Bacharach writing musical with Elvis Costello and Chuck Lorre
09 May 2013
Newsdesk
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In a couple of days (May 12), Burt Bacharach will turn 85 and his professional life couldn't be busier.
His autobiography, Anyone Who Had a Heart: My Life and Music, was issued on Tuesday by Harper and three multi-disc retrospectives were recently announced.
To add to the Bacharach retrospective comes Burt Bacharach's Best (My Music), a compilation of performances of the songwriter's music from over the last fifty years. The special will begin airing on PBS June 1 (check local listings for dates).
The majority of the performances come from the 60's with artists like Tom Jones, Chuck Jackson, Dusty Springfield and, of course, Dionne Warwick who appears in four of the fifteen clips. The 70's includes performances by the Carpenters and the Fifth Dimension while the 80's have Christopher Cross and the Elton John, Warwick, Stevie Wonder and Gladys Knight performance of That's What Friends Are For.
The performances in the special: •Walk On By – Dionne Warwick •I Say a Little Prayer – Dionne Warwick •Any Day Now – Chuck Jackson •What’s New Pussycat? – Tom Jones •The Look of Love – Dusty Springfield •This Guy’s in Love With You – Herb Alpert •This Girl’s in Love With You – Dionne Warwick •Alfie – Dionne Warwick •Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head – B.J. Thomas •One Less Bell to Answer – The Fifth Dimension •What the World Needs Now Is Love – Jackie DeShannon •(They Long to Be) Close to You – The Carpenters •A House Is Not a Home – Burt Bacharach and Dusty Springfield •Arthur’s Theme – Christopher Cross and Burt Bacharach with Carole Bayer Sager •That’s What Friends Are For – Elton John, Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder and Gladys Knight
Here's a collection of clips from the show:
Word has also come down that Bacharach is working on a new musical with Elvis Costello. The two previously collaborated in 1998 on the album Painted From Memory.
While the duo will be producing the music, the book for the show is being written by Chuck Lorre whose TV creations include Two-and-a-Half Men, The Big Bang Theory and Mike and Molly. There is no word on the subject for the show.
