Song of the Week #133 – “Walk On By”
Written by admin on November 19, 2012 – 9:41 pm - |
Dionne Warwick’s timeless hit “Walk On By” is Song of the Week on Classic Pop Icons.
“Walk On By” was released on single in April 1964, backed with “Any Old Time of Day”. Four months later it featured on Warwick’s third album “Make Way for Dionne Warwick”. |
“Walk On By” was one of a long string of superb collaborations between Dionne Warwick and the songwriting/production team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Warwick had first encountered the pair when working as a session singer on The Drifters’ “Mexican Divorce” in February 1962 and they would soon pen her breakthrough hit “Don’t Make Me Over”.
In the liner notes to the 1998 box set “The Look Of Love,” Hal David said of Warwick:
| “Technically, she could do almost anything. She was unafraid. She was just far and away the best interpreter we had. She came to us very early in the game, and we just grew together. We had, over the years, recorded with some people who had wonderful voices but were surprisingly unmusical. It took forever to get it right – and sometimes [they] never [did]. With Dionne, it always came out right. It didn’t take much for her to grasp and express the nuances – the little something that’s impossible to put down on paper. You could explain it once and she would get it.” |
“Walk On By” is a perfect example of what David was talking about. Warwick’s wide ranging and expressive vocal brilliantly communicates David’s lyrics and makes the most of Bacharach’s highly original melody. The recording also features a classic Bacharach arrangement, complete with very effective use of the flugelhorn, lush orchestration, a perfectly judged piano part, and simple vocal backing that echoes Warwick’s pleas. It doesn’t sound quite like any other record, which is one of the reasons it still resonates nearly 50 years on.
Hal David, Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick (left to right)
Although “Walk On By” is a classic recording by anyone’s standards, Scepter Records’ Florence Greenberg thought that “Any Old Time of Day” was more commercial and should be the A-side. The decision was reversed thanks to famed DJ Murray the K, whose listeners voted for “Walk On By” when asked which cut should be the A-side.
“Walk On By” earned Dionne Warwick a Grammy nomination for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording. The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.
Dionne Warwick has spoken affectionately about the song (“Look of Love” liner notes):
| “From the very first day I recorded ‘Walk On By,’ whatever meaning it had in my life, it’s grown with me and has taken on different connotations for different reasons. And it’s still a great song.” |
“Walk On By” – Dionne Warwick
Authorship
“Walk On By” was written by Burt Bacharach (music) and Hal David (lyrics).
Recording date/location
“Walk On By” was recorded in November 1963 at Bell Sound Studios, Manhattan. The session also yielded the tracks “Anyone Who Had a Heart” and “In the Land of Make Believe”.
Musicians
Burt Bacharach assembled a large group of musicians for the session, including his core rhythm section:
- Paul Griffin – piano
- Artie Butler – piano
- Vinnie Bell – guitar
- Bill Suyker on guitar
- Russ Savakus on bass
- Gary Chester on drums
- George Devens on percussion.
The backing vocalists likely included Dee Dee Warwick, Myrna Smith and Cissy Houston.
Warwick paid tribute to the musicians she worked with on these classic recordings during a 2010 interview with the San Francisco Chronicle:
| “Paul [Griffin] was definitely very instrumental in making the sounds you had to hear. He was fun. We were all young and crazy and loved our music and loved being part of our music. A brilliant musician. There were certain musicians that were always part of the session. Gary Chester – best drummer in the world. He was a very inventive drummer. Gary introduced the sand-filled ashtray sitting on top of the snare drum to give it another sound. He did some wonderful things. Bill Suyker was on guitar. We all became a family, basically. It was nice having the same string section and the same background singers. We had a family thing going on when I recorded.” |
If anyone has information on the horn and string players that provided such a vital contribution to the recording, let us know via the contact us page.
Chart performance
“Walk On By” reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Cashbox R&B chart.
All told, Warwick charted 38 singles that were co-written or produced by Bacharach, including classics such as “Anyone Who Had a Heart,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again,” and “I Say a Little Prayer”.
“Walk On By” was also a Top Ten hit on the UK singles chart.
There will be a new Song of the Week on November 26.
Dionne Warwick’s “Walk On By” is available on a number of compilations, including “Dionne Warwick – The Definitive Collection”.
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Dionne Warwick – The Definitive Collection (CD) |
Buy Now | Buy Now | Buy Now |
Tags: Bacharach and David, Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick, Walk on By
Posted in 60s pop, Song of the Week |
