Bertie Fridays #4: What The World Needs Now...

Time for Bertie the dog to pick another of his favourite music Berts... or Burts in the case of this week's star.

I'm sure I can't tell you anything about Burt Bacharach that you don't already know, although I can confirm that he's NOT related to one of my favourite actors of recent years, Ebon Moss-Bacharach of The Bear (soon to play The Thing in the new Fantastic Four movie).

I think we'll just let the music speak for itself today...

Jackie DeShannon - What the World Needs Now (Is Love)

Herb Alpert - This Guy's In Love With You

Perry Como - Magic Moments 

Shirelles - Baby It's You

Walker Brothers - Make It Easy On Yourself

Dusty Springfield - I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself

Gene Pitney - Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa

Isaac Hayes - Walk On By

Dionne Warwick - Do You Know the Way to San Jose?

The Carpenters - (They Long To Be) Close To You

Love - My Little Red Book

Tom Jones - What's New, Pussycat?

Aretha Franklin - I Say A Little Prayer

Neil Diamond - Heartlight

BJ Thomas - Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

Christopher Cross - Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)

Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald - On My Own

Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach - Toledo

The majority of those were written with lyricist Hal David, of course. But he's not a Bertie. Or even a Burty.

If I was forced at gunpoint to choose a favourite recording of a Bacharach composition, it would be this one, which I bought as a 7" single in 1990. I was convinced it made Number One, but clearly I needed to buy a couple more copies, because it was held off the top spot by Timmy Mallet. Oh, the inDignity*!

*I'm particularly proud of that pun. Little things please little minds.

Next week... "For the money, for the glory, and for the fun. Mostly for the money."

Snapshots #224: A Top Ten Impossible Songs!

Did I set you a Mission: Impossible... or did you Cruise easily to the answers?

Time to check your results...

10. Burn down Carlisle, Dublin, Dundee and Humberside.

"Burn down the disco," sand Morrissey, in Panic.

Panic At The Disco - Impossible Year

A student used to tell me I looked like the lead singer of PATD. I don't.

9. They shall see God, but it'll cause them much agony.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

According to Bible Study... or Indiana Jones.

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - Impossible

8. Joker captures sidekick in can.

The Joker fought Batman. Batman's sidekick was Robin. If Robin was in a can, he would be a...

Tina Robin - Nothing Is Impossible

7. Mountebanks.

I doubt I'll ever run out of synonyms for these guys.

The Charlatans - Impossible

6. A bison goes with a hawk.

A bison is a buffalo. Tom goes with a hawk to make Tomahawk.

Buffalo Tom - Impossible

5. Two Georges need a Minder to help them go through the undeveloped photos.

Lloyd George + George Cole develop The Negatives.

Lloyd Cole & The Negatives - Impossible Girl

4. Sheila Grant? Must be the clouds in my eyes.

Sheila Grant was played by Sue Johnston.

"Must be the clouds in my eyes," is a line from Daniel.

Daniel Johnston - Impossible Love

Or you could have had...

Daniel Johnston - It's Impossible

3. Mason, with half a bad haircut that won't disguise his bald patch.

Perry Mason with a Com(b)Over.

Perry Como - It's Impossible

2. Peanut farmer gets the last letter of his home wrong.

Jimmy Carter was the peanut farmer, but he was President of the USA, not the USM.

Carter USM - The Impossible Dream

Many different versions of that song, but that is my favourite.

1. Fish in collar.

Anagram!

(The only one this week. Sorry, Lynchie!)

Lalo Schifrin - Mission Impossible

Great live version below with some top ivory tickling from Lalo...

Impossible to beat that? I'll try again next Saturday...