Burt Bacharach

At 96 years old, Burt Bacharach has this physical status:

Burt Freeman Bacharach (BAK-rak), a composer, singer, record producer, pianist, and performer who has written hundreds of pop songs from the 1950s to the 1980s, most in collaboration with lyricist Hal David.

Bacharach's songs have been recorded by more than 1,000 different artists, including six-time Grammy Award winners and three-time Academy Award winner.

He had written 73 US and 52 UK Top 40 hits as of 2014.

His music is characterized by unusual chord progressions, inspired by jazz harmony's roots, as well as unusually chosen instruments for small orchestras.

The bulk of Bacharach's hits were written and performed by Dionne Warwick, but there were earlier collaborations (from 1957 to 1963) with Marty Robbins, Perry Como, Gene McDaniels, and Jerry Butler.

Bacharach continued to write hits for Gene Pitney, Cilla Black, Dusty Springfield, Jackie DeShannon, Robert DeShannon, Bobbie Gentry, Tom Jones, B. J. Thomas, the Carpenters, among other artists.

He arranged, directed, and produced a large percentage of his recorded output. "This Guy's in Love with You" (1968), "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" (1970), "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) (1986), and "That's What Friends Are For" (1986). Bacharach, a key figure in simple listening, has been described by writer William Farina as "a composer whose venerable name can be traced to just about every other well-known musical artist of his time." His songs were first selected for the soundtracks of major movie shows in later years, by which time, "tributes, compilations, and revivals were likely to be found everywhere."

He has been praised for his influence on post-modern musical movements, such as chamber pop and Shibuya-kei.

Rolling Stone ranked Bacharach and David at number 32 on their list of the Top Songwriters of All Time in 2015.

The pair received the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2012, the first time a songwriting team was honoured.

Early life and education

Bacharach was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and grew up in New York City's Kew Gardens section, graduating from Forest Hills High School in 1946. He is the son of Irma M. (née Freeman) and Mark Bertram "Bert" Bacharach, a well-known syndicated newspaper columnist. His mother, an amateur painter and songwriter, was responsible for teaching Bacharach learn piano during his childhood. His family was Jewish, but he claims that they did not practice or pay much attention to their faith. "But the children I knew were Catholic," he says. "I was Jewish, but I didn't want anyone to know about it."

As a youth, Bacharach expressed a keen interest in jazz, disliking his classical piano lessons, and a lot of students gained admission to 52nd Street nightclubs by using a forged ID. He wanted to hear bebop artists, such as Dizzy Gillespie and Count Basie, whose style would later influence his songwriting.

Bacharach studied music (Bachelor of Music, 1948), at McGill University in Montreal, under Helmut Blume, and at the Music Academy of the West in Montecito, California. He investigated a variety of genres during this period, including jazz harmony, which has since been a staple of pop music. Darius Milhaud, Henry Cowell, and Bohuslav Martin were among his composition teachers. Under his tutelage, Bacharach cites Milhaud as his greatest influence, as a result of his book "Sonatina for Violin, Oboe, and Piano."

Personal life

Bacharach has been married four times. Paula Stewart's first marriage (1953-1978) was his first marriage (1953-1958). His second marriage was to actress Angie Dickinson, who lived for 15 years (1965-1980). Nikki Bacharach, an autistic girl who died on January 4, 2007, at the age of 40, was married to Bacharach and Dickinson.

Bacharach's third marriage was to lyricist Carole Bayer Sager, which lasted nine years (1982–1991). Bacharach and Bayer Sager collaborated on a number of musical compositions as well as adopting Cristopher's son. In Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, this union is mentioned. In 1993, Bacharach married Jane Hansen, his fourth wife; they have two children, a son named Oliver, and a daughter named Raleigh. In 2013, his autobiography, Anyone Who Had a Heart, was published.

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Songwriting career

Hal David, a lyricist, and Bacharach began writing together in 1957 while at the Brill Building in New York City. They had a career breakthrough when Marty Robbins' song "The Story of My Life" was released on the US Country Chart, becoming the No. 1 hit on the country charts in 1957.

Perry Como for RCA Records released "Magic Moments" shortly after, gaining No. 151. In the United States, 4 out of 4 people are on the United States. These two songs were back-to-back No. 1s. One single in the United Kingdom (Michael Holliday's version of "The Story of My Life"), presenting Bacharach and David with the distinction of being the first songwriters to have written in consecutive No. 1-3. 1 is single in the United Kingdom.

Despite Bacharach's early success with Hal David, he spent several years with other lyricists, primarily Bob Hilliard. “Please Stay” (The Drifters, 1961), “Tower of Strength” (Gene McDaniels, 1961), “Any Day Now (My Wild Beautiful Bird)” (Chuck Jackson, 1962), and “Mexican Divorce” (The Drifters, 1962). For the first time on both label and sleeve, Bacharach was credited as arranger and producer for the 1961 Bacharach song "Three Wheels on My Wagon," written jointly with Hilliard for Dick Van Dyke.

In 1963, Bacharach and David formed a writing partnership. When singer Jerry Butler asked to record "Make it Simple on Your Own" and wanted him to lead the recording sessions, Bacharach's career was revived. It was the first time he was in charge of the entire recording process for one of his own songs.

Bacharach wrote a number of songs with David in the early and mid-1960s. When she was a session accompanist, Bacharach discovered singer Dionne Warwick in 1961. Under the name Burt and the Backbeats, the two, as well as Dionne's sister Dee Warwick, released a single "Move It on the Backbeat." Hal David's brother Mack David provided the lyrics for this Bacharach composition. "Don't Make Me Over" was Dionne's first hit on the following year.

Bacharach and David wrote more songs to capitalize on Warwick's singing skills, which resulted in one of the most successful teams in popular music history. Warwick's albums of his songs have sold more than 12 million copies over the past 20 years: 23 out of 38 singles and 22 in the Top 40, with 23 with 38 singles making the charts and 22 in the Top 40. "Walk on By," "Anyone with a Heart," "I Say a Little Prayer," "I Say a Little Prayer," "I Will Never Fall in Love Again," and "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" were among the hits. She will eventually have more hits during her career than any other female vocalist, except Aretha Franklin.

In 1965, Bacharach's first solo album on the Kapp Records label was released.

Hit Maker!

Burt Bacharach Plays His Hits In the United States, the US was largely ignored, but eventually jumped to No. 21. His version of "Trains and Boats and Planes" had reached the top 5 single on the UK charts, despite being ranked 3 on the UK album charts, where his version of "Trains and Planes" had risen to the top 5 single. Bacharach was signed as an artist by A&M Records in 1967, releasing a mixture of new music and re-arrangements of his best-known songs. He appeared on A&M until 1978.

Despite the fact that Bacharach's compositions are more complicated than the average pop song, the fact that many jazz players have influenced by his works has surprised him, saying, "I've often felt that my songs are restrictive for a jazz artist." [Stan] Getz did a whole album of my songs (What The World Needs Now: Stan Getz Plays The Burt Bacharach Songbook, 1968).

Stan Getz, Cal Tjader, Grant Green, and Wes Montgomery were among a handful of jazz musicians of the time, whose songs were influenced by his. The Bacharach/David composition "My Little Red Book," originally recorded by Manfred Mann for the film What's New Pussycat?, has hit the high barometer.

Bacharach arranged and arranged the soundtrack of the 1967 film Casino Royale, which included "The Look of Love," performed by Dusty Springfield and the title song, which was an instrumental Top 40 single for Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. The resultant soundtrack collection is widely regarded as one of the finest engineered vinyl recordings of all time, and audiophile collectors are keenly looking forward to it.

Bacharach and David also worked with Broadway producer David Merrick on the 1968 film Promises, Promises, which resulted in two hits, including the title tune and "I'll Never Fall in Love Again." When the producer realized that the show urgently needed another before its opening the next evening, Bacharach and David wrote the song. Bacharach, who had just recovered from pneumonia, was ill, but she collaborated with David's lyrics to write the piece that was performed at the show's opening. It was later identified by Dionne Warwick and was on the charts for several weeks.

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The year 1969 brought the best Bacharach-David partnership, "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head," written for and prominently in the acclaimed film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid's. For "Promises, Promises," the two performers were nominated for a Tony award, and the performance was also nominated for a Tony prize.

"The Look Of Love" was one of several Oscar nominations for Best Song in the second half of the 1960s, as well as "What Is New Pussycat?" "Alfie" and "Alfie."

Bacharach continued to write and produce for musicians, compose for stage, TV, and film, and even released his own albums in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He appeared on television and performed live in concert, gaining a lot of attention in the public spotlight. "An Evening with Burt Bacharach" and "Another Evening with Burt Bacharach" are two televised musical extravaganzas that are broadcast nationally on NBC. "The Music Man 1970" was the subject of 24 Newsweek magazine's long front cover story.

Barbra Streisand appeared on "The Burt Bacharach Special" (aka "Singer Presents Burt Bacharach") in 1971, where they discussed their careers and favorite songs as well as performed together. Rudolph Nureyev and singer Tom Jones were among the other guests on the television special.

Bacharach and David composed the score for Lost Horizon, a musical interpretation of the 1937 film. The remastering was both a commercial and commercial failure, and a slew of lawsuits ensued between the composer and the lyricist, as well as Warwick. When Bacharach and David refused to continue to collaborate together more, she reportedly felt abandoned.

Bacharach tried several solo ventures, including the 1977 album Futures, but the campaigns failed to deliver results. In 1975, he and David met in 1975 to write and produce Stephanie Mills' second album, For The First Time.

Bacharach's marriage to Angie Dickinson had come to an end by the 1980s, but a new collaboration with lyricist Carole Bayer Sager proved fruitful, both commercially and personally. Both the two married and collaborated on many big hits over the decade, including "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" (Christopher Cross), co-written with Cross and Peter Allen, which received an Academy Award for Best Song; "Making Love" (Patti LaBelle with Michael McDonald).

"That's What Friends Are For" was the reincarnation of Bacharach and Warwick's hit in 1985. When asked whether they'd banded together again, she explained: 'They'll be back together again.'

Bacharach's earlier hits in the 1980s and 1990s were revived by other artists. "A House is Not a Home" by Luther Vandross; Naked Eyes' 1983 pop hit version of "There's Always Something There to Remind Me," and Ronnie Milsap's 1982 country version of "Any Day Now" were among the examples. Bacharach continued to perform at auditoriums around the world, often with large orchestras. He appeared in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and New York, where they appeared at the Rainbow Room in 1996. He has performed at the Rainbow Room before.

Bacharach co-wrote and recorded a Grammy Award-winning album with Elvis Costello, Painted from Memory, in 1998, on which the compositions began to take on the sounds of his earlier music. The pair reunited for Costello's 2018 album Look Now, performing on various tracks together.

He collaborated with singer Ronald Isley in 2003 to produce the album Here I Am, which reminisces of a few of his 1960s works in Isley's signature R&B style. Bacharach's solo album At This Time was a step forward from earlier works in that Bacharach penned his own songs, some of which dealt with political themes. Elvis Costello, Rufus Wainwright, and hip-hop producer Dr. Dre were among the guest artists on the album.

Bacharach opened the BBC Electric Proms in London in 2008, as a result of the BBC Concert Orchestra's presence, and guests Adele, Beth Rowley, and Jamie Cullum followed him. The performance was a retrospective glimpse at his six-decade career. Bacharach performed with Italian soul singer Karima Ammar in early 2009 and released her debut album "Come In Ogni Ora."

Bacharach appeared at the Glastonbury Festival in June 2015, and a few weeks later, she appeared onstage at the Menier Chocolate Factory to announce 'What's It All About?' Bacharach Reimagined, a 90-minute live display of his hits.

Bacharach, 88, composed and orchestrated his first original score in 16 years for the film A Boy Called Po in 2016 (along with composer Joseph Bauer). The score was first announced on September 1, 2017. In just two days at Capitol Studios, the entire 30-minute score was recorded. Bacharach composed the theme song "Dancing With Your Shadow," with lyrics written by Billy Mann and Sheryl Crow performing. After seeing the film, which was based on a true tale about a child with autism, Bacharach decided he wanted to write a score for it, as well as a theme tune, in honor of his daughter Nikki, who had gone undiagnosed with Asperger syndrome and suicide at the age of 40. The composer says, "It touched me so much." "I had gone through this with Nikki." You do things that make you feel. It's not about money or prizes.

Although not well known for political music, "Live To See Another Day" was released in 2018. "Dedicated to survivors of school gun violence" since its inception, Sandy Hook Promise, a non-profit group started and led by several family members whose loved ones were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. Rudy Pérez's co-write was also featured in the Miami Symphony Orchestra.

Bacharach's first new material in 15 years was released in July 2020 by songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Tashian. Both Bacharach and Tashian received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.

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Honours and awards

• 1968, Grammy Award, Instrumental Arrangement, Alfie (1966)
• 1970, Grammy Award, Score Soundtrack, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and Musical Theater Album Promises, Promises.
• 1970, Academy Award, Best Original Song, Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head.
• 1970, Academy Award, Best Original Score, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
• 1981, Academy Award and Golden Globe, Best Original Song, "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"
• 1987, Grammy Award, Song, That's What Friends Are For.
• 1997, Grammy Trustees Award.
• 1997, subject of a PBS "Great Performances" biography, "Burt Bacharach: This is Now".
• 1999, Grammy Award for the single "I Still Have That Other Girl", in collaboration with Elvis Costello.
• 2000, People magazine named him one of the "Sexiest Men Alive", and one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" in 1999.
• 2001, Polar Music Prize, presented in Stockholm by His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.
• 2002, National Academy Of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) New York Heroes Award.
• 2005, GQ Magazine Inspiration Award.
• 2006, Grammy Award, Contemporary Instrumental Album, At This Time