Burt Bacharach has been speaking through his music for the past 60+ years, since his very first recorded composition,“Once in a Blue Moon,“ appeared on Nat “King“ Cole’s Penthouse Serenade in 1952.  But today, Bacharach is speaking in his own voice with the publication of his first-ever memoir, Anyone Who Had a Heart: My Life and Music.  Co-written by Robert Greenfield (Ahmet Ertegun biography The Last Sultan), the book has been described by Kirkus Reviews as “illuminating and gritty“ while Mitchell Cohen in Rock’s Back Pages praised its “tales of multiple takes, artists bravely attempting to navigate those whiplash changes and hat-size tempos.“  (The latter refers to Frank Sinatra’s quip of Bacharach, “He writes in hat sizes – seven and three-fourths!“)

With the book’s release today, it might come as a surprise that no new anthology of Bacharach’s music has been released as a tie-in.  Yet.  Universal U.K. has planned such a title, but it’s not scheduled to be released until June 10, to coincide with the British publication of the autobiography.  Anyone Who Had a Heart: The Best of Burt Bacharach – The Art of the Songwriter is a 6-CD box set (twice the number of discs as Rhino’s definitive The Look of Love – The Burt Bacharach Collection from 1998).  The first four CDs trace Bacharach’s career in a roughly chronological fashion, from 1955’s “These Desperate Hours,“ performed by Mel Torme, to 2010’s  “Some Lovers,“ sung by Rumer from the 2011 musical of the same name.  The fifth CD compiles highlights from Bacharach’s solo recording career (already addressed in full on Hip-o Select’s Something Big box set) and the sixth offers an eclectic array of Bacharach songs as performed mainly by jazz artists.

Here’s where the plot thickens: the set will also be offered as a standard 2-CD edition, but the U.S. and U.K. versions appear to differ significantly, with both 2-CD versions including unique tracks not on the box set (and not on each other).  The U.S. release arrives a bit earlier, on May 28.

After the jump: we take a closer look, plus you’ll find track listings for all three versions, plus pre-order links!

The first four discs of the box offer a reasonable survey of Bacharach’s career, getting across its monumental scope.  Collectors will likely be happiest with the first disc, which offers a number of songs rarely included in such anthologies.  These include one of Bacharach’s very first collaborations with Hal David, Sherry Parsons‘“Peggy’s in the Pantry,“ which still makes the composer bristle today; actor-comedian Jerry Lewis‘“Sad Sack;“ rockabilly star Sonny James‘“Dream Big;“ The Four Aces‘“Paradise Island;“ Everit Herter’s “Boys Are Made for Girls;“ and Dean Barlow’s “Third Window from the Right.“  These songs don’t necessarily foreshadow Bacharach’s future hat-size style, but do offer insight into his development as a songwriter and his ability to tailor material to a wide range of artists in the prevailing musical genres of the day from jazz to rockabilly to pop, country and R&B.  Hits on this first disc include Marty Robbins‘“The Story of My Life,“ The Shirelles‘“Baby It’s You,“ Gene Pitney’s “(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance,“ and The Drifters‘“Mexican Divorce.“  Listen closely to that last one, and you’ll hear the unmistakable vocals of Dionne Warwick, who would play a major role in the composer’s life beginning with 1962’s “Don’t Make Me Over.“

“Don’t Make Me Over,“ unbelievably, is not on the current track listing to Anyone Who Had a Heart.  (An earlier track listing at JPC.de included the song, along with 40 other tracks that have been excised from the most recent line-up.)  This collection’s title track, as produced and written by Bacharach and David and sung by Warwick in 1964, is present, along with four other tracks from the "Triangle Marriage" of Warwick, Bacharach and David.  The second disc traces Bacharach’s career from Jack Jones‘“Dreamin‘ All the Time“ (1962) all the way to Marianne Faithfull’s rendition of “If I Never Get to Love You“ (a 1963 song introduced by Lou Johnson but recorded by the British singer for her 1965 eponymous studio album).  Richard Chamberlain is heard with his original version of “(They Long to Be) Close to You,“ and another highlight is Adam Wade with the all-too-unknown “Rain from the Skies,“ which had the goods to become a pop hit but never did.  (The song did, however, become a bit of a reggae standard!)

All of the discs blend original, Bacharach-helmed versions of songs with cover versions from other artists.  The third CD is bookended with two  covers, Barbra Streisand’s take on “Alfie,“ and Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye’s “The Things I Will Not Miss“ written by Bacharach and David for Hollywood musical Lost Horizon and recorded by the Motown royalty for their Diana and Marvin album (but not released until a CD reissue).  These discs take in Bacharach and David’s film work such as What’s New Pussycat, After the Fox and Casino Royale, as well as their Broadway triumph with Promises, Promises.  Some of the reinvented tracks heard on the third disc include Elvis Presley’s “Any Day Now“ (his only studio recording of a Bacharach song), Aretha Franklin’s sublimely funky “April Fools,“ and The Stylistics‘ lush “You’ll Never Get to Heaven“ as produced and arranged by Thom Bell.  CD 3 ends with songs from Lost Horizon, also marking the end of Bacharach's time as Hal David's partner.

The fourth CD makes a case for what some might call “The Carole Bayer Sager Years,“ though there are also songs written with talents such as Bobby Russell (Tom Jones‘ dramatic “Us“), Paul Anka (Jackie DeShannon’s “I Don’t Need You Anymore“ from the film Together?, Elvis Costello (“Toledo“) and James Ingram and John Bettis (“Sing for the Children,“ arranged in retro Bacharach style not by Burt, but by Thom Bell).  This disc also includes Bacharach’s reunion with Hal David on Dionne Warwick’s 1993 “Sunny Weather Lover.“  (Stephanie Mills' 1975 For the First Time, released after Bacharach and David's "breakup," is also represented with one track.)  Here’s where there’s a bit of mystery: the earlier track listing showed 28 tracks on this disc, which would be more or less in line with the other discs.  The revised list reflects just 19 tracks, meaning that major songs from this period such as Warwick’s chart-topping “That’s What Friends Are For“ and Michael McDonald and Patti LaBelle’s “On My Own“ are both wholly absent from Anyone Who Had a Heart.  What the world does need now is a well-curated anthology of this latter period of Bacharach’s career, showcasing the hidden gems alongside the chart hits.

The box set’s fifth and sixth CDs are dedicated to Bacharach’s solo, largely instrumental recordings, and jazz interpretations, respectively.  Disc 6 is where you’ll find Sergio Mendes and Brasil ‘66’s “The Look of Love,“ not to mention Ella Fitzgerald’s “Wives and Lovers,“ Wes Montgomery’s “What the World Needs Now is Love,“ and Bill Evans‘ “A House is Not a Home.“  This 17-track disc also had a number of tracks excised from the oriignal track listing such as Dave Koz’s “Don’t Give Up“ and Bill Frisell’s “This House is Empty Now.“

No information is yet available as to the box set’s design, packaging and liner notes content, other than that the cover artwork is based on that from Bacharach’s memoir.  Stay tuned, as we’ll report back with that information.  In the meantime, those wishing to lock in the current price for the box at Amazon U.K. can order at the link below. (No Amazon U.S. link is available as of this writing.)  2-CD highlights versions will also be available in both the U.S., and U.K., and appear to have very different track listings, with unique songs on both versions not included in the box set.  Check them all out below!

Anyone Who Had a Heart: The Best of Burt Bacharach – The Art of the Songwriter will be released in the U.K. in both versions (6-CD and 2-CD) on June 10.  The U.S. 2-CD version hits stores first, on May 28.

Various Artists, Anyone Who Had a Heart: The Best of Burt Bacharach – The Art of the Songwriter Box Set (Universal U.K., 2013) (Amazon U.K.)

CD 1

1. Mel Torme - The Desperate Hours
2. Patti Page – Keep Me in Mind
3. Sherry Parsons – Peggy’s in the Pantry
4. Alan Dale – I Cry More
5. Marty Robbins – The Story of My Life
6. Jerry Lewis - Sad Sack
7. Gale Storm - Winter Warm
8. The Five Blobs - The Blob
9. Perry Como - Magic Moments
10. Sonny James - Dream Big
11. Jane Morgan – With Open Arms
12. The Four Aces - Paradise Island
13. Gene Vincent - Crazy Times
14. Charlie Gracie - I Looked for You
15. Everit Herter - Boys Were Made for Girls
16. The Shirelles – Baby, It's You
17. Frankie Avalon - Gotta Get a Girl
18. The Drifters - (Don't Go) Please Stay
19. Gloria Lynne - (You Don't Have to Be a) Tower of Strength
20. Tommy Sands - Love in a Goldfish Bowl
21. Gene Pitney - (The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance
22. Cliff Richard - (It's) Wonderful to Be Young
23. Dean Barlow - Third Window from the Right
24. Gene Pitney – Only Love Can Break a Heart
25. Jane Morgan – Waiting for Charlie to Come Home
26. The Drifters – Mexican Divorce

CD 2

1. Jack Jones - Dreamin' All the Time
2. Babs Tino - Forgive Me (For Giving You Such a Bad Time)
3. Marlene Dietrich - Kleine Treue Nachtigall (Kentucky Bluebird/Message to Martha)
4. Jack jones - Wives and Lovers
5. Jimmy Radcliffe - (There Goes) The Forgotten Man
6. Dionne Warwick - Anyone Who Had a Heart
7. Dusty Springfield - Wishin' and Hopin'
8. Bobby Vinton - Blue on Blue
9. Bobby Vee - Be True to Yourself
10. Richard Chamberlain - (They Long to Be) Close to You
11. Adam Wade - Rain from the Skies
12. Dionne Warwick - Walk On By
13. Dusty Springfield - I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself
14. Sandie Shaw - (There's) Always Something There to Remind Me
15. Dusty Springfield - 24 Hours from Tulsa
16. The Merseybeats - It's Love That Really Counts
17. Gene Pitney - True Love Never Runs Smooth
18. Brook Benton - A House is Not a Home
19. Bobby Goldsboro - Me Japanese Boy I Love You
20. Doris Day - Send Me No Flowers
21. The Searchers – This Empty Place
22. Manfred Mann – My Little Red Book
23. Tom Jones – What’s New Pussycat
24. Jackie DeShannon – What the World Needs Now is Love
25. Marianne Faithfull – If I Never Get to Love You

CD 3

1. Barbra Streisand - Alfie
2. Dionne Warwick - Are You There (With Another Girl)
3. The Walker Brothers – Another Tear Falls
4. Rick Nelson – They Don’t Give Medals (To Yesterday’s Heroes)
5. Peter Sellers and The Hollies - After the Fox
6. The Anita Kerr Singers - In Between the Heartaches
7. Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer
8. Dusty Springfield - The Look of Love (Casino Royale soundtrack version)
9. Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass  – Casino Royale
10. Roland Shaw and His Orchestra -  Let the Love Come Through
11. Diana Ross & The Supremes - Let the Music Play
12. Dionne Warwick - Do You Know the Way to San Jose
13. Jerry Orbach - Promises, Promises
14. Petula Clark - This Girl’s in Love with You
15. Scott Walker - The Windows of the World
16. B.J. Thomas - Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head
17. Engelbert Humperdinck - I'm a Better Man (For Having Loved You)
18. Johnny Mathis - Odds and Ends (Of  a Beautiful Love Affair)
19. Elvis Presley – Any Day Now
20. Jill O'Hara - Whoever You Are, I Love You
21. The 5th Dimension - One Less Bell to Answer
22. Aretha Franklin - The April Fools
23. Stylistics – You’ll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart)
24. The 5th Dimension – Living Together, Growing Together
25. Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye - The Things I Will Not Miss

CD 4

1. Julie Rogers – Long After Tonight is All Over
2. Tom Jones - Us
3. Stephanie Mills - I See You for the First Time
4. Jackie DeShannon - I Don't Need  You Anymore
5. Christopher Cross - Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)
6. Carole Bayer Sager feat. Michael Jackson - Just Friends
7. Neil Diamond - Heartlight
8. Christopher Cross - A Chance for Heaven
9. Natalie Cole - In My Reality
10. Gladys Knight and the Pips -  Overnight Success
11. Patti LaBelle – Need a Little Faith
12. James Ingram – Sing for the Children
13. Dionne Warwick - Sunny Weather Lover
14. Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach - Toledo
15. Will Young - What's in Goodbye
16. Burt Bacharach with Rufus Wainwright – Go Ask Shakespeare
17. Burt Bacharach and Jamie Cullum - Make It Easy on Yourself (Live at the BBC Electric Proms)
18. Ronan Keating and Burt Bacharach – I’ll Never Fall in Love Again
19. Rumer – Some Lovers

CD 5 – performed by Burt Bacharach

1. Bond Street
2. Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
3. Walk On By
4. Alfie
5. Something Big
6. Saturday Sunshine
7. I Say a Little Prayer
8. Nikki (Album Version)
9. South American Getaway
10. The Windows of the World
11. Hasbrook Heights
12. Reach Out for Me
13. The Sundance Kid
14. Promises, Promises
15. Summer of '77
16. And So Goodbye My Love
17. I Come to You
18. Walk the Way You Talk
19. Trains and Boats and Planes
20. The Young Grow Younger Every Day
21. Another Spring Will Rise
22. Don’t Make Me Over
23. Futures
24. Whoever You Are, I Love You

CD 6

1. Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 – The Look of Love
2. Wes Montgomery - What the World Needs Now is Love
3. George Benson – Walk On By
4. Diane Schuur – Never Take That Chance Again
5. Roy Ayers - Raindrops Keep Fallin‘ on My Head
6. Ramsey Lewis - Do You Know the Way to San Jose
7. Ella Fitzgerald – Wives and Lovers
8. Jimmy Smith - This Guy‘s in Love with You
9. Lena Horne – Out of My Continental Mind
10. Lou Rawls - They Don't Give Medals (To Yesterday's Heroes)
11. Charlie Byrd – I’ll Never Fall in Love Again
12. Stan Getz – Any Old Time of Day
13. Astrud Gilberto – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
14. Nancy Wilson – Alfie
15. Laima – Baby It’s You
16. The Bill Evans Trio – A House is Not a Home
17. The McCoy Tyner Trio – One Less Bell to Answer

NOTE:   The above track listing is supplied purely for informational purposes and MAY NOT BE FINAL.  It is current per JPC.de.  The following songs were ORIGINALLY INCLUDED BUT DO NOT APPEAR TO BE PART OF THE SET as of this writing.

The “Missing“ Tracks:

1. Nat King Cole - Once in a Blue Moon (Instrumental)
2. Margaret Whiting – Hot Spell
3. Jo Stafford - Indoor Sport
4. The Hammond Brothers - Thirty Miles of Railroad Tracks
5. Jimmy Breedlove - You're Following Me
6. Sam Butera and the Witnesses - Love Lessons
7. Dionne Warwick - Don't Make Me Over
8. Chuck Jackson – Any Day Now (My Wild Beautiful Bird)
9. The Exotics – Manpower
10. Lou Johnson - Reach Out for Me
11. Cher – Alfie (replaced by Barbra Streisand’s recording)
12. Shawn Phillips - Lost Horizon
13. Michael McDonald - I've Got My Mind Made Up (from Together?)
14. Carpenters - Somebody's Been Lyin‘
15. Roberta Flack - Making Love
16. Quarterflash - Night Shift
17. Dionne & Friends - That's What Friends Are For
18. Patti Labelle & Michael McDonald - On My Own
19. Siedah Garrett - Everchanging Times
20. Barbra Streisand - You and Me for Always
21. Paul Anka - After All
22. Kristen Vigard - God Give Me Strength
23. Noel Gallagher - This Guy‘s in Love with You (Live at Royal Festival Hall)
24. Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello – I’ll Never Fall in Love Again (replaced by Ronan Keating’s recording)
25. Lyle Lovett – Walking Tall (from Stuart Little)
26. Vanessa Williams – Open Your Heart (from Isn’t She Great)
27. Burt Bacharach – All Kinds of People
28. Burt Bacharach - Monterey Peninsula
29. Burt Bacharach – I Took My Strength from You (I Had None)
30. Burt Bacharach - Futures
31. Burt and the Backbeats - Move It on the Backbeat
32. Burt Bacharach – When You Bring Your Sweet Love to Me
33. The McCoy Tyner Trio – (They Long to Be) Close to You
34. Bill Frisell with Cassandra Wilson – Painted from Memory
35. Kevin Eubanks - That's What Friends Are For
36. Dave Koz – Don’t Give Up
37. Isaac Hayes – Walk on By
38. Cleo Laine – Waiting for Johnny to Come Home
39. Diana Krall – The Look of Love (Live at the White House)
40. Dave Koz – This Guy’s in Love with You
41. Bill Frisell – This House is Empty Now

Various Artists, Anyone Who Had a Heart: The Best of Burt Bacharach – The Art of the Songwriter U.K. Highlights Version (Universal U.K., 2013) (Amazon U.K.)

1. Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer
2. Dionne Warwick – Walk On By
3. I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself – Dusty Springfield
4. Tom Jones – What’s New Pussycat
5. The Shirelles – Baby It’s You
6. Burt Bacharach – Trains and Boats and Planes
7. Elvis Presley – Any Day Now
8. B.J. Thomas – Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head
9. Scott Walker – The Windows of the World
10. Diana Ross and the Supremes – Let the Music Play
11. Richard Chamberlain – (They Long to Be) Close to You
12. The Drifters – Mexican Divorce
13. Patti LaBelle - Need a Little Faith
14. Etta James – Waiting for Charlie to Come Home
15. Patti Page – Keep Me in Mind
16. Jack Jones – Wives and Lovers
17. Dusty Springfield – Wishin’ and Hopin’
18. Barbra Streisand – Alfie
19. The Stylistics – You’ll Never Get to Heaven
20. Gene Pitney – 24 Hours from Tulsa

CD 2

1. Dionne Warwick – Do You Know the Way to San Jose
2. Cilla Black – Alfie
3. Adam Faith – Message to Martha
4. Perry Como – Magic Moments
5. Sandie Shaw – (There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me
6. Jackie DeShannon – What the World Needs Now is Love
7. Dusty Springfield – The Look of Love
8. Brook Benton – A House is Not a Home
9. The Walker Brothers – Another Tear Falls
10. Burt Bacharach – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
11. Dionne Warwick – Anyone Who Had a Heart
12. Jamie Cullum and Burt Bacharach – Make It Easy on Yourself (Live)
13. Marty Robbins – The Story of My Life
14. Christopher Cross – Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)
15. Neil Diamond – Heartlight
16. Diana Krall – The Look of Love
17. Isaac Hayes – I’ll Never Fall in Love Again
18. Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach – God Give Me Strength
19. Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye – The Things I Will Not Miss
20. Petula Clark - This Girl’s in Love with You

Various Artists, Anyone Who Had a Heart: The Best of Burt Bacharach – The Art of the Songwriter U.S. 2-CD Version (Universal/Hip-o, 2013) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

CD 1

1. Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer
2. B.J. Thomas – Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head
3. Dusty Springfield - I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself
4. Etta James – Waiting for Charlie to Come Home
5. Marty Robbins – The Story of My Life
6. Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66 – The Look of Love
7. Brook Benton – A House is Not a Home
8. Christopher Cross – Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)
9. Smith – Baby It’s You
10. Gene McDaniels – Tower of Strength
11. Perry Como – Magic Moments
12. Rick Nelson – Take a Broken Heart
13. Brenda Lee – Wishin’ and Hopin’
14. Sybil – Don’t Make Me Over
15. Elvis Presley – Any Day Now
16. Gene Pitney – 24 Hours from Tulsa
17. Isaac Hayes – I’ll Never Fall in Love Again
18. Ron Isley – Love’s (Still) The Answer
19. Dionne Warwick – Anyone Who Had a Heart
20. Jackie DeShannon – What the World Needs Now is Love

CD 2

1. Tom Jones – What’s New Pussycat
2. Barbra Streisand – Alfie
3. The Walker Brothers – Make It Easy on Yourself
4. Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass – This Guy’s in Love with You
5. The Marvelettes – Message to Michael
6. The 5th Dimension – One Less Bell to Answer
7. Gloria Gaynor – Walk On By
8. Astrud Gilberto – Trains and Boats and Planes
9. Diana Ross and the Supremes – Let the Music Play
10. The Stylistics – You’ll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart)
11. Jack Jones – Wives and Lovers
12. Chris DeBurgh – Love is My Decision
13. Patti Page – Keep Me in Mind
14. Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald – On My Own
15. Burt Bacharach – Nikki
16. Manfred Mann – My Little Red Book
17. Gladys Knight and the Pips – Overnight Success
18. Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach – Toledo
19. Kevin Eubanks – That’s What Friends Are For