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Probably one of the most under-rated pop singers of my generation is Dionne Warwick.
Brought up in the gospel world in a musical extended family, Dionne formed the “Gospelaires” singing group with her sister Dee Dee and her aunt Cissy Houston ( later the mother of Whitney Houston). Dionne and her group did vocal session work in New York on weekends while she studied music on scholarship in college during the week.
The story goes that Dionne was asked to provide vocals for some demos written by the songwriting-producing team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, while in the studio working on the backing vocal for the Drifter’s song “Mexican Divorce.”
When the composing duo pitched the demo(s) to Scepter Records, the head of the label (Florence Greenberg) liked what she heard and signed Dionne to a recording contract.
Bacharach and David wrote her first song for recording and the rest is legend!
Dionne sang her first and all subsequent Bacharach and David unusually complicated songs with ease, grace and smoothness. Her voice is just so mellow yet expressive and her singing sounds effortless. I recall playing with my Barbie doll in her black evening gown, microphone and pink scarf singing nothing but Dionne Warwick songs because even as a youngster she epitomized class to me!
Warwick charted high continuously from 1963 up until 1980 before her recording career began to slow down a bit.
This 1967 the single, “I Say A Little Prayer,” charted #8 R&B and #4 on the Billboard Top 100. The song appeared on Dionne’s LP of the same year “The Windows of the World” pictured above.
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Aretha obviously loved the song too because only a year later she put her spin on the tune and released her cover of Dionne’s hit. Naturally The Queen of Soul’s version was a hit too! Charting #3 R&B and #10 Pop in 1968. The song appeared on her 1968 certified Gold classic LP “Aretha Now” pictured above.
Over the years, Aretha’s hit cover of Marie Dionne Warwick’s original hit has become the definitive version of the song. Don’t think so? Then check this out -- my most favorite part of the movie “My Best Friend’s Wedding” is this clip: this is why I love YouTube
Of course I want to know which of these two renditions of the Bachrach/David classic YOU like best so please vote.
And here are a few more related videos to enjoy while they last on YouTube.
Dionne and Boy George “Say A Little Prayer” together live in the 80s
Aretha Says a Little Prayer live in 1970
Trivia: The Gospelaire’s are thought to have provided backing vocals for Ben E. King’s “Spanish Harlem” and “Stand By Me.”
Carole King and Gerry Goffin met at Queens College, along with Paul Simon and Neil Sedaka. Forming a musical partnership that eventually resulted in marriage as well, Goffin and King started out as Brill Building-scene writers, working for impresario Don Kirshner at his Aldon company. Together they penned some all-time classic pop tunes, including one of their best known, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” a number one hit for the Shirelles in 1961. As the story goes, Kirshner recognized the song’s potential immediately, handing over a 10,000 dollar advance to each of the writers upon being presented with the demo. This was huge money to the struggling couple, who until then had none of their songs recorded. The song is a masterpiece of pop songcraft and is typical for the pair in its subtle lyrical and musical approach. The two deftly handle controversial subject matter: the long-term concerns of a young woman involved in a physical consummation of love.
A decade after The Shirelles had a hit with the song, it was recorded by co-writer Carole King herself on her award winning masterpiece album “Tapestry”. James Taylor and Joni Mitchell provide backing vocals and Taylor also plays guitar and and Granfalloon (what is that?!) as indicated on the liner notes of my CD.
I played this album over and over again during my college years: it got me through some tough times. But that’s another blog -- for another time.
Here is Ms. King’s glorious version of the song from “Tapestry”
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Carole King -- Will You Love Me Tomorrow
Now that you have listened to both versions could you tell me the one you prefer please? Click Here to take survey
This song is what I call a “new” classic. It has been covered by everyone from, Roberta Flack, Linda Ronstadt, Ben E. King, Brook Benton to Dusty Springfield. Even someone with mediocre singing skills can make their performance of this song sound greater than their talent because the song is good. IMHO the song writing talents of Carole King, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and Lionel Ritchie all have this quality in common. They write songs with great melodies & lyrics that have, and will continue to, withstand the test of time.
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Shirelles -Foolish Little Girl
Well I just had to do another Shirelles’ cut. This one charted #4 US and #38 UK.
This was also another of the songs that my much younger step sister would sing to guests, when my Dad and step-mother trotted her out of bed in her Pjs, to do her singing act at Pinochle partys! My job was to grin and bear it.
Isn’t it amazing what memories music conjures?! But I really do like this song. Please enjoy.
Foolish Little Girl Composed by Helen Miller & Howard Greenfield
Spoken: “You broke his heart and made him cry,
And he’s been blue since then”. “Now he’s
Found somebody new and you want him back again”.
Chorus-
Foolish little girl, fickle little girl
You didn’t want him when he wanted you
He’s found another love, it’s her he’s dreaming of
And there’s not a single thing that you can do”
“But I love him”
“No you don’t it’s just your pride that’s hurt”
“I still love him”
If you got him back again, you’d go right out and do him dirt
repeat chorus
“But I love him”
“It’s too late to have a change of heart”
“I still love him”
Tomorrow is his wedding day and you’ll keep quiet if you’re smart!
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The Shirelles – Soldier Boy (1962)
Soldier Boy” is the name of a song written by Luther Dixon and Florence Greenberg. The song was released as a single by The Shirelles in 1962 and met with great success, topping the Billboard Hot 100.
This song became the Shirelles their second pop number one;”Soldier Boy” also reached the Top 30 in the UK in 1962.
Ok now this song was a very important part of my youth. Why? Because this is one of the songs (along with “Downtown” and “Baby the Rain Must Fall” as I recall) that I would have my Barbie sing when she was dressed in her slinky black strapless gown, at her microphone with her pink scarf, performing for a crowd of thousands (er – that were in my head LOL). Ah yes … I remember it well.
The Shirelles quartet, formed in New Jersey in 1958, were the first major female vocal group of the rock and roll era, defining the so-called girl group sound with their soft, sweet harmonies and yearning innocence. Their music was a blend of pop and R&B, especially Doo-wop and smooth uptown soul that appealed to listeners across the board, before Motown ever became a crossover phenomenon with white audiences. Though The Chantels preceded them by several years, their international success was unprecedented, paving the way for legions of imitators; their inviting musical blueprint had an enduring influence not just on their immediate followers, but on future generations of female pop singers, who often updated their songs without losing their initial appeal. In addition, they provided some of the earliest hits for important Brill Building songwriters like Gerry Goffin & Carole King, Burt Bacharach & Hal David, and Van McCoy”
For more on The Shirelles, please read the very detailed Wiki Page at this link: italicized info in this post came from this source.
