Burt Bacharach's Backing Vocalists

[Martyn]

Hi,

Burt Bacharach released several of his own albums on the A&M label in the late sixties and seventies, each of which featured a number of female session singers. However, until 'Futures' came out in '77 the singers were not credited on the liner notes.

So for the LPs 'Reach Out', 'Make it Easy on Yourself', 'Burt Bacharach' and 'Living Together' we don't really know (apart from Cissy Houston who is credited on the last two) who sang some of the key melody lines or harmonies on his instrumentals.

I note that Linda November, Marilyn Jackson, Valerie Simpson and Maretha Stewart are mentioned as vocalists he had used for his New York sessions (with Dionne Warwick I presume) in the late sixties. But does anyone know if these (or other) singers appeared on the above A&M albums? Were session singer lists ever made available for each album?

Regards,
Martyn.

 

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

You were very careful to spell Maretha correctly, but now I have the visual in my head of Martha Stewart singing backup for Burt Bacharach......

 

[Rudy]

You were very careful to spell Maretha correctly, but now I have the visual in my head of Martha Stewart singing backup for Burt Bacharach......

"The Doily Girl from Cell Block 666."

We can pretty much say they were session singers. None of the books I've read ever mentioned which backing singers were on the earlier A&M albums. None have a distinctive enough voice that they've ever jumped out at me. I mean, when you hear Dionne break into a tune, you KNOW it's her.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

That's one thing I was really hoping would be addressed in that Bacharach box set -- more complete album credits. But, as with the Alpert sessions, there is probably some inforamtion missing so they don't want to slight anyone by mentioning some performers and not others.

Then there's the other factor - that most people don't really care, except for us crazed super-fans!

 

[Steven O]

"The Doily Girl from Cell Block 666."

We can pretty much say they were session singers. None of the books I've read ever mentioned which backing singers were on the earlier A&M albums. None have a distinctive enough voice that they've ever jumped out at me. I mean, when you hear Dionne break into a tune, you KNOW it's her.

Some of the session singers that sang on the early A&M Burt albums would have been Sally Stevens, Melissa Mackay, Marti McCall, Ann White

 

[alpertfan]

I personally don't know why he gave the majority of his songs to other artists. I've heard him in movies and various other TV clips, singing these same songs, and he has a voice.

 

[Harry]

I personally don't know why he gave the majority of his songs to other artists. I've heard him in movies and various other TV clips, singing these same songs, and he has a voice.

Yes, but he also has an ear. One of Burt's hallmarks is his ability to hear, in his head, how he wants his songs to sound, and he recognizes that his own voice is far from adequate most of the time. A couple of his vocals that do work are "Alfie" and "Make It Easy On Yourself".

Harry

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I actually like his vocals quite a lot when it's the right song for his voice. One of my favorites is "Something Big" from Living Together. And of course "Hasbrook Heights" from the self titled album.