaw

Is she a legend? Yes! One of the biggest. Is she a captivating performer? Yes! One of the most! Is her voice pleasing to me in this clip? No. Heresy to state my opinion? No. Did I buy the Cahn album? Yes and it's good! Will I buy the newest album? Probably not but if it's good I'll be the first to say so. Everything Dionne has committed to recording is not a gem...sorry.

[Nikray]

Not to get into this fight but it does appear a few posters here love to beat up Dionne, like it's their job. Of course you have the right to state your opinion but please recognize that others will take you to task. For all of Dionne's vocal limitations at this point she still has a wonderful way still with songs when given the chance.

Dionne's gifts were hers to do with as she wished, I don't agree with smoking in general but it was her right. Plus anyone who thinks Dionne's voice was all that made her stand out as a singer has much to learn. Behind her voice was/is a brilliant musician.

[Dionnefan]

BtB, I watched that clip a few weeks ago and was stunned. I have never heard Dionne sound so horrible. I wonder if she had a cold or something at that time, or was feeling ill. She really should have begged off singing that night. I felt so embarassed for her.

Dionne, Dionne, Dionne, why another album of these boring retreads? Why compete with yourself from a time when your skils were unimpeachable? Now if she were to sing some new Bacharach tunes, maybe some ones like "On My Own", "Arthur's Theme" that were done by Burt but sung by others, I would be pleased. But you are right, those songs produced by her son are absolutely dreadful. I understand that Damon has had a lot of success producing for contemporary artists so I am thinking he must be capable of putting out something better than that. It just seems like Dionne is more concerned with pleasing her family and friends, such as duetting with her granddaughter and son and allowing her other son to produce, which--although in a way admirable, does not result in good product.

I just think there must be something else going on besides smoking that can cause such a vocal deterioration. I was reading a message board somewhere else out on the web, and someone who had claimed to work as a session singer on recordings for many big stars, stated that they had worked with Dionne, Cissy, and Whitney, and that Dionne and Cissy had terrible singing "form"--whatever that means, and that is why their voices have deteriorated. I don't think the poster was stating that they were singing "wrong" per se, but that instead of singing from their diaphragm, they use all throat and that's what causes the voice box to wear out. I have no idea if this is true or if this poster was making that all up. Do we know what Dionne's habits have been through the years as far as her vocals? Of course she was trained at Hartt conservatory, but did she work with vocal coaches and perform vocal exercises throughout her career? I just have a feeling you don't just wake up in the morning with the ability to belt and hold notes the way Dionne was doing routinely in the 80s. From looking at her older performances from the 60s and 70s, I never really saw Dionne do much of the vocal acrobatics stuff she started doing in the early 80s. What changed? I would love to hear how her live shows evolved through her career.