THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

224-Dionne Warwick-Walk On By.

1964-Number 9 single.

Best Bit-At 1.42.’I honestly believe that if I’d sneezed on my next record, then Cilla would have sneezed on hers too.’ These were the words of Dionne Warwick venting her frustration that UK record labels preferred to release her American hits in Britain sung by British singers.

Dionne Warwick was born Marie Dionne Warrick on December 12th, 1940, in Orange, New Jersey, United States, with record sales in excess of 100 million she is one of the best selling solo artists of all time. In the 20th Century on Billboard in America, during the ‘Rock N’ Roll’ era (from 1955) she stands second to only Aretha Franklin (see also best songs 644 and 366) for the most Billboard top 100 singles entries with 69. The change in the spelling of her surname from ‘Warrick’ to ‘Warwick’ was due to a misspelling on her first single release ‘Don’t Make Me Over’ in 1962, and from then on she began using the new spelling.

Many of Dionne Warwick’s family were members of the American Gospel singing group ‘The Drinkard Singers,’ including her sister Dee Dee Warwick, (1942-2008) (see also best songs 1001) her aunt Cissy Houston, (the mother of Whitney Houston) and Judy Clay (1938-2001) who had been unofficially adopted as a child by Dionne Warwick’s parents. After several personnel changes in the early 1960’s, the remaining members of ‘The Drinkard Singers’ became ‘The Sweet Inspirations,'(see also best songs 882.)

It was while performing background vocals on the ‘Drifters’ 1962 song ‘Mexican Divorce’ that Dionne Warwick first came to the attention of the composer Burt Bacharach, (see also best songs 902-832-815-740-644 and 376) who got her to record demo’s for his latest songs, for other artists to potentially use, before he decided to take her on board to record his songs, exclusively. Dionne Warwick went on to work alongside many other artists in the following years, and has of 2022 released 40 studio Albums between 1963-2019, and 95 singles between 1962-2019. She has had two Billboard Number 1 singles with ‘Then Came You,’ with The (Detroit) Spinners in 1974, and with ‘That’s What Friends Are For,’ recorded with Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder, in 1985. Her highest charting song in the UK is ‘Heartbreaker’ from 1982, which was written by the Bee Gees, and has Barry Gibb performing the backing vocals.

‘Walk On By’ was co-written by the legendary songwriting team of Burt Bacharach, (music) and Hal David, (1921-2012) who provided the lyrics. The song is about someone being dumped by their lover, and knowing that there is no chance of reconciliation, wants them to stay well away, as it would break her heart even just to see them again. The song has been recorded dozens of times, and in many different styles over the years. In the UK, aside from Dionne Warwick, the song has reached the top 40 on three other occasions, the Stranglers took their version to Number 21 in 1978, Sybil made Number 6 in 1990, and Gabrielle reached Number 7 in 1997. In America Dionne Warwick took the song to Number 6, while the other hit version in The States was from Isaac Hayes (see also best songs 530-398 and 1) whose 12 minute recording for his 1969 Album ‘Hot Buttered Soul’ was edited down to 4.34, and reached Number 30 on the Billboard chart.

‘If you see me walking down the street, and I start to cry each time we meet walk on by, walk on by. Make believe that you don’t see the tears, just let me grieve in private, ’cause each time I see you I break down and cry.’