Musician and composer Burt Bacharach, who died Wednesday (8/2) at the age of 94, left a legacy of American (and English) classical popular music that few are able to match. One of the most influential composers of all time, he created symphonic arrangements for psychedelic music, framed the soul in luxurious orchestral robes and wrote soundtracks that marked the history of cinema and pop music.
Its influence is felt in the sophistication of the classic recordings of Dionne Warwick, its main interpreter, the greatest hits of Cilla Black and The Carpenters, the psychedelia of the cult band Love and even the rocky distortions of the guitar of Jack White, who transformed the soft Bacharach melodies in garage rock during the White Stripes era.
See below an example of Bacharach’s impact, in videos of 15 iconic songs composed by the maestro.
| TOM JONES | WHAT’S NEW PUSSYCAT
| BLACK CILLA | WHO HAS HAD A HEART
| SANDIE SHAW | (THERE IS) ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT REMINDS ME
| DIONNE WARWICK | KNOW THE ROAD TO SAN JOSE
| DUSTY SPRING FIELD | THE LOOK OF LOVE
| ARETHA FRANKLIN | I SAID A LITTLE PRAYER
| ISAAC HAYES | STROLL
| BJ THOMAS | RAINDROPS KEEP FALLING ON MY HEAD
| THE CARPENTERS | WISH TO BE NEAR YOU)
| CROSS OF CHRISTOPHER | ARTHUR’S THEME
| DIONNE WARWICK | THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR
| ELVIS COSTELLO | I WILL NEVER FALL IN LOVE AGAIN
| CHRISSIE HYNDE | BABY IT’S YOU
| LOVE | MY LITTLE RED BOOK
| THE WHITE STRIPES | I JUST DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF
Source: Terra
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
