Hit Maker! - Album

Burt Freeman Bacharach May 12 1928 – February 8 2023 Was An American Composer Songwriter And Musician Who Is Widely Regarded As One Of The Most Important And Influential Figures Of 20th-Century Popular Music. Bacharach Studied Music At McGill University And The Mannes School Of Music. In The 1950s And The Early 1960s He Was The Pianist Arranger And Bandleader For Marlene Dietrich With Whom He Toured. He Teamed With Lyricist Hal David And Others To Write Many Popular Songs In The 1960s And 1970s. Bacharach's Music Has Been Sung By A Number Of Popular Singers Including The Beatles The Carpenters Aretha Franklin Jack Jones Tom Jones Dusty Springfield Luther Vandross And The Drifters. He Met Dionne Warwick With Whom He Would Form A Famed Collaboration. His Songs Are Characterized By 1 The Use Of Unexpected Harmonic Changes And 2 Unusual Rhythmic Patterns And Time Signatures. He Employs Times Such As 5/4 Or 3/2 And Frequently Goes From One Time Signature To Another In The Same Song Often After Each Measure. He Also Changes Keys Frequently. An Excellent Example Of His Style Is "Promises Promises" From His Score To The Musical Of The Same Name. He Has A Total Of 52 Top 40 Hits. In Addition Many Of His Songs Were Adapted By Jazz Artists Of The Time Such As Stan Getz And Wes Montgomery. The Bacharach-David Composition "My Little Red Book" Originally Recorded By Manfred Mann For The Film What's New Pussycat And Promptly Covered By Love In 1965 Has Become A Rock Standard. He Composed And Arranged The Soundtrack Of The 1967 Film Casino Royale. He Has Been Married Four Times To Paula Stewart 1953-1958 To Actress Angie Dickinson 1965-1980 To Lyricist Carole Bayer Sager 1982-1991 - With Whom He Collaborated On A Number Of Pieces - And Since 1993 Jane Hanson. He Has A Total Of Four Children Two Girls And Two Boys. In 1998 He Collaborated On An Album Called Painted From Memory With Singer/songwriter Elvis Costello. His 2005 Album At This Time Features Collaborations With Costello Rufus Wainwright And Dr. Dre Who Provides Bass-And-Drum Loops . Bacharach Has Had Cameo Roles In A Number Of Hollywood Movies Including All Three Austin Powers Movies. His Music Is Also Credited As Providing Inspiration For These Movies. During Subsequent Burt Bacharach Concert Tours Each Show Would Open With A Very Brief Video Clip From The Movie Austin Powers The Spy Who Shagged Me With Mike Myers As Austin Powers Uttering "Ladies And Gentlemen Mr. Burt Bacharach". read less