Dionne Warwick

ANYONE WHO HAD A HEART / A House Is Not A Home WALK ON BY DON’T MAKE ME OVER Always Something There To Remind Me YOU’LL NEVER GET TO HEAVEN REACH OUT FOR ME (1964) I SAY A LITTLE PRAYER DO YOU KNOW THE WAY TO SAN JOSE (1968) WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW

You’re Gonna Need Me

Dionne Warwick hit the scene in the UK with Walk On By which released on the Pye International label  and became an immediate hit. It was always on the play list at the Brazennose Street Twisted Wheel in Manchester. However, her original recording of Anyone Who Had A Heart was eclipsed in the UK by Cilla Black’s infinitely inferior, nasalised version which made it all the way to number one in the pop charts. If that wasn’t enough, Always Something There To Remind Me was given the Sandie Shaw treatment which also made it all the way. According to newspaper features at the time, Miss Warwick was not amused. Actually, this song was only worth listening to if it was the Lou Johnson version as far as UK soul fans were concerned. Most of Dionne’s recordings were played at the city’s soul clubs, often in a set of three or four especially at the Blue Note Club. Sisters Dee Dee and Cissy (Houston) as the Drinkard Singers a gospel touring group also backed the Drifters and Garnet Mimms. Dionne was ‘discovered’ by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and her first release was Don’t Make Me Over (USA Sceptre 1963) followed by Walk on By. Dionne was born on the 12th December 1940 in East Orange New Jersey. In 1974 she collaborated  with the Detroit Spinners and had a major hit with (I Never Knew Love Before) Then Came You. She still tours today. Her niece was Whitney Houston – a talented family if sometimes tragic. Dionne Warwick – Wikipedia