# Use of Burt Bachrach songs in the Austin Powers movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 13, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-burt-bachrach-songs-in-the-austin-powers-movies/207255 "2003-10-13T21:05:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-burt-bachrach-songs-in-the-austin-powers-movies/207255/1 "2003-10-13T21:05:01Z")
I was somewhat surprised to hear Burt Bachrach music featured so prominently in _Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery_. Listening to the songs objectively, which I really hadn’t done before, some of them really aren’t bad, and have some really nice chord progressions. I can understand why several of his songs have been covered by rock artists. And the music seemed to fit in the context of the movie, yet all the while I was thinking to myself, this music is from the man who wrote _Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head_! Notwithstanding that, though, these songs just don’t seem to fit in with the “mod” atmosphere that the movie was trying to create. Was Bachrach ever “cool”, in the sense of being thought of as a part of mod or hip culture? Or was he more middle of the road? ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-burt-bachrach-songs-in-the-austin-powers-movies/207255/2 "2003-10-13T21:25:41Z")
😕 BJ Thomas wrote the lyrics and sang “Raindrops” for Butch Cassidy and the sundacne Kid ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-burt-bachrach-songs-in-the-austin-powers-movies/207255/3 "2003-10-13T21:39:05Z")
Burt knows a bit about the groovy spy biz. He and Hal David wrote the music for _Casino Royale_, the original Bond parody. (Love the opening theme, as performed by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, played over Richard Williams’ unique credits.) ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/91b2a8/32.png) [@Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_of_Sandwhich)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-burt-bachrach-songs-in-the-austin-powers-movies/207255/4 "2003-10-13T21:40:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ilsa\_Lund \* > \*\*😕 > > BJ Thomas wrote the lyrics and sang “Raindrops” for Butch Cassidy and the sundacne Kid \*\* Everything I needed to know about eating an apple, I learned from Paul Newman. Actually, the lyrics to “Raindrops” were written by Hal David. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-burt-bachrach-songs-in-the-austin-powers-movies/207255/5 "2003-10-13T21:53:58Z")
So what the hell is wrong with “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on my Head”? ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-burt-bachrach-songs-in-the-austin-powers-movies/207255/6 "2003-10-13T21:58:06Z")
Nothing’s wrong with _Raindrops_, but I just find his other songs more interesting (those that I know at least). A chacon a son gout. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-burt-bachrach-songs-in-the-austin-powers-movies/207255/7 "2003-10-13T22:22:51Z")
There’s only one Burt Bacharach song in the Austin Powers movies. The same song, “What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love”, is played in each one. ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-burt-bachrach-songs-in-the-austin-powers-movies/207255/8 "2003-10-13T23:13:03Z")
One thing to remember is that the 60s Bond movies and their knockoffs were never quite as hip or trendy as they pretended to be. You’d never hear any of the cutting edge rock music that defined the _real_ Swinging London in a Bond movie, for example. At heart they were movies made by aging men about what they thought would appeal to people a generation or two younger than them. So you got things like, say, Tom Jones doing the Thunderball theme song. (Jones being only marginally hipper than Bacharach at the time.) With that plus the Casino Royale connection in mind, Bacharach makes perfect sense. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-burt-bachrach-songs-in-the-austin-powers-movies/207255/9 "2003-10-14T00:04:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GuanoLad \* > \*\*There’s only one Burt Bacharach song in the Austin Powers movies. The same song, “What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love”, is played in each one. \*\* Nope–“The Look of Love” and “What Do You Get When You Fall In Love?” are also Bachrach tunes that show up in the trilogy (the latter performed by Bachrach and Elvis Costello, IIRC). ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-burt-bachrach-songs-in-the-austin-powers-movies/207255/10 "2003-10-14T00:47:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dr. Rieux \* > \*\*“What Do You Get When You Fall In Love?” \*\* You’re presumably referring to “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again.” ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-burt-bachrach-songs-in-the-austin-powers-movies/207255/11 "2003-10-14T00:51:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spectre of Pithecanthropus \* > **Nothing’s wrong with _Raindrops_, but I just find his other songs more interesting (those that I know at least).** If you’re going to talk “interesting,” I would suggest that “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” is pretty hip structurally. Try keeping the beat during the instrumental ending and see if those bars of 2/4 don’t throw you. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-burt-bachrach-songs-in-the-austin-powers-movies/207255/12 "2003-10-14T01:42:57Z")
The problem with “Raindrops” is that it was an anachronistic lyrically-amorphous song shoehorned into _Butch_ for no real purpose but to (a) sell records, and (b) provide a tangential “feel-good” moment that has very little to do with the characters and even less to do with the plot. Every single pop hit that has been used as a pointless bridge in romantic comedies/dramas, etc. with no relationship to the movie can be traced back to the dubious success of that irrelevant song in that overrated western. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-burt-bachrach-songs-in-the-austin-powers-movies/207255/13 "2003-10-14T02:24:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ArchiveGuy \* > **The problem with “Raindrops” is that it was an anachronistic lyrically-amorphous song shoehorned into _Butch_ for no real purpose but to (a) sell records, and (b) provide a tangential “feel-good” moment that has very little to do with the characters and even less to do with the plot.** I’ll agree that the song is utterly irrelevant to the film; I’ll go farther and say that it even detracts from the film by virtue of its feel just being so wrong for the setting. But _Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid_ an “overrated western”? Blasphemy! ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-burt-bachrach-songs-in-the-austin-powers-movies/207255/14 "2003-10-14T13:27:14Z")
I figure, if we really want to, we can start a new thread to discuss the merits of “Raindrops”. Getting back to the OP, Mike Myers has stated several times in interviews as well as on the commentery tracks on all three DVDs that the original concept of the Austin Powers character came to him while he was driving and Bacharach’s “The Look of Love” came on the radio. The character was born and fleshed out amidst a Bacharach soundtrack. In Myers’ mind Austin and Burt are inseperable. Also: “Burt Bacharach doesn’t start with an ‘S’.” “Neither does Hal David.” “Who’s Hal David?” “Hal David wrote the words. Burt just wrote the tunes!” ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-burt-bachrach-songs-in-the-austin-powers-movies/207255/15 "2003-10-14T15:00:17Z")
Did you know Bachrach and David wrote the theme for 1958’s **The Blob**??? > **[The Blob (1958) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051418/fullcredits#writers)** > > The Blob (1958) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. ---
**Author:** ![Improvisor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/50afbb/32.png) [@Improvisor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improvisor)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-burt-bachrach-songs-in-the-austin-powers-movies/207255/16 "2003-10-14T21:33:33Z")
I’ve seen in interviews that alot of what Mike Myer’s does is in homage to his father. For example, Myer’s production company is called “Eric’s Boy”, and this quote about Austin Powers in particular: “Austin Powers was born out of trying to celebrate my father’s life. My father’s favorites were mine - Peter Sellers, Monty Python, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore…My dad was a guy who loved to be silly; he had a highly prized sense of humor. When I would bring friends home to play table hockey in the basement, if my dad didn’t think they were funny, he wouldn’t let them in the house. ‘They can’t come around,’ he’d say. ‘They’re not bloody funny!’” - Biography, June 1999 Also, his father really liked Bachrach, and I think Myer’s just associates it with that era. Personanly, I think the songs go pretty well with the campy feel of the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-burt-bachrach-songs-in-the-austin-powers-movies/207255/17 "2003-10-14T21:56:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wumpus \* > \*\*One thing to remember is that the 60s Bond movies and their knockoffs were never quite as hip or trendy as they pretended to be. You’d never hear any of the cutting edge rock music that defined the _real_ Swinging London in a Bond movie, for example. > > At heart they were movies made by aging men about what they thought would appeal to people a generation or two younger than them. So you got things like, say, Tom Jones doing the Thunderball theme song. (Jones being only marginally hipper than Bacharach at the time.) > > With that plus the Casino Royale connection in mind, Bacharach makes perfect sense. \*\* I wouldn’t say that the makers of the James Bond movies were attempting to be hip, and the theme songs, though well remembered, were really a marginal aspect of the films. Tom Jones singing Thunderball seems to line up perfectly with the famous themes for other Bond films like Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever. I imagine those themes were geared more towards older adults who were too old to belong to the rock-and-roll generation, but were still young enough to go out and have a good time. As a semi-related aside, about a year ago I lunch at Encounters, the restaurant up in the famous double-arched “Theme Building” at LAX. I amused to notice that they played what I like to call “Jet Set” music, mainly easy-listening MOR pop of the mid 1960s. I imagine that the bulk of the air-travelling public of the time comprised higher level business travellers and other well dressed older adults who didn’t go for rock, so, for me, music like Burt Bachrach’s is jet set music. As for Austin Powers, it does seem that the producers did conflate disparate aspects of 1960’s life and culture that really had very little to do with each other.