Friday, February 10, 2023

Raindrops Keep Fallin'


I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself
Wishin' and Hopin'
(They Long to Be) Close to You
Walk on By
A House is Not a Home
Always Somethin' There to Remind Me
What the World Needs Now Is Love
What's New Pussycat?
Alfie
The Look of Love
I Say A Little Prayer
Do You Know the Way to San Jose?
I'll Never Fall in Love Again
Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head
Arthur's Theme
That's What Friends Are For

There are definitely times when a person can stand on their accomplishments and their accomplishments can stand on their own.  Burt Bacharach's discography certainly stands with the best of them.

Described as "a composer whose venerable name can be linked with just about every other prominent musical artist of his era," Bacharach defined his own style of music.  His five decade plus career was littered with accomplishments that others could only dream of.  Seven Grammy awards including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008 that proclaimed him the Greatest Living Composer.  Three Academy Awards for his contribution to music in film.  An Emmy award, making him one award short of an EGOT.  The 2012 Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, awarded by the Library of Congress.

His collaborators include a who's who of American and British popular music.  Songs for Nat King Cole, Marty Robbins, Perry Como, Frankie Avalon, The Drifters, Andy Williams, Doris Day, Tom Jones, Dusty Springfield, BJ Thomas, Christopher Cross, Roberta Flack, Neil Diamond, and Rod Stewart.  And of course, the legend, Dionne Warwick.  

While his music would be labeled easy listening and he made it look effortless, the process and the complexity was anything but easy.  He sought to make every composition interesting and in doing so, wrote for unique combinations of musicians, added unusual chord progressions, and played with tight harmonies, syncopated rhythms, pacing, and changing meters.  He was a master of his craft and it showed.

Bacharach passed away Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at the age of 94.

He will be missed.  Thankfully his legacy of music will live on.

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