Talk about a well-kept secret… Throughout his too-short life, vocalist Warren Wiebe (1953-1998) never became a household name. Yet he was highly successful. As a background singer, he graced recordings by Johnny Mathis, Paul Anka, Taylor Dayne, and Air Supply. A true songwriter’s singer – able to convey the heart and soul of a song without resorting to self-indulgence – he earned the respect and admiration of a “Who’s Who” of songwriters who enlisted him to introduce their songs on private demonstration recordings. Among Wiebe’s biggest fans were Burt Bacharach, David Foster,…
What The World Needs Now: Bacharach Demos Collected, Featuring Brian Wilson, Bill Champlin, More
On May 12 of this year, Burt Bacharach turned 89 years young. Since 1952, when he began his career as a professional songwriter with Nat “King” Cole’s recording of the instrumental “Once in a Blue Moon,” hardly a year has gone by without a new Bacharach song. Throughout the seven decades in which he’s been working, Bacharach has enjoyed fruitful collaborations with not only Hal David, but also Bob Hilliard, Carole Bayer Sager, Elvis Costello, and most recently, Steven Sater. Now, the spotlight has been turned on his long partnership with another…
