Elvis Costello started his ten-show residency tonight at the Gramercy Theatre ("100 songs across 100 nights"), and the evening's setlist was planned around the beginning of his career, but he made time to pay a beautiful tribute to Bacharach. Given Bacharach's age and accomplishments and how well he had lived, Costello mentioned that he saw quite a few people say it was a great time to go, but disagreed saying, "it's never a great time to say goodbye when you love someone, and I'm not afraid to say that I loved that man." He then performed "Baby It's You" on acoustic guitar (which he covered on record with Nick Lowe in the '80s), then later performed "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and then during the encore, sat behind the piano and played a gorgeous arrangement of "Please Stay." When the show finished, he led the audience into singing along to the first few lines of "What the World Needs Now Is Love" as they played Jackie DeShannon's recording. (Earlier, he took the New York Times to task for publishing an obituary that had numerous sloppy errors. The most egregious was calling Bacharach an "apolitical" songwriter when had written a song like "What the World Needs Now Is Love." I'll also add the obituary incorrectly claimed that Bacharach appeared in Austin Powers to perform that song - they played an excerpt of the record in the first movie when Myers is catching up on world events via archival news footage, but Bacharach didn't actually appear until the second movie when he played a completely different song, accompanying Costello.)
― birdistheword, Friday, 10 February 2023 04:33 (one year ago) link
typo: "100 songs across 10 nights"
― birdistheword, Friday, 10 February 2023 04:34 (one year ago) link
He's in the first one--played it today for the same class.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3RlIjj8l-Q
― clemenza, Friday, 10 February 2023 04:40 (one year ago) link
Alec Cumming of the Rhino Box Set is doing a tribute right now on WPKN.
― And Your Borad Can Zing (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 10 February 2023 04:45 (one year ago) link
https://wpkn.org/listen-live/
― And Your Borad Can Zing (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 10 February 2023 04:46 (one year ago) link
xxp Thanks clemenza - now *I* stand corrected!
― birdistheword, Friday, 10 February 2023 04:49 (one year ago) link
Now we have to fact check your EC report; in fact you were at home scrounging the dark web and had to make an excuse.
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 10 February 2023 04:58 (one year ago) link
Ah you got me. I was eating mustard packets at home while fabricating details around what I gathered from setlist.fm.
― birdistheword, Friday, 10 February 2023 05:10 (one year ago) link
Video (not mine obviously)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00YyqUAZG3k
― birdistheword, Friday, 10 February 2023 05:12 (one year ago) link
I love the person nearby who hadn't realized he died!
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 10 February 2023 05:16 (one year ago) link
Haven’t clicked on the video, is it from tonight?
― And Your Borad Can Zing (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 10 February 2023 05:19 (one year ago) link
It is indeed.
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 10 February 2023 05:19 (one year ago) link
FWIW, I've been going to his shows since 2011 and it's too bad I didn't go this time because then I could say it might have the best one I've ever seen, so much that I would've bought tickets to more shows had I been more confident that it was going to be this good.
― birdistheword, Friday, 10 February 2023 05:31 (one year ago) link
I trust you mean Elvis. Burt had to cancel all his dates.
― Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 10 February 2023 05:40 (one year ago) link
Who else would he mean?
― The Windows of the URL (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 10 February 2023 05:53 (one year ago) link
Sorry to bust in here like Bruce Thomas at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and make trouble.
― The Windows of the URL (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 10 February 2023 06:13 (one year ago) link
Bless Costello for keeping him busy in his later years, God Give Me Strength is just tremendous, for anyone, nevermind pushing 70, does anyone know what he got up to post Painted from Memory?
Also had no idea he co-wrote On My Own, unbelievable, what a treasure, songwriting MVP fuck off to beautiful music heaven Burt Bacharach
― Florin Cuchares, Friday, 10 February 2023 06:23 (one year ago) link
He’s up there in the green room right now being stared out from behind a potted plant à la Laugh-In’s Arte Johnson by Tom Verlaine.
― The Windows of the URL (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 10 February 2023 06:28 (one year ago) link
I'm confused - did poster 'birdistheword' go to see EC?
I'm very touched to hear of EC's tribute to BB.
Bacharach & Verlaine would have been a good collaboration.
― the pinefox, Friday, 10 February 2023 10:31 (one year ago) link
Watched EC's video. His spirit when talking is classic EC, but his singing is possibly the worst I have ever heard from EC.
― the pinefox, Friday, 10 February 2023 10:36 (one year ago) link
― The Windows of the URL (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 10 February 2023 11:46 (one year ago) link
What do you get when you fallWhen you fallInto the arms of the Venus de Milo
― The Windows of the URL (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 10 February 2023 12:11 (one year ago) link
Take a message to Richard
― The Windows of the URL (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 10 February 2023 13:01 (one year ago) link
birdistheword is actually Elvis Costello
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 10 February 2023 13:07 (one year ago) link
No way, his posting style is way too concise.
― The Windows of the URL (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 10 February 2023 13:11 (one year ago) link
Where's all the "clever" wordplay from birdistheword?
― Maggot Bairn (Tom D.), Friday, 10 February 2023 13:16 (one year ago) link
Yes, exactly.
― The Windows of the URL (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 10 February 2023 13:18 (one year ago) link
Bless Costello for keeping him busy in his later years, God Give Me Strength is just tremendous, for anyone, nevermind pushing 70, does anyone know what he got up to post Painted from Memory? Also had no idea he co-wrote On My Own, unbelievable, what a treasure, songwriting MVP fuck off to beautiful music heaven Burt Bacharach
― Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 10 February 2023 13:52 (one year ago) link
I don't really share the view that the first track towers over the rest of PAINTED FROM MEMORY. I think the best song may be 'the sweetest punch'. Extraordinary. But I think the whole LP is pretty even in quality.
re: what BB did later, he released AT THIS TIME, which I looked at in a record shop but never bought. My recollection is that it included attacks on the (very bad) US government of the time; one or two collaborations with Costello; a song with the promising title 'Go Ask Shakespeare'. I rather wish I'd bought it now and got to know it.
― the pinefox, Friday, 10 February 2023 14:29 (one year ago) link
“Go Ask Shakespeare”? Sung by Rufus Wainwright? Heard it for the first time last night on the radio tribute by Alec Cumming. Pretty good!
― The Windows of the URL (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 10 February 2023 14:34 (one year ago) link
The Look of Love box is still probably the best way to listen to Burt and one of the greatest boxed sets ever produced.
^^This. In the foreword, the producer mentions that the project started out as a 1-disc hits package that grew into a double-disc anthology and finally the three-disc set we know and love simply because they keep finding more and more songs to include. It's a fine capper to the whole Bacharach renaissance of the time, formed through Loungecore and up through films like Austin Powers, Grace of My Heart (which is where "God Give Me Strength" came from), and My Best Friend's Wedding.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c74BSImG4xM
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 10 February 2023 14:50 (one year ago) link
Here I am - Isley meets Bacharach from 2003 sounds good . Ron Isley, Burt, and an orchestra take on Bacharach/ David classics
― curmudgeon, Friday, 10 February 2023 15:15 (one year ago) link
Absolutely love the Isley record.
― Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 10 February 2023 15:18 (one year ago) link
anyone have a favorite set of burt singing his own songs?
― sault bae (voodoo chili), Friday, 10 February 2023 15:19 (one year ago) link
https://archives.wpkn.org/bookmarks/listen/374639/snap-crackle-pop-with-alec-cumming-fill-in-for-ed-flynn-t
― The Windows of the URL (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 10 February 2023 15:20 (one year ago) link
I haven't found a full set, just little dribbles here and there. "Something Big" is so beautiful
― Blessed Bloated Burdened (flamboyant goon tie included), Friday, 10 February 2023 17:01 (one year ago) link
otm, "something big" is glorious
― sault bae (voodoo chili), Friday, 10 February 2023 17:10 (one year ago) link
Yep. By his own admission, he was never a good singer of his songs – one reason he only would sing a song or two on his solo releases and usually with a lot of vocal assistance from background singers. But some are charming – Something Big, Hasbrook Heights. The few verses he sings on Lost Horizon from Living Together are pretty terrific. For instance, the other day I came across this version of him performing A House Is Not a Home at 92 – as positively decrepit as his voice sounds, it’s not actually much different than it was in 1967 when he sang it on Reach Out! But the whole of the performance is actually incredible nonetheless. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4mOEADryLg
― Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 10 February 2023 18:20 (one year ago) link
Literally DJing a warmup Bacharach tribute set right now. Feels so good.
― mike t-diva, Friday, 10 February 2023 21:50 (one year ago) link
Pieces from Carole King:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/02/10/carole-king-burt-bacharach-songwriting/
And Diane Warren:
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-02-10/diane-warren-on-burt-bacharach
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 11 February 2023 05:45 (one year ago) link
From Beck:
One of my favorite things of recent years was getting the occasional phone call from Burt Bacharach. His name would pop up on my phone and it always felt like I was getting a call from the President (President of Songwriting). He always checked in and I feel lucky for the conversations and hangs we got to have. What a master of songwriting and a generous soul— you will be missed! Take care Burt and thank you for the music. 🤍
― birdistheword, Saturday, 11 February 2023 06:30 (one year ago) link
Lost Horizon may have been a bust but this is the business:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tms_sZio5-4
― Naive Teen Idol, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 00:27 (one year ago) link
I'd forgotten about this but it's def another side of the coin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZualTksF8A
― Blessed Bloated Burdened (flamboyant goon tie included), Tuesday, 14 February 2023 05:53 (one year ago) link
Truly top shelf content in these last two posts.
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 13:50 (one year ago) link
If you look at the “Written by Burt Bacharach” playlist on Spotify, you’ll notice that roughly 40% of the tracks there are hip-hop tracks from the last 15 to 20 years. Almost all of which, if not all, simply feature samples of his music. And a bunch of them are sampling Isaac Hayes’ version of “Walk on By.” The guy must have positively cleaned up the last few decades of his life on these royalties alone. Anyway here are a few others:An early and kind of wild one haunted by a ghostly soprano from 1957 for Johnny Mathis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-419Uxp1uoMAnd this one is Burt shepherding Jackie DeShannon to pioneer Liz Frasier’s vocal stylings in 1966: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn1dMgluoiY
― Naive Teen Idol, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 15:16 (one year ago) link
James Redd, did you ever recreate my big playlist for Spotify?
― The Terroir of Tiny Town (WmC), Tuesday, 14 February 2023 15:19 (one year ago) link
No, never found the time, sorry.
― after the pinefox (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 14 February 2023 15:31 (one year ago) link
Good/sad timing here (per the mailout I got about this, this was in the works for a while and was about to be announced anyway):
https://realgonemusic.com/collections/upcoming/products/dionne-warwick-the-complete-scepter-singles-1962-1973-3cd-set
...More importantly, Warwick, Bacharach, and David brought a new level of sophistication to popular music…and by doing so, created some of the most indelible recordings of all time. However, despite its brilliance and lasting influence, there has never been a collection at music retail that truly captured this incredible body of work…until now. The Complete Scepter Singles 1962-1973 offers the A and B-side of every single Dionne cut for the Scepter label (with the bonus inclusion of her single for Musicor featuring the hit “Only Love Can Break a Heart”), all original, (mostly) mono single versions remastered by Mike Milchner of Sonic Vision from original tape sources and annotated by veteran music journalist and Billboard contributor Paul Grein.
Hell of a tracklist for sure, 74 total.
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 15 February 2023 04:35 (one year ago) link
Just heard in the car earlier Mavis Staples doing "A House is not a Home"
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 16 February 2023 06:21 (one year ago) link
xp This is actually the same exact release that was given to PBS donors several years ago (I think with a $200 donation) - Real Gone confirmed they're using the same CD masters, they just changed the title. It's great news as it was previously unavailable or really expensive on the secondhand market.
― birdistheword, Thursday, 16 February 2023 17:27 (one year ago) link