PROMISES, PROMISES Re-released on CD 4/12/2005

One of the best musicals of the 1960's and the only Broadway show written by the pop duo of Burt Bacharach and Hal David sees the light of day once again.

I love "Knowing When To Leave". My mother has a Dionne Warwick album that has a great version of this song on it.

I guess I'm alone on this one...LOL

Just Kidding folks!

"Turkey Lurkey Time" is the best song on the CD!

LOL...you're not alone Marquise. I love the score too. It has such a seventies feel to it even though I think it opened in '68. It sounds less dated though from shows that came later ("Applause" for one). When I saw it listed for re-release yesterday I pulled out an old LP copy of the original London cast that starred a very young Betty Buckley and Tony Roberts. She does a wonderful "When To Leave" on it. Tony Roberts is no Jerry Orbach though.

Where did that cover art come from? That's not the original artwork for the show which the previous CD issue used.

You know...it's the second CD release of this score, and they STILL couldn't put the songs in show order? "Grapes of Roth" and "Where Can You Take a Girl" are still in the wrong spots. I hope too, that it was remastered again. The mix on the first CD issue was very percussion heavy - overwhelmingly so.

And regrettably, Jerry Orbach is off-key - actually, he's often flat, rather than sharp. But Bachrach is notoriously difficult to sing. It sounds like lightweight pop, but there are very tricky intervals, key changes and time signature changes throughout. It would be nice if they could use a little modern technology and do a little pitch-correcting to help out the late great Orbach, but I doubt they went to the trouble.

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that is virtually the cover of the original Broadway cast recording. It is the shows original poster art.

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That's good news. I got a rare libary copy of the original CD a couple of months ago and listened to it again and again. There has never been a Broadway score like it. I'm a big fan of 60s Bacharach, and I have to say the score is totally 60s Mr. B, not 70s, though if it sounds that way to Demitri 2 it may be because Burt Bacharach's music was so unique and I suppose ahead of its time. But listen to any of Dionne Warwick's hits from that era or a Bacharach soundtrack like Casino Royale and you know right away who wrote these Promises, Promises songs, and from what time period. I like all the performances in the original recording, including Mr. Orbach. His voice may not have been the best, but he is delightful nonetheless, especially in my very favorite song SHE LIKES BASKETBALL! Also love Half as Big as Life. By the way, the title is "I'll Never Fall in Love Again." Miss Warwick also had a hit with the title song. "Knowing When to Leave" was also a hit.

Updated On: 3/26/05 at 11:24 AM

I love Turkey Lurkey Time! I only know it from the movie CAMP, and thank God for that. Saw Margo Sappington last week and she humored me by singing a little bit of it with me.

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Warwick also had a hit with "Promises, Promises". And I think "Knowing When to Leave" was covered by several artists as well. A show with three hit songs. Not too shabby!

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I agree that the overture is one of the best ever. It is almost impossible to stop oneself from conducting! My favourite song is She likes Basketball but I adore the entire score; Bacharach and David were never more on top of their game. To check out the opposite end of the spectrum, see their version of Lost Horizon - YUCK!