Morning Greg, Nice tribute to a very talented man, and also an interesting thought provoking statement; “Now, if fame-whore arrivistes don’t make it in Hollywood, they just become alt-right influencers. The bad guys are always hiring, and the audiences for their garbage are huge. Distill the worst of the rightwing shitbags to their core essence, and what you get, inevitably, is a gas-pumping car-parker.....” More on this spiral of sad behavior later.
Morning, Greg! Thanks for this tribute to Hal and Burt. I'm amazed at myself for remembering the words to each of the songs you mention...more so than the Beatles'!
I have never been much at "nuance," but my teenage self got the message that "San Jose" was telling at the time.
Good morning Greg,hmm-wow, Elvis was one of the most laidback music katz I’ve ever met/covered! My father’s favorite was Dionne, with Burt of course, I had never thought about that tune in that context, I was too fixated on jazz,blues, and rock...
Burt appeared laid back, never saw him personally though.
You always pack something intelligently stimulating to the hourglass of my Sunday morning reads, thanks Greg!
"...San Jose" holds a special place in my memory: My mother and I were visiting family near San Francisco around 1970 and I talked her into driving to San Jose (or near there) for a Judy Collins concert. She braved the terror of the freeway to take me there and it was the only concert we ever attended together. We joked forever after that we knew the way to San Jose. Burt Bacharach tunes float in my head forever...
Excellent read Greg and a great tribute to Burt. What a power house of talent! I've loved his songwriting for decades and especially his song 'This guy's in love with you' - so much so that it ranks in my top five greatest songs of all time. Cheers ❤
One of the reasons my wife and I still have a good marriage after 30 years is the conversations we have about music. I love what she pulls out of it – art's impact, alive and as the artist intended. It's all that matters to me: Art is the way we cut through to the heart and show people a new perspective. The three of us would have great conversations.
I never understood why Frankie Goes to Hollywood included this song on Side 3 (?) of their first record. Reading this today, I get it now. They understood. It fits the album's themes of fame and grandeur. I mean, who releases a double album as their debut? With a reading list?!
Listening to Elvis as I type this ("Chemistry Class," apt in your mention of these fascist failmen). There's no one who's had a greater influence on my songwriting than him: Elvis Costello for lyrics, Johnny Marr for guitar style, and Billy Bragg for overall aesthetic.
Carole King posted an elegant tribute to Burt Bachrach at the Washington Post: (This is a "Gift" link so it's not behind a pay wall. I hope I did this right!
Regarding the second topic that was touched on, John August, a screenwriter who has a Substack called "Innertesting", provided a link to a fascinating insight into the perils of "Personal Branding":
I was ten when, "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?", was released, and it was one of the first 45s I owned. I LOVE that song. It has a tendency to become an earworm once you've heard it, but it's one I don't mind. I'll probably have it in my head through Tuesday. What's amazing is that although I'm taking "Neuriva" now for some memory and concentration issues, I remembered ALL of the lyrics. The brain is a funny thing.
Burt Bacharach songs have followed a lot of us through our lives, especially if you're 50 and over. Dionne Warwick was one of the best messengers of his music. So many! He will be missed.
Thank you, Greg, for the great tribute. I played the song as included in your article. Are you sure that the words are not, “you pack your car and drive away,“ as opposed to park? That would be just as bad, because it implies that the once aspiring performer is leaving LA with all of his possessions loaded into a car.
I listened to the podcast earlier this morning but didn’t get a chance to say anything until now. Super loved the cartoons! Made me laugh out loud. 😁 Really enjoyed the bantering between the two of you and your thoughts on the idiots of Congress and beyond.
You struck some veins in my body when you were discussing going to the Holocaust Museum in Berlin. You know, I am 1st generation German and Polish as well as 100% Ashkenazi Jewish. My mother was born in Berlin in 1916. Her parents were originally from Krakow Poland. They were murdered by the Nazis in 1942 at the gas camp called Chelmno. My father was from Borslav Poland which is now in the Ukraine. It was an oil town. His grandfather had oil wells but they were stolen by the Bolsheviks, then the Poles, then the Nazis, then the Russians, etc. I have not ever gone to Germany but I will. Let me tell you, a girlfriend of mine has friends there and she was telling me about an organization called Stolpersteine. This org. places stones with brass plaques in front of or near where people where taken from their homes. Miraculously, my mother’s home still exists and through my friend’s friends, my cousins, my sister, and I were able to get these stones made and placed in front of their home which is now an apartment building. It memorializes our grandparents existence. Just thought I would share that tidbit with you. *I went to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC and was overcome with emotion. I can never go to another one.
This was lovely, Greg. My husband and I were dating in the early 70’s, Washington, DC. We managed to get tickets to see Dionne Warwick. It was a fabulous evening under the stars until suddenly, it started raining. A lot of people left the venue but we and a few others stayed. Warwick’s band also took off except for her pianist and her. She was given an umbrella and started singing “Raindrops Keep Falling...”. Miraculously, the rain stopped, she smiled and thanked those of us who stayed. Her band came back on and she sang another set of tunes. Twas a great night!
Morning Greg, Nice tribute to a very talented man, and also an interesting thought provoking statement; “Now, if fame-whore arrivistes don’t make it in Hollywood, they just become alt-right influencers. The bad guys are always hiring, and the audiences for their garbage are huge. Distill the worst of the rightwing shitbags to their core essence, and what you get, inevitably, is a gas-pumping car-parker.....” More on this spiral of sad behavior later.
Morning, Greg! Thanks for this tribute to Hal and Burt. I'm amazed at myself for remembering the words to each of the songs you mention...more so than the Beatles'!
I have never been much at "nuance," but my teenage self got the message that "San Jose" was telling at the time.
Good morning Greg,hmm-wow, Elvis was one of the most laidback music katz I’ve ever met/covered! My father’s favorite was Dionne, with Burt of course, I had never thought about that tune in that context, I was too fixated on jazz,blues, and rock...
Burt appeared laid back, never saw him personally though.
You always pack something intelligently stimulating to the hourglass of my Sunday morning reads, thanks Greg!
Idk how I missed the news about Burt passing, but he was definitely an icon in my younger years! Rain Drops are Falling on my head a fav!
Finally got to watch the 5/8 live and boy did you and LB deliver! Billy Ray was a cherry on top.
"...San Jose" holds a special place in my memory: My mother and I were visiting family near San Francisco around 1970 and I talked her into driving to San Jose (or near there) for a Judy Collins concert. She braved the terror of the freeway to take me there and it was the only concert we ever attended together. We joked forever after that we knew the way to San Jose. Burt Bacharach tunes float in my head forever...
Excellent read Greg and a great tribute to Burt. What a power house of talent! I've loved his songwriting for decades and especially his song 'This guy's in love with you' - so much so that it ranks in my top five greatest songs of all time. Cheers ❤
Damn, Greg, you did it again.
One of the reasons my wife and I still have a good marriage after 30 years is the conversations we have about music. I love what she pulls out of it – art's impact, alive and as the artist intended. It's all that matters to me: Art is the way we cut through to the heart and show people a new perspective. The three of us would have great conversations.
I never understood why Frankie Goes to Hollywood included this song on Side 3 (?) of their first record. Reading this today, I get it now. They understood. It fits the album's themes of fame and grandeur. I mean, who releases a double album as their debut? With a reading list?!
Listening to Elvis as I type this ("Chemistry Class," apt in your mention of these fascist failmen). There's no one who's had a greater influence on my songwriting than him: Elvis Costello for lyrics, Johnny Marr for guitar style, and Billy Bragg for overall aesthetic.
Thanks for getting it, Greg – and sharing it.
Carole King posted an elegant tribute to Burt Bachrach at the Washington Post: (This is a "Gift" link so it's not behind a pay wall. I hope I did this right!
https://wapo.st/3xfiPp9
Regarding the second topic that was touched on, John August, a screenwriter who has a Substack called "Innertesting", provided a link to a fascinating insight into the perils of "Personal Branding":
https://wepresent.wetransfer.com/stories/personal-brand-paradox-debbie-millman?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
I was ten when, "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?", was released, and it was one of the first 45s I owned. I LOVE that song. It has a tendency to become an earworm once you've heard it, but it's one I don't mind. I'll probably have it in my head through Tuesday. What's amazing is that although I'm taking "Neuriva" now for some memory and concentration issues, I remembered ALL of the lyrics. The brain is a funny thing.
Burt Bacharach songs have followed a lot of us through our lives, especially if you're 50 and over. Dionne Warwick was one of the best messengers of his music. So many! He will be missed.
Thank you, Greg, for the great tribute. I played the song as included in your article. Are you sure that the words are not, “you pack your car and drive away,“ as opposed to park? That would be just as bad, because it implies that the once aspiring performer is leaving LA with all of his possessions loaded into a car.
I listened to the podcast earlier this morning but didn’t get a chance to say anything until now. Super loved the cartoons! Made me laugh out loud. 😁 Really enjoyed the bantering between the two of you and your thoughts on the idiots of Congress and beyond.
You struck some veins in my body when you were discussing going to the Holocaust Museum in Berlin. You know, I am 1st generation German and Polish as well as 100% Ashkenazi Jewish. My mother was born in Berlin in 1916. Her parents were originally from Krakow Poland. They were murdered by the Nazis in 1942 at the gas camp called Chelmno. My father was from Borslav Poland which is now in the Ukraine. It was an oil town. His grandfather had oil wells but they were stolen by the Bolsheviks, then the Poles, then the Nazis, then the Russians, etc. I have not ever gone to Germany but I will. Let me tell you, a girlfriend of mine has friends there and she was telling me about an organization called Stolpersteine. This org. places stones with brass plaques in front of or near where people where taken from their homes. Miraculously, my mother’s home still exists and through my friend’s friends, my cousins, my sister, and I were able to get these stones made and placed in front of their home which is now an apartment building. It memorializes our grandparents existence. Just thought I would share that tidbit with you. *I went to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC and was overcome with emotion. I can never go to another one.
This was lovely, Greg. My husband and I were dating in the early 70’s, Washington, DC. We managed to get tickets to see Dionne Warwick. It was a fabulous evening under the stars until suddenly, it started raining. A lot of people left the venue but we and a few others stayed. Warwick’s band also took off except for her pianist and her. She was given an umbrella and started singing “Raindrops Keep Falling...”. Miraculously, the rain stopped, she smiled and thanked those of us who stayed. Her band came back on and she sang another set of tunes. Twas a great night!