BURT BACHARACH 100 ESSENTIAL SONGS. . This post: #1 (conclusion).

Caffè Lattè presents:

THE 100 MOST ESSENTIAL SONGS CO/WRITTEN BY

BURT

BACHARACH

Burt Bacharach has had a major impact on popular music with a catalogue spanning many decades. His songbook boasts some of the most elegant and unforgettable songs of all time. His compositions have been recorded by a vast array of acts ranging from The Beatles, Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Luther Vandross, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Elvis Costello, Tom Jones and Carpenters. He is best remembered for his collaborations with Hal David that were brought to life with Dionne Warwick’s vocal skills.

Burt Bacharach died in his home in February 2023. He was 94 years old. This special countdown pays tribute to Bacharach’s immense talent and impressive legacy, celebrating 100 of his best compositions…

 

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I SAY A LITTLE PRAYER

Aretha Franklin &

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (2017)

Burt Bacharach and Hal David composed the timeless love song “I Say A Little Prayer”. It was originally recorded by Dionne Warwick and issued in 1967. The single reached #4 in America. Bacharach has said that he was not satisfied with this cut, which the two writers also produced.

The following year, the song was covered by Aretha Franklin. It was intended to be a B-side, but radio soon corrected that poor decision. The Queen of Soul delivered a heavenly vocal. As had been the case on Warwick’s original, The Sweet Inspirations (featuring Cissy Houston) contributed backing vocals on the remake. Bacharach confessed he considered this to be the best version of the song. This became the more successful interpretation; going Top 10 in America, Britain, Europe and Australia.

Many other remakes of the song followed, recorded by the likes of Diana King, Bomb The Bass and David Michael Johnson. In 2017, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra applied a new treatment to Franklin’s original vocal for the ‘A Brand New Me’ compilation album which augmented the song’s beauty.

The song is about devotion, having the person you love foremost in your thoughts, as expressed in the opening line: “the moment I wake up…”.Of all the songs co-/ written by Bacharach, “I Say A Little Prayer” is the one most likely to be remembered far into the future.  

Follow the countdown on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1nYjYdZQeXUUOLLnkehRj7?si=132a524084ae466f&pt=b46ae886558caeaeb131e7d76b44e203