"Words by Hal David." That credit graces many of the most cherished popular songs of the second half of the twentieth century, including "(They Long To Be) Close To You," "I Say a Little Prayer," "The Look of Love," and of course, "What the World Needs Now Is Love." Beginning this weekend, Public Television stations nationwide will be celebrating the life and legacy of Hal David with a new special. What the World Needs Now: Words by Hal David from John Paulson Productions is hosted by The
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 like "Walk On By," "I Say a Little Prayer," "Alfie," and "I'll Never Love This Way Again" have all become cornerstones of the new American songbook. Dionne's remarkable life and
We've already told you about Real Gone's reissue of Debby Boone's You Light Up My Life, coming on December 8. Now, Real Gone has announced two other titles coming soon. Both feature legendary artists who got their start in the 1960s. First up is Odds & Ends: Scepter Records Rarities, a collection of rarities from Dionne Warwick taken from her time at Scepter Records. Due on January 12, 2018, it features new liner notes by our very own Joe Marchese based on his brand-new
Happy Thanksgiving! Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Prince, Prince 4Ever (Warner Bros.) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) This release actually came out on Tuesday, but it's worth a reminder here: this first posthumous collection from the late, great artist premieres one previously unreleased track, and includes a number of single versions making their CD debuts. Prince 4Ever is a 40-track summary of The Artist's major works from his first album, 1978's For You, to
I hear the music coming out of your radio... Who's today's foremost young interpreter of the timeless music of Burt Bacharach and Hal David? Chances are many would answer with one name: Rumer. On October 21, the singer-songwriter will release her first full-length tribute to the songwriting legends with the debut on Rhino/EastWest of her fourth album, the eagerly-anticipated This Girl's in Love: A Bacharach and David Songbook. In 2010, Rumer released the single Sings Bacharach at
Following the commercial failure of the big-budget 1973 movie musical Lost Horizon, Burt Bacharach retreated. Tension over the film had led to a split with his longtime songwriting partner Hal David, and their split had in turn led to a breakup of their “triangle marriage” with singer Dionne Warwick. Lawsuits ensued. Only one new Bacharach song emerged in 1974, Gladys Knight and the Pips’ “Seconds,” co-written with playwright Neil Simon for a proposed movie version of the 1968
What's it all about? For Hal David, it was about dedication to his craft, a tireless commitment to songwriters' rights and a desire to bring the world a message of love, sweet love - a sentiment that's never gone out of fashion. The Oscar, Grammy and Gershwin Prize-winning lyricist and former president of performance rights organization ASCAP passed away on September 1. He left behind a world made immeasurably richer by his gift of song. Hal David's turns of phrase in songs like "Raindrops