Burt Bacharach: A Tribute from Ronnie Scott’s

Lennon and McCartney, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Elton John and Bernie Taupin…

The list of great songwriting duos is a long one, but only a handful produced quite so many classic tracks over so long a period of time as Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

The pair first met in the late-1950s at the legendary Brill Building in New York, with Bacharach penning the music to go with David’s lyrics. They collaborated for more than 15 years before going their separate ways, but in the meantime, gave us some of the greatest easy listening classics ever made, including I’ll Never Fall in Love Again, I Say a Little Prayer, Alfie and the Oscar-winning Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head.

Both went on to work with others, and with some success too, but their names remain linked with each other, so much so that it was their songs that instantly sprang to mind when news of Bacharach’s death at the age of 94 broke in February (David passed away in 2012).

Although they worked with many talented singers over the years, including Dusty Springfield, Tom Jones and Aretha Franklin, it’s Dionne Warwick who remains synonymous with the duo thanks to a string of hits she enjoyed during the 1960s. It came as no surprise when she issued a heartfelt tribute to Bacharach following the news of his passing.

“Burt’s transition is like losing a family member,” she revealed. “These words I’ve been asked to write are being written with sadness over the loss of my dear friend and my musical partner. On the lighter side we laughed a lot and had our run ins but always found a way to let each other know our family-like roots were the most important part of our relationship.

“My heartfelt condolences go out to his family, letting them know he is now peacefully resting and I too will miss him.”

Now the Beeb is paying tribute to him by dedicating its Saturday night BBC Two schedule to his life and work.

The evening begins with a concert recorded at the famous Ronnie Scott’s club in Soho, during which the resident quintet, accompanied by a string section, percussionist and singers Elaine Delmar and Iain Mackenzie, perform a selection of Bacharach’s most famous works, which have been given a jazz-infused flavour by the venue’s artistic director, James Pearson. Listen out for such classics as Do You Know the Way to San Jose, The Look of Love and That’s What Friends Are For, among others.

That’s followed at 9pm by archive footage in Burt Bacharach at the BBC. At 10pm, the likes of Adele, Beth Rowley and Jamie Cullum, accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra, can be seen performing some of his hits in Burt Bacharach at the Electric Proms, recorded at the Roundhouse in 2008.

If you still want more, at 11pm, there’s a chance to see the man himself in action during his 2015 Glastonbury set. The evening then draws to a close with Burt Bacharach: A Life in Song (12am), a unique concert at London’s Royal Festival Hall in which Bacharach himself performs and discusses his life and career.