I Say A Little POLL For You: a Burt Bacharach singles poll

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Ending on Valentine's Day...

Poll Results

OptionVotes
* "Walk on By" Dionne Warwick, US # 6, UK # 8 1964, then Isaac Hayes, 1970 and The Stranglers in 1978) 1983 J 13
* "I Say a Little Prayer" (Dionne Warwick, 1967-US # 4, then Aretha Franklin-US # 10, 1968, then Diana King, 7
* "Alfie" (Cilla Black, 1966 UK #8, US # 95, then Cher, US # 33 1966, then Dionne Warwick, US # 15, # 5 R & B 3
* "The Look of Love" (Dusty Springfield, 1967, from the soundtrack of the movie Casino Royale, then Sérgio Me 3
* "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" (Dionne Warwick (US # 6 1969) then Bobbie Gentry (UK no. 1, 1969), Anne Mur 3
* "This Guy's in Love with You" (Herb Alpert, US no. 1, (4 weeks, 1968); (Dionne Warwick), 1969, No. 7) 2
* "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" (Dionne Warwick, 1968-US #10, UK #8) 2
* "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" (B.J. Thomas, US no. 1, 1969, Johnny Mathis 1969 in Great Britain, Sach 2
* "(They Long to Be) Close to You" (Richard Chamberlain, 1963, then Dionne Warwick, 1964, Dusty Springfield, 1
* "Anyone Who Had a Heart" (Dionne Warwick, US # 8, UK# 42, 1963; then a UK no. 1 for Cilla Black, 1964; Dust 1
* "Blue on Blue" (Bobby Vinton, 1963) 1
* "Don't Make Me Over" (Dionne Warwick, US # 21 1962) (The Swinging Blue Jeans, 1966) (Petula Clark in 1976), 1
* "The Blob" (The Five Blobs, 1958 with Mack David—brother of Hal David—from the movie The Blob) 1
* "Arthur's Theme (The Best That You Can Do)" (Christopher Cross, 1981, from the movie Arthur). Won the Acade 1
* "Only Love Can Break a Heart" (Gene Pitney, (1962) 1
* "Paper Mache" (Dionne Warwick, 1970, US #43, AC # 6) 0
* "My Little Red Book" (Love, 1966) (Tony Middleton, 1965) 0
* "The Windows of the World" (Dionne Warwick, 1967-US #32) 0
* "On My Own" (Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald, US no. 1, 1986) 0
* "One Less Bell to Answer" (Keely Smith, 1967, then The 5th Dimension, 1970 US #2, then (Dionne Warwick), 19 0
* "That's What Friends Are For" (1982, Rod Stewart then 1986, Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, a 0
* "Let Me Go To Him" (Dionne Warwick, 1970, US #32 AC #5, Canada # 30) 0
* "Who Gets the Guy" (Dionne Warwick, 1971, US #57 R & B 41, AC # 6) 0
* "Promises, Promises" (Dionne Warwick, 1968-US # 19, and Jill O'Hara, 1968). Warwick's version was released 0
* "The April Fools" (Dionne Warwick, 1969, from the film The April Fools, US #37, AC #8, Canada # 32) 0
* "The Green Grass Starts to Grow" (Dionne Warwick, 1971, US #43, AC #2, Canada # 35) 0
* "Love Power" (Dionne Warwick and Jeffrey Osborne, US no. 12, AC # 1, 1987) 0
* "Message to Michael" (Dionne Warwick, US # 8 1966, originally recorded as "A Message to Martha" L 0
* "Here I Am" (Dionne Warwick, 1965, from the film What's New, Pussycat?, US #65 AC #11, Canada # 19) 0
* "Make It Easy On Yourself" (Dionne Warwick, demo 1962, then Jerry Butler), 1962, then a UK no. 1 for The Wa 0
* "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance" (Gene Pitney, 1962) 0
* "Any Day Now" (Chuck Jackson, 1962, Elvis Presley, 1969, then Ronnie Milsap, 1982) 0
* "Please Stay" (The Drifters, 1961; The Cryin' Shames, 1965; Marc Almond, 2001) 0
* "Baby It's You" (The Shirelles, 1961, then The Beatles, 1963, then Smith, 1969 US #8) 0
* "Faithfully" (Johnny Mathis 1959) 0
* "Heavenly" (Johnny Mathis 1959) 0
* "Magic Moments" (Perry Como, US no. 4 / UK no. 1, 1957/1958 - his first big pop hit) 0
* "Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa" (Gene Pitney, 1963) 0
* "Wives and Lovers" (Jack Jones, 1963). Grammy nominee Record of the Year and Song of the Year 0
* "What's New Pussycat?" (Tom Jones, 1965, from the film What's New, Pussycat?, US #3) Nominated for the Aca 0
* "What the World Needs Now Is Love" 1965 Jackie DeShannon)US #7, then Dionne Warwick 1967, then Daniel Johns 0
* "You'll Never Get to Heaven" 1964 Dionne Warwick)US #32, UK #12, Canada #23, then Stylistics, 1972) 0
* "A House Is Not a Home" (Brook Benton, 1964; Dionne Warwick, 1964; Barbra Streisand, 1971; Luther Vandross, 0
* "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me" (Lou Johnson, 1964 then Sandie Shaw, UK no. 1, 1964, Dionne 0
* "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" Dusty Springfield, (UK no. 3 hit), 1964, Dionne Warwick, US no. 0
* "Reach Out For Me" Lou Johnson, 1964, then Dionne Warwick, US #20,Canada #12, UK#23 1964 0
* "Wishin' and Hopin'" (Dionne Warwick, 1963, then Dusty Springfield (who had a U.S. Top Ten hit with it), 19 0
* "The Story of My Life" (Marty Robbins, (US Country and Western no. 1, pop no. 15, 1957 - his first hit) 0


(*゚ー゚)θ L(。・_・)   °~ヾ(・ε・ *) (Steve Shasta), Friday, 16 January 2009 06:15 (seventeen years ago)

damn

Someone Still Loves You Evan and Jaron (Tape Store), Friday, 16 January 2009 06:17 (seventeen years ago)

So many I love here ... "This Guy's in Love With You" in a narrow decision over "Walk On By" and "Anyone Who Had a Heart."

Joseph McCombs, Friday, 16 January 2009 06:25 (seventeen years ago)

IMPOSSIBLE> TOO MUCH GOODNESS> DOES NOT COMPUTE>

Dimension 5ive, Friday, 16 January 2009 06:41 (seventeen years ago)

Given that this is impossible, I'm gonna vote for "Don't Make Me Over" which as far as I know is the most overlooked masterpiece on this list.

"Two Ears" Laybelle (Noodle Vague), Friday, 16 January 2009 08:53 (seventeen years ago)

No "Casino Royale"? I voted "I Say a Little Prayer," and prolly would have anyway.

If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Friday, 16 January 2009 13:37 (seventeen years ago)

"Casino Royale" is a sweet tune isn't it?

"Two Ears" Laybelle (Noodle Vague), Friday, 16 January 2009 13:38 (seventeen years ago)

Michael Holliday had a UK no 1 in '58 with The Story of My Life, which may (or not) be more familiar to UK ILXORS.

Voted for This Guys in Love With You, although Love's version of Little Red Book nearly swung it but I decided the Syd Barrett connection was impinging on my decision making faculties.

Guilty_Boksen, Friday, 16 January 2009 13:49 (seventeen years ago)

I knew the Michael Holliday verzh first but I used to have the Burt Bacharach singles comp so I know both. Love that song a hell of a lot either way.

"Two Ears" Laybelle (Noodle Vague), Friday, 16 January 2009 13:51 (seventeen years ago)

xxpost Sure is, Noodle. I love the fuzztone and the shaker.

If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Friday, 16 January 2009 13:55 (seventeen years ago)

One of the very first "albums" I ever owned was - I think - a cassette of the Joe Loss orchestra playing the James Bond themes, and "Casino Royale" was in my top 3 from then onwards.

"Two Ears" Laybelle (Noodle Vague), Friday, 16 January 2009 13:58 (seventeen years ago)

yeah you can't really say "this is the best bacharach/david single," even - too much cream. that said I'm voting for "walk on by" and lodging a protest for the absence of "tower of strength" even though it's not actually better than a lot of these

J0hn D., Friday, 16 January 2009 14:00 (seventeen years ago)

A lot of amazing singles here. Lots of classics, in fact.

I had to go for "Alfie", but was almost about to vote for "Promises, Promises", which is lesser known but very musically sophisticated. Also love "Walk On By", "Do You Know The Way To San Jose", "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" and "I'll Never Fall In Love Again".

Geir Hongro, Friday, 16 January 2009 14:02 (seventeen years ago)

And, yes, "Windows Of The World" is also great.

Geir Hongro, Friday, 16 January 2009 14:03 (seventeen years ago)

Oh shit forgot "Tower of Strength". Still this one kills me tho:

"Two Ears" Laybelle (Noodle Vague), Friday, 16 January 2009 14:06 (seventeen years ago)

Nearly impossible choice -- but I went with "Walk On By."

A fun companion poll would be Best Cover on Great Jewish Music: Burt Bacharach.

WmC, Friday, 16 January 2009 14:11 (seventeen years ago)

"Pneumonia" / "phone ya" a great mischievous rhyme.

Ye Mad Puffin, Friday, 16 January 2009 14:53 (seventeen years ago)

Walk On By packs so much into under three minutes. Of course there are many many brilliant tunes here.

chap, Friday, 16 January 2009 15:01 (seventeen years ago)

"Walk On By" is unfuckwithable.

Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Friday, 16 January 2009 15:03 (seventeen years ago)

The majority of Bacharach/David songs are unfuckwithable in the sense that even covers by idiots sound great.

"Two Ears" Laybelle (Noodle Vague), Friday, 16 January 2009 15:05 (seventeen years ago)

is the Lost Horizon soundtrack "out there"? I've still never heard it - the whole affair is one of my favorite details-are-murky 70s stories.

J0hn D., Friday, 16 January 2009 15:08 (seventeen years ago)

holy shit, yes it is

J0hn D., Friday, 16 January 2009 15:10 (seventeen years ago)

T/S between Stylistics and Dionne on "You'll Never Get to Heaven" wd be tough on its own.

"Two Ears" Laybelle (Noodle Vague), Friday, 16 January 2009 15:10 (seventeen years ago)

And I side-bracketed "24 Hours from Tulsa" here because I can't think of that song objectively.

"Two Ears" Laybelle (Noodle Vague), Friday, 16 January 2009 15:12 (seventeen years ago)

Totally forgot that he wrote "Little Red Book" and "Always Something There to Remind Me"

bendy, Friday, 16 January 2009 15:16 (seventeen years ago)

yeah this is crazy; I voted for "Alfie". The Bacharach box set The Look of Love has most of these, and is one of the best box sets I know.

Euler, Friday, 16 January 2009 16:18 (seventeen years ago)

Yeah The Look of Love is the set I was thinking about earlier. I think the US/UK versions have different track lists with their own side of the Atlantic-centric versions of a lot of songs but either way they're great, especially the choice of non-canonical versions of the songs is enlightening.

"Two Ears" Laybelle (Noodle Vague), Friday, 16 January 2009 16:31 (seventeen years ago)

my hands
are shaking
don't let
my heart keep breaking 'cuz...

armatrader joan's (donna rouge), Friday, 16 January 2009 16:34 (seventeen years ago)

I LOVE "Any Day Now"....I'm not sure I voted for it, tho.

u s steel, Saturday, 17 January 2009 22:46 (seventeen years ago)

Dreams turn into dust and blow away
And there you are, without a friend
You pack your car and ride away

Ive got lots of friends in San Jose...
Do you know the way to San Jose?

(*゚ー゚)θ L(。・_・)   °~ヾ(・ε・ *) (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 21 January 2009 22:12 (seventeen years ago)

god damn that song is so sad without sounding so...

(*゚ー゚)θ L(。・_・)   °~ヾ(・ε・ *) (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 21 January 2009 22:12 (seventeen years ago)

this is... way harder than i anticipated

゙(゚、 。 7 (cankles), Wednesday, 21 January 2009 22:14 (seventeen years ago)

the moment I wake up, before I put on my makeup.

a classic couplet, but still 'Walk on by' is the Zoidzilla of BB compositions.

when it wins, can we do a best of without walk.....?

Hamildan, Wednesday, 21 January 2009 23:25 (seventeen years ago)

i'd choose "the man who shot liberty valance" for worst, best is going to take me a long time to figure out although there's a high chance "(they long to be) close to you" will get my vote.

samosa gibreel, Thursday, 22 January 2009 01:37 (seventeen years ago)

three weeks pass...

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Friday, 13 February 2009 00:01 (seventeen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

System, Saturday, 14 February 2009 00:01 (seventeen years ago)

two years pass...

btw "Anyone Who Had a Heart"

satan club sandwich (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 3 August 2011 19:25 (fourteen years ago)

That's a great one

curmudgeon, Wednesday, 3 August 2011 19:38 (fourteen years ago)

minor one that i love but is not on this list: jackie deshannon's "come and get me"

rameau: first blood (donna rouge), Wednesday, 3 August 2011 19:44 (fourteen years ago)

"Trains and Boats and Planes" is another great one not listed here.

o. nate, Wednesday, 3 August 2011 20:45 (fourteen years ago)

I love that one.

online pinata store (Nicole), Wednesday, 3 August 2011 20:54 (fourteen years ago)


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