Saturday, February 11, 2023

Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach - Toledo

Burt Bacharach died at the age of 94 on Wednesday. He wrote the music--with lyricist Hal David--a myriad of hits, mostly in the 1960s. 

Many of those songs, such as "Walk On By," were performed by Dionne Warwick, but his other hits include "What's Up Pussycat" by Tom Jones, "I Say A Little Prayer" for Aretha Franklin, and "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" by B.J Thomas. 

And so many more.

In the late 1990s, Bacharach recorded Painted From Memory with Elvis Costello. "I Still Have That Other Girl" from that effort gained the duo a Grammy Award. 

Here's "Toledo" from Painted From Memory, my favorite track from that collection, as it showcases the strengths of both legends, Costello's compelling lyrics and Bacharach's lush orchestrations.

An era has ended with Bacharach's death--he was the last long era of American popular music craftsmen that included other greats such as Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Richard Rodgers. 

Rest in peace, Burt.


No comments: