Remembering Burt Bacharach

Fresh Air

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4.3 • 36.1K Ratings

🗓️ 13 February 2023

⏱️ 47 minutes

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Summary

We remember composer and arranger Burt Bacharach, who died last week at 94. Bacharach, along with lyricist Hal David, created dozens of pop hits of the '60s and early '70s. He was known for his rhythmically sophisticated and catchy pop songs, like The Look of Love, Do You Know the Way to San Jose, Walk on By, Anyone Who Had a Heart, Don't Make Me Over, Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head, I Say a Little Prayer, and Alfie. We'll listen back to two of our interviews. One with Bacharach and lyricist Hal David. The other with Bacharach and Elvis Costello. They wrote many songs together.

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0:00.0	This is fresh air, I'm Terry Gross. Today we pay tribute to Bert Bacrak. He died last Wednesday
0:06.3	at age 94. His name became synonymous with the craft of songwriting at its most elegant and
0:12.3	imperiled, wrote music critic Francis Davis in the Atlantic. Full disclosure, Francis is my husband.
0:18.8	Bacarack, along with his longtime collaborator, lyricist Hal David, wrote many hits in the 60s and
0:24.4	early 70s, including make it easy on yourself. I just don't know what to do with myself. Only love can
0:30.4	break a heart. Don't make me over. Anyone who had a heart. Wishing and hoping. And always something
0:36.2	there to remind me, here's some more Bacrak and David songs.
1:06.2	Rain drops keep falling on my head. And just like the guy who's feet are too big for his bed.
1:16.0	Nothing seems to fit those. Rain drops are falling on his head.
1:21.2	So remember, if you're on true, angels up in it are looking at you.
1:30.8	You'll never get to hurry if you break my heart. So be very careful not to make this part you won't get to have.
1:43.7	Why the world needs love is love, sweet love. It's the only thing that there's just too little love.
1:58.2	Watch new pussycat. Watch new pussycat.
2:09.2	Pussycat, pussycat. I've got flowers and lots of our stars been with you. So go and
2:18.8	follow your cute little pussycat. What do you get when you fall in love? A guy with a pen to
2:28.0	touch your love love love. Let's switch it. All your trouble lies. Never falling love again.
2:58.0	What's it all about? Our faith is a gift for the moment we live.
3:12.9	What's it all about when you saw it out of me? All we meant to take more than we give. All we meant to be kind.
3:31.9	And you only fools are kind. I'll feel that I guess. In that medley we heard Dion Warwick, BJ Thomas, the stylistics, Jackie De Shannon, Tom Jones, Dusty Springfield, and more Dion Warwick.
3:52.8	All those songs are written with lyricist Hal David.
3:55.9	Backtrack was also known for his arrangements and his signature use of trumpet to accentuate his syncopations and shifting time signatures.
4:03.9	We're going to listen to two of my interviews with Backtrack. We'll start with the one I recorded in 2010 with Backtrack and Hal David when their musical promises
	...

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