Bacharach, not David?

[Geoffrey de Ste. Croix]

I wonder if any popular music experts could help me with a query.

I had “the definitive Burt Bacharach” on the stereo this morning and it occurred to me. There’s been approximately 16 million reissues of Bacharach & David stuff since a photo of the bold Burt appeared on the front cover of Oasis ‘Definitely maybe’ yet Hal David the lyricist appears to have been airbrushed out of all acknowledgement.

A quick flick through Amazon- “The look of love-the best of Burt Bacharach”, “The Burt Bacharach songbook”, “Magic Moments- the definitive Burt Bacharach” ad infinitum, where's Hal David?

Considering David is responsible for the lyrics to “I say a little prayer” (the greatest ode to love experienced through mundane, everyday activities), “Raindrops keep falling on my head” (as fine a composition to ‘keep on keeping' on in life as you can find in music) and the most truthful lyrics ever written- “What the world need now is love” I find it extraordinary that he is not equal billing with Bacharach- his lyrics are as essential as Bacharach’s music to the magic of the tunes.

Granted, I have only looked at Wikipedia and there doesn’t appear to be any information on a major falling out. So the question is, why has Hal David been airbrushed out of Bacharach and David?

[George]

Bacharach, not David?

There was a falling out at some point I believe over a movie the two of them were involved in which flopped. Somebody on here will chime in with the specifics. It's water under the bridge now though.

Hal David looks in pretty good shape for someone who has turned 90. Probably had some work done.

[Lucia Lanigan]

Bacharach, not David?

Would it date back to 1970s instrumental easy listening albums (Tijuana Brass and all that)? No need to credit the lyricist there.

[G-Man]

Bacharach, not David?

It would be interesting to see whether Bacharach instrumental albums credit the lyricists. Given that they often used easy listening backing singers, I suppose they did (in any case, it's probably a legal requirement anyway).

I guess the compilations credited to Bacharach alone exclude David's name because they feature songs he didn't co-write. To start with all that "That's What Friends Are For" stuff Burt wrote with Carol Bayer-Whatsherface. And a few tracks witten in Burt's pomp had different lyricists, though I can't quite recall which.

Talking of Bacharach tracks, I only found out a couple of years ago that the Theme of Valley Of The Dolls wasn't a Bacharach/David composition. It totally sounds like it should be. The lyricst of it, Dory Previn, died a couple of weeks aho, by the way.

[Bored Of Education]

Bacharach, not David?

Had a fantastic Sunday afternoon at a friend's house who had a pre-release copy of a Bacharach box set just astonished in a "Of course, he wrote that as well!" sort of way.