Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to Dionne Warwick sing Bacharach and David, which is only fitting as Mr. Bacharach passed away yesterday at age ninety-four. I think I came to Burt Bacharach much earlier than most. Of course, I’d heard Magic Moments by Perry Como but I had no idea at that young age who wrote it. But in 1958, I was in bed twirling the dial of my brand-new tiny transistor radio when I heard a song called Hot Spell by Ernie Felice. It was love at first hear and I went to my local record store, Index Radio and Records and the nice lady there ordered me the 45 and had it in two days later. I played that thing to death – it was one of those “inspired by” songs, this from the movie Hot Spell (a soundtrack I eventually issues on CD). I took note of the songwriters’ names – Burt F. Bacharach and Mack David. That same year, I discovered the song from The Blob and was amazed to find it was the same two writers. I became a devoted fan. And then, along came Mack David’s brother Hal and along came Dionne and Don’t Make Me Over and Walk on By and I was obsessed for life. I bought every single album of theirs on the day they came out and was never disappointed, not by one single song. Burt influenced many, many generations of writers, and his one and only Broadway show is a classic. He was never out of fashion, although sometimes well ahead of the curve. He survived every decade of music right to the end and never lost his relevance. He was, in short, a genius and try as others did to imitate him, there was only one Burt.
I produced and/or issued a lot of Burt over the years – The Burt Bacharach Album (with a great cast of Broadway folks), a jazz album with Grant Geissman that’s a classic (Grant played with Burt a few times), several songs on different compilations I did, including cut songs from Promises, Promises) issuing the Casino Royale soundtrack and finally doing a complete remix of the Promises, Promises cast album, fixing all the pitchy singing and what a treat that was and I’m told that Mr. B was very happy about it. I also had the pleasure of directing a Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS benefit in NY that was an all Bacharach evening with Alex Rybeck conducting and we got Jill O’Hara and Tony Roberts to do Promises songs. I never met him, but he was one of my heroes.
I can’t even remember if I talked about the wonderful Dionne Warwick documentary on HBO, well worth watching. But those Bacharach songs – Burt, Hal, and Dionne had hit after hit, but they weren’t the standard pop fare – they were unique and unlike any other songs because Bacharach marched to the beat of his own unique drummer. Of course, many other singers had their way with Bacharach and many classics resulted – Dusty Springfield, Cher, Cilla Black, Jack Jones, The Carpenters, and then Burt’s own solo albums on A&M, all classics, even the 1970s albums that didn’t find favor at the time – of course, NOW they’re classics but some of us knew it back then. But what a long life and what a legacy he leaves behind.
Yesterday was certainly an up and down day and evening. I got six hours of sleep, got up, answered e-mails, sent the finessed book to the two proofers for one final go-through, and then I can get it to Grant for designing, at least that’s the hope. The cover is done, so that’s good, and I’ll probably share that next week. I had my little pepperoni pizza for food, then Marshall Harvey came by with the hard drive and then I watched all ten episodes and took notes as I did. There are just a few tiny things to finesse and/or look at, and then we’ll lock all the episodes except for nine and ten, as those are awaiting green screen work and we’re re-recording a vocal on Monday. That took about two-and-a-half hours, I had some telephonic calls, and then I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a mundane motion picture entitled Alice, Dear, about a woman in an abusive relationship – not physically abusive, but mentally abusive. It’s nothing we haven’t seen many times but Anna Kendrick gives a nice performance. But the writing is nothing special, the score is nothing special, and certainly the direction is a little to arty for its own good. Unfortunately, the trailer tries very hard to sell it as a thriller, by completely manipulating footage to do so, and then their surprised when it flops. Tell people it’s a thriller you better damn well deliver a thriller. This is anything but a thriller, it’s eighty-five minutes that seems like three hours.
After that, I decided to cancel Netflix – there’s simply not enough that’s interesting to me. I’ll keep HBO Max for a while. Then I did a quick Ralph’s run and got some fruit, some nuts/cranberries mix, and some cherries. Those same items would have cost more than double at Gelson’s. They’re also having a sale on drinks so I’ll go back tonight and get some. Then the down part of the evening happened, a really unpleasant series of texts – I remained calm because striking back does no good and hopefully it will all smooth itself out sooner than later. I had some pineapple chunks and a few nuts/cranberries and that was that.
Today, I’ll be up by eleven, and then I’ll go to Marshall’s around one and we’ll do the nitpicks and be done. I don’t think it will take longer than an hour or two. I will only say that I’m very happy with the show – it’s a real throwback to the older situation comedies in that you actually like the characters, none of the leads are abrasive or negative to each other, unlike so many of the sitcoms of now, which I find completely unfunny and populated with totally obnoxious characters. I don’t watch this stuff, but every now and then something pops up on YouTube and their shorts section and I just listen to what passes for humor and scratch my head.
After we finish, I’ll go eat something fun, I’ll stop at the mail place and see what is or isn’t there, then I’ll come home and watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, she of the Evil Eye comes so it’ll be a light breakfast and then doing whatever needs doing, which will include a little writing. Sunday, I may have a lunch meeting. Monday, we’re re-recording a vocal (Sami is in town for a Bat Mitzvah) at some recording studio not too far from here. The rest of the week will be some writing and getting the book ready for designing and maybe even start taking pre-orders, and also we have to announce two new titles.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by eleven, do the final nitpicks on the Sami episodes and then lock one through eight, then I’ll eat, check the mail place to see what is or isn’t there, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/Blu and Ray player? I’ll start – CD, Bacharach. Blu-ray, nothing. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, bidding a fond farewell to one of the greatest composers of popular music there will ever be and add to that a great film composer, Broadway composer – he could really do anything.