Hi, everyone. Welcome to another edition of Music Monday.
(Image found online. Original source unknown.)
There have been many losses in the music world lately but this one is almost too much to bear. Burt Bacharach died on February 8, 2023 at the age of 94. And saying farewell to this absolute genius is hitting me incredibly hard.
Yes, he lived a very long unbelievably rich life where he established himself as one of the premier songwriters the world ever gave us. I discovered the ravishing music he wrote through his stunning collaborations with his equally talented lyricist, Hal David. The first time I heard “One Less Bell To Answer” I knew I had stumbled upon something glorious. And it only got better from there.
But any time I hear any one of their songs, I always come back to the first one. And any time a song transports me back to the innocent days of my childhood, when my world was beautiful, complete and whole, then I am reminded that for a little while, all was right in my universe. Nothing illustrated that point better than the soundtrack of that moment. And Bacharach was a significant contributor to mine.
I know I am not alone in my feelings. Tributes to this man are everywhere. Another one of my early musical loves, Michael McDonald, shared this on his Facebook page: “It’s hard to quantify the importance much less the beauty and pure joy of the musical legacy of Burt Bacharach. It will live on in the hearts of all of us who grew up in the 60’s and 70’s, and no doubt, inspire this world with “Love Sweet Love” for generations to come”.
Pete Yorn shared this on on Twitter: “Burt hits home. Even though he had a great run, long life, so much music, his sound just reminds me of being a kid/driving around with my parents, and of that moment in time, of their time, brings it all up”.
And one of Bacharach’s friends, not to mention another musical legend, Herb Alpert, shared this on Instagram: “Burt was a dear friend, who was a humble creative giant with a big heart”.
In a post I wrote back in 2020 I described that when I first heard today’s Bacharach & David song, I absolutely swooned. The singer is not one of my favorites but her work with this extraordinary writing team was a powerful force in the 1960’s. Her voice is so soft and pretty, and delivers a great vocal to a gorgeous arrangement. It is the best of what a sad love song should be: succinct, poignant, evocative and leaving you begging for one more note. I love so many Bacharach & David compositions (“Anyone Who Had A Heart”, “This Guy’s In Love With You”, “A House Is Not A Home” “The Look Of Love” to name a few) but this one I adore. I also love the sultry version of this track by Mr. Soul himself, Isaac Hayes.
Farewell, Mr. Bacharach. Artist. Maestro. Genius.
Top: Hal David, Dionne Warwick & Burt Bacharach circa 1964. Bottom: Bacharach circa 1972. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)
Dionne Warwick: “Walk On By” (1964, written by Burt Bacharach & Hal David).
Isaac Hayes: “Walk On By” (1969, written by Burt Bacharach & Hal David).
Stay safe & well.
Lilacs & Rust 