97-399: " My Little Red Book " (occasionally subtitled " (All I Do Is Talk About You) ") is a song composed by American songwriter Burt Bacharach with lyrics by Hal David . The duo was enlisted by Charles K. Feldman to compose the music to Woody Allen 's film What's New Pussycat? following a chance meeting between Feldman and Bacharach's fiancée Angie Dickinson in London. "My Little Red Book"
194-461: A Radio Luxembourg show. Having been chosen as a contestant he won £93, more money than he thought existed in the world, and he returned to Oxford as the question writer for the show Double Your Money , which would run in the top ten for thirteen years on the new Independent Television Network in England. He also sold a number of other television concepts. In 1955 Heyman started full-time work in
291-791: A fake ID to gain admission into 52nd Street nightclubs. He got to hear bebop musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker , whose style influenced his songwriting. Bacharach studied music (Associate of Music, 1948) at McGill University in Montreal, under Helmut Blume, at the Mannes School of Music in New York City, and at the Music Academy of the West in Montecito, California . During this period he studied
388-493: A garage rock guitar riff . Echols explained: "I forgot some of the chords after seeing the movie. When we went back and tried it at Arthur's house, I was missing certain parts, but that came to be the arrangement that we stuck with." Lee, who was a fan of Paul Jones, gave a "snarling" vocal performance which AllMusic 's Stewart Mason says "seem[s] only barely to mask a suppressed fury". As well as garage rock, Love's version has been described as proto-punk and hard rock . Love
485-448: A 3-CD box set , The Look of Love , that licensed the original recordings of most of his best-known songs. Music writer Richie Unterberger called the set "the best representation of [Bacharach's] music likely to ever be assembled." In 2003, he arranged and produced Ronald Isley 's album Here I Am , on which Isley sang a program of Bacharach songs mostly drawn from Bacharach's 1960s-era hits. Bacharach's 2005 solo album At This Time
582-481: A 90-minute live arrangement of his hits. In 2016, Bacharach, at 88 years old, composed and arranged his first original score in 16 years for the film A Boy Called Po (along with composer Joseph Bauer ). The score was released on September 1, 2017. The entire 30-minute score was recorded in just two days at Capitol Studios . The theme song, "Dancing with Your Shadow", was composed by Bacharach, with lyrics by Billy Mann , and performed by Sheryl Crow . After seeing
679-456: A Home ", 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 ". Bacharach continued a concert career, appearing at auditoriums throughout the world, often with large orchestras. He occasionally joined Warwick for sold-out concerts in Las Vegas , Los Angeles, and New York City, where they performed at
776-420: A boost when singer Jerry Butler asked to record " Make It Easy on Yourself " and also wanted him to direct the recording sessions. It became the first time Bacharach managed the entire recording process for one of his own songs. In 1961 Bacharach discovered singer Dionne Warwick , who was working as a session backup singer at the time. That year the two, along with Dionne's sister Dee Dee Warwick , released
873-539: A career breakthrough when their song " The Story of My Life " was recorded by Marty Robbins , becoming a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Country Chart in 1957. Soon afterward, " Magic Moments " was recorded by Perry Como for RCA Records , and reached No. 4 on the Most Played by Disc Jockeys chart. These two songs were also the first singles by a songwriting duo to ever reach back-to-back No. 1 in
970-602: A film producer and had over his lifetime produced some 15 films, among them The Go-Between and The Hireling , which both won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival. He co-financed a further 150 films. In 1964 he also co-produced the longest running Hamlet in Broadway history, starring Richard Burton and directed by John Gielgud . In 1965 Heyman produced Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in
1067-436: A hurricane that knows where it's heading. — Rex Reed , American film critic Throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s, Bacharach continued to write and produce for artists, compose for stage, TV, and film, and release his own albums. He enjoyed a great deal of visibility in the public spotlight, appearing frequently on TV and performing live in concert. Between November 1969 and January 1974, Bacharach and his music were
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#17327837496401164-548: A jazz artist. I was excited when [Stan] Getz did a whole album of my music". His songs were also adapted by several other jazz artists of the time, such as Grant Green , Wes Montgomery , Bill Evans , and Cal Tjader . Bacharach also continued to get commissions for film scores, including those for the 1966 heist comedy After the Fox and the 1967 James Bond spy parody Casino Royale . The music for Casino Royale included " The Look of Love ", performed by Dusty Springfield , and
1261-579: A journalist on the now defunct News Chronicle . During World War II, his father worked for the Ministry of Information and was naturalised British in the national interest. After the war he was the financial correspondent for The Economist , The Times , and Neue Zürcher Zeitung . He died at his typewriter putting the final 'full stop' on a leader column for the Times , which was published two days after his death. John's mother, an avid suffragette ,
1358-583: A man, he embodied everything a woman could wish for ... How many such men are there? For me he was the only one." Also in 1956, Bacharach and lyricist Hal David , who were both working in the Brill Building in New York City for Famous Music , published their first songs as co-writers. The songs published in 1956 included "I Cry More" (featured in the motion picture Don't Knock the Rock ), "The Morning Mail", and "Peggy's In The Pantry". The two received
1455-592: A number-one hit in the US with their cover of " Do Wah Diddy Diddy " (1964). Despite having hits with rhythm and blues -oriented compositions, Manfred Mann's original musical style was largely rooted in jazz , which was useful when Bacharach used them as a basis for writing the song. They were chosen because they were signed to United Artists Records in the United States; this meant Bacharach could hire them extremely cheaply. He had no previous experience in working with
1552-661: A pop band and had opposed of rock and roll during the 1950s; to spite Manfred Mann, Bacharach composed "My Little Red Book" with several unorthodox modulations and chord progressions . Composed in the key of C major , it is built on a "repeating piano line" which only changes during the chorus while it also provides the song its backbeat. Manfred Mann were scheduled to appear at the EMI Studio in London by United Artists after being told that "Burt, Angie and Hal" would be present there. The recording session for "My Little Red Book"
1649-540: A prelude to the "swinging singles" which would become prevalent on the radio a few years later. The song was initially released on the soundtrack of What's New Pussycat , which was issued on May 25, 1965. It was included as the title track of Manfred Mann's third American album, My Little Red Book Of Winners! on September 13, 1965. The American rock band Love formed in Los Angeles in February 1964, originally as
1746-429: A range of music, including jazz, whose sophisticated harmony is a distinctive feature of many of his compositions. His composition teachers included Darius Milhaud , Henry Cowell , and Bohuslav Martinů . Bacharach cited Milhaud, under whose guidance he wrote a "Sonatina for Violin, Oboe and Piano", as his greatest influence. Bacharach was drafted into the U.S. Army in the late 1940s and served for two years. He
1843-531: A television special about Bacharach titled The Bacharach Sound , after which he flew to London with his fiancée Angie Dickinson , an actress with filmmaking knowledge. At The Dorchester hotel, Dickinson met producer Charles K. Feldman , who was involved with Woody Allen in a new movie project, What's New Pussycat? (1965). Being shown a picture of Bacharach by Dickinson, Feldman became interested in working with him after hearing promising words about his songwriting, as Dickinson would state that "he [Bacharach]
1940-423: A way of giving people the opportunity to grow and understand ... Working with Burt is not a bit different from how it used to be. He expects me to deliver and I can. He knows what I'm going to do before I do it, and the same with me. That's how intertwined we've been. Other artists continued to revive Bacharach's earlier hits in the 1980s and 1990s. Examples included Luther Vandross 's recording of " A House Is Not
2037-506: Is so good. I got really excited about it because of that word, 'thumbed' in the second line. 'I got out my little red book the minute you said goodbye, I thumbed right through my little red book'. A lesser writer would've written 'I looked right through' or 'I went right through'. But 'thumbed'. I could actually see the slightly discolored corners of the paper where the thumb went. Hal [David] is just so precise and concrete." Manfred Mann had by this point become internationally successful, scoring
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#17327837496402134-625: The Cashbox Looking Ahead and Record World upcoming singles chart, reaching number 133 and 148 respectively. In Australia however, both the film and song were met with acclaim which led the single to reach number 26 on the Kent Music Report during the summer of 1965. The chart failure of the song led to His Master's Voice refusing to issue the single in the UK, where it would remain unreleased for several years afterwards. In
2231-773: The EP Blue Umbrella , Bacharach's first new material in 15 years. It earned Bacharach and Tashian a Grammy Award nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards . John Heyman John Heyman (27 April 1933 – 9 June 2017) was a British film and TV producer also involved in television production, consulting, and film financing. Heyman was born in Leipzig to German-Jewish parents. His father, an economist and broadcaster who opposed Hitler , fled Germany on 30 January 1933. The seven-month-old John and his mother joined him that November in London, where his father had secured work as
2328-832: The Kapp Records label. Hit Maker!: Burt Bacharach Plays the Burt Bacharach Hits was largely ignored in the U.S. but rose to No. 3 on the UK album charts, where his version of " Trains and Boats and Planes " had become a top five single. In 1967, he signed with A&M Records both as an artist and a producer, recording several solo albums (all consisting in a mix of new material and rearrangements of his best-known songs) until 1978. In addition to having his work recorded by pop and R&B acts, Bacharach's songs were occasionally recorded during these years by jazz and rock acts. The Bacharach/David composition " My Little Red Book ", originally recorded by Manfred Mann for
2425-639: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, the first time the honor has been given to a songwriting team. Bacharach was born in Kansas City, Missouri , and grew up in Forest Hills, Queens , New York City, graduating from Forest Hills High School in 1946. He was the son of Irma M. (née Freeman) and Mark Bertram "Bert" Bacharach, a well-known syndicated newspaper columnist. His mother
2522-503: The Miami Symphony Orchestra ; the song was dedicated to survivors of gun violence in schools , as the proceeds from the release went to the charity Sandy Hook Promise , a non-profit organization founded and led by several family members whose children had been killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting . In July 2020, Bacharach collaborated with songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Tashian on
2619-567: The Rainbow Room in 1996. Bacharach's visibility increased in the second half of the 1990s due to his appearances as himself in the Austin Powers films, a U.S. box set release of his music and a new songwriting partnership that produced a Grammy -winning album. Bacharach formed his songwriting partnership with Elvis Costello initially to write one song, "God Give Me Strength", for the 1996 film Grace of My Heart . The film told
2716-463: The 1990s, they briefly reunited on two occasions, in 1993 to write a song for a Warwick album , and in 1999, to write two songs for the soundtrack of the film Isn't She Great . Bacharach eventually expressed regret over his actions during the Lost Horizon production, and wrote in his autobiography: It was all my fault, and I can't imagine how many great songs I could have written with Hal in
2813-595: The American Four before changing their name to the Grass Roots in April 1965. After seeing What's New Pussycat? in theater, bandleader Arthur Lee and lead guitarist Johnny Echols decided to add "My Little Red Book" to the band's setlist. During one of their performances at a local nightclub, Elektra Records president Jac Holzman saw the band, then named Love, and was impressed by their "manic intensity" on
2910-561: The Carpenters , 1970), " Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) " ( Christopher Cross , 1981), " That's What Friends Are For " (Warwick, 1986), and " On My Own " ( Carole Bayer Sager , 1986). His accolades include six Grammy Awards , three Academy Awards , and one Emmy Award . Bacharach is described by writer William Farina as "a composer whose venerable name can be linked with just about every other prominent musical artist of his era"; in later years, his songs were newly appropriated for
3007-557: The Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad , starring Hermione Gingold in London's West End. In 1973, he founded The Genesis Project to create an audio-visual encyclopaedia, atlas, and dictionary. It commenced translating the Bible onto film accompanied by a variety of educational materials. After completing the filming of Genesis and the Gospel of Luke (which, under the title Jesus , became
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3104-492: The Jury , Forbidden Lovers , and a contemporary drama based on modern versions of the biblical Parables and Proverbs. In 1960, Heyman married actress Norma Pownall . They had two children, including David Heyman , who became a producer. They divorced in the 1960s after his affair with actress Joanna Shimkus . He was married to Nizza Heyman from 1982 until his death; they had two children together. Heyman died on 9 June 2017 at
3201-565: The London television production company World Productions Limited . It became an active provider of British television programming in partnership with Tony Garnett , and was the only company to have had programs airing on all five UK terrestrial channels in the same year. The company received a special award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts "acknowledging the nurturing of a whole new generation of writers, actors and producers and in bringing new blood and new talent into
3298-491: The Pink Panther (MGM), and Victor/Victoria (MGM). In 1990 Heyman co-founded Island World , which produced and licensed film and television programs, including The Cure (Universal), Eddie (Disney), Juice (Paramount), The Sandlot (Fox), Toy Soldiers (Tri-Star), Airheads (Fox), and The War (Universal). Island World was sold to PolyGram at the end of 1994, but Heyman retained control of
3395-506: The UK (The British chart-topping "The Story of My Life" version was sung by Michael Holliday ). Between 1956 and the dissolution of their partnership in the mid-1970s, Bacharach and David wrote over 230 songs together for the pop market, motion pictures, television, and Broadway . Despite Bacharach's early success with Hal David, he spent several years in the early 1960s writing songs with several other lyricists in addition to continuing his work with David. During this period, Bacharach found
3492-458: The US, the single would be re-released on April 17, 1968, due to Manfred Mann's single " Mighty Quinn " (1968) reaching top ten; this reissue featured the suffix "(All I Do Is Talk About You)" though it failed to chart. Reviews of the single primarily focused on the song's rhythm; In Billboard , the single is described as having been given a "hard-driving" Chicago dance, and as in a "powerpacked, pulsating blues-tinged style" by Cash Box , who chose
3589-632: The United States on May 26, 1965, "My Little Red Book" was released in place of Manfred Mann's contemporary UK single " Oh No, Not My Baby ". Despite receiving good critical reception, the Manfred Mann version stalled at number 124 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. In 1966, "My Little Red Book" once again entered mainstream popularity after American rock band Love recorded it. Love's leader Arthur Lee and guitarist Johnny Echols saw What's New Pussycat ? in
3686-545: The Velvet Underground would listen to it repeatedly and try "to unlock Love's sound". Early Pink Floyd manager Peter Jenner said that the song " Interstellar Overdrive " originated when he tried to hum the riff from Love's "My Little Red Book" to Syd Barrett . Biographer Ken Brooks feels the song's influence can also be heard in the music of Iron Butterfly . Bacharach himself wrote in his 2013 memoir: "although I didn't like their version because they were playing
3783-527: The acclaimed film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid . The two were also awarded a Grammy for Best Cast album of the year for Promises, Promises ; the score was nominated for a Tony Award , as well. Bacharach and David's other Oscar nominations for Best Song in the latter half of the 1960s were for " The Look of Love ", " What's New Pussycat? ", and " Alfie ". He swings. He jumps. He socks imaginary tennis balls from his conductor's podium. He's
3880-511: The actress and singer who had been an international screen star during the golden age of Hollywood . They toured worldwide off and on until the early 1960s. When they were not touring, he wrote songs. As a result of his collaboration with Dietrich, he gained his first major recognition as a conductor and arranger. In her autobiography, Dietrich wrote that Bacharach particularly loved touring in Russia and Poland, because he thought very highly of
3977-631: The agency formed the subsidiary World Film Sales , the first company to pre-sell and license pictures on a territory-by-territory basis. World Film Sales was sold to ITC in 1973. It was the first of a series of companies which would become the World Group of Companies Limited. For over 40 years, the company and its executives have been producers, packagers, co-financiers, investors, or distributors of films that have garnered numerous awards, including more than 150 Academy Award nominations and more than two dozen Oscars. In 1963, Heyman started to work as
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4074-545: The cinema, and being fans of Manfred Mann, they incorporated it into their setlist. The rendition varies from Manfred Mann's in tempo along with a more "tambourine-fueled rhythm". The chord progression was also changed, as Echols had forgotten several chords present in the original release. Recorded in January 1966 at Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood, California, together with producer Jac Holzman and Mark Abramson ,
4171-631: The composing duo work with Marty Robbins , Perry Como , Gene McDaniels , and Jerry Butler . Following the initial success of these collaborations, Bacharach wrote hits for singers such as Gene Pitney , Cilla Black , Dusty Springfield , Tom Jones and B. J. Thomas . Bacharach wrote fifty-two US Top 40 hits. Those that topped the Billboard Hot 100 include " This Guy's in Love with You " ( Herb Alpert , 1968), " Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head " (Thomas, 1969), " (They Long to Be) Close to You " (
4268-551: The entertainment industry and by the age of 22 was head of public relations at Associated Television , one of the two founder companies of the ITV. By then he was working on five of the network's television programmes, three of which were rated among ITV's top ten. In 1959 Heyman formed The International Artists Agency , which represented, among others, Elizabeth Taylor , Richard Burton , Richard Harris , Laurence Harvey , Trevor Howard , Shirley Bassey , and Burt Bacharach . In 1961
4365-684: The film What's New Pussycat? , was also recorded by the psychedelic rock band Love and released as the band's first single. The Love version of the song went to number 52 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart and is considered by some writers to be a 1960s rock classic. In 1968, jazz musician Stan Getz recorded twelve Bacharach and David songs for What the World Needs Now: Stan Getz Plays Burt Bacharach and Hal David . Bacharach expressed delight and surprise for this choice, saying quote, "I've sometimes felt that my songs are restrictive for
4462-543: The film, a true story about a child with autism , Bacharach decided he wanted to write a score for it, as well as a theme song, in tribute to his daughter Nikki—who had gone undiagnosed with Asperger syndrome , and who committed suicide because of depression at the age of 40. "It touched me very much", the composer said. "I had gone through this with Nikki. Sometimes you do things that make you feel. It's not about money or rewards." In 2018, Bacharach released "Live to See Another Day", co-written with Rudy Pérez and featuring
4559-529: The focus of nine U.S. network television specials, including five on NBC , three on ABC , and one on CBS . Newsweek magazine gave him a lengthy cover story entitled "The Music Man 1970". In 1971, Barbra Streisand appeared on the special Singer Presents Burt Bacharach , where they discussed their careers and favorite songs and performed songs together. The other guests on the television special were dancers Rudolph Nureyev and Bettie de Jong , and singer Tom Jones . In 1973, Bacharach and David wrote
4656-400: The industry." The company was sold in 2012. Heyman's World Group of Companies Limited continues to actively produce and co-finance films and television shows. At the time of his death, he was in pre-production on a number of projects including a Sino-Italian co-production of a 12-hour mini-series titled The Forbidden City , a film titled The Silk Road , and television projects, including You
4753-479: The instrumental title song, which was a Top 40 single for Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass . The soundtrack album is widely considered to be one of the finest engineered vinyl recordings of all time, and is much sought after by audiophile collectors. Bacharach and David also collaborated with Broadway producer David Merrick on the 1968 musical Promises, Promises , which yielded two hits, including
4850-410: The instruments "sound bigger." For Love's debut album, Botnick explained that they "basically played their [live] set", a point that rhythm guitarist Bryan MacLean echoed. Although Lee liked the arrangement of Manfred Mann's version, Love had increased the song's tempo and accentuated its beat, giving it "a stomping, tambourine-fueled rhythm" (Mason). The chord progression was also simplified into
4947-473: The late 1970s, including Futures and Woman , failed to yield hits. By the early 1980s, Bacharach's marriage to Angie Dickinson had ended, but a new partnership with lyricist Carole Bayer Sager proved rewarding, both commercially and personally. The first song they collaborated on was "Where Did the Time Go" by The Pointer Sisters , released as a single in 1980. Bacharach and Bayer Sager co-wrote 11 of
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#17327837496405044-412: The lyrics for the song while Bacharach composed the music. The song lyrically refers to a man missing his previous girlfriend, though in a vain effort to get over her, "goes from A to Z in his red book", implied to be a telephone directory or an "affectionate journal detailing girls he admired." According to Manfred Mann vocalist Paul Jones , the lyrics were some of the most clever he sang: "The lyric
5141-503: The most success with songs written with lyricist Bob Hilliard , including " 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). In 1961, Bacharach was credited as arranger and producer, for the first time on both label and sleeve, for the song " Three Wheels on My Wagon ", written jointly with Hilliard for Dick Van Dyke . Bacharach's career received
5238-603: The most successful teams in popular music history. Over the next 20 years, Warwick's recordings of Bacharach and David songs sold over 12 million copies, with 38 singles making the charts and 22 in the Top 40. Among the hits were " Walk On By ", " Anyone Who Had a Heart ", " Alfie ", " I Say a Little Prayer ", " I'll Never Fall in Love Again ", and " Do You Know the Way to San Jose ". Bacharach released his first solo album in 1965 on
5335-983: The most viewed film in history), The New Media Bible was sold to an evangelical organisation, having failed commercially in the age before VHS or DVD. In the early 1970s, Heyman began to render financial services to major film studios, and is widely credited with creating "structured financing" in the film industry. As a result of his efforts, some $ 4 billion has been provided to co-finance more than 150 films and television programs, including Awakenings (Columbia), Black Rain (Paramount), Chinatown (Paramount), Edward Scissorhands (Fox), Grease (Paramount), Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan (Warner), Heaven Can Wait (Paramount), Home Alone (Fox), Looking For Mr Goodbar (Paramount), The Man Who Would Be King (Allied Artists), Marathon Man (Paramount), The Odessa File (Columbia), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Fox), Saturday Night Fever (Paramount), Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Paramount), Trail of
5432-453: The music for the songs, he was also doing underscore music for the film, which he felt he was not being fairly paid for. Bacharach asked David for a larger share of the profits, and David refused to renegotiate. When the film was released, it was poorly received and lost an estimated $ 9 million, but by that point, Bacharach was refusing to work on additional projects with David. Dionne Warwick, whose lucrative 1971 Warner Bros. Records contract
5529-556: The only member that understood his songwriting. On the song's recording, Bacharach himself played piano. According to group keyboardist Manfred Mann , the piano chords of the songs were "too strident" which meant that Bacharach sat behind the piano and "pounded it and Mann to submission". In an interview with Greg Russo, Mann would elaborate that Bacharach wanted Mann to play the piano on beat "without accent" which he found too difficult; this resulted in Bacharach gradually forcing him off
5626-403: The other question is what could we have written if we hadn't split up. I don't know what we would have written. Had we 'run out' a little bit? Had we been depleted and robbed of creativity? From 1975 to 1980, Bacharach wrote songs with a number of lyricists including Paul Anka , James J. Kavanaugh, Norman Gimbel , Libby Titus , Anthony Newley , and playwright Neil Simon . His solo albums from
5723-483: The piano until Bacharach stated "why don't I play it and you'll tell me if it sounds OK". In preparation for What's New Pussycat?, Ascot Records issued "My Little Red Book" as a single on May 26, 1965, in the United States. It was released in place of Manfred Mann's contemporary UK single, " Oh No, Not My Baby ", which saw only modest success, only reaching number 11 on the UK Singles Chart . The B-side of
5820-478: The rushed nature of it. She states it lacks anything characteristic of Manfred Mann besides "Paul Jones" edgy, rough vocals, which meant that the version was relatively simple in terms of overdubbing. The first version recorded by the group is the one which appeared in What's New Pussycat? . Jones disagreed, saying that the movie version was recorded after the single version of the song. A second, more refined version of
5917-532: The single "Move It on the Backbeat" under the name Burt and the Backbeats. The lyrics for this Bacharach composition were provided by Hal David's brother Mack David . Bacharach and Hal David were both excited by Warwick's singing and decided to form a production company, Blue JAC Productions, so they could write for Warwick and produce her recordings. Warwick signed with Bacharach and David's new company, and
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#17327837496406014-537: The single as a pick of the week. The lyrical content was also noted, with Record World it is given a slightly satirical review in which the review panel believes "that they've found a likely candidate for sales" with the single in contrast to the moody subject matter of the song. Retrospectively, the jazz rock element has been noted, with Russo describes the song as "cool jazz rock" which never feels pretentious, and Matthew Greenwald of AllMusic , who describes it as one of Manfred Mann's "finer earlier tracks" and considers
6111-463: The single, "What Am I Doing Wrong", was taken from "Oh No, Not My Baby", although the US version was edited to be shorter. What's New Pussycat? debuted on June 22, 1965. "My Little Red Book" is featured in a scene set in a discotheque where actors " Peter O'Toole and Paula Prentiss shake things up". Bacharach was extremely disappointed with the movie because of the way it treated his name and his songs, focusing primarily on "My Little Red Book" as it
6208-443: The song brought Love "instant acclaim" and broke them through to the wider music scene. In a contemporary review, Cash Box named the single their "Newcomer Pick" of the week, describing it as a "mighty impressive re-working" that features "an imaginative slow starting but effectively-building rhythmic style with a catchy, continuing throbbing beat." Guitarist Sterling Morrison named the song one of his favorites and said that his band
6305-410: The song was recorded during the same session which according to drummer Mike Hugg was because the group saw problems with the "movie version" of the song, which in his words was because they were unable to capture an "American feel on the record. This second version of the song is thus much more refined, and features overdubbed organ, along with a flute passage by guitarist Mike Vickers , which mirrored
6402-555: The song was released as Love's debut single in March, 1966, through Elektra Records . The single reached number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has been considered a " standard " and archetype of garage rock . By the mid-1960s, Burt Bacharach and Hal David were an established and respected songwriting duo, responsible for several hit singles with easy listening artists such as Dionne Warwick and Gene Pitney . In 1964, British news channel ITV Studios were interested in producing
6499-464: The song's backing track was recorded live, with Lee then overdubbing his lead and harmony vocals. Biographer John Einarson highlights the recording practices used on the track as adding to its appeal, particularly the instruments being "mixed high and loud" which gave it "a dynamic presence and immediacy." Holzman credited this to Botnick's mixing; however, he also said that the "signature Elektra approach" involved very close microphone placement to make
6596-455: The song's organ riff. Vickers additionally overdubbed saxophone on this version in order to give it more depth. Due to Bacharach's perfectionism the band found working on the song extremely difficult. Allegedly, Jones had to re-record his vocal track about 19 times because of Bacharach being dissatisfied with several of them. Vickers also had trouble figuring out the chords for the song, while Bacharach found bass guitarist Tom McGuinness to be
6693-525: The song, feeling they had taken a "mediocre" song and given it "searing energy". He immediately offered them a recording contract, which they signed on January 4, 1966. Love recorded "My Little Red Book" for their self-titled debut album on January 25, 1966, the second of four days dedicated to the LP. The session was held at Sunset Sound Recorders with Holzman and Mark Abramson producing, and Bruce Botnick engineering. Taped on four-track recording equipment ,
6790-447: The songs for Lost Horizon , a film-musical remake of the 1937 dramatic adventure film of the same title . A conflict arose between the two songwriters during the film's production, and strained their professional relationship to the point that they stopped working together regularly. As Bacharach explained the situation in his 2013 memoir, he grew dissatisfied with his share of the potential film profits, because, in addition to providing
6887-932: The songs on Bayer Sager's 1981 album Sometimes Late at Night , and Bacharach produced the album. Music critic Joe Viglione called the album "the Sgt. Pepper of singer/songwriter recordings" and "the epitome of '70s and '80s adult contemporary....a classic of the genre." The two married and collaborated on several major hits during the decade, including " Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) " ( Christopher Cross ), co-written with Christopher Cross and Peter Allen , which won an Academy Award for Best Song; " Heartlight " ( Neil Diamond ); " Making Love " ( Roberta Flack ); and " On My Own " ( Patti LaBelle with Michael McDonald ). Another of their hits, " That's What Friends Are For " in 1985, reunited Bacharach and Warwick. When asked about their coming together again, she explained: We realized we were more than just friends. We were family. Time has
6984-407: The soundtracks of major feature films, by which time "tributes, compilations, and revivals were to be found everywhere". A significant figure in easy listening , he influenced later musical movements such as chamber pop and Shibuya-kei . In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked Bacharach and David at number 32 for their list of the "100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time" . In 2012, the duo received
7081-579: The story of a fictional 1960s female Brill Building songwriter and was inspired by songwriters like Carole King and Bacharach. In 1998, Bacharach and Costello released the album Painted from Memory , on which the pair continued to work in the 1960s and 1970s pop style that they used for their initial collaboration. The album's song "I Still Have That Other Girl" won a Grammy for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals . The duo would later reunite for Costello's 2018 album, Look Now , working on several tracks together. Also in 1998, Rhino Records released
7178-512: The studio in 1974 to record three new Bacharach songs for Warner Brothers, though the songs remained unreleased until 2013. Bacharach and David also reunited briefly, in 1975, to write and produce Stephanie Mills ' second album, For The First Time , released by Motown . Following the Stephanie Mills album, the Bacharach & David partnership was effectively over, and both songwriters began working with other collaborators. During
7275-433: The team subsequently secured a recording contract with Scepter Records for Warwick's recordings. Warwick made her solo recording debut in 1962 with " Don't Make Me Over ", which also became her first hit. As business partners, Bacharach and David began writing almost exclusively with each other from 1962 until the dissolution of their partnership in the mid-1970s. Bacharach and David's partnership with Warwick became one of
7372-570: The time as a fellow songwriter and a trumpet player as the leader of the Tijuana Brass . The song went on to reach the top spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart later that year, becoming the first No. 1 hit for Alpert and his label, A&M Records . The year 1969 marked, perhaps, the most successful Bacharach-David collaboration, the Oscar -winning " Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head ", written for and prominently featured in
7469-432: The title tune and " I'll Never Fall in Love Again ". Bacharach and David wrote the latter song when the producer realized the play urgently needed another before its opening the next evening. Bacharach, who had just been released from the hospital after contracting pneumonia , was still sick, but worked with David's lyrics to write the song which was performed for the show's opening. It was later recorded by Dionne Warwick and
7566-622: The violinists performing there, and appreciated the public's reaction. According to Dietrich, he also liked Edinburgh and Paris, along with the Scandinavian countries , and "he also felt at home in Israel", she wrote, "where music was similarly much revered". In the early 1960s, after about five years with Dietrich, their working relationship ceased, with Bacharach telling Dietrich that he wanted to devote himself full-time to songwriting. She thought of her time with him as "seventh heaven ... As
7663-456: The wrong chords, it was nice to have a hit that gave me some credibility in the world of rock and roll." Love's version of "My Little Red Book" has since been called a standard or "classic" of garage rock. In 1989, Dave Marsh ranked it number 868 on his list of the 1,001 greatest singles of all time. Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( / ˈ b æ k ər æ k / BAK -ə-rak ; May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023)
7760-442: The years we were apart. So I now know that on every level, it was a very bad mistake." Bacharach also suggested in interviews he gave to promote his autobiography that he and David were out of inspiration by the time they stopped working together. Discussing the breakup of their artistic partnership in a 2013 interview with author Mitch Albom , Bacharach said: That's just vanity and saying 'yeah, I'll write with someone else'. Then
7857-580: Was a departure from past works in that Bacharach penned his own lyrics, some of which dealt with political themes. Guest stars on the album included Elvis Costello , Rufus Wainwright , and hip-hop producer Dr. Dre . In 2008, Bacharach opened the BBC Electric Proms at The Roundhouse in London, performing with the BBC Concert Orchestra accompanied by guest vocalists Adele , Beth Rowley , and Jamie Cullum . The concert
7954-463: Was a genius in my mind" even though she was unsure of whether he had scored film music before. David and Bacharach were already composing music for a contemporary movie, Made in Paris (1966) and were afraid they wouldn't have time for both projects at once; this issue was solved when they had an agent hired by John Heyman , who believed What's New Pussycat? was the better deal. Allegedly, Bacharach
8051-699: Was a retrospective look back at his six-decade career. In early 2009, Bacharach worked with Italian soul singer Karima Ammar and produced her debut single "Come In Ogni Ora". Bacharach's autobiography, Anyone Who Had a Heart , was published in 2013. In June 2015, Bacharach performed in the UK at the Glastonbury Festival , and a few weeks later appeared on stage at the Menier Chocolate Factory in Southwark , South London , to launch What's It All About? Bacharach Reimagined ,
8148-787: Was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music . Starting in the 1950s, he composed hundreds of pop songs, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David . Bacharach's music is characterized by unusual chord progressions and time signature changes, influenced by his background in jazz , and uncommon selections of instruments for small orchestras. He arranged, conducted, and produced much of his recorded output. More than 1,000 different artists have recorded Bacharach's songs. From 1961 to 1972, most of Bacharach and David's hits were written specifically for and performed by Dionne Warwick , but earlier associations (from 1957 to 1963) saw
8245-449: Was an amateur painter and songwriter and encouraged Bacharach to practice piano, drums and cello during his childhood. His family was Jewish, but he said that they did not practice or give much attention to their religion. "But the kids I knew were Catholic ," he added. "I was Jewish, but I didn't want anybody to know about it." Bacharach showed a keen interest in jazz as a teenager, disliking his classical piano lessons, and often used
8342-423: Was based on having Bacharach and David as her production team, sued the songwriters because they could not fulfill the terms of their agreement with her, putting her relationship with Warner Bros. Records in jeopardy. David in turn sued Bacharach for abandoning their legal partnership, and the lawsuits among the three parties took many years to resolve. Despite the ongoing lawsuits, Bacharach and Warwick reunited in
8439-418: Was booked amid sessions for their second album Mann Made (1965) so they were paid for by United Artists instead of Manfred Mann's British label His Master's Voice . The session, which was held on April 27, 1965, was towards the end of the three week deadline presented to Bacharach and David, which according to Serene Dominic led to the initial version recorded during that session being "lackluster" because of
8536-673: Was both a teacher of Russian studies and a permanent student, collecting her seventh degree (in Economics) from the London School of Economics at the age of 70. Heyman was educated at Norfolk House in London, Wycliffe College in Gloucestershire, and finally at St. Edmund Hall , Oxford. After two years of National Service in the Army, Heyman returned to Oxford to read law. During a summer vacation, he obtained free tickets to
8633-496: Was clearly bound to go out on his own. He was an exceptionally talented, classically trained pianist, with very clear ideas on the musicality of songs, how they should be played, and what they should sound like. I appreciated his musical gifts." He later worked in a similar capacity for various other singers, including Polly Bergen , Steve Lawrence , the Ames Brothers , and Paula Stewart (who became his first wife). When he
8730-460: Was composed in three weeks together with several other songs intended for the movie. Musically, the song was initially composed in the key of C major , largely based on a reiterating piano riff performed. David's lyrics tells the tale of a distraught lover, who after getting dumped by his girlfriend browses through his "little red book" and taking out several girls to dance in a vain effort to get over her. The initial version of "My Little Red Book"
8827-519: Was not a central part of the movie compared to the title track. A great single, it reached far more ears on the [ What's New Pussycat? ] soundtrack album than it did as a stand-alone item — Serene Dominic (2003) "My Little Red Book" nonetheless became one of the worst performing singles during Manfred Mann's original tenure. In Billboard , the single only reached number 124 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. It fared similarly on
8924-465: Was on the charts for several weeks. Promises, Promises was the second musical created by Bacharach and David who had earlier written the 1966 television musical On the Flip Side for the anthology program ABC Stage 67 ; a work which starred Ricky Nelson and Joanie Sommers . Also in 1968, the duo's song " This Guy's in Love with You " was recorded by Herb Alpert , who was best known at
9021-509: Was recorded by British pop group Manfred Mann because they were signed to United Artists Records in the United States. Recorded during a session at EMI Studios in London in April 1965, the session was attended by Bacharach, whose perfectionism the band found difficult to work with. Manfred Mann needed to perform several retakes of the song. Two renditions of the song were recorded, one for inclusion in What's New Pussycat and one specifically for single release. Issued through Ascot Records in
9118-788: Was released in March 1966, with "My Little Red Book" sequenced as the opening track. Holzman felt the song was "clearly the single" for the album, and Elektra issued it with the Lee original "A Message to Pretty" as the B-side . It reached number one on the LA charts and, in June, peaked at number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 35 on the Cash Box Top 100 . It was the first hit record released by Elektra, and Holzman recalled pulling over to cry when he first heard it on his car radio. Einarson writes that
9215-457: Was stationed in Germany and played piano in officers' clubs there, and at Fort Dix and Governors Island . During this time, he arranged and played music for dance bands. Bacharach met the popular singer Vic Damone while they were both serving in the army in Germany. Following his discharge, Bacharach spent the next three years as a pianist and conductor for Damone, who recalled, "Burt
9312-468: Was unable to find better jobs, Bacharach worked at resorts in the Catskill Mountains of New York, where he accompanied singers such as Joel Grey . In 1956, at the age of 28, Bacharach's productivity increased when composer Peter Matz recommended him to Marlene Dietrich , who needed an arranger and conductor for her nightclub shows. He then became a part-time music director for Dietrich,
9409-458: Was unaware of this meeting until he only had three weeks left to compose music for the film. "My Little Red Book" was among the first songs they composed for the movie, being written before the movie's title track , composed during the Easter of 1965; Dickinson states that the first songs written for the project were "My Little Red Book", "Here I Am" and "some Russian thing". As usual, David wrote
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