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From the moment she burst onto the music scene in 1962 exhorting "Don't Make Me Over," Dionne Warwick has been a musical force with which to be reckoned. The legendary singer blended elegant pop and deeply felt soul in a fashion which remains unrivaled today for its sophistication and polish; her signature songs such as "Walk On By," "I Say a Little Prayer," "Alfie," and "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" have all become cornerstones of the new American songbook. Those songs were all co-written and co-produced by the team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David; Warwick has often described her relationship with them as "the triangle marriage that worked." Last week, Bacharach passed away at the age of 94, prompting the singer to reflect, "Burt's transition is like losing a family member. These words I've been asked to write are being written with sadness over the loss of my Dear Friend and Musical Partner." (Hal David died in 2012 at 91.) Yesterday, Real Gone Music announced the release of a long-in-the-works compendium that definitively celebrates "the triangle marriage that worked."
CD 1
- I SMILED YESTERDAY
- DON'T MAKE ME OVER
- THIS EMPTY PLACE
- WISHIN' AND HOPIN'
- MAKE THE MUSIC PLAY
- PLEASE MAKE HIM LOVE ME
- ANYONE WHO HAD A HEART
- THE LOVE OF A BOY
- WALK ON BY
- ANY OLD TIME OF DAY
- YOU'LL NEVER GET TO HEAVEN (IF YOU BREAK MY HEART)
- A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME
- REACH OUT FOR ME
- HOW MANY DAYS OF SADNESS
- YOU CAN HAVE HIM
- IS THERE ANOTHER WAY TO LOVE YOU
- WHO CAN I TURN TO
- DON'T SAY I DIDN'T TELL YOU SO
- HERE I AM
- THEY LONG TO BE CLOSE TO YOU
- LOOKING WITH MY EYES
- ONLY THE STRONG, ONLY THE BRAVE
- ARE YOU THERE (WITH ANOTHER GIRL)
- IF I EVER MAKE YOU CRY
- MESSAGE TO MICHAEL
- HERE WHERE THERE IS LOVE
CD 2
- TRAINS AND BOATS AND PLANES
- DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART
- I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF
- IN BETWEEN THE HEARTACHES
- ANOTHER NIGHT
- GO WITH LOVE
- ALFIE
- THE BEGINNING OF LONELINESS
- THE WINDOWS OF THE WORLD
- WALK LITTLE DOLLY
- I SAY A LITTLE PRAYER
- (THEME FROM) VALLEY OF THE DOLLS
- DO YOU KNOW THE WAY TO SAN JOSE
- LET ME BE LONELY
- WHO IS GONNA LOVE ME?
- (THERE'S) ALWAYS SOMETHING THERE TO REMIND ME
- PROMISES, PROMISES
- WHOEVER YOU ARE, I LOVE YOU
- THIS GIRL'S IN LOVE WITH YOU
- DREAM SWEET DREAMER
- THE APRIL FOOLS
- SLAVES
- ODDS AND ENDS
- AS LONG AS THERE'S AN APPLE TRE
CD 3
- YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVIN' FEELING
- WINDOW WISHING
- I'LL NEVER FALL IN LOVE AGAIN
- WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS LOVE
- LET ME GO TO HIM
- LONELINESS REMEMBERS WHAT HAPPINESS FORGETS
- PAPER MACHE
- THE WINE IS YOUNG
- MAKE IT EASY ON YOURSELF
- KNOWING WHEN TO LEAVE
- THE GREEN GRASS STARTS TO GROW
- THEY DON'T GIVE MEDALS TO YESTERDAY'S HEROES
- WHO GETS THE GUY
- WALK THE WAY YOU TALK
- AMANDA
- HE'S MOVING ON
- THE LOVE OF MY MAN
- HURTS SO BAD
- RAINDROPS KEEP FALLIN' ON MY HEAD
- I'M YOUR PUPPET
- THE GOOD LIFE
- MEDLEY: REACH OUT & TOUCH (SOMEBODY'S HAND)/ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE
- ONLY LOVE CAN BREAK A HEART
- IF I RULED THE WORLD
NOW WITH LINKS! (Don't) Walk On By: Dionne Warwick's "Make It Easy on Yourself: The Scepter Recordings 1962-1971" Due in June on 12 CDs from SoulMusic, Second Disc
The Year In Review: The 2023 Gold Bonus Disc Awards, From A to Z - Part One
Mighty Love: The Spinners' "Ain't No Price on Happiness: The Thom Bell Studio Recordings" Box Arrives Friday
Are the "new design elements" just they typeface on the cover or what exactly? I have the prior issue of this so I'm probably good. (first two songs on CD one are switched around, that's odd)
“Don't Make Me Over” was originally the B-side of “I Smiled Yesterday” until Scepter switched the sides. So I guess either order make sense.
The artwork has been redesigned but if you have the TJL set, you have the same notes and photos. I can confirm, too, that “I Smiled Yesterday” is Track 1 and “Don’t Make Me Over” is Track 2 on this new edition.
I'm confused - I have the PBS release (bought used) and it has I Smiled Yesterday as track 1 and Don't Make Me Over as track 2. Were there two pressings of the PBS set?
That sequence is correct and also used on the upcoming RGM collection.
Thanks Joe.
$60 is a bit steep for me. I will have to think about it, but a great collection.
Looking forward to this. Great article but I believe Hal David passed away in 2012, not 2021.
Thanks, Randy. That’s just a typo, and it has been corrected.
As Real Gone don't ship to the UK i hope amazon uk have it for sale
Not currently (16/2/23) unfortunately, and none of the other 3 retailers listed will ship to the UK. Great job brexiters!
It's up on Amazon.co.uk at the moment. Just under £50
Thanks Gary, hopefully will drop a bit like the Fifth Dimension set did.
I have a love/hate relationship with Dionne. There is no denying the great Burt and Hal songs,or Dionne's voice at that time.
I saw Dionne in concert in 1980. 30 minutes into her show, she complained about the lighting. Apparently the lighting guy did not respond quickly enough, so Dionne stopped mid song and started berating him, calling him among other things, "A retarded paraplegic".
She then left the stage and did not return. The audience left in stunned silence.
I have been attending concerts since 1969, and have NEVER encountered such an unprofessional display.
Having said that,and having spent the last week, listening to lots of Dionne, I must end this note , and click to buy.
The current pre-order price on Amazon Canada is $80.00. Maybe she delivers it herself to your home!
I appreciate why people like mono, as well as the point of a collection like this. But, I'm a stereo guy. I'd argue that - especially considering Bacharach's intricate, baroque arrangements - stereo's the way to go here. I just spent a couple of hours listening to the stereo LP versions and, boy, do they sound great! Wish I could have both...
I don't know how many versions of these songs will be enough but I am damned tempted to click "buy". On another note I am thoroughly enjoying the recent released "Sure Thing - the Warner Recordings" which have held up really well. I guess I am on a Dionne bender at the moment.
I first learned that of the PBS pledge collection a few days ago, so of course, I ordered this immediately.
I am happy to report that this collection is packaged in a good old "Fatboy" case, and not a Digipak!
Yes it is...and my only disappointment...the old school Fatboy case cheapens the presentation package IMO...they could have put the Fatboy in a slipcase at least...my preference would have been an 8-panel CD wallet with 4 pockets...and spot varnishing...
I can't understand why the price of this set is so high. It works out about £15 a disc plus a fiver for the package. I would normally jump at purchasing this but I feel like this is a rip off.
I made the decision to buy the new Nana Mouskouri French recording box set instead. 20 discs for £80. There's no contest.
I can’t speak directly to the Dionne collection as I wasn’t involved with it, but I can speak from a general perspective. The cost of licensing is a major one; the Nana box is released by Universal and the material is owned by Universal, so there’s no licensing fee involved. The rate for mechanical royalties to songwriters is MUCH, much higher in America than in Europe (and actually rose at the beginning of 2023), which also drives up the cost of an extensive collection such as the Dionne set. This is one reason we rarely see U.S. multi-disc boxes such as the Nana one (or the recent James Last box). Lastly, the cost of importing releases has risen considerably since Brexit. This could all explain why the Dionne set is priced at a comparatively high amount. I’m sure if Real Gone could charge less for this title, they would. It’s a beautiful package - as is the Nana box set. 🙂
It is a bit high, but I caved because of the content & the amount of content...and the care that went into compiling the set...Paul Grein wrote a great essay...I did catch one error in the booklet...the catalogue number was wrong on 1 of the singles: "Are You There (With Another Girl)", it says Scepter single 12111 when it should have said 12122, but that's just minor...as for that Nana box, I've never heard her music before...is it more Europop, singer/songwriter, or operatic/classical?? I know what she looks like, but never heard her recordings and wouldn't know where to begin...another French import on Universal I want ASAP is the Mylene Farmer box covering 1986-1996, I believe it's at least 16 discs & around $117...
US release today but another 4 weeks until Amazon UK say it will be delivered. Is expensive in the UK but I am assuming Amazon have added their VAT plus to the item.