Who Nailed It? - The Look Of Love

[Harry]

"The Look Of Love" was one of those songs that it seems that everyone did at sometime or another. It was particularly prevalent among the A&M artists that we typically deal with here.

It all started with Burt Bacharach's soundtrack to CASINO ROYALE. "The Look Of Love" was its main "love theme" and was performed on the soundtrack by Dusty Springfield. Burt did his own version of the song as an instrumental on that soundtrack.

Later on, Burt re-did his instrumental version for A&M Records on his first LP for the label, REACH OUT. Meanwhile Sergio Mendes was burning up the charts with the hit Brasil '66 version.

Other artists grabbed onto the song too. Julius Wechter and the Baja Marimba Band got their turn on the FOWL PLAY album. Claudine Longet did the song and titled her second album THE LOOK OF LOVE.

Pete Jolly tackled the song live on his GIVE A DAMN album, and other live versions by Sergio Mendes and Burt Bacharach himself (on their respective IN CONCERT albums) appeared in the early '70s.

It took a few decades, but even Herb Alpert got into the act by doing a version of the song on his COLORS CD with an odd electronic sampling of Lani Hall's voice.

And Sergio Mendes revisited the song recently on his ENCANTO album with Fergie singing lead.

I wouldn't be a bit surprised to find lists of plenty of other artists who tackled the song added to the thread.

So, who nailed it?

Harry

 

[Steven J. Gross]

I voted for Brasil '66... it is awesome!
I am also fond of Sergio's Encanto version.

 

[Captaindave]

I voted for Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66...although I could just as easily have voted for Dusty Springfield.

It's a toss up to me.

 

[Rudy]

Dusty's version is the ONLY version I've ever heard that gets it right: the sultry "come hither" overtones and the soft suggestive feel. All the others I've heard turn it into a pop song. FAIL! Ever since I discovered Dusty's versions, I find I don't enjoy the other versions at all.

 

[Dave]

Dusty Springfield's version has endured decades--and enough as to call it "DEFINITIVE!"--quite well, period...!

Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 seem to douse it with a good dollop of Brasilian charm & enough that it should have been waaaayyyyy left alone, rather than turned into the messy, gooey collaboration w/ Fergie of Black Eyed Peas, years later...

However, if it did need some kind of "updating" for "the younger set", unforseen decades later, then so be it... Eh, but not THAT "younger"...!!!! WHY????!!!!

In all, the version I'd ultimately picked, (given that this is a song nearly EVERYONE recording at A&M had done) the one most dearest & unique to me, has been Claudine...

The sultry, dank & tidy lounge feel (& retaining that Bacharach percussive sound; as in a light "Bossa" sort of trademark) I thought did the song justice, had been the perfect vehicle for Claudine's soft, whispery voice (much like when she does serious Standards or traditional Pop fare such as "Meditation" or "Dindi", although the latter can get a wee bit treacly) and above all, what ranks high on a lot of peoples' scales, including mine, is that hers is unique...!

I wish Chris Montez had been included in the poll... As treacly as he can be tackling such songs (much like in a Gene Pitney-like way) I thought he gave "The Look Of Love" a fairly credible reading (& makes you forget his sugary treatment of "Dindi", which is rather syrupy & overly cavity-promoting sweet no matter who covers it) and enough on the balance of it being "unique" that it earns a quick second place......

Which, quite honestly, nothing "instrumental" no matter who carries it in a "No Speak/No Sing" fashion is going to make "The Look Of Love" ring with its true meaning if you don't hear the words... Yes, those of you who like Pete Jolly's & Julius Wechter & The Baja Marimba Band's vapid, vacant, anonymously arranged, stilted treatment of it...,--well, I'm sorry, --listen to your Living Voices..., Living Brass..., Living Strings..., Living Guitars..., Living..., etc. records of it, then!



Dave

 

[Harry]

Thanks Dave - I did indeed miss the Chris Montez version, but added it to the poll should anyone want to vote for it.

Harry

 

[AM Matt]

Let's not forget the late Isaac Hayes 1970 version (from "...To Be Continued") which ran over 11 minutes!! Matt Clark Sanford, MI

 

[KentTeffeteller]

Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66 for me. I love Dusty Springfield's recording a lot and another fine record is Tony Joe White's version on the Black & White album.

 

[Steven J. Gross]

As far as an instrumental, I'd pick the Baja Marimba version.

 

[lj]

Thanks to Janis Hansen's gorgeous lead vocal, I'll pick the Brasil 66 version. The way Janis begins singing in such a breathe, sexy manner knocks me out every time. Her singing is a tour de force from start to finish. What a talent. No wonder why the Look of Love along with Mas Que Nada are the signature songs of Brasil 66.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Another toughie for me. I really like the Brasil '66 version, but the Bacharach version is one of my favorite instrumentals of his too. I love the way the trumpets sound in that -- they have an almost rehearsal quality to them. Better listen to some of the versions and think about it a while!

 

[Brasil_66_Fan]

Dusty's version is the ONLY version I've ever heard that gets it right: the sultry "come hither" overtones and the soft suggestive feel. All the others I've heard turn it into a pop song. FAIL! Ever since I discovered Dusty's versions, I find I don't enjoy the other versions at all.

Voted for Dusty's version, but I wouldn't go as far as saying I don't enjoy any other - they're ALL good, in different ways, depending upon the mood or occasion....if you're wooing a beautiful girl (or macho guy), it's Dusty: if it's just your spouse, then Brasil '66 will suffice.....

 

[Rudy]

....if you're wooing a beautiful girl (or macho guy), it's Dusty: if it's just your spouse, then Brasil '66 will suffice.....

Oh MAN...that is just COLD!!










BTW, Diana Krall did one as well. The Claus Ogerman strings are luscious, but I can't say I care for her vocal rendition of this one. I think she could have taken it up a key or two since she sounds like she is straining for those lower notes. Still a nice take on it though.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I don't really like the Baja version. That's one band where I still prefer the fast songs over the slow ones. I just think with their humorous approach and their instrumentation, the fast tunes work better. That's just my 2¢!

 

[AM Matt]

Jazz Canadian singer Diana Krall also did the remake back in 2001 (title track from her CD). Matt Clark Sanford, MI

 

[JMK]

The thing I like about Sergio's version is his ingenious arrangement, with asymmetrical modulations (like after the first 8, virtually unheard of in pop music). Also love the vocal "you" at the end of the first verse held out and then becoming "you've" to start out the second verse. I do miss the nice coda with that luscious #4 13th that's in the original, but the rest of Sergio's take on the song is fantastic.

 

[Dave]

...No wonder why "The Look of Love", along with "Mas Que Nada" are the signature songs of Brasil '66...

I also consider "Look Around" a signature song of Brasil '66, too!


Dave

 

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

I can't even deal with the Sergio/Fergie remake because how she repeatedly messes up the lyrics AND melody......

 

[Rudy]

I don't really like the Baja version. That's one band where I still prefer the fast songs over the slow ones. I just think with their humorous approach and their instrumentation, the fast tunes work better. That's just my 2¢!

And I prefer any of their band originals or "fun" remakes over the cover versions of other songs. Except for "Sunrise, Sunset," a real mallet workout masterpiece in my book!

 

[Rudy]

Jazz Canadian singer Diana Krall also did the remake back in 2001 (title track from her CD). Matt Clark Sanford, MI

You should hear that one in surround. It's a perfect late night album, for winter, with the fireplace going...

 

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

By the way, there's another Bacharach/David song called "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (NOT the Elton John/Kiki Dee song - this one was written in the 60's) that seems fairly obscure to me, yet I feel like every A&M artist recorded it (Sergio did it one of his Atlantic instrumental albums). Was it a big song at the time?....

 

[JMK]

Sergio also *produced* it for Bossa Rio.

 

[Dave]

"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" was a pretty big number... Obviously Dionne Warwicke might have had her version of it, & as far as it being on A&M goes, it was done by Roger Nichols & even (I think) By Bacharach, himself...

Aretha Franklin also covered it, too; in the '70's...

Dave

 

[JMK]

According to Joel Whitburn, the Bacharach-David tune never charted, though it was certainly a much recorded song. It's what I jokingly refer to as a "sub-standard," one of those tunes that may have never cracked the Top 40 (or even Hot 100) but which is still relatively well known.

 

[Harry]

By the way, there's another Bacharach/David song called "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (NOT the Elton John/Kiki Dee song - this one was written in the 60's) that seems fairly obscure to me, yet I feel like every A&M artist recorded it (Sergio did it one of his Atlantic instrumental albums). Was it a big song at the time?....

The odd thing is that although a few core A&M artists did the song, they did so for other labels.

- Burt himself did the song for his Kapp HIT MAKER! album
- Sergio did it on his Atlantic THE GREAT ARRIVAL
- Sergio produced the Bossa Rio version on Blue Thumb's ALEGRIA!

- Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass did it on the SRO album
- Roger Nichols did it for his sole LP for A&M

Harry