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Hissyspit

(45,788 posts)
Sat Sep 1, 2012, 05:44 PM Sep 2012

Hal David, Burt Bacharach's Songwriting Partner, Dies at 91

Source: LA Times

Breaking News: Hal David, Burt Bacharach's songwriting partner, dies at 91

Hal David, the renowned pop music lyricist whose prolific collaboration with composer Burt Bacharach produced a wealth of enduringly memorable hits in the 1960s and early ’70s, including “Walk on By,” “What the World Needs Now Is Love” and “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” died Saturday in Los Angeles. He was 91.

David died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center of complications from a stroke, announced his wife, Eunice.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., David wrote a number of hit songs with other collaborators before teaming with Bacharach in 1956. They scored their first hit together in 1957 with Marty Robbins’ recording of “The Story of My Life,” which was followed by a 1958 hit for Perry Como, “Magic Moments.”

The songwriters continued to collaborate with others over the next few years but began an exclusive partnership after discovering  their "magical interpreter," as David once described her: a young backup singer named Dionne Warwick.

In 1962, Warwick recorded their song “Don’t Make Me Over,” which became her first hit single. Her long string of pop classic hits by David and Bacharach includes “Walk on By,” “Alfie,” “Reach out for Me,” “Message to Michael,” “Trains and Boats and Planes,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” and “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again.”

Read more: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/09/hal-david-dies-burt-bacharach.html

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Hal David, Burt Bacharach's Songwriting Partner, Dies at 91 (Original Post) Hissyspit Sep 2012 OP
One of my earliest favorites was "Walk On By" Faygo Kid Sep 2012 #1
Oh yeah, she sang this so well MichiganVote Sep 2012 #4
Some of my favorite songs from my childhood; I love "What the World Needs Now SaveAmerica Sep 2012 #2
Here's a medley from their magical interpreter SaveAmerica Sep 2012 #3
Just saw this... So sad to hear. BumRushDaShow Sep 2012 #5
I love Walk on by ... bayareaboy Sep 2012 #6
RIP Mr. David. Thanks for the words that made the music sing. Vidar Sep 2012 #7
some losses go deeper than deep. turtlerescue1 Sep 2012 #8
A complete artist Ebadlun Sep 2012 #9
all those lyrics without having to use low life obscenities even once. imagine that nt msongs Sep 2012 #10
Aww, just posted the song "A House Is Not a Home" on FB latebloomer Sep 2012 #11

Faygo Kid

(21,478 posts)
1. One of my earliest favorites was "Walk On By"
Sat Sep 1, 2012, 05:50 PM
Sep 2012

Dionne Warwick nailed that one. Many memorable songs here, and great memories.



SaveAmerica

(5,342 posts)
2. Some of my favorite songs from my childhood; I love "What the World Needs Now
Sat Sep 1, 2012, 06:00 PM
Sep 2012

is love sweet love, it's the only thing that there's just too little of".

BumRushDaShow

(128,740 posts)
5. Just saw this... So sad to hear.
Sat Sep 1, 2012, 06:22 PM
Sep 2012

What a great ballad artist and he will be missed.

Condolences to his family and R.I.P. sir.

turtlerescue1

(1,013 posts)
8. some losses go deeper than deep.
Sat Sep 1, 2012, 09:23 PM
Sep 2012

This duo kept my teen years do-able. Like Simon & Garfunkel, some folks just do something together that the rest of us can' t even get close to.

Of course NOW I'll be once again having these songs run through my head and likely out my mouth.



Peace to you Hal David.


and thanks for the memories.

Ebadlun

(336 posts)
9. A complete artist
Sat Sep 1, 2012, 09:39 PM
Sep 2012

The trick to writing good lyrics is to make them sound so natural that it seems anyone could have said them - but to do that with the exact combination of stress accents to fit the music, avoiding clusters of consonants, thinking about vowel assonance takes real graft. And to then fit them to the complex melodies with shifting time signatures that your songwriting partner is throwing at you is something else again.

At the risk of sounding a grumpy old fart, I don't believe there's anyone in the current pop scene who can still do it.

latebloomer

(7,120 posts)
11. Aww, just posted the song "A House Is Not a Home" on FB
Sun Sep 2, 2012, 11:38 AM
Sep 2012

re Eastwood- "A chair is still a chair/ Even when there's no one sitting there". . .

He was too ill to be present at the recent White House tribute to him and Bacharach.

Sure did give us a lot of fabulous songs.

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