Music 101: Remembering Burt Bacharach

Burt Bacharach passed away last Wednesday (Feb. 8) at his home in L.A. at the age of 94.

This week on Music 101, Margot remembers the life, music, and incredible influence of Burt Bacharach.

Working initially in New York’s Brill Building and often writing in collaboration with lyricist Hal David, Bacharach wrote some of the most indelible pop hits of the mid-20th century. If you were alive during that time, songs like “Say A Little Prayer,” “Walk On By,” “What The World Needs Now,” and “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” were everywhere.

Many vocalists had hits with Bacharach/David songs, including Jackie DeShannon, Dusty Springfield, BJ Thomas, and the Carpenters. But his most frequent collaborator was Dionne Warwick.

Bacharach’s music appealed to fans across genres and generations, and eventually he saw his songs covered by rock, punk, and other artists. One of the first big rock bands to cover a Bacharach song was Love.

Decades later, Bacharach teamed up with Elvis Costello, first on the song “God Gave Me Strength” and a couple years later on the album Painted from Memory, which featured songs they wrote and recorded together. Their collaboration continued, and last month they announced a box set, The Songs of Bacharach & Costello, compiling all their published work together.

In this week’s episode of Music 101, learn about the life, career, and music of Burt Bacharach, and hear songs he wrote and recorded – and those recorded by others – along with plenty of musical surprises.

Music 101: Remembering Burt Bacharach playlist

“Once In A Blue Moon” Nat King Cole

“The Story Of My Life” Marty Robbins

“Any Day Now (My Wild Beautiful Bird)” Chuck Jackson

“Make It Easy On Yourself” Jerry Butler

“Walk On By” Dionne Warwick

“Do You Know The Way To San Jose” Dionne Warwick

“Alfie” Cilla Black

“What’s New Pussycat?” Tom Jones

“I Say A Little Prayer” Aretha Franklin

“Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head” BJ Thomas

Music out: “(They Long To Be) Close To You” The Carpenters

In each episode of Music 101, Margot highlights a different chapter in music history, showcasing songs you love and the stories behind them. Listen to Music 101 on the Colorado Sound every Sunday at 10am MT, with the same episode repeated Wednesday at 8pm MT. You can also hear recent episodes on our Music 101 show page.