Wishin' and Votin' - the BURT BACHARACH SONGBOOK Poll Results

Just want to say that for all my talk about wanting to rank BB's compositions outside of performance preferences, that idea went straight out the window when I started making my ballot. My #1 didn't go to what I think is his best song (mainly because I'll never settle on what that is).

49. Odds and Ends — 70 Points, 1 Vote
Lyric: Hal David
Dionne Warwick, 1969, 70 points — https://youtu.be/U4hDJ9jIspk

(many xps)

Also guaranteed to be the only ILM poll to include Trijntje* Oosterhuis (unless there will ever be a Best Dutch Pop Songs poll, and even then I wouldn’t bet on it).

*yes, “Trijntje” is how you spell her name

I could've posted the songs without specifying a performer i think but there are at least a couple that i think of as inextricably connected to a specific artist and kind of less canonically BB because of that. But i placed them pretty high just cos they are all time classics.

"Odds and Ends"=My #4. Such a great breakup song.

Thanks breastcrawl, I've fixed that spelling upthread.

(many xps)

Also guaranteed to be the only ILM poll to include Trijntje* Oosterhuis (unless there will ever be a Best Dutch Pop Songs poll, and even then I wouldn’t bet on it).

*yes, “Trijntje” is how you spell her name

Dionne Warwick's voice is just

I'll get this out of my system now. Just the most perfect interpreter of most of these songs.

48. Bond Street — 70 Points, 3 Votes
Burt Bacharach, 1967, 58 points — https://youtu.be/dFcnWVtZqlA
Enoch Light and the Light Brigade, 1969, 12 points — https://youtu.be/FZGpiNAT92c

Dangerously close to "Yakety Sax" that one

Yeah, I’m not a fan of hers as a pop
/soul singer, but this material seems to suit her (I hadn’t listened to her doing BB before).

xps

(talking about Trijntje O. here obv - thanks for fixing her name, WmC!)

I picked up the Casino Royale DVD for cheap a few months ago, need to give it another watch -- I haven't seen it since I was a kid, and all I remember is Ursula Andress being so sexy it made me uncomfortable.

47. Everybody's Out of Town — 71 Points, 4 Votes
Lyric: Hal David
B.J. Thomas, 1970 single, 71 points — https://youtu.be/l19tP_lYI1I

Dangerously close to "Yakety Sax" that one

46. To Wait For Love — 83 Points, 2 Votes
Lyric: Hal David
Tony Orlando, 1964 single, 55 points — https://youtu.be/FsGUVa-Ro58
Patti Page, 1964, 28 points — https://youtu.be/Tm05J4OjYew

discogs being extremely unforthcoming with info about the Patti Page release; that date is per the youtube

45. The Things I Will Not Miss — 88 Points, 3 Votes
Lyric: Hal David
Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye, 1973 (bonus track on Diana & Marvin reissue), 88 points — https://youtu.be/lvu1ERcj8X8

Casino Royale is a godawful movie

don't think i've ever sat thru it in one sitting but i did have the Geoff Love Orchestra album of Bond themes as a kid and CR was one of my favourites

(TIE) 43. Magic Moments — 90 Points, 4 Votes
Lyric: Hal David
Perry Como, RCA-Victor 78RPM 10-inch fucking shellac, 1957, 90 points — https://youtu.be/xcImlxojThY

(TIE) 43. I Wake Up Crying — 90 Points, 4 Votes
Lyric: Hal David
Chuck Jackson, 1964 single, 64 points — https://youtu.be/xVANgCaQREo
Cliff Richard with Norrie Paramour and His Orchestra, 1962, 26 points — https://youtu.be/UrYPs05a_2s

ok, NOW that's the end of the ties

I thought about giving "Magic Moments" a few points and demured in the end. There are bits of the melody that are really pleasing but it's too much goo in the end. Wd've gone with it in a different mood i guess.

I can not get over the length of this guy's career. Hits going back to 10" 78s, jeez.

i've been surprised at how quickly he found his voice, some of his biggest tunes were written 4 or 5 years earlier than i'd've guessed

I thought about giving "Magic Moments" a few points and demured in the end. There are bits of the melody that are really pleasing but it's too much goo in the end. Wd've gone with it in a different mood i guess.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tabHi6EdA_Q
A little Lev-it-y for the nonce

The biggest revelation for me was learning the amount of overlap between his gig with Marlene Dietrich and his songwriting career. I had assumed there wasn't any, but he was still touring with her until '62 at least.

I was off on the timing of that as well, couldn’t quite put it together.

Also have to admit again that it is a lot easier to listen to multiple versions of the tunes without the pressure of putting together a ballot.

42. Rain From the Skies — 94 Points, 3 Votes
Lyric: Hal David
Samantha Martin & the Haggard, 2011, 46 points — https://open.spotify.com/track/5DQz9eykQP8u2K0K93suva?si=jVW2SH6ESzWLyCjnRrvC_w (no youtube that I can find)
Alton Ellis, 24 points — https://open.spotify.com/track/2pXkO915qAfRPqCYVUzH19?si=0O5VncQIRqSrZrwZGIOb1A (ditto)
Delroy Wilson, 24 points — https://youtu.be/0NXVuflHh4g
Original version: Adam Wade single, Jan. 1963 — https://youtu.be/3mxtqhqbSZA

The Alton Ellis and Delroy Wilson versions are so close together -- same music track and different vocals?

41. That's Not the Answer — 100 points, 2 Votes
Lyric: Hal David
Dionne Warwick, 1965, 100 points — https://youtu.be/T-8wXJ99lbY

I'm a big Samantha Martin fan, this must be the first time she's ever been mentioned on ILM. I voted for the Delroy Wilson version of Rain From The Skies, but cheers to whoever voted for Samantha .

I never heard of her until she showed up in this thread, but yeah, that version is really nice.

40. The April Fools — 100 Points, 3 Votes
Lyric: Hal David
Aretha Franklin, album cut on Young, Gifted and Black, 1972, 70 points — https://youtu.be/trNhaxZvFVk
Dionne Warwick, 1969 single, 30 points — https://youtu.be/UuNMlfYvmuc

Aretha version was my #27.

I also like the Rufus Wainwright song of almost the same title.

I've given "That's Not the Answer" three listens in the last hour and I'm baffled that it's this high.

Don’t really know that one and didn’t make an impression on me just now.

Here’s another April Fool’s performance I dig:
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=756327181053549&id=188873394595276&refsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2Fhugh.aylward.9%2Fvideos%2F756327181053549%2F&refid=52

Hadn't heard "That's Not The Answer" before. It's nice; like the vibe pattern hook and the jangly guitar break (I guess Burt had heard the Byrds by then).

OK, my big work thing has come in, so here comes probably the last one for today and I may not deliver any more until Thursday.

39. Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) — 100 Points, 4 Votes
Lyric: Carol Bayer Sager, Christopher Cross, Peter Allen
Christopher Cross, 1981 single, 100 points — https://youtu.be/qqGWOxu_H4I

Mandatory:

[Removed Illegal Image]

Gah,see it here: is it just me, or does that Midnight Special DVD set look kinda cool?

Dionne Warwick's voice is just

Totally dropped the ball on voting in this but glad that means I'll get a clearer idea of other voters' faves. Would've taken too long to decide anyway.

*(TIE) 43. Magic Moments — 90 Points, 4 Votes*
Lyric: Hal David
Perry Como, RCA-Victor 78RPM 10-inch fucking shellac, 1957, 90 points — https://youtu.be/xcImlxojThY🕸

I wish I could share some eyewitness quotes on the creation of "Arthur's Theme"...

Como was my mother's favorite singer.