Is Heartbreaker Dionne Warwick's Best Song?

I can't imagine anyone singing this the way she did. So much raw emotion and sadness. Why is this song so underrated? I love this song. I do love "I Know I'll Never Love This Way Again" also. But her best song is "Walk on By"

I can't imagine anyone singing this the way she did. So much raw emotion and sadness. Why is this song so underrated?

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by Anonymousreply 84September 26, 2020 11:41 PM

I love this song. I do love "I Know I'll Never Love This Way Again" also. But her best song is "Walk on By"

by Anonymousreply 1September 6, 2019 11:35 PM

Her best song is "Trains and Boats and Planes," when Alex Chilton does it. I could never stand her wispy, throaty warble.

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by Anonymousreply 2September 6, 2019 11:38 PM

My favorite is ‘That’s What Psychic Friends Are For’.

by Anonymousreply 7September 7, 2019 12:25 AM

With all of the magnificent Bacharach/David songs she introduced, how could anyone consider fluff like "Heartbreaker" and "I Know I'll Never Love This Way Again" as her best?

by Anonymousreply 8September 7, 2019 12:37 AM

Anything with Bacharach and Hal David was pure genius. Beautiful. R3 & R4 thank you for those classics.

by Anonymousreply 9September 7, 2019 12:40 AM

YES! I love Alfie. IMO it is one of the best songs ever written. The lyrics will break your heart. "And if life belongs only to the strong, Alfie..."

by Anonymousreply 11September 7, 2019 1:32 AM

No, OP!

“Heartbreaker” is PAT BENATAR’s best song!!

by Anonymousreply 12September 7, 2019 1:38 AM

I adore "Heartbreaker".....though, when I get my drag act together, each show will begin "Deja Vu," the sexiest, slinkiest song ever.

by Anonymousreply 14September 7, 2019 2:19 AM

I love this drag queen favorite!!!

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by Anonymousreply 15September 7, 2019 2:28 AM

Her only Number 1 song was "Then Came You".

by Anonymousreply 16September 7, 2019 2:34 AM

Back when this was in the Top 40, the guy I was dating said this song made him think of me. I pretty much figured we were done.

I was right. I stopped by my neighbor’s one night. He was naked on their floor, as they’d just had a 3 way.

Heartbreaker, all right.

by Anonymousreply 17September 7, 2019 2:45 AM

Wait: were you the Heartbreaker or was he the Heartbreaker??

by Anonymousreply 18September 7, 2019 2:56 AM

He said I was, but he turned out to be.

by Anonymousreply 19September 7, 2019 2:57 AM

[quote] Her only Number 1 song was "Then Came You".

American recording artist Dionne Warwick ranks second to Aretha Franklin as the most charted female vocalist with 69 singles making the Billboard Hot 100 during the rock era (1955–1999).[1] Warwick has sold over 75 million singles and 25 million albums worldwide.[2]

by Anonymousreply 20September 7, 2019 3:00 AM

Oh, dear, I don’t like that song at all. Very noisy. I enjoy the old Bacharach/David hits.

by Anonymousreply 21September 7, 2019 3:02 AM

Barry sings lead on the BeeGee's sublime version

by Anonymousreply 22September 7, 2019 3:06 AM

She isn’t like most black singers. She’s so elegant. Like Lena Horne.

by Anonymousreply 23September 7, 2019 3:07 AM

Yes, so true. Black singers should strive to be more elegant like Post Malone.

by Anonymousreply 24September 7, 2019 3:09 AM

[quote]Her only Number 1 song was "Then Came You".

You have to remember that during the 1960s she was singing sophisticated adult themed songs during the time of dance music and rock and the British invasion. It makes the statistic at R20 even more impressive..

by Anonymousreply 25September 7, 2019 3:12 AM

Dionne has an impressive song catalog with many great songs. Her voice is really distinctive and a big part of my childhood. Hearfelt is how I would describe her singing.

by Anonymousreply 27September 7, 2019 7:05 AM

People like Beyonce and Christina are all about technique and screaming. Dionne didn't need all that. She could get every bit of emotion out of a song without all the vocal tricks.

by Anonymousreply 28September 7, 2019 8:38 AM

^^^ I love all the big voiced divas going way back from the 30s to the present. Beyoncé is just terrible. I never begrudge anybody's successful career but that Beyoncé is one lucky girl. She sounded good with Destiny's Child is about all I can say on a positive note. Worst offense is her voice lacks personality.

Dionne, on the other hand, oozes personality in her music. I'm not a massive fan but she gets my respect for her beautiful and readily identifiable voice. Though it was released before I was born, Walk on By always sounded so classy and sophisticated when I was growing up. My mom loved her and always played her records really loud while smoking Tarreytons and vacuuming.

by Anonymousreply 29September 7, 2019 11:05 AM

I love both songs because of the years they came out. I was a junior in high school and just got my drivers license. I was cruising in my black Nissan 280Z. Good times!

by Anonymousreply 30September 7, 2019 12:31 PM

^^^Oopsie, I meant my Nissan 280ZX.

by Anonymousreply 31September 7, 2019 12:34 PM

Dionne did have a distinctive voice, and I agree with you R27. But it's undeniable that the combination of her voice with Hal David and Burt Bacharach's songs that blew people away.

Walk on By was very distinctive. My personal favorites were Alfie, Don't Make me Over, Make it Easy on Yourself, Message to Michael, Anyone Who Had a Heart.

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by Anonymousreply 32September 7, 2019 12:45 PM

^^^Good one, R32. I forgot about Don't Make Over! Yes! Add that to my favorites list.

Totally different vibe but Sybil had a big hit with a house version in 1989.

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by Anonymousreply 33September 7, 2019 12:57 PM

This Girl's in Love with You

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by Anonymousreply 34September 7, 2019 1:06 PM

Theme from Valley of the Dolls

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by Anonymousreply 36September 7, 2019 1:15 PM

Dionne live in Belgium in 1964. Simply stunning. So classy and elegant. And those cheekbones ....

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by Anonymousreply 37September 7, 2019 1:25 PM

I've always liked Kirsty MacColl's plaintive vocals on this otherwise "comic" take.

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by Anonymousreply 39September 7, 2019 2:07 PM

How many current female pop singers are capable of performing a song like ‘Promises, Promises’?

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by Anonymousreply 41September 7, 2019 2:13 PM

The percussion is a little overbearing on "Heartbreaker".

by Anonymousreply 42September 7, 2019 2:14 PM

Live, sometime in the eighties.

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by Anonymousreply 43September 7, 2019 2:17 PM

A 20-minute greatest hits medley, live. I saw her do this in concert years ago - amazing!

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by Anonymousreply 44September 7, 2019 2:18 PM

The Hot! Live and Otherwise live double LP is like a crown of glory. She sounds spectacular throughout, and the 20-minute medley shows off her versatility, nuance, and keen interpretation from start to finish.

by Anonymousreply 45September 7, 2019 2:40 PM

She hated the song, didn't she?

Anyways the lines /I Made a Life out of Loving You/ You Made a Life out of Hurting Me/ are fabulous

by Anonymousreply 48September 7, 2019 9:43 PM

R38 hussy, I get more life from nicotine gum than I do from you.

by Anonymousreply 49September 7, 2019 11:08 PM

Has anyone covered the song at a slower tempo? There isn't much room for lyric interpretation in the Dionne/Barry version.

by Anonymousreply 50September 8, 2019 6:59 AM

Wasn't Dee Dee Warwick, Dionne's sister the one who molested and sexually abused Whitney Houston when she was a child?

by Anonymousreply 51September 8, 2019 12:13 PM

I really want to say that this is the finest vocal of Dionne's career- Alfie, live, from her "Live and Otherwise" album from 1981. I would put this as a top 20 live vocal I have heard in my life.

The vocals are soaring and perfect.

I had never even heard of this song until a month ago- and when I googled the lyrics- it really is just a perfect song. Wistful but not maudlin- it could have been maudlin as hell. It's beautiful.

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by Anonymousreply 52September 8, 2019 3:14 PM

R48 Barry Gibb at his best.

by Anonymousreply 53September 8, 2019 3:54 PM

r37 that was great, real talent at work.

by Anonymousreply 54September 8, 2019 4:01 PM

I've been obsessed with this recently. Apparently it was tucked away on an ONJ album for 40 years.

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by Anonymousreply 55September 8, 2019 4:03 PM

It's a Barry Gibb song, btw.

by Anonymousreply 56September 8, 2019 4:04 PM

Her voice was at its best in the 60s and no one could do better with the often awkward phrasing of Bacharach & David.

by Anonymousreply 57September 8, 2019 4:16 PM

I think she actually sounded better in the 70s, Her voice had more body.

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by Anonymousreply 58September 8, 2019 4:21 PM

Much of this "Touch Me In the Morning" is sublime.

by Anonymousreply 59September 8, 2019 4:31 PM

R52 Awful compared to the original version.

Her original version is restrained with perfect phrasing. She did not have to resort to cheap vocal gymnastics to impress.

by Anonymousreply 60September 8, 2019 4:51 PM

Dionne recently re-recorded What the World Needs Now. Not bad for an 80s year-old bitch who still smokes like a chimney!

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by Anonymousreply 61September 8, 2019 4:56 PM

That re-recording is from the 2000s. She knows how to recycle, if not pay her taxes.

by Anonymousreply 62September 8, 2019 5:12 PM

I thought it was recent. It's from her album than came out in May.

by Anonymousreply 63September 8, 2019 5:14 PM

It's on her recent album, yes. I guess it counts as a remix. The vocal is not new, though.

by Anonymousreply 64September 8, 2019 5:16 PM

THIS is my favorite Dionne Warwick song. The whole album is great.

Unfortunately, this arrangement between Dionne and recently Motown departed Holland-Dozier-Holland didn't quite pan out. The album tanked and there was no love lost between Dionne and HDH.

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by Anonymousreply 65September 8, 2019 5:21 PM

Dionne's live cover of Stevie Wonder's "All In Love Is Fair" is sublime.

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by Anonymousreply 66September 8, 2019 5:36 PM

The odd thing about Dionne is she has always looked like an unhappy woman.

Simply- miserable-...

She has always come across as dour and devoid of any personality.

And The Apprentice confirmed it.

by Anonymousreply 67September 8, 2019 5:41 PM

There's a Dionne quote that explains it. It was something along the lines of "the only man who has ever taken care of me was my father."

by Anonymousreply 69September 8, 2019 5:43 PM

R68, I truly think that performance of Alfie is stunning. Vocal gymnastics? I guess it was over the top to some degree, but to me the performance is beautiful.

But lyrically, I can see how her original version is more properly interpreted.

Regardless, it is a beautiful song.

by Anonymousreply 70September 8, 2019 5:44 PM

R69, I was shocked that Dionne was married and has sons.

For some reason I always thought she was a lesbian.

by Anonymousreply 71September 8, 2019 5:45 PM

She apparently had a relationship with a mafia affiliated guy for much of the 80s. It wouldn't surprise me if she were a little lesbian.

by Anonymousreply 72September 8, 2019 5:50 PM

Her sister Dee Dee was an out lesbian.

by Anonymousreply 73September 8, 2019 5:55 PM

I always thought Dee Dee's recording "Don't Pay Them No Mind" was a bit of a covert pro-gay song.

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by Anonymousreply 74September 8, 2019 5:57 PM

[quote] The odd thing about Dionne is she has always looked like an unhappy woman. Simply- miserable-... She has always come across as dour and devoid of any personality. And The Apprentice confirmed it.

I’ve never at all gotten that impression. She’s had a fabulous life and she seems to have enjoyed it. She’s checked every box, fame, fortune, family, children, grandchildren.

I never understood why Nikki Taylor was so up and arms about. Warwick wasn’t mean or confrontational. She simply asked where one of the cast mates was. The whole thing was silly.

I’m assuming that some expect every 70 yr old woman to be more of an accommodating grandmother type. Dionne doesn’t take any bullshit. I like that.

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by Anonymousreply 75September 8, 2019 9:43 PM

Barry and his brothers recorded the song on a double greatest hits cd, along with Emotion and Islands in the stream. This version with Barry on lead is what I was referring to earlier. Emotion was great as well, Barry is pissing on Samantha Sang on her version anyway, however the Islands in the stream, which features my favorite Bee Gee, Robin, is a slow regaton version, and even references Ghetto Superstar. The live versions are so much better.

by Anonymousreply 76September 8, 2019 10:44 PM

R75 Who is Nikki Taylor to lecture Dionne Warwick? How disrespectful. The woman's a legend. Nikki's just a human clothes hanger.

by Anonymousreply 77September 8, 2019 10:57 PM

This is her most successful single ever

by Anonymousreply 78September 26, 2020 10:56 PM

Alfie. 100%. I have some live version from 1979 on Amazon Music. It is impeccable.

by Anonymousreply 79September 26, 2020 11:01 PM

R75, I love a take no bullshit gal, but then there is an unmitigated CUNT. Dear Dionne was a CUNT that entire season until she was cunted OUT and fired-

No concept of team playing. And a nasty CUNT.

Nice try.

by Anonymousreply 80September 26, 2020 11:03 PM

probably OP

I also love "Then Came You" with the Spinners

a LOT to choose from

by Anonymousreply 81September 26, 2020 11:22 PM

I like Close To You, it's one of my absolute favorite love songs. Diana Ross did an amazing live interpretations of it during some 70s TV show. She really outshines Dionne's version.

Superb!

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by Anonymousreply 82September 26, 2020 11:29 PM

I agree R1. Walk On By is her best.

by Anonymousreply 83September 26, 2020 11:30 PM

I also prefer Barry’s vocal over Dionne’s

by Anonymousreply 84September 26, 2020 11:41 PM

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