The legendary songwriter and the equally famous singer recall the creation and recording of the classic "Walk On By" for The Wall St. Journal.

You may or may not be able to access the full article (they usually give you at least one freebie) but in case you can't see it, to me the biggest revelation is that the hit tune was originally relegated to the B-side of the 45, until fate - and a famous radio DJ with a lot of influence - intervened. 

"...they released “Walk On By” in April—on the B-side. Can you imagine? My vocal on Burt and Hal’s “Any Old Time of Day” was the A-side. Both were great, but “Walk On By” had the drama.

Fortunately, Murray the K, the influential New York DJ, liked “Walk On By” better. He kept playing it until Scepter called to protest. So he had his listeners vote by phone. “Walk On By” won, and most DJs around the country followed his lead. It went to No. 6.  

Dionne Warwick and Burt Bacharach on the Drama of ‘Walk On By’

Last edited by aflem (January 5, 2021 11:53 am)