One Less Bell to Answer

Last updated
"One Less Bell to Answer"
One Less Bell to Answer - The 5th Dimension.jpg
Single by The 5th Dimension
from the album Portrait
B-side "Feelin' Alright?"
ReleasedApril 1970
Recorded1969–1970
Genre Pop
Length3:31
Label Bell
Composer(s) Burt Bacharach
Lyricist(s) Hal David
Producer(s) Bones Howe
The 5th Dimension singles chronology
"On the Beach (In the Summertime)"
(1970)
"One Less Bell to Answer"
(1970)
"Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes"
(1971)

"One Less Bell to Answer" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Originally written in 1967 for Keely Smith, the song was rediscovered in late 1969 by Bones Howe, the producer for the 5th Dimension, and the song was included on the group's 1970 debut album for Bell Records, Portrait . Lead vocals on the single were sung by Marilyn McCoo.

Contents

"One Less Bell to Answer" was a platinum record. The song peaked at No.2 on the Billboard Hot 100 behind "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison for the weeks of December 26, 1970 and January 2, 1971. [1] [2] On other US charts, it went to No.1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, as well as No.4 on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart.

There is disagreement between Burt Bacharach and Hal David on the origin of "One Less Bell to Answer". Bacharach told Paul Zollo, the author of Songwriters on Songwriting, that the song was inspired by an incident that occurred with his then girlfriend, actress Angie Dickinson. "That was kind of a freak that it happened. The title was born from working on What's New Pussycat, and Angie Dickinson was living with me in London. A doorbell rang, and I think she made the comment, 'One less bell to answer, when I get out of here.' It was pretty intense, and it bothered her. We weren't married yet but we were living together. I think Hal heard her say, 'One less bell to answer'. He thought, that's a good song title and we wrote it."

However, the liner notes of Bacharach's "The Look of Love" box set tell a different story. Hal David commented that people frequently ask him what inspired his songs, and most times he isn't sure. He however *did* recall the source of "One Less Bell To Answer": "Burt and I were in London working on a project, and I was invited to a dinner party. The hostess said to me, 'When you arrive, don't ring the bell, just come in. It'll make one less bell for me to answer.' I was wise enough to know it was a good title!"

Personnel

According to the AFM contract sheets, the following musicians played on the track. [3]

Chart history

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [11] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Use in media

The 5th Dimension version of the song was prominently featured at the same time in an episode of the Robert Wagner TV series It Takes a Thief .

Other versions

Bacharach himself included a version of it as the closing number, with Cissy Houston singing, on his own 1971 eponymous A&M album.

Rosemary Clooney had a national easy listening chart record of this song in 1968 (US No.34). Barbra Streisand partially covered the song in the medley "One Less Bell to Answer/A House Is Not a Home" on her 1971 album Barbra Joan Streisand . Also in 1971, Rita Reys recorded the song for her album Rita Reys Sings Burt Bacharach, which won her an Edison Award. Dionne Warwick recorded a version of the song on her 1972 Warner Bros. album Dionne; Bacharach and David produced their track for Warwick. Another 1972 cover was by Shirley Bassey on her album I Capricorn . Vikki Carr, Michael Ball, Vanessa Williams from Everlasting Love (2005), Trijntje Oosterhuis, and Sheryl Crow also have performed covers, and the song (specifically the Streisand medley version) was performed by Matthew Morrison and Kristin Chenoweth in an episode of the American television series Glee. In 2012 Steps covered the song on their album Light Up the World.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burt Bacharach</span> American pianist, composer, songwriter and producer (1928–2023)

Burt Freeman Bacharach was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. Starting in the 1950s, he composed hundreds of pop songs, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David. Bacharach's music is characterized by unusual chord progressions and time signature changes, influenced by his background in jazz, and uncommon selections of instruments for small orchestras. He arranged, conducted, and produced much of his recorded output.

<i>Portrait</i> (The 5th Dimension album) 1970 studio album by the 5th Dimension

Portrait is the fifth album by the American pop group the 5th Dimension, released in 1970. This is the group's first album for Bell Records, having switched from the Soul City Records label. The cover features an impressionistic portrait by famous artist LeRoy Neiman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Say a Little Prayer</span> 1967 song by Burt Bacharach and Hal David

"I Say a Little Prayer" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Dionne Warwick, originally peaking at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in December 1967. On the R&B Singles chart it peaked at number eight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anyone Who Had a Heart (song)</span> 1963 single by Dionne Warwick

"Anyone Who Had a Heart" is a song written by Burt Bacharach (music) and Hal David (lyrics) for Dionne Warwick in 1963. In January 1964, Warwick's original recording hit the Top Ten in the United States, Canada, Spain, Netherlands, South Africa, Belgium and Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walk On By</span> 1964 single by Dionne Warwick

"Walk On By" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for singer Dionne Warwick in 1963. The song peaked at number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the Cash Box Rhythm and Blues Chart In June 1964 and was nominated for a 1965 Grammy Award for the Best Rhythm and Blues Recording.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A House Is Not a Home (song)</span> 1964 song by Burt Bacharach

"A House Is Not a Home" is a 1964 ballad written by the team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David for the 1964 film of the same name, starring Shelley Winters and Robert Taylor. The song was recorded by American singer Dionne Warwick at Bell Sound Studios in New York City, and was a modest hit in the United States for the singer, peaking at #71 on the pop singles chart as the B-side of the top 40 single, "You'll Never Get to Heaven ". Another version of the song, by Brook Benton, which was the version that appeared in the film, was released at nearly the same time. It debuted two weeks earlier on the Billboard Hot 100. Benton's version split airplay with Warwick's, and ultimately peaked at #75.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfie (Burt Bacharach song)</span> 1966 song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David

"Alfie" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David to promote the 1966 film Alfie. The song was a major hit for Cilla Black (UK) and Dionne Warwick (US).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Never Fall in Love Again</span> 1969 single by Bacharach & David

"I'll Never Fall in Love Again" is a popular song by composer Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David that was written for the 1968 musical Promises, Promises. Several recordings of the song were released in 1969; the most popular versions were by Dionne Warwick, who took it to number 6 on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 and spent three weeks topping the magazine's list of the most popular Easy Listening songs, and Bobbie Gentry, who topped the UK chart with her recording and also peaked at number 1 in Australia and Ireland, number 3 in South Africa and number 5 in Norway.

"Make It Easy on Yourself" is a popular song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David which was initially a hit for Jerry Butler in 1962. The best-known version is the 1965 recording by the Walker Brothers, for whom it was a No. 1 UK and Canadian hit. Dionne Warwick, who made a demo of the song in early 1962, later had a hit with it in 1970.

<i>Barbra Joan Streisand</i> (album) 1971 studio album by Barbra Streisand

Barbra Joan Streisand is the thirteenth studio album by American singer Barbra Streisand, released in August 1971 on Columbia Records. It was her second consecutive album produced by Richard Perry and features backing work by members of the female band Fanny. Like the two previous studio albums, the singer continued to opt for a more contemporary repertoire, this time choosing three songs by Carole King, two by John Lennon, two by Burt Bacharach and Hal David in medley form, and one each by Laura Nyro and the trio Michel LeGrand, Marilyn Bergman and Alan Bergman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Guy's in Love with You</span> 1968 single by Herb Alpert

"This Guy's in Love with You" is a hit song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and released by Herb Alpert in May, 1968. Although known primarily for his trumpet playing as the leader of the Tijuana Brass, Alpert sang lead vocals on this solo recording, which was arranged by Bacharach. An earlier recording of the song by British singer Danny Williams with different lyrics, titled "That Guy's in Love", appeared on Williams' 1968 self-titled album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What the World Needs Now Is Love</span> 1965 single written by Bacharach & David

"What the World Needs Now Is Love" is a 1965 popular song with lyrics by Hal David and music composed by Burt Bacharach. First recorded and made popular by Jackie DeShannon, it was released on April 15, 1965, on the Imperial label after a release on sister label Liberty records the previous month was canceled. It peaked at number seven on the US Hot 100 in July of that year. In Canada, the song reached number one.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Message to Michael</span> 1966 single by Dionne Warwick

"Message to Michael" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, that has been a hit for several different artists under several different titles. The song was first recorded as "Message to Martha" by Jerry Butler in 1962. In 1964, singer Lou Johnson had a minor US hit with the song, with the title "Kentucky Bluebird". British singer Adam Faith also recorded the song as "A Message to Martha " in 1965, and had a substantial hit with it in the UK, reaching No. 12. Exactly the same recording was issued in Australia as "Message to Martha", where it was a No. 15 hit for Faith. In the United States, Dionne Warwick's version, titled "Message to Michael", was a top ten hit there in 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Never My Love</span> 1967 single by The Association

"Never My Love" is a pop standard written by American siblings Don and Dick Addrisi, and best known from a hit 1967 recording by the Association. The Addrisi Brothers had two Top 40 hits as recording artists, but their biggest success as songwriters was "Never My Love". Recorded by dozens of notable artists in the decades since, in 1999 the music publishing rights organization Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) announced it was the second most-played song on radio and television of the 20th century in the U.S.

"Reach Out for Me" is a 1963 a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and originally recorded by Lou Johnson. In the US, the original version peaked at number seventy-four on the Billboard Hot 100 the week ending December 7, 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Power (Dionne Warwick song)</span> 1987 single by Dionne Warwick and Jeffrey Osborne

"Love Power" is a song by American singers Dionne Warwick and Jeffrey Osborne. It was written and produced by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager for Warwick's studio album, Reservations for Two (1987), and features an appearance by Kenny G playing the alto sax solo. Released as its lead single, it became Warwick's sixth number-one hit on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The track also reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Love Power" marked her final appearance in the top 40 on the latter chart. For Osborne, "Love Power" was his only number-one Adult Contemporary hit, and it would be his last appearance in the Billboard Hot 100 top 40 as well, since "She's On the Left," his only number-one R&B hit, would only reach number 48 on that same chart the following year.

"The Windows of the World" is a song written by Burt Bacharach (music) and Hal David (lyrics) which was a hit single for Dionne Warwick in 1967.

"Trains and Boats and Planes" is a song written by composer Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David. Hit versions were recorded by Bacharach in 1965, by Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas in the same year, and by Dionne Warwick in 1966.

"Are You There (with Another Girl)" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for American singer Dionne Warwick. Her version, released as a single in December 1965, eventually reached number 39 on the Billboard charts. It also appears as the tenth track on her album Here I Am (1965).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You'll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart)</span>

"You'll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart)" is a song composed by Burt Bacharach, with lyrics by Hal David. It was originally recorded by Dionne Warwick in 1964, who charted at number 34 in the US Billboard Hot 100 with her version. It was covered by the Stylistics in 1973, who reached number 23 in the US with their cover.

References

  1. Billboard Hot 100, Week of December 26, 1970 Billboard.com. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  2. Billboard Hot 100, Week of January 2, 1971 Billboard.com. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  3. "One Less Bell To Answer AFM Contract" (PDF). The Wrecking Crew. American Federation of Musicians . Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  4. "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1971-01-09. Retrieved 2018-07-04.
  5. "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1971-01-30. Retrieved 2018-05-31.
  6. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990. ISBN   0-89820-089-X
  7. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–2001. Record Research. p. 91.
  8. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 202.
  9. Musicoutfitters.com
  10. "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 25, 1971". Archived from the original on October 6, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  11. "American single certifications – Fifth Dimension – One Less Bell to Answer". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved 24 October 2023.