With A Dream In Your Heart You're Never Alone

Celebrating Burt Bacharach, 12th May 1928 to 8th February 2023.

Burt Bacharach has been a huge part of my life lived through music, even when I was largely ignorant of this fact until I got to my teens and started paying more attention to the people behind the songs. Falling in love, falling out of love, Burt Bacharach captured the musical mood and, with Hal David, nailed the thoughts, feelings and dilemmas that listeners could relate to.

My initial 'shortlist' for this selection was ridiculously long, so I've ruthlessly cut it to ten songs and a little over half an hour. In the 1990s, I bought a budget compilation called The Burt Bacharach Songbook, a 23-track silver disc of solid gold songs. I could easily have just picked the ten from that alone and it would have been great. A few have made the cut here but I've interspersed them with some more contemporary cover versions from BMX Bandits, Terry Hall, Kevin Rowland, Espiritu aka Vanessa Contenay-Quiñones and Richard X featuring the unique talent that is The Flying Lizards' Deborah Evans-Stickland.

Given Bacharach and David's long and fruitful collaboration with Dionne Warwick, it would have been remiss of me not to start the selection with one of her songs, with three more covers along the way. The selection closes with my favorite cover of I'll Never Fall In Love Again, by Bobbie Gentry. 

Lots more for a future part two and part three, but this is a brisk reminder of Burt Bacaharch's brilliance with a tune that hits all the emotional sweet spots. Thanks for all the music, Burt.

1) Do You Know The Way To San Jose: Dionne Warwick (1968)

2) It Doesn't Matter Anymore (Cover of Ricky Nelson): BMX Bandits (1998)

3) Close To You (Cover of '(They Long To Be) Close To You' by Richard Chamberlain): Terry Hall (1997)

4) Anyone... (Edit By Rob Smith & Ray Mighty) (Cover of 'Anyone Who Had A Heart' by Dionne Warwick): Smith & Mighty ft. Jackie Jackson (1988)

5) You'll Never Get To Heaven (If You Break My Heart) (Cover of Dionne Warwick): The Stylistics (1976)

6) Walk On By (Cover of Dionne Warwick): Richard X ft. Deborah Evans-Stickland (2003)

7) Always Something There To Remind Me (Radio Version By Phil Bodger) (Cover of Sandie Shaw): Espiritu (1994)

8) This Guy's In Love With You (Cover of Danny Williams): Kevin Rowland (1999)

9) Only Love Can Break A Heart (Cover of Gene Pitney): Timi Yuro (1981)

10) I'll Never Fall In Love Again (Cover of Jill O'Hara & Jerry Orbach): Bobbie Gentry (1969)

A Dream In Your Heart (32:28) (Box) (Mega)

Waiting, Hoping And Longing

Where has the week gone?! It seems like the weekend was only a day or so ago and yet here we are, about to enter another. Is it a summer thing? As a kid, the summer felt properly long; these days, May to September seems to pass by in a blur with little to show for it. Well, apart from this blog, which at least is some evidence that I haven't slept through the last week (except for Tuesday, that is).

In an attempt to break the cycle of inertia let's, as Dame Shirley Bassey once urged, get this party started. Although I think P!NK may have got it started first. 

Today's selection doesn't feature P!NK (Darn the upper case and inverted i... or is it an exclamation mark? But I digress). Stick around though and Dame Shirley does show up for the finale.

The general theme of this mixtape is iconic female singers from the 1940s to the 1970s given the 21st century (mostly) remix treatment. Upbeat, downtempo, scratches, itches, phat beats, flat beats, nothing detracts from the huge voices on show here.

 

1) "Murder" He Says (Remix By James Hardway aka David Harrow): Dinah Shore (2004)

2) Walk On By (Mojo Filter Fly-By Re-Love) (Remix By Ben Zaven Crane): Dionne Warwick (2012)

3) Where Is Love? (Remix By James Hardway aka David Harrow): Lena Horne (2004)

4) Rock Steady (Sure Is Pure Remix By Danny Spencer & Kelvin Andrews): Aretha Franklin (1994)

5) A-Tisket A-Tasket (Remix By James Hardway aka David Harrow): Ella Fitzgerald (2004)

6) O-o-h Child (Nickodemus Remix By Nick DeSimone): Nina Simone (2007)

7) I Cover The Waterfront (Remix By James Hardway aka David Harrow): Billie Holiday (2004)

8) Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby? (Rae & Christian Remix By Mark Rae & Steve Christian): Dinah Washington (2002)

9) Goldfinger (Propellerheads Mix By Alex Gifford & Will White): Shirley Bassey (2000)

10) [applause]* 

* completely out of step with the rest of the selection, the crowd noise has been lifted from a 2014 performance of Sister Ray by John Cale & The Drone Orchestra.

1994: Rock Steady EP: 4

2000: The Remix Album...Diamonds Are Forever: 9

2002: Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby? EP: 8

2004: Ladies Of Jazz Remixed: 1, 3, 5, 7

2007: Remixed & Reimagined: 6

2012: AOR Disco Vintage Edits Vol. 2: 2

Waiting, Hoping And Longing (45:58)