My brother and I loved Bacharach’s music. We lived during the time when his songs lorded it over the radio. I learned his songs on the piano, and my older brother Bert learned the songs in guitar. During that time, my kuya was called Burt Bacayab in UP!
To date, I can play and sing Bacharach songs complete with lyrics, by memory. And when I am requested to do Bacharach, the first song I would play is “This Guy’s in Love With You.” I love it when everyone joins in to sing “I need your love! I want your love! Say ‘you’re in love, in love with this guy. If not, I’ll just die.”
Everyone sings, as in just everyone sings when I play “(They Long to be) Close to You.” “Why do birds suddenly appear…” — and the volume goes really far to the right when we reach the part that says “La — la la la laaaaaa, close to you!”
A very close second to that song is “I Say a Little Prayer.” Bacharach’s songs are unique because of his penchant for changing meters — he made changing meters so ordinary!
Best days. Best songs. My era.
I created a Bacharach Medley for the New Minstrels AND THEY STILL SING IT TO THIS DAY every time they have reunion concerts. I have also created a very different Bacharach Medley for the Ryan Cayabyab Singers.
The very first arrangement I did for Basil Valdez was “Alfie,” and he recorded it. I love how he sings “Alfie.” I love that song, as much as “A House Is Not a Home.”
I get so sentimental, ang deep ng nararamdaman ko (I feel it deeply) when I play or when I hear someone sing “The Look of Love,” and I am completely transported to the late ‘60s whenever I hear or play the songs “Anyone Who Had a Heart” and “Walk On By.” Those songs, and those words by Hal David!
There are other songs that tug at the heartstrings like “The April Fools,” “Wanting Things,” “Make it Easy on Yourself,” “The Windows of the World,” “One Less Bell to Answer…” But in this grouping, the song “Whoever You Are I Love You” is just sooo makurot sa puso (heart-pinching). THE MELODY is something else.
Of course, there are cute songs like “You’ll Never Get to Heaven,” “Always Something There to Remind Me,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose,” “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again,” and the Oscar-winning song “Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head” from the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. But there is one song there without words that is so iconic for Bacharach music lovers — “South American Getaway.” We sang that a lot — as in a lot.
Movie themes
Bacharach had a lot of movie themes like Wives and Lovers, What’s New Pussycat, Alfie, Arthur’s Theme, and many more. He did the music for the musical Promises, Promises; aside from the titular song, we sang “Christmas Day” during Christmas, of course.
There is one very, very important music score, and we all loved it during my era. We simply loved all the songs — I remember playing all of them and including many of them in recitals for the youth. I am talking about Lost Horizon.
Ayan na naman ‘yan (There it is again) — I can play and sing all the songs from memory, at tama pa ang lyrics (and with correct lyrics)!
As a matter of fact, my wife and I sing (if goaded) “I Might Frighten Him/Her Away.” So, yes, we sing “Living Together,” “The World is a Circle,” and ang sarap (what a joy) to sing along to Bobby Van’s song in the movie, “Question Me an Answer.”
National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab.
My favorite is the main theme: “…Have you ever dreamed of a place far away from it all…” Ganda ng music (beautiful music)! Sadly, the movie was panned and was considered a big flop. Actually, ang weird ng lapat ng music sa pelikulang ‘yun, parang magkaibang direction (the use of music in that film was weird, as if on a different direction).
Bacharach also wrote newer songs in collaboration with other lyricists and songwriters, like “That’s What Friends Are For.” I saw a TV musical once and it was his music — ang ganda (it was beautiful)! But I can’t even remember the title of that one song that so struck me upon first hearing.
RIP, Mr. Bacharach. And yes, what the world needs now is love.
Ryan Cayabyab was named a National Artist of the Philippines for Music in 2018, for his music “that extols the exuberance of life and human happiness, thus capturing the very essence of our Filipino soul.” He also received the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2019 for “his compositions and performances that have defined and inspired Filipino popular music across generations… and his showing us all that music can indeed instill pride and joy, and unify people across the many barriers that divide them.”
(Editor’s note: We asked National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab his reaction to the passing of legendary American composer Burt Bacharach, whose music was an indelible part of Cayabyab’s own formative years in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Out came a flood of memories from Mr. C — proving again how, across oceans and distances, one singular musical mind can inspire, influence, and/or simply spark lasting joy in another.)