An old man died last week that you may not know, but you probably know his music. Yes, ninety-four year old Burt Bacharach died after a legendary career of composing hit songs. Burt Bacharach love songs are one of a kind, which is why we still get requests for them for wedding first dance songs.
He wrote timeless masterpieces a half of a century ago that still sound fresh and new today. Many have popped up in popular movies over the years, like this one from the film, “My Best Friend’s Wedding:”
Why on earth does this scene work so well? Because so many people know the lyrics to the song, thanks to Bacharach’s long time lyricist, Hal David. Mr. David was a true craftsman, seamlessly integrating the words into Bacharach’s complex melodies to create songs … music AND words … you simply couldn’t get out of your head.
Words like these stick with you:
The moment I wake up,
Before I put on my makeup,
I say a little prayer for you.
In other words, a Hal David lyric has a flair you won’t find in many contemporary songs. Bacharach and David made a formidable team.
In all, Burt Bacharach wrote some 85 hit songs, five of which reached #1 on Billboard’s pop chart. Here’s the thing about his songs, though. They were hard to put in a category, because they weren’t rock, jazz or pop. They were simply … Bacharach: smart, inventive works of art that consistently surprised and delighted his listeners.
Take this quiz
This brings us to a legendary Bacharach/David collaboration with a lyric you might have heard before. Let’s play a guessing game and see if you can answer this question:
What the world needs now is …
- More chocolate chip cookies?
- Higher taxes?
- Love, sweet love.
If you answered [c], you get a cookie!
This song, “What the World Needs Now is Love,” wasn’t even a #1 hit in the U.S. (it reached #7).
It was initially rejected by their frequent collaborator, Dione Warwick who considered it more of a Country song and a little “too preachy.” So Jackie DeShannon recorded it, and the rest is history:
A memorable refrain
Try dancing to this song at your wedding. It’s a very nice, danceable waltz. If you ask people to sing along, there won’t be a single person who doesn’t join in on this memorable refrain:
“What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.”
Burt Bacharach love songs reached a new audience when the maestro himself sang it in the 1997 “Austin Power” movie, in this delightful scene:
You have so many great songs from which to choose from the Bacharach library for your wedding day.
Marrying a guy name Alfie? How about the song “Alfie”!
Going on a honeymoon in San Jose? How about “Do you know the way to San Jose?”
Looking for raw romance? You can’t beat “The Look of Love.”
How about a sweet love song, like “Close to You”:
Covered by hundreds of singing stars
Bacharach wrote too many great songs for a single blogpost to cover. Even more, these songs have been covered hundreds of time by the best singers in the world.
So if you want a Burt Bacharach love song at your wedding, we’ll play the version of your choice on a high-end sound system so sweet and pure that you’ll think the Maestro has returned from the grave to perform it live … just for you.
Let us leave you with one last gem, “This Guy’s In Love With You:”
Got a date set? Check us out to see if Columbus Pro DJs is available for your Columbus wedding. So what does the world need now, more than ever? Love, sweet love. You can find it in Burt Bacharach’s music. We’d be honored to play a Bacharach song for you at your wedding celebration.
[Entertainment makes the event. Columbus Pro DJs offers it all: DJs/MCs, photo booth, decor lighting. Popular wedding dates book fast. Don’t wait, check us out today.]
