Burt Freeman Bacharach(May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American com… Read Full Bio ↴Burt Freeman Bacharach(May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, and musician who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music.
Bacharach studied music at McGill University and the Mannes School of Music. In the 1950s and the early 1960s he was the pianist, arranger and bandleader for Marlene Dietrich with whom he toured. He teamed with lyricist Hal David and others to write many popular songs in the 1960s and 1970s.
Bacharach's music has been sung by a number of popular singers including The Beatles,The Carpenters, Aretha Franklin, Jack Jones, Tom Jones, Dusty Springfield, Luther Vandross and The Drifters. He met Dionne Warwick, with whom he would form a famed collaboration. His songs are characterized by (1) the use of unexpected harmonic changes and (2) unusual rhythmic patterns and time signatures. He employs times such as 5/4 or 3/2, and frequently goes from one time signature to another in the same song, often after each measure. He also changes keys frequently. An excellent example of his style is "Promises, Promises", from his score to the musical of the same name. He has a total of 52 Top 40 hits. In addition, many of his songs were adapted by jazz artists of the time, such as Stan Getz and Wes Montgomery. The Bacharach-David composition "My Little Red Book", originally recorded by Manfred Mann for the film What's New, Pussycat, and promptly covered by Love in 1965, has become a rock standard. He composed and arranged the soundtrack of the 1967 film Casino Royale.
He has been married four times, to Paula Stewart (1953-1958), to actress Angie Dickinson (1965-1980), to lyricist Carole Bayer Sager (1982-1991) - with whom he collaborated on a number of pieces - and (since 1993) Jane Hanson. He has a total of four children, two girls and two boys.
In 1998 he collaborated on an album called Painted From Memory with singer/songwriter Elvis Costello. His 2005 album At This Time features collaborations with Costello, Rufus Wainwright, and Dr. Dre (who provides bass-and-drum loops).
Bacharach has had cameo roles in a number of Hollywood movies including all three Austin Powers movies. His music is also credited as providing inspiration for these movies.
During subsequent Burt Bacharach concert tours, each show would open with a very brief video clip from the movie Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, with Mike Myers (as Austin Powers) uttering "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Burt Bacharach".
Bacharach studied music at McGill University and the Mannes School of Music. In the 1950s and the early 1960s he was the pianist, arranger and bandleader for Marlene Dietrich with whom he toured. He teamed with lyricist Hal David and others to write many popular songs in the 1960s and 1970s.
Bacharach's music has been sung by a number of popular singers including The Beatles,The Carpenters, Aretha Franklin, Jack Jones, Tom Jones, Dusty Springfield, Luther Vandross and The Drifters. He met Dionne Warwick, with whom he would form a famed collaboration. His songs are characterized by (1) the use of unexpected harmonic changes and (2) unusual rhythmic patterns and time signatures. He employs times such as 5/4 or 3/2, and frequently goes from one time signature to another in the same song, often after each measure. He also changes keys frequently. An excellent example of his style is "Promises, Promises", from his score to the musical of the same name. He has a total of 52 Top 40 hits. In addition, many of his songs were adapted by jazz artists of the time, such as Stan Getz and Wes Montgomery. The Bacharach-David composition "My Little Red Book", originally recorded by Manfred Mann for the film What's New, Pussycat, and promptly covered by Love in 1965, has become a rock standard. He composed and arranged the soundtrack of the 1967 film Casino Royale.
He has been married four times, to Paula Stewart (1953-1958), to actress Angie Dickinson (1965-1980), to lyricist Carole Bayer Sager (1982-1991) - with whom he collaborated on a number of pieces - and (since 1993) Jane Hanson. He has a total of four children, two girls and two boys.
In 1998 he collaborated on an album called Painted From Memory with singer/songwriter Elvis Costello. His 2005 album At This Time features collaborations with Costello, Rufus Wainwright, and Dr. Dre (who provides bass-and-drum loops).
Bacharach has had cameo roles in a number of Hollywood movies including all three Austin Powers movies. His music is also credited as providing inspiration for these movies.
During subsequent Burt Bacharach concert tours, each show would open with a very brief video clip from the movie Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, with Mike Myers (as Austin Powers) uttering "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Burt Bacharach".
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Something Big: The Complete A&M Years...And More!
Burt Bacharach Lyrics
(They Long to Be) Close to You Why do birds suddenly apear Every time you are near? Just li…
24 Hours From Tulsa Dearest darling I had to write to say that I…
A House Is Not A Home A chair is still a chair Even when there's no one…
Alfie What's it all about, Alfie Is it just for the moment…
All Kinds Of People Tall kind of people Should be together With small kind of…
Any Day Now Any day now I will hear you say "Goodbye, my…
Anyone Who Had A Heart Anyone who ever loved, could look at me And know that…
Blue On Blue Blue on blue, heartache on heartache Blue on blue now that…
Do You Know The Way To San Jose Do you know the way to San Jose? I've been away…
Don't Go Breaking My Heart La la la la, lalalala la, la la la La la…
Don't Make Me Over Don't make me over Now that I'd do anything for you Don't…
Hasbrook Heights If you ever get out to Hasbrook Heights And you're dying…
I Come To You Long, long ago in a land far away A little boy…
I Say a Little Prayer The moment I wake up Before I put on my makeup I…
I'll Never Fall In Love Again What do you get when you fall in love? A guy…
Knowing When To Leave Go while the going is good Knowing when to leave may…
Lisa How can anyone so beautiful be mine, love? Beautiful, beaut…
Living Together, Growing Together (James) Start with a man and you have one. Add on a…
Long Ago Tomorrow Maybe I'll be the things I dream And not the things…
Lost Horizon Have you ever dreamed of a place Far away from it…
Make It Easy On Yourself Make it easy on yourself Oh, breaking up is so very…
Message To Michael Spread your wings for New Orleans Kentucky bluebird, fly awa…
Mexican Divorce Down below El Paso lies Juarez Mexico is different yes like…
No One Remembers My Name No one remembers my name No one remembers I ever walked th…
One Less Bell To Answer One less bell to answer One less egg to fry One less…
Reach Out For Me When you go through a day And the things that people…
Saturday Sunshine Friday rain always brings Saturday sunshine And love! F…
Something Big Like a grain of sand That wants to be A rolling stone I…
The April Fools In an April dream Once she came to me When you smiled…
The Balance Of Nature Once to every bird there comes along The one bird that…
The Last One To Be Loved ll of the friends I knew Found someone, they could love Righ…
The Windows of the World The windows of the world are covered with rain Where is…
This Guy's In Love With You You see this guy, this guy's in love with you Yes…
Trains And Boats And Planes Trains and bloats and planes are passing by They mean a…
Us A chair is still a chair Even when there's no one…
Walk on By If you see me walking down the street And I start…
Wanting Things Tell me how long must I keep Wanting things, Needing things,…
What The World Needs Now Is Love What the world needs now is love sweet love, Its the…
Where Are You I hear the music coming out of your radio Are you…
Whoever You Are I Love You Sometimes your eyes look blue to me, Although I know they're…
Wives And Lovers Hey! Little girl Comb your hair, fix your makeup Soon he wil…