Who are Bacharach and David?
Burt Bacharach, son of Irma and Bert Bacharach, is a an American composer and pianist, born in Missouri in 1928. Hal David, born in New York City in 1921, is an American songwriter and lyricist. Though each has notable achievement in his own rights, together, they are the songwriting team known as Bacharach and David.
Bacharach and David met in 1957. Prior to that, David has written lyrics for Sammy Kaye and Guy Lombardo. Bacharach had played piano accompaniment for singers like Vic Damone and Steve Lawrence. Their first hit together was “The Story of My Life,” which Marty Robbins recorded in 1957 and which went to number one on the country music charts in the US. Shortly thereafter, their song “Magic Moments” sung by Perry Como went to number four in the US and joined “The Story of My Life" in going to number one in the UK.
The partnership flourished in the 1960s, as the pair wrote a number of songs for Dionne Warwick, who did many of their demos and had a number of big hits with Bacharach and David songs. She recorded some of their most recognizable songs including “Do You Know the Way to San Jose?”; “Walk on By”; “I Say a Little Prayer”; “Promises, Promises”—from the Broadway show of the same name; and “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again.”
They also wrote that were sung by Tom Jones—“What’s New, Pussycat?”; Gene Pitney—like “Only Love Can Break a Heart” and “(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance,” Dusty Springfield—“The Look of Love,” which was used in the soundtrack of the 1967 James Bond movie, Casino Royale. The Bacharach and David song “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” was part of the score of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and, as such, won an Academy Award in 1969. This song, along with others such as “(They Long to Be) Close to You” and “Walk on By” has a place in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Bacharach and David also each worked with other collaborators. David teamed with Albert Hammond on the song “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before” which was sung by Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias and rose to number 1 on the US Billboard Hot country Singles in 1984 and other collaborators including Henry Mancini. Bacharach worked with Carole Bayer Sager—who was also his third wife, Elvis Costello, Cathy Dennis, and Dr. Dre.
Written by Mary Elizabeth
