Long before her Solid Gold hosting gig and those much-lampooned Psychic Friends Network infomercials, singer Dionne Warwick had a chance meeting that would make her singular voice synonymous with ’60s pop.
Singing backup at a Drifters’ recording session in 1960, Warwick met songwriter Burt Bacharach, who in turn introduced her to his lyricist partner, Hal David. Warwick soon became the Brill Building duo’s go-to demo singer, cutting songs they’d hope to sell to other artists. But after Scepter Records owner Florence Greenburg heard one of those Bacharach-David demos, Warwick was signed as a recording artist in her own right.
But Warwick’s muse-like association with Bacharach and David continued. Together the trio enjoyed an impressive chart run beginning with 1962’s “Don’t Make Me Over” and ending with 1971’s “Who Gets The Guy.” Warwick was and is the master interpreter of their intricate arrangements (“Walk On By,” “I Say A Little Prayer,” “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again,” etc.).
In late 1963, Warwick enjoyed her first top 10 hit, “Anyone Who Had A Heart.” This dramatic plea to a hurtful lover has lodged itself into my brain as one of my all-time favorites. And so earlier this year when Shelby Lynne covered “Heart” (in tribute to Dusty Springfield, who’d also covered the track), I was pleased that Lynne brought something new—a wounded tenderness—to her interpretation. Hear here:
Lynne’s compelling analogue-world clip for “Anyone Who Had A Heart” is also worth the watch.
Purchase “Anyone Who Had A Heart” via iTunes, Amazon.