The young hipster played piano in jazz bands while in high school in the '40s, and in the Army from 1950 to '52. After the service, he played and arranged for Vic Damone, the Ames Brothers, Steve Lawrence, Paula Stewart (the first of his four wives - followed by actress Angie Dickinson, lyricist Carole Bayer Sager, and current wife Jane) and Marlene Dietrich, who doted on him. Bacharach's first big success as a writer was Marty Robbins' "The Story of My Life," in 1957, which was co-written by Bacharach's best-known collaborator, Hal David. The team followed in 1958 with Perry Como's "Magic Moments."
Arranging was next. "My first record as an arranger was Jerry Butler's 'Make It Easy On Yourself' (1962). I wasn't the producer, Calvin Carter was, but they let me go in the studio with a big string section, and voices, and Jerry to make this record, and that started it. The most important thing was that I got the essence of what I heard when I was writing the song. When I write songs, I hear a pretty good outline of where the strings come in, where lines come, what the bass line is, what the percussion parts are, what the flow is. I hear it as a whole thing.
"I started producing the records out of self-defense, to protect the material. I just thought that my songs were getting changed from the way I heard them when I was writing them. There was a really good song that had a three-bar phrase, instead of the standard four bar phrase, and the A&R man convinced me that it would be better with a four-bar phrase, making the song out of proportion and ruining it. I didn't want that to happen again."
In '62 Bacharach wrote songs for the Drifters ("Mexican Divorce"), and at a Drifters session he met a young backup singer ("in pigtails and sneakers") named Dionne Warwick, who on the strength of Bacharach/David compositions and productions was to rival Aretha Franklin as the most important female singer of the '60s. The trio produced twenty Top 40 singles between 1962 and 1970, including seven Top 10's: "Anyone Who Had a Heart," "Walk On By," "Message to Michael," "I Say a Little Prayer," "Do You Know the Way to San Jose," "This Girl's In Love With You" and "I'll Never Fall in Love Again."
Article comments
1 - Barry Stoller
Yes, Bacharach used cool chords and tempos when going the easy route would have earned him all those Grammies earlier; and, yes, he wrote (minor material) with Elvis Costello... but "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head," "I'll Never Fall In Love Again," "What The World Needs Now Is Love" and "Do You Know The Way To San Jose" are all egregious examples of atrophied ultra-smaltz, popularized largely by an indiscriminating audience. Cool only as a dreck master, not a serious composer.
2 - Eric Olsen
we seriously disagree on this one Barry - I think the best is brilliant, innovative, sophisticated AND catchy popular song.
3 - Eric Berlin
You really get an insight to Bacharach the craftsman here -- fantastic stuff!
I personally dig Bacharach for appearing in Austin Powers.
His stuff isn't something that I'd throw on, but I agree that it's elegant, sophisticated, yet easy listening.
4 - Eric Olsen
I'd throw on Dionne's greatest hits with no prodding at all
5 - Barry Stoller
Well, I think it's cool he's written a high-profile song condemning the Iraq war.
6 - Eric Olsen
there you go - and I agree he isn't rock 'n' roll!
7 - Mat Brewster
The Eric Olsen knows EVERYBODY hit parade continues...
Seriously, is there anybody you don't know personally, or haven't interviewed, or didn't DJ for? You need your own TV show :)
8 - Rhinocasts
Wanna know the secret behind some of Burt Bacharach's songwriting techniques or the magic behind your favorite "songs?" Burt Bacharach sits down with Ron Shapiro and tells all about his new studio album "At This Time," classic collaborations with Dionne Warwick and Hal David on this episode of the Rhinocast. Win an exclusive autographed Burt Bacharach Boxed set from Rhino by entering at Rhinocasts. Plus, the Lefsetz letter featuring Rock & Roll Hall of Fame artist Bob Seger.