Born to Bacharach: Eighties hit paves way for audiences to appreciate prolific composer

"Burt & Me" runs through Oct. 5 at Broadway Palm.

I've told anyone who asked - and most who didn't - that I had acres of fun at "Burt & Me." And I didn't expect to, which made the whole thing even more exciting. The second that the words to "Always Something There to Remind Me" hit, I was like, "oh boy, this might be way more fun that I thought. At the very least, it won't be "Menopause: The Musical."

John Ramsey and Kate
Marshall in "Burt & Me."

And thanks guys, it was a blast. Nancy didn't like like it (read her review in Florida Weekly), but it is nice to see her back there.

Oh. Read MY review here: http://www.gonaples.com/news/2013/aug/23/review-broadway-palm-burt-bacharach-burt-and-me/.z

And the Amy Sowder review.

I did a little research into all the different covers of "Always Something There to Remind Me." (Read my "Music Monday" post, dedicated to like nine of them, here.) Playwright Larry McKenna also contacted me, and we exchanged a few emails; we hope to meet later this month. The wonderful Melissa Vogt at Broadway Palm also helped me get responses from the cast.

This story got shuffled a bit, fell off the budget and will run this weekend in one of the community newspapers. I can format it really well here, plus I wanted to add links and videos. Enjoy!

Born to Bacharach: Eighties hit paves way for audiences to appreciate prolific composer

"Burt & Me" playwright Larry McKenna gets a huge kick out of watching younger audiences discover the music of Burt Bacharach and song-writing partner Hal David. Even if they don't know who he is, what he wrote or anything about the man who masters both assonance and alliteration in his own name.

Take "Always Something There to Remind Me."

I was born to love her, and I'll never be free.
You'll always be a part of me.

McKenna deliberately opens the show with one of Bacharach's most popular tunes, wanting the first song the audience hears to "resonate" with all ages.

"Old people like me remember the Dionne Warwick version," he laughs. "… and younger generations know the Naked Eyes one."

Actor Taylor Murphy Hale, an ensemble member in "Burt & Me," admits to being "a pretty big fan" of the Naked Eyes cover. And he "had no idea" that the song was written by Bacharach.

But the covers don't stop with Naked Eyes. "Always Something There to Remind Me." has been covered by everyone from Ted Neeley to The Four Seasons to Jose Feliciano. The beat is almost instantly recognizable, as is the mournful refrain.

If you should find you miss the sweet and tender love we used to share.
Just go back to the places where we used to go, and I'll be there

Soul singer Lou Johnson recorded the song in 1964, reaching #49 on the US charts; Cissy Houston, future mother of Whitney, was among his backup singers. Sandie Shaw was the first to take the song to #1, reaching the top of the UK Singles Chart in the fall of that same year.

Dionne Warwick recorded the song three years later; it reached #65 in August 1968. Martha and the Vandellas included a cut on that year's "Ridin' High" album.

"It is fun to me to see the younger generation come to the realization that they actually know the music of Burt Bacharach & Hal David," McKenna said.

Well, how can I forget you, girl?
When there is always something there to remind me.
always something there to remind me.

Younger generations (anyone under 40) most likely recognize the song from British synth-pop band Naked Eyes. Their early-80s cover, recorded at Abbey Road Studios, reached the top ten in four countries, earning Rob Fisher and Pete Byrne a contract with EMI.

Cast member Rendell DeBose immediately picks the Naked Eyes cover as his favorite, exclaiming "I grew up with it!

Other Bacharach/David tunes have snuck into the modern pop culture consciousness through the movies.

McKenna points to "I Say A Little Prayer" from 1997 film "My Best Friend's Wedding" as "a perfect example." Singer Diana King's reggae cover reached #38 on the charts almost three decades after Warwick first warbled it in 1969. A second Bacharach/David song, a version of "Wishin' and Hopin'" from Ani DiFranco, also plays over the movie's opening credits

Kate Marshall, who co-stars opposite John Ramsey in "Burt & Me," likes "Walk on By," another tune sung by Dionne Warwick - and one Marshall gets to perform in the show.

"I knew [he wrote] most of them," Marshall said when asked of Bacharach's prolific writing abilities, "but there were a few surprises like like "One Less Bell to Answer" - and I'm embarrassed to say I didn't know he'd written 'Close to You.'"

Another Bacharach tune made more famous in modern times, Marshall refers to the Carpenters tune "(They Long to Be) Close to You." Originally recorded by both Richard Chamberlain and Dionne Warwick, the song was recorded, then shelved by Herb Albert before becoming the Carpenters breakout hit. "Close to You" spent four weeks atop the Billboard charts and earned the duo a Grammy.

As shadows fall, I pass a small cafe where we would dance at night.
And I can't help recalling how it how it felt to kiss and hold you tight
Well, how can I forget you, girl?
When there is always something there to remind me.
always something there to remind me.
I was born to love her, and I'll never be free.
You'll always be a part of me.

"Burt & Me" runs through Oct. 5 at Broadway Palm. Preseason ticket prices are just $45 for dinner & a show. Call (239) 278-4422 or online at BroadwayPalm.com.