Bacharach’s Act May Be Swank, But It’s Still Popular

Burt Bacharach is red hot, baby.

That’s not sarcasm, that’s the truth in this brave new martini-drinking, cigar-smoking, hi-fi listening Cocktail Nation of ours. Swanky “lounge music” is hot all over the country, fueling a boom, or at least a mini-boom, in the careers of musicians such as Vic Damone, Tony Bennett and, yes, Burt Bacharach.

Bacharach appears in a Spokane Symphony SuperPops concert Saturday at the Spokane Opera House.

Here’s some evidence of a new Bacharach boom:

Rhino Records is in the process of putting together a three-CD boxed set, titled, “Get Bacharach to Where You Once Belong.” It will feature 75 Bacharach tunes and should be out in October.

A story in this month’s Esquire Magazine titled “The Swank Life” quotes a young New York designer as saying, “Everyone knows, deep down, that they are square. Now, finally, everything is telling people it’s okay. I was that way with Burt Bacharach for a while. I kept it hidden in my closet. The first step to loving something is when you can pull it out of the closet and admit to everyone that you love it.”

Actually, Bacharach’s music is an uneasy fit in the lounge revival, because he and lyricist Hal David were never actually part of the ‘50s and ‘60s lounge scene. They may be pigeon-holed there now, but only because they were not part of the hippie rock ‘n’ roll scene.

In fact, they occupied the vast middle ground, writing songs and compiling arrangements that were melodic enough to be appreciated by the Sinatra generation, yet cool and soulful enough to exist in the Top 40 along with Motown, the Byrds and Beatles.

His signature song, “Do You Know the Way to San Jose?” is a perfect example: A cool, jazzy number with modestly hip lyrics and a soulful reading by the quintessential Bacharach interpreter, Dionne Warwick.

Bacharach, 68, the son of a syndicated columnist, got his start as a child, studying piano and composition under such classical stalwarts as Darius Milhaud. He served in the Army from 1950 to 1952, and then immediately found work as a conductor and arranger for acts like the Ames Brothers and Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme.

By the time he was 30, some of his songs were showing up on the charts, including “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” and “Town Without Pity” for Gene Pitney; “The Story of My Life” for Marty Robbins; “Baby, It’s You” for the Shirelles, and “Magic Moments” for Perry Como.

But then in the early to mid-‘60s, he and Hal David launched into a spectacular and widely varied string of hits for an eclectic range of artists:

Jack Jones, “Wives and Lovers,” 1963.

Jackie DeShannon, “What the World Needs Now,” 1965.

Tom Jones, “What’s New, Pussycat?” 1965.

Dusty Springfield, “The Look of Love,” 1967.

B.J. Thomas, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head,” 1969.

The Carpenters, “Close to You,” 1970.

Yet it was Dionne Warwick who was by far the most successful interpreter of Bacharach tunes. She had 20 Bacharach-David hits in the seven years between 1963 and 1970, all of them produced and arranged by Bacharach.

Among the most memorable Warwick-Bacharach collaborations were: “Walk On By” (1964), “Message to Michael” (1966), “Alfie” (1967), “I Say a Little Prayer” (1967), “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” (1968), “Promises, Promises” (1968), “This Girl’s In Love With You” (1969), and “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” (1970).

This collaboration has continued through the ensuing decades, most memorably with “That’s What Friends Are For,” the 1985 AIDS benefit song featuring Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder.

Bacharach attempted at several stages in his career to sing his own material, without much success (his record company once described his voice as “rumpled and earnest”). As a singer, he’s an excellent piano player and arranger.

So it may be good news that he will be coming to the SuperPops concert Saturday with three of his own vocalists. He will also have his own band. Bacharach will handle some of the conducting chores, while Spokane Symphony associate conductor Jung-Ho Pak will handle the rest.

Mel Torme was originally booked to play this SuperPops concert, but Torme was forced to cancel because of illness. Then Pete Fountain was booked, but he also had to cancel because of illness.

So if your ticket says Torme or Fountain, you can still use it for the Bacharach show.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: CONCERT Burt Bacharach and the Spokane Symphony will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Spokane Opera House. Tickets range from $14 to $28.50, available through the symphony ticket office (624-1200), G&B Select-a-Seat outlets or call (800) 325-SEAT.