Burt Bacharach RIP

[felser]

3 hours ago, JSngry said:

I bet he lived in Galveston. 

2 hours ago, Teasing the Korean said:

Or Clarksville.

'Galveston' is an incredibly strong song/record in retrospect.  Has there been a pop song as good as it written in the 21st century?  Jim Webb should get some of the same belated recognition Bacharach received.  He also wrote "Up, Up, and Away", "Wichita Lineman", "McArthur Park", "By The Time I Get to Phoenix", "Carpet Man", "Do What You Gotta Do", "Worst That Could Happen", "Paper Cup", "Where's The Playground, Susie" and a lot of other interesting songs, all in like a 4 year period.  Powered the careers of Glen Campbell and the Fifth Dimension.

For that matter, "Last Train To Clarksville" also sounds really good at this late date when it comes on the radio.

Maybe the resonance of the Vietnam-related themes is in proportion to how closely you lived it.  I didn't have to serve, but had a lottery number, and knew people whose lives were impacted directly by that war.  'Galveston', to me, is a beautiful song, not a piece of sclock.

[mjazzg]

17 minutes ago, felser said:

'Galveston' is an incredibly strong song/record in retrospect.  Has there been a pop song as good as it written in the 21st century?  Jim Webb should get some of the same belated recognition Bacharach received.  He also wrote "Up, Up, and Away", "Wichita Lineman", "McArthur Park", "By The Time I Get to Phoenix", "Carpet Man", "Do What You Gotta Do", "Worst That Could Happen", "Paper Cup", "Where's The Playground, Susie" and a lot of other interesting songs, all in like a 4 year period.  Powered the careers of Glen Campbell and the Fifth Dimension.

For that matter, "Last Train To Clarksville" also sounds really good at this late date when it comes on the radio.

Maybe the resonance of the Vietnam-related themes is in proportion to how closely you lived it.  I didn't have to serve, but had a lottery number, and knew people whose lives were impacted directly by that war.  'Galveston', to me, is a beautiful song, not a piece of sclock.

Completely agree about Jimmy Webb. For me 'Wichita Lineman' just shades 'Galveston'.  He wrote sort stories masquerading as songs.

His run of songs is astounding in that period. He plays in London surprisingly often and I really must go and see him 

[JSngry]

 

[felser]

1 hour ago, mjazzg said:

For me 'Wichita Lineman' just shades 'Galveston'. 

I agree, loved 'Wichita Lineman' then, love it even more now.

[Larry Kart]

Anyone dig altoist Loren Stallman? I find him interesting, like his tone and fluidity.

[Teasing the Korean]

Speaking of Jimmy Webb, here is what he had to say when Burt passed:

“'Baby It’s You' by The Shirelles is one of the first songs I remember that Burt Bacharach composed. His music deeply affected me. I could hear his classical training in the cadences, polyrhythms, and arrangements. I was 15 and I was hooked on Burt. He was my school. Bacharach and David were the pinnacle I aspired to.

"I studied him and them. I learned about chords from listening to Burt’s songs on the radio. I tried to write like him (listen to my song “The Girl’s Song” by The Fifth Dimension). He was integral to my informal songwriting education.

"When I was 22 years old and had several hits under my belt, I sent Burt a letter and told him that my songwriting success was born from listening to him. I told in that letter how much I respected him and owed him.

"Years later, an acquaintance of mine visited Burt in his NYC apartment; he shared that my letter was hanging by the fireplace in the living room! My hero, my teacher had my letter framed!

"Not too long ago, in LA at a George Martin tribute, I was backstage along with Burt as we waited to go on. I asked, “Is it true you have my letter over your fireplace?” He answered, “I sure do”. I put my arm around him, and we sat quietly in our world of song. We were kindred souls that traveled the same road. It was a moment of peaceful silent sharing.

"As life model, a fellow traveler in this creative world, he was something stable and important that I could hold onto. I am bereft at the thought that he isn’t with us anymore. But in the same breath, what a mark he--and Hal and Dionne--made on the world!"

 

[felser]

Great story, thanks for sharing it!

[mjazzg]

2 hours ago, JSngry said:

 

That is a great album

38 minutes ago, Teasing the Korean said:

Speaking of Jimmy Webb, here is what he had to say when Burt passed:

“'Baby It’s You' by The Shirelles is one of the first songs I remember that Burt Bacharach composed. His music deeply affected me. I could hear his classical training in the cadences, polyrhythms, and arrangements. I was 15 and I was hooked on Burt. He was my school. Bacharach and David were the pinnacle I aspired to.

"I studied him and them. I learned about chords from listening to Burt’s songs on the radio. I tried to write like him (listen to my song “The Girl’s Song” by The Fifth Dimension). He was integral to my informal songwriting education.

"When I was 22 years old and had several hits under my belt, I sent Burt a letter and told him that my songwriting success was born from listening to him. I told in that letter how much I respected him and owed him.

"Years later, an acquaintance of mine visited Burt in his NYC apartment; he shared that my letter was hanging by the fireplace in the living room! My hero, my teacher had my letter framed!

"Not too long ago, in LA at a George Martin tribute, I was backstage along with Burt as we waited to go on. I asked, “Is it true you have my letter over your fireplace?” He answered, “I sure do”. I put my arm around him, and we sat quietly in our world of song. We were kindred souls that traveled the same road. It was a moment of peaceful silent sharing.

"As life model, a fellow traveler in this creative world, he was something stable and important that I could hold onto. I am bereft at the thought that he isn’t with us anymore. But in the same breath, what a mark he--and Hal and Dionne--made on the world!"

 

That's lovely, thanks

[felser]

1 minute ago, mjazzg said:

That is a great album

Never heard of it, will check it out, thanks!

[JSngry]

1 minute ago, mjazzg said:

That is a great album

I find a lot of it a bit "detached", but that song just jumps out at me every time I hear it (as befits the lyrics). It's a mean song, an angry song. Webb could do that!

And it's very Bachrach-y in its way, the displacement of the lyrics in a way that lengthens the phrases, the use of that major 7th opening chord (played in a country way!), it's just a marvelously crafted song and arrangement (country guitars and pop-sawing cellos, all with Glen Campbell soaring over it all in just the right ways at just the right times.

"Three chords and the truth" emo-manipulative crap will always have a market, but craft, skills, knowledge of both humanity and its mechanics, that will always stand after the rest of the world crumbles (until it too crumbles, in which case, hey, game over anyway).

[mjazzg]

And this one is special too 

https://www.discogs.com/master/841138-Jimmy-Webb-Ten-Easy-Pieces

https://youtu.be/NpBumzaAigU

Apologies can't get image/videos to show using my phone for some reason 

Edited February 25, 2023 by mjazzg

[JSngry]

 

[felser]

29 minutes ago, JSngry said:

It's a mean song, an angry song. Webb could do that!

He did it here in 1966.

 

Edited February 25, 2023 by felser

[Ken Dryden]

19 hours ago, Ken Dryden said:

I will have to see if it is indexed, it may be one long track on a cdr.

I am in the process of uploading the appearance that Burt Bacharach made on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz . It was recorded in Los Angeles on November 4, 2004 and first aired by NPR on April 9, 2005.

The files are complete, they can be found at this link, the program can be streamed or downloaded.

https://archive.org/details/marian-mcpartlands-piano-jazz-with-burt-bacharach

 

Edited February 25, 2023 by Ken Dryden

[jazzbo]

This is my favorite way to listen to Burt and his music. He actually plays piano on three or four tracks on each of these.

https://www.discogs.com/master/335503-Trijntje-Oosterhuis-Metropole-Orchestra-The-Look-Of-Love-Burt-Bacharach-Songbook

https://www.discogs.com/master/764831-Trijntje-Oosterhuis-Metropole-Orchestra-Wholl-Speak-For-Love-Burt-Bacharach-Songbook-II

Edited March 1, 2023 by jazzbo