I Say a Little Prayer For You.

I was sad to hear of the death of Burt Bacharach last week.

There's little I can say about his music that someone else won't have said before, and no doubt better. To have had a career that spans so many decades is already extraordinary before you even consider the number of songs he wrote and how many live rent-free in the public consciousness. Even his simpler songs, such as Baby It's You or Magic Moments, have a depth that betrays their simplicity; listen to John Lennon's rendition of the former on The Beatles' first album, Please Please Me, and its hits you straight in the heart. Who cares that he was a twenty-two-year-old singing through a cold that day? The emotional pull of his vocal still gets you.

It's no wonder that Bacharach started his career as a jazz pianist. So many of his songs achieve the feat of sounding both musically intricate and effortless. Dropped beats and unusual chords abound without confusing the ear or throwing you off. It's classy, intelligent songwriting that's still emotive and whistleable.

Speaking of magic moments, a couple of years ago, I was lucky enough to take a tour of Abbey Road studios, which for a music nerd like me, was akin to a pilgrimage. A personal highlight was watching black-and-white footage of Bacharach passionately conducting Cilla Black from the piano as she committed the vocal of Alfie to tape alongside a live orchestra in the room I was standing in, all in one take. Now, I'm not a fan of The Scouse Foghorn - my usual thought on hearing one of her records is, "This would sound a lot better if anyone else sang it" - but there was no doubt of the power of her performance. And despite my reluctance to listen to her work, when she sings, "Without true love we just exist, Alfie. Until you find the love you've missed, you're nothing", I'm a gibbering wreck every time without fail. Blind Date's got nothing on this.

In 2014, my wife and I were on honeymoon in Venice at the same time that Burt was gigging at the Teatro La Fenice. We didn't go as we couldn't afford it, but it was still nice to know he was in town. And getting to see him there would have undoubtedly been romantic. Is saying, "We longed to be close to him" too glib?

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