When I had a courier job a few years ago, I had to make a delivery to Hal David- I was so excited. I texted a friend that I was going to Hal David’s house and she texted back “Who’s Hal David?” and she was a self described Burt Bacharach fan!!!
“Walk on By”
“Close to You”
“The look of Love”
So many great songs.
He, Bacharach, and Dionne Warwick were a perfect storm of lyricist, songwriter, and voice. Don’t forget “Anyone Who Had a Heart.”
Here’s a listof some of his songs.
Another list, a link from benville’s cite.
Wow. That is a LOT of great songs. Not just hits–great songs.
Yeah. I felt a lot less embarrassed about my “guilty pleasure” love for “Close to You” when I found out who wrote it. A perfect little song.
He was the last reminder of the days when movies debuted original hit songs.
“The Look of Love,” one of the world’s great love songs, was the track behind the awesomely beautiful and sexy romp between Peter Sellars and Ursula Andress in, of all places, the spoof disaster Casino Royale. That’s almost as weird, maybe weirder than “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” appearing in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. And that was the era when penning title tracks for Alfie or What’s New Pussycat could become huge classic hits. Of course, Hal David wrote all those lyrics.
That might explain why I heard “One Less Bell to Answer” on the radio today. Although I heard it on the same station about a month ago. Funny since I hadn’t heard it in decades. As a kid I found this song hauntingly sad, yet beautiful.
I’m youtubing a bunch of these. What great songs, little pop masterpieces, gems…
We’ll miss you, Hal - thanks.