Burt Bacharach and Hal David

[G-Man]

One did the music, the other did the words. The music guy gets all the mentions, but the music would be greatly diminished without Hal David's lyrics.

Hal David turns 90 today. So, here's a mix of Bacharach/David songs covered by soul acts from the '60s and '70s, a few of them the first recordings of famous songs (notably Make It Easy On Yourself and Always Something There To Remind).

[adams house cat]

Burt Bacharach and Hal David

One of the greatest popular songwriting teams ever. 'The Look Of Love' is one of the best songs ever written and that's just one of theirs. Great call G-Man.

[Wyatt Earp]

Burt Bacharach and Hal David

I did actually once get slightly lost driving to San Jose, and totally blew the opportunity that that presented.

Esprit d'escalier.

[Wyatt Earp]

Burt Bacharach and Hal David

Readers who liked that story will also enjoy the one where I had a slash next to Lord Annan, and didn't say "So, this is where all the nobs hang out."

[Joe Wiz]

Burt Bacharach and Hal David

Two of the best ever. Burt's lukewarm efforts since the partnership expired speak volumes as to the importance of Hal.

[Outside Agent]

Burt Bacharach and Hal David

BBC Four have a couple of Bacharach/David programmes on tonight.

I discovered the Bacharach/David songbook back in 2003. Absolutely beautiful music. I honestly do not go a week where one of their tunes isn't in my head with me singing along to myself.

[Bored Of Education]

Burt Bacharach and Hal David

A friend of mine took a delivery of a Bacharach/David boxset a while back and we had a wonderful afternoon listening to them all. I was astonished by how much stuff they had written that I hadn't realised.

"I Say a Little Prayer" is the best though, isn't it?

[Amor de Cosmos]

Burt Bacharach and Hal David

Like all the best songwriters it's tough to choose a best song. The are a few that are in my head a lot, but I don't know if that makes them the best:

Wishin' & Hopin,' in spite of lyrics that make me wince slightly these days. My Little Red Book, by Love, who make it sound totally un-Bacharach & David (and that's probably why Burt didn't like it.) And The Look of Love, in spite of the farty saxophone (in Dusty's version) which very nearly destroys what is otherwise an almost perfect recording.

[Taylor]

Burt Bacharach and Hal David

Rather unimaginatively, my favourites are "Walk On By" (that rare thing, a subtle masterwork) and "Anyone Who Had A Heart", just for the incredible drama of that bit at the end where it goes all clenched-fists and screwed-up-eyes ("anyone who had a heart would surely take me in his arms...") and the entire orchestra goes staccato to hammer it home. One of the truly great moments in pop music, that.

[erwin]

Burt Bacharach and Hal David

My appreciation of that latter song has been spoilt a bit by too many hearings of Cilla Black's version, which gives new meaning to the word 'shrill'.