Burt Bacharach

[scawsby steve]

RIP. 94 years.

What an icon. The music he wrote in the 60s was just scintillating. For me personally, he's on a par with Bob Dylan and Brian Wilson as the greatest song writers of the 20th Century.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Best pop music composer in history. An absolute genius. Sad day.

[Dutch Uncle]

While I agree a special mention also to the BeeGees and Gerry Goffin/Carole King

[wilts rover]

Absolute genius. What was it, 50 UK hits and 70+ US ones nearly every one a classic.

[scawsby steve]

I'm having to own up to a bit of ignorance, guys. I actually thought "Rainbows are falling on my head" was written by the guy who had the hit with the original, BJ Thomas.

[mugnapper]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_written_by_Burt_Bacharach
This is a list of hit songs he had. Loads on here you'll be able to sing.
As someone who wasn't interested in music until punk stormed into view, it was only in my mid/later life I started listening to songs that didn't start '1, 2, 3, 4'!
The guy wrote dozens of crackers for so many different artistes and had a super collection of knitwear judging by many of his album covers.

[ravenrover]

Didn't Hal David co write a lot of those hits? Just seems to be Burt getting all the praise

[BillyStubbsTears]

David was the lyricist.

Bacharach wrote the music.

It's the music that was so special. Especially when he wrote for female singers, his music felt like it was unchained by gravity. And no-one in history before had used chord changes like he did. Spellbinding.

[BillyStubbsTears]

I'm no music theorist but it's obvious that Bacharach was a special form of genius.

He came from an era where successful pop songs had very simple structures. Repetitive. No great shocks in changes of rhythm or chords. Safe.

He produced a series of massive hits that broke all those rules. Jazz greats had been experimenting with timing and unusual changes, but that was for afficianados, not the mass market. Bacharach showed for the first time how to turn those ideas into pop music. His songs are maddeningly catchy, but if you listen hard, there are amazing things going on - stuff that really shouldn't make for easy listening, but it did when he wrote it.

And the real genius was that he didn't smash that talent in your face. In many of his songs, the music is sparse and quiet and gives space for voices like Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick or Dusty Springfield to be central.

And to think, I spent my first 35 years on earth dismissing his work as boring, conservative middle of the road rubbish.   

[SydneyRover]

Mack David wrote the lyrics to The Blob by the Five Blobs written by Bacharach, Hals older brother.

I just found out.

[scawsby steve]

I'm no music theorist but it's obvious that Bacharach was a special form of genius.

He came from an era where successful pop songs had very simple structures. Repetitive. No great shocks in changes of rhythm or chords. Safe.

He produced a series of massive hits that broke all those rules. Jazz greats had been experimenting with timing and unusual changes, but that was for afficianados, not the mass market. Bacharach showed for the first time how to turn those ideas into pop music. His songs are maddeningly catchy, but if you listen hard, there are amazing things going on - stuff that really shouldn't make for easy listening, but it did when he wrote it.

And the real genius was that he didn't smash that talent in your face. In many of his songs, the music is sparse and quiet and gives space for voices like Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick or Dusty Springfield to be central.

And to think, I spent my first 35 years on earth dismissing his work as boring, conservative middle of the road rubbish.

That's exactly why I put him in the same category as Brian Wilson, for all the same reasons. Both of them wrote music with chord changes that were off this planet, but were so compulsive that you had to listen to them again and again.

[wilts rover]

I'm no music theorist but it's obvious that Bacharach was a special form of genius.

He came from an era where successful pop songs had very simple structures. Repetitive. No great shocks in changes of rhythm or chords. Safe.

He produced a series of massive hits that broke all those rules. Jazz greats had been experimenting with timing and unusual changes, but that was for afficianados, not the mass market. Bacharach showed for the first time how to turn those ideas into pop music. His songs are maddeningly catchy, but if you listen hard, there are amazing things going on - stuff that really shouldn't make for easy listening, but it did when he wrote it.

And the real genius was that he didn't smash that talent in your face. In many of his songs, the music is sparse and quiet and gives space for voices like Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick or Dusty Springfield to be central.

And to think, I spent my first 35 years on earth dismissing his work as boring, conservative middle of the road rubbish.

That's exactly why I put him in the same category as Brian Wilson, for all the same reasons. Both of them wrote music with chord changes that were off this planet, but were so compulsive that you had to listen to them again and again.

And Brian cites Burt as a hero of his and a big influence on his song writing. Probably true to say he wouldn't have written the way he did without Burt Bacharach.

[Donnywolf]

I always think Bernie Taupin was the brains behind Elton John

Bizarrely I cant write music of any sort and yet I could write Lyrics pretty well  yet ....

.... I thought Bernie was the brains of that duo . Brilliant lyricist

Or am I wrong yet again ?

[scawsby steve]

I always think Bernie Taupin was the brains behind Elton John

Bizarrely I cant write music of any sort and yet I could write Lyrics pretty well  yet ....

.... I thought Bernie was the brains of that duo . Brilliant lyricist

Or am I wrong yet again ?

To be honest, Wolfie, I think it takes more of a special mindset to write brilliant music than it does to write great lyrics. I suppose the thing that separated Bob Dylan from the others was that he could do both.

However, if you have a preference for lyrics, there's always George Formby; "When I'm cleaning windows". I'll ask BB to lend you the album.

[drfchound]

I'm no music theorist but it's obvious that Bacharach was a special form of genius.

He came from an era where successful pop songs had very simple structures. Repetitive. No great shocks in changes of rhythm or chords. Safe.

He produced a series of massive hits that broke all those rules. Jazz greats had been experimenting with timing and unusual changes, but that was for afficianados, not the mass market. Bacharach showed for the first time how to turn those ideas into pop music. His songs are maddeningly catchy, but if you listen hard, there are amazing things going on - stuff that really shouldn't make for easy listening, but it did when he wrote it.

And the real genius was that he didn't smash that talent in your face. In many of his songs, the music is sparse and quiet and gives space for voices like Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick or Dusty Springfield to be central.

And to think, I spent my first 35 years on earth dismissing his work as boring, conservative middle of the road rubbish.

The older you get the more you enjoy and appreciate the finer things in life.
I hope you get to enjoy those things.

[Bentley Bullet]

I always think Bernie Taupin was the brains behind Elton John

Bizarrely I cant write music of any sort and yet I could write Lyrics pretty well  yet ....

.... I thought Bernie was the brains of that duo . Brilliant lyricist

Or am I wrong yet again ?

To be honest, Wolfie, I think it takes more of a special mindset to write brilliant music than it does to write great lyrics. I suppose the thing that separated Bob Dylan from the others was that he could do both.

However, if you have a preference for lyrics, there's always George Formby; "When I'm cleaning windows". I'll ask BB to lend you the album.

I've written a few songs over the years and usually struggle more with the lyrics than the tune, a bit like Elton in that respect. Some of my stuff is OK, but some of it is just doesn't hit the spot. The same can be said for Burt Bacharach. Most of his stuff was amazing, but then he let his standards slip a bit with that "Yes Sir I Can Boogie" bag of shite.

[BillyStubbsTears]

I'm no music theorist but it's obvious that Bacharach was a special form of genius.

He came from an era where successful pop songs had very simple structures. Repetitive. No great shocks in changes of rhythm or chords. Safe.

He produced a series of massive hits that broke all those rules. Jazz greats had been experimenting with timing and unusual changes, but that was for afficianados, not the mass market. Bacharach showed for the first time how to turn those ideas into pop music. His songs are maddeningly catchy, but if you listen hard, there are amazing things going on - stuff that really shouldn't make for easy listening, but it did when he wrote it.

And the real genius was that he didn't smash that talent in your face. In many of his songs, the music is sparse and quiet and gives space for voices like Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick or Dusty Springfield to be central.

And to think, I spent my first 35 years on earth dismissing his work as boring, conservative middle of the road rubbish.

That's exactly why I put him in the same category as Brian Wilson, for all the same reasons. Both of them wrote music with chord changes that were off this planet, but were so compulsive that you had to listen to them again and again.

SS.
I reckon we could have a decent chin wag over music. What do you reckon to Sleaford Mods?

[IDM]

RIP to a musical genius. 

Bacharach and David must be one of the best music writing pairings of all time.  Many of the most successful pairings were split between lyricists and composers.  Some including the performer (Elton with Taupin) and others just writers for other artists.

But the game changers were Lennon and McCartney - both wrote lyrics and composed music as well as being the performers.  They wrote for the Beatles (obviously) but provided songs for many other artists, either by design or Beatles rejects.  McCartney even composed classical music pieces.  All self taught I believe, but I could be wrong.

Not to belittle the genius of Bacharach.

[NickDRFC]

I'm having to own up to a bit of ignorance, guys. I actually thought "Rainbows are falling on my head" was written by the guy who had the hit with the original, BJ Thomas.

I know you like a bit of pedantry, so here you go - it’s “Raindrops keep fallin’ on my head” 

[scawsby steve]

I'm having to own up to a bit of ignorance, guys. I actually thought "Rainbows are falling on my head" was written by the guy who had the hit with the original, BJ Thomas.

I know you like a bit of pedantry, so here you go - it’s “Raindrops keep fallin’ on my head” 

Yep. Someone please kick my arse.

[scawsby steve]

I'm no music theorist but it's obvious that Bacharach was a special form of genius.

He came from an era where successful pop songs had very simple structures. Repetitive. No great shocks in changes of rhythm or chords. Safe.

He produced a series of massive hits that broke all those rules. Jazz greats had been experimenting with timing and unusual changes, but that was for afficianados, not the mass market. Bacharach showed for the first time how to turn those ideas into pop music. His songs are maddeningly catchy, but if you listen hard, there are amazing things going on - stuff that really shouldn't make for easy listening, but it did when he wrote it.

And the real genius was that he didn't smash that talent in your face. In many of his songs, the music is sparse and quiet and gives space for voices like Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick or Dusty Springfield to be central.

And to think, I spent my first 35 years on earth dismissing his work as boring, conservative middle of the road rubbish.

That's exactly why I put him in the same category as Brian Wilson, for all the same reasons. Both of them wrote music with chord changes that were off this planet, but were so compulsive that you had to listen to them again and again.

SS.
I reckon we could have a decent chin wag over music. What do you reckon to Sleaford Mods?

Jolly F*cker?