During their commercial peak in the 1960s, the songs of Burt Bacharach (who passed away today at 94) and lyricist Hal David were so commercially successful and ubiquitous that they were often categ…
Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David were so commercially successful and ubiquitous that they were often categorized as schmaltz — their lush, rich sound, easy melodies and gentle tempos conjured visions of ascot-and-sunglasses Bel Air poolside parties for the very rich, like the ones in the early scenes of “The Graduate.”
Yet part of Bacharach’s brilliance was in that deceptive simplicity: His songs are extremely musically sophisticated, complex and often downright weird, combining a world of influences — from jazz and classical to bossa nova and westerns — along with startling yet seemingly smooth key and time-signature changes, unusual voicings and more.
Bacharach’s songs — the most classic of which were written with lyricist Hal David — have been covered by thousands of people, from the Beatles , Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond to psychedelic rockers Love to new wave one-hit wonders Naked Eyes, and were originally performed by a battery of top-shelf singers from the Carpenters and the Drifters to Dusty Springfield and their ultimate vocal foil,.
Born in 1928, Bacharach’s musical sensibilities were formed decades before his songs became ubiquitous, and his first hits in the 1950s were very much of their time, with swooning string arrangements, doo-wop-inspired vocals and even whistling. Yet his brilliance began to emerge in the early 1960s and reached full bloom throughout the decade, largely in his and David’s work with Warwick and Springfield.
and narrowing them down to a dozen best is a fool’s errand — even the briefest comprehensive “greatest hits” collections have around 50, and he wrote more than 100 with David alone and even more with others across a 70-plus-year career. What follows below aren’t necessarily his biggest hits or his best songs or even his many perfect pop songs, but rather 12 stellar examples, among many, that illustrate his genius.
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Burt Bacharach, legendary composer of pop songs, dies at 94Bacharach was a singularly gifted and popular composer, who delighted millions with the quirky arrangements and unforgettable melodies of 'Walk on By,' 'Do You Know the Way to San Jose' and more.
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Burt Bacharach, legendary composer of pop songs, dies at 94Burt Bacharach, the singularly gifted and popular composer who delighted millions with the quirky arrangements and unforgettable melodies of 'Walk on By,' 'Do You Know the Way to San Jose' and dozens of other hits, has died at 94. The Grammy, Oscar and Tony-winning Bacharach died Wednesday at home in Los Angeles of natural causes, publicist Tina Brausam said Thursday. Over the past 70 years, only Lennon-McCartney, Carole King and a handful of others rivaled his genius for instantly catchy songs that remained performed, played and hummed long after they were written.
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Burt Bacharach, legendary composer of pop songs, dies at 94Burt Bacharach, the singularly gifted and popular composer and Oscar winner who delighted millions with the quirky arrangements and unforgettable melodies, has died at 94.
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Burt Bacharach, legendary composer of pop songs, dies at 94Bacharach was a singularly gifted and popular composer, who delighted millions with the quirky arrangements and unforgettable melodies of 'Walk on By,' 'Do You Know the Way to San Jose' and more.
Read more »
Burt Bacharach, legendary composer of pop songs, dies at 94Over the past 70 years, only Lennon-McCartney, Carole King and a handful of others rivaled his genius for instantly catchy songs that remained performed, played and hummed long after they were writ…
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Burt Bacharach, legendary composer of pop songs, dies at 94Burt Bacharach's movie soundtracks and radios to home stereo systems and iPods, whether “Alfie” and “I Say a Little Prayer” or “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” and “This Guy’s in Love with You.” BurtBacharach kprc2 click2houston
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