What The World Needs Now...

One thing every great vocalist needs is a great lyric to sing. Sure people say "she's so fantastic she could sing the phone book and it would be great", but seriously who really wants to hear that? A stupendous voice deserves an equally amazing lyric, so that as well as technical perfection we can be moved on an emotional, spiritual and (when it's done really well) a physical level. This last week we lost one of the greatest lyricists of popular music, Hal David. I absolutely love the songs he collaborated on with Burt Bacharach and in their prime when working with the divine Dionne Warwick (see my earlier blog Golden Legacy) they created songs so timeless they have become standards of pop perfection.

Of course Hal and Burt's work with Dionne was just a part of their prodigious output and so today I want to pay tribute to what I consider to be not just three of Hal's greatest lyrics, but three of the best lyrics to be found in all of pop music. I have also chosen, out of the many many cover versions you will find, who I think gave the best vocal interpretation.

What The World Needs Now Is Love - Jackie DeShannon

Originally written in 1965 this anthemic ballad was offered to Dionne, but she inexplicably passed. Next in line was singer-songwriter Jackie DeShannon, who had just had her big break supporting The Beatles on tour. Her fragile rock voice perfectly suited the deceptive simplicity of a lyric that in essence is a plea for love to be the dominant force in the world. Jackie does not have the power and range of Dionne, but perhaps because of that she focuses more on the meaning, adding a sense of desperation to the plea that is lost in some other powerhouse vocal versions. It is a truly lovely song and Hal's direct and unfussy lyric allowed it to reach the broadest possible audience. Dionne later reclaimed it and it has become a staple of her live shows, as it is the perfect audience participation number. By not referencing current events, Hal made sure the song could continue to be meaningful to future generations and with each decade's new challenges it has given strength and comfort to many.


I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself - Dusty Springfield

Break-up songs are the staple of pop music, we all have our go-to records that perfectly sum-up the pain and misery we felt over a particular romantic meltdown. There are the angry ones, the revenge ones, the "I told you so" ones, but I've always been drawn to the "what the hell do I do now?" ones. The greatest example of this latter genre is this masterly composition from Hal and Burt. The melody is one of Bacharach's best, mournful and subdued in the verses, the chorus soars into a plaintive cri de coeur. Hal's lyric is total perfection, again it is direct and concise, but he manages to sum up the core heartache in one elegant phrase: "I'm so used to doing everything with you, planning everything for two, and now that we're through...".

The song was originally recorded by Tommy Hunt in 1962, but failed to make the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. When Dusty Springfield visited Burt in New York in February 1964 he played her a number of songs she might like to record and she immediately saw the potential in this gem. Dusty's vocal is a masterclass, she takes her time, landing every word, slowly adding heartache to her voice, until it spills over in the final heartrending moments. Like the consummate singer-actress she was, she begins from a place of calm, trying to hold her emotions together before it all becomes too much to bear. Of course I am not suggesting Dusty loses control of her instrument: that is an impossibility for her. Instead she shows that a great singer uses tone and inflection rather than histrionics to pluck those heartstrings. One of my favourite Dusty vocals and the best break-up song ever.


Alfie - Alison Moyet

This has to be one of the most-covered Bacharach & David songs, everybody from Cher to Blossom Dearie has had a go, which is not surprising as it is truly sublime. Originally written as the theme to the Michael Caine movie in 1965, it was originally recorded by Cilla Black, who famously struggled somewhat with the song's range and Burt pushed her into numerous takes trying to find the "magic". Cilla's version is well-suited to the movie, sounding authentic as the soundtrack to a sixties Brit-flick, but try as I might I struggle to love Cilla's voice. I just don't get it. Thankfully I have dozens of alternative Alfie's to choose from and for me the ultimate version is from another Brit diva, the incomparable Alison Moyet.

Hal wrote the lyrics after reading the movie script and cleverly stole the "What's it all about?" line direct from Caine's mouth. It is the jumping off point for the most sophisticated and philosophical pop lyric ever written, which explains why so many singers want to have a bash at it. It is pure poetry from start to finish, with an impossible amount of meaning and story crammed in to just seventeen lines. I've never seen the movie, but I find it hard to believe it can better the song in terms of storytelling. Alison recorded it in 2004 during sessions for her Voice album. The arrangement by the wonderful Anne Dudley is sparse allowing Alison's sonorous voice to wring every ounce of feeling from the song. One of the very best things about Alison is she has never lost her true character from her voice, she's still Alf from Basildon, which means she always sounds totally authentic. For me Alison's voice just gets better and better and if you've never had the chance to see her live, take the next opportunity you can, as she sounds even better than she does on record.   A new Alison album is imminent I believe, so I'll no doubt be returning to the subject in the near future.


So thank you Hal David for providing the world with some of the greatest lyrics we have had the good fortune to hear and for giving our best vocalists something meaningful to sing. You had the magic ability to create layers of meaning from the most simple of phrases and to cut right to the core of human experience. I have no doubt your lyrics will live for as long as humans are singing and probably beyond. Good night and sleep well.


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Golden Legacy: Dionne, Burt & Hal

Once Upon A Time in pop there were singers and there were songwriters. While these professions were not mutually exclusive, for most of the twentieth century the business model of pop centred around a necessary symbiosis of singers and the composers and lyricists who crafted the songs that would make or break their career. Often a special relationship would develop between a particular singer and songwriter and their careers and fortunes would become intertwined. The most remarkable example of this occurred when a young session singer called Dionne Warwick came to the attention of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, a songwriting partnership who were looking for a singer to record demos of their new compositions. Bacharach and David soon discovered that in Dionne they had found their perfect muse. She was able to sing anything they wrote, not just with technical perfection, but with emotion and meaning that was fresh and authentic.

For a ten-year period beginning in 1962, Dionne, Burt and Hal would chart 33 songs and record many, many more. My introduction to the magic they created came when I was 13 and bought a Dionne Warwick EP, which had six of their 1960s recordings. I fell in love with the intricate and complex melodies of the songs, the clever lyrics and Dionne's astonishing voice. I already knew Dionne from her huge 1982 hit album Heartbreaker, but I was only vaguely aware of Burt and Hal. This one little EP led me to search out as many recordings of Bacharach and David songs that I could find, and they are legion. I always love finding a new interpretation of one of their songs, but indisputably the definitive interpreter of Bacharach & David is Dionne Warwick. Here is the story of their remarkable run of success told through five of their biggest and most memorable hits.

Don't Make Me Over (1962)

The first song Dionne recorded for Bacharach & David was the emotional Make It Easy On Yourself. Dionne adored this love triangle tale and thought she had an agreement with Burt and Hal that it would be her debut solo single. However, the song ended up being released first by the cool crooner Jerry Butler, after his A&R man nabbed it for him. Dionne was furious and accused Burt and Hal of reneging on their agreement. They disagreed with Dionne's view that the song was hers, which led her to storm out shouting "don't make me over, man", sixties slang for "don't lie to me".

Dionne's passion sparked inspiration in Burt and Hal and they wrote her a song that was undeniably hers alone, Don't Make Me Over. Despite the misgivings of her label, who felt it was too downbeat, the song became Dionne's first hit single. Like many of Bacharach's melodies, Don't Make Me Over may appear to flow easily to the listener, but it is full of complexity. It has changing time signatures and challenging intervals that would defeat lesser singers. The majestic ease with which Dionne sings this classic tale of heartbreak announced her arrival as a formidable vocal talent and underlined what a singular talent Bacharach & David now had at their disposal.

Anyone Who Had A Heart (1963)

In the fifties and sixties it was not unusual to find competing versions of a song fighting it out for supremacy on the charts. The relationship between artist and material was much more fluid than it is now, harking back to the days when popular music was disseminated by sheet music rather than recordings. Dionne had already suffered frustration at losing "her" song to Jerry Butler, but that would pale into insignificance when compared with her fury when her next hit was hijacked from under her.

Burt, Hal and Dionne were meeting up regularly during 1963 to develop material for Dionne's second album. Burt was beginning to write melodies specifically for Dionne, claiming he heard her voice in his head as he composed. During one session Dionne heard a part-finished song and was so taken with it she demanded Burt and Hal finish it immediately. The song, Anyone Who Had A Heart, boasted another intricate Bacharach melody, with meter shifts from 3/8 to 6/8 to 5/4. Hal's poetic and direct lyric was delivered by Dionne with plaintive honesty. The song became her first top ten hit in the US and even picked up buzz overseas. She was convinced this was the track to launch her internationally.

Unfortunately for Dionne, Brian Epstein heard her version on a trip to the US and on his return to the UK he gave a copy of her single to George Martin. While George thought it would make a great song for Shirley Bassey, Brian was adamant that it should go to his own artist, Cilla Black. Their version was released before Dionne's label could get organised and it went to number one in the UK. Dionne was livid and even today remains bitter about this alleged theft. UK listeners were definitely robbed of the superior version; Cilla possesses little of Dionne's technical skills and her harsh crescendos are a poor substitute for Dionne's subtle tones. This travesty lit a fire under Dionne and she wanted to make certain it would not happen to her again.

Walk On By (1964)

Recorded at the same session as Anyone Who Had A Heart, Dionne's next single would finally launch her as an international star. Walk On By is simply sublime and, in my opinion, one of the most perfect pop songs ever written. Dionne delivers a breezy vocal on the choppy, syncopated verses, which belies the tragedy of the lost love she is trying to conceal. The song effortlessly shifts into a smooth, stretched-out chorus and here Dionne employs a sorrowful control in an effort to contain her heartache. Rarely has a melody, a lyric and a voice combined so flawlessly, it is a masterclass in creating a pop song.

The single gave her back-to-back top ten hits in the US and this time Dionne forced her UK label to rush-release her version. It was just as well as Helen Shapiro was already getting ready to release yet another cheeky cover. Finally UK listeners got to hear the original Dionne magic and Walk On By became her first UK hit, reaching number nine. This piece of perfection is my favourite Bacharach & David song and comfortably in my all-time top ten. Sadly Dionne's UK record label Pye were famed for their inept organisation and their poor distribution and promotion meant she failed to fully capitalise on her breakthrough and the copycats continued to plague her.

I Say A Little Prayer (1967)

You'd be forgiven if you were not aware that the original hit version of this classic song was Dionne's; in fact it was her biggest Bacharach & David single in the US. The version that captured public consciousness was released by the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. However, Aretha's version is substantially different to Dionne's, being a looser, more soulful take on the song, repeatedly straying from the complex composition that Burt and Hal had created. Some unkind commentators have suggested that some of these changes were prompted because Aretha couldn't technically sing the song the way it was written; I find that a little far fetched. It is probably more likely that Aretha didn't "feel" the song in its original arrangement and wanted a less structured sound.

Whatever the reason for Aretha's musical liberties, Dionne's version for me is the authentic Bacharach & David recording. Burt famously disliked the original, even trying to block its release, believing the tempo was too fast. Far be it from me to disagree with the legend, but I love the pop feel of Dionne's version and the "Forever, Forever" line in the chorus lends itself well to a more frantic delivery, matching the slight desperation in the rest of the lyric. Once again Dionne sounds effortless as she leaps octaves and chases time signatures, I love the way she playfully echoes the horn part in the break. A very fine performance of a very fine song.

Do You Know The Way To San Jose (1968)

Despite its bright melody and jaunty delivery, Do You Know The Way To San Jose tells the forlorn tale of someone who came to LA with dreams of stardom, but who is returning home a failure. This was part of Hal David's genius, subverting the expected and cleverly constructing whole life stories in under three minutes. Dionne was initially dismissive of the song, thinking it trite, but she soon changed her tune when it gave her only her second UK top ten hit of the sixties. It also gave Dionne her third consecutive top ten hit in the US, her longest run of success, and became her first Grammy win. This has always been one of my favourite Bacharach & David songs and, of course, Dionne's version is definitive.

This recording was the last the team made at Bell Studios in New York, where Dionne, Burt and Hal had started out together in 1962. It also marked the highpoint in the success of the trio; as the decade turned, Burt found his inspiration drying up and his songwriting partnership with Hal began to disintegrate. A legal tussle over royalty irregularities found the three parting company with Scepter in 1971. Dionne signed to Warners for a reported $5 million, the biggest advance a female artist had yet achieved. However, part of that deal was the understanding that Bacharach & David would continue to write and produce for her. Unfortunately Burt and Hal's partnership folded after an ill-fated movie musical, Lost Horizon, stretched their relationship to breaking point. Left in breach of contract, Dionne had no choice but to sue her musical mentors and partners or risk being sued herself. This acrimony was a sad end to such a brilliant and successful musical team. Happily the three would reconcile in later years and Dionne would even record new Bacharach compositions.

Very few catalogues in popuar music can rival  Bacharach & David and Dionne remains the definitive interpreter of their work. The ten years of collaboration between Dionne, Burt and Hal has left us one of the most golden legacies in pop.


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