To me she is just a step above a lounge singer. She just seems like really bad, corny joke

scriptgirl said:

She is a classic artist, one of the best! Need to listen to her version of "Alfie", 'This girl's in love with you". These are classics.

scriptgirl said:

Really. I wonder what material of hers you've been listening to.

Is she all that now? Of course not.

The fact of the matter is that during the 60s, Burt Bacharach (music) and Hal David (lyrics) with Dionne as their vocal vehicle, put out some of the best Pop songs (the word songs is very important here) ever.




Music for adventurous listeners

tA

Tribal Records

The thing was she recorded some very popular songs, a lot of which were later covered by others and made even more famous. As far as her voice, she can sing of course, but she's not up there w/ Aretha, pre-crack Whitney, etc. If those are Class A, then Dionne is like a lower class B. Still enjoyable though.

ernestsewell said:

Oh bullshit! Dionne Warwich was class A all the way. Thank God not everyone sings like Aretha or pre-crack Whitney shitney.

Wowugotit said:

I meant voice wise, not her personal life or personality. She was classy, but she wasn't in the upper echelon of singers. Very popular, but still had a thinner voice that some other singers.

Dionne's voice was fine for only Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Outside of it, producers really didn't know what to do with her. The closest came from Isaac and the Bee Gees.

The thing is, Bacharach/David didn't need her to be Aretha or Whitney.
They simply needed someone to sing pitch-perfect melodies as written.
There's also a certain sensitivity required of that material which her voice effectively delivered.


Music for adventurous listeners

tA

Tribal Records
[Edited 12/22/09 17:52pm]

Timmy84 said:

What's wrong with Dionne's voice?

Well i'm not gonna sit here and lie and act like I know a lot about Dionne Warwick and her music because I don't, but I watched a special about her a while back (I think it was on A&E or the Biography Channel) and gained a new appreciation for her. Dionne is very talented and she can really sing. She's a lot more than songs like "That's What Friends Are For". I mean I'm only familiar with a few of her songs like I said, but i've been impressed with what i've heard and seen especially after seeing that special about Dionne's life and music. I thought she was kind of corny before i'll admit, but after seeing that documentary about her I really started to appreciate her. She is definitely talented.
[Edited 12/22/09 18:01pm]

Cinnamon234 said:

She is talented. I have a lot of her songs in my iTunes. I go through them every once in a while when I need a touch of old school.

midiscover said:

She just sings in her chest voice.

Is that bad thing?

I was suprised to find out she's ranked as one of the biggest pop artist ever, as far as sales goes. I don't think she gets the credit she deserves because she uses her voice as an instrument which is equally as important as the rest of the song... a lot of other artist then and now tend to concentrate on their vocals versus using the vocals to convey lyric. In that respect, she should be studied for her fine craft.

midiscover said:

I didn't say nothing was wrong lol

My favorite song by Dionne Warick produced by Barry Manilow.

See, that is one of the worst songs ever. Schmaltz.

dannyd5050 said:

See? This is what I was trying to say. No one knew what to do with her better than Bacharach and David. They understood her. The rest didn't. Some post-Bacharach joints were decent ("You're Gonna Need Me" being my favorite) but it's like they really didn't capture the soulful vulnerability of her Bacharach/David recordings especially those recorded between 1962 and 1966.

scriptgirl said:

I disagree. And I like schmaltz...

Timmy84 said:

Aww. Really? Tell me this song ain't the shit!

I know the reference to Dionne Warwick as a "step above a lounge singer" is a personal opinion, but she really WAS all that and I would disagree that she cannot be compared to some others. Aretha is generally considered to be in a class of her own, but some of the music that Whitney (for example)has done is no less "corny" than Dionne's recordings. I happen to like her stuff with Bacharach and David for exactly what they were, an interpretation of their writing and they way she does "I Know I'll Never Love This Way Again" makes it hers alone. Doesn't it all come down to what each person likes anyway?

sosgemini said:

Game-set-match! Thank you.




...Alfie



Music for adventurous listeners


tA

Tribal Records

dannyd5050 said:

Oh no it is lol

theAudience said:

The song is beautiful but I think what made me sleep on this song all these years was the title "Alfie". I mean, come on, that's just as bad as "Ben".

And, for those that have seen the movie, WHY do they call him Alfie? Was his name Al or Alfred? I've read the wikipedia on this movie and its about a very naughty naughty boy.

"The film tells the story of a young man who leads a promiscuous lifestyle until several life reversals make him rethink his purposes and goals in life. Alfie frequently breaks the fourth wall by speaking directly to the camera narrating and justifying his actions. His words often contrast and/or totally contradict his actions."

Alfie was played by Michael Caine in the movie.

Timmy84 said:

Can you dig it? I knew that you could.

dannyd5050 said:

Dionne Warwick is GREAT.I have several of her albums.Some of my favorites:

"Walk On By"
"I Know I'll Never Love This Way Again"
"Deja Vu"
"Heartbreaker"
"Then Came You" with the Spinners
"Make It Easy On Yourself"
"Yesterday" (one of the best remakes of a Beatles classic)

She had amazing songs in the 60s,70s and 80s.A very talented lady with an impressive catalog.I wish they would put together a multi-disc box set.

dannyd5050 said:

Man,I LOVE this song!!! It's so incredibly moody and hypnotic.I listen to it and just dream.It takes you to another place.Isaac Hayes arranged the music,and he did an amazing job,the track is haunting and mesmerizing.

sosgemini said:

Couldn't have put it any better myself. That bolded section is something I've said a few times myself. It amazes me that singing with a song rather than wailing away uncontrollably overtop of it is seen as a deficiency.

Understatement beats vocal flamboyance in my book every day. There can be room for both, of course, but I definitely prefer one over the other.
[Edited 12/23/09 5:26am]