Burt Bacharach leaves behind a legacy of big-selling pop music

One of my cherished concert-going memories is that of Dionne Warwick at the Folk Arts Theater in the late ‘70s. About two or three songs into the show, she embarked on a medley that would last for almost 30 minutes.

There she was wearing a simple but elegant white gown, standing on center stage, holding the packed audience enthralled with her incredible voice and one hit song after another after another. All of them were composed by Burt Bacharach with words by Hal David.

Back in those days, if you came across a song that became a big hit, chances are it was written by David and Bacharach. Warwick was their muse but everybody sang their songs like The Carpenters, B.J. Thomas, Gene Pitney, Tom Jones, Bobby Vinton, Dusty Springfield, Jack Jones, Christopher Cross, Jackie de Shannon, Sergio Mendes and many others.

I initially wondered if Bacharach was indeed named Bacharach. I thought that he coined his name out of Bach, you know, Johann Sebastian, one of the composers from the Baroque period who revolutionized music through layered sounds, unique chord progressions and innovative harmonies.

It will not be surprising for a young man to take on the name Bach or something like it to make it in the entertainment scene. But no Burt Bacharach was indeed born Bacharach on May 12, 1928. He was named Burt Freeman, the son of Irma Freeman and Mark Bertram Bacharach. His father was a syndicated newspaper columnist while mother was an artist and songwriter who encouraged his music studies.

Although classically trained as a pianist, he has a BM degree, Bacharach gravitated towards jazz as a young musician. He acquired exposure to pop music while serving as a musical director to big names like Vic Damone and the actress Marlene Dietrich. These gigs gave him the chance to meet other singers for whom he was soon writing songs. Among his early hits were The Story of My Life for Marty Robbins and Magic Moments for Perry Como.

The music magic that would turn him into one of the greatest pop music composers of the 20th century quietly entered his life at the legendary Brill Building in New York. That was where hit songs were created back in the 1950s and many years later. That was where the likes of Carole King and Neil Sedaka started their careers. It was there where Bacharach met a lyricist named Hal David.

Broadway had the likes of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II and American pop music found their counterparts in David and Bacharach. To his credit, Bacharach would have made Johann Sebastian proud. He had classical training, affinity for jazz and the innate daring to explore untried combinations. In a way, he was like Bach in the modern setting.

In a way though, Bacharach had one up over the great baroque musician. He had David who wrote easy-to-relate-to lyrics with unique rhyming patterns. That when combined with Bacharach’s melodies and arrangements resulted in an avalanche of big-selling songs, the likes of which we have not witnessed since. And maybe we never will.

Burt Bacharach passed away of natural causes last Feb. 8. He was 94 years old. He left behind a world richer, happier and filled with more love, thanks to the music he created.

Alfie, They Long to be Close to You, What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love, Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head, The Best That You Could Do, Walk on By, Make it Easy on Yourself, I’ll Never Fall in Love Again, Don’t Make Me Over, I Say a Little Pray’r for You, Wives and Lovers, There’s Always Something There to Remind Me, One Less Bell to Answer, This Guy’s in Love with You, Wishing and Hoping, Only Love Can Break a Heart, The Look of Love, The April Fools, Do You Know the Way to San Jose, You’ll Never Get to Heaven if You Break My Heart, Promises Promises, Anyone who had a Heart, Don’t Go Breaking My Heart, A House is not a Home, That’s What Friends are for and many others.