The Look of Love (1967 song)
| "The Look of Love" | |
|---|---|
Colgems | |
| Composer(s) | Burt Bacharach |
| Lyricist(s) | Hal David |
| Producer(s) | Phil Ramone |
"The Look of Love" is a popular song composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and originally popularized by English pop singer Dusty Springfield. The song is notable for its sensuality and its relaxed bossa nova rhythm.[1][2] The song was featured in an extended slow-motion interlude to the 1967 spoof James Bond film Casino Royale. It also received a Best Original Song nomination at the 40th Academy Awards. The song partially inspired the film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997).[3] In 2008, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[4]
Songwriters
The music was written by Burt Bacharach, and was originally intended to be an instrumental. But later Hal David added the lyrics, and the song was published in 1967. According to Bacharach, the melody was inspired by watching Ursula Andress as Vesper Lynd in an early cut of the film Casino Royale.[5]
Recordings
Early recordings
- Stan Getz made the first recording of the song, an instrumental version, in December 1966 for his album What the World Needs Now: Stan Getz Plays Burt Bacharach and Hal David.[6]
- The first recording featuring the song's lyrics was by Dusty Springfield, for the Casino Royale soundtrack. Phil Ramone, the soundtrack's engineer, recorded the song separately from the rest of the film tracks. The film version received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 40th Academy Awards for songwriters Bacharach and David.[7] Springfield re-recorded the song the same year on her album The Look of Love for Philips Records with an arrangement about half a minute shorter than the soundtrack version. Both Springfield versions feature a breathy tenor saxophone solo similar in style to Stan Getz's playing on his early-1960s bossa nova hit recordings like "The Girl from Ipanema" and "Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars)". Her Philips single version reached #22 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in November 1967. Springfield's Philips version was later featured in the 2002 film Catch Me If You Can.[8]
| "The Look of Love" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66 | ||||
| from the album Look Around | ||||
| B-side | "Like a Lover" | |||
| Released | 1968 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:03 | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Burt Bacharach, Hal David | |||
| Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66 singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
- Sérgio Mendes' hit rendition on the Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66 album Look Around reached #4 on the pop charts after their performance in the Academy Awards telecast in April 1968. The lead vocal on this single was handled by Janis Hansen, not Lani Hall, a rarity in the early Brasil '66 canon.
Other recordings
- Claudine Longet recorded the song on her 1967 album of the same title.
- Lainie Kazan also recorded "The Look of Love" (arranged by Pat Williams) on her 1967 album Love Is Lainie.
- Nina Simone also recorded "The Look of Love" in 1967 on her album Silk & Soul.
- Morgana King recorded "The Look of Love" on her 1967 album Gemini Rising.
- An instrumental version of the song was included on the 1967 Burt Bacharach album
- Andy Williams released a version in 1967 on his album, Love, Andy
- Nancy Wilson included the song on her 1968 album Easy.
- Soul group The Delfonics also covered the song in 1968 on their album La La Means I Love You
- Motown quartet Four Tops gave the song a sweeping Broadway-like treatment on their 1969 album Soul Spin.
- Brazilian threesome Som Três recorded an early instrumental version on their album Show (Odeon, 1968).
- Dorothy Ashby included the song in her 1968 album Afro-Harping.
- Isaac Hayes covered the song on his album ...To Be Continued (1971)
- Diana Krall recovered the song on her album The Look of Love (2001)[13]
Impact
Actor and comedian
Mike Myers said his 1997 film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery was partially inspired by "The Look of Love". Myers said hearing the song on the radio led to him reminiscing about the 1960s, which helped inspire the movie.[3]
Springfield's recording of "The Look of Love" was used as a recurring motif in the 1999 Australian film Strange Planet. According to director Emma-Kate Croghan, Springfield personally cleared the film's use of the song only days before her death in March 1999.[14]
References
Footnotes
- ISBN 9781781165409..
- ISBN 9780190923525.
- ^ a b McEvoy, Colin (February 9, 2023). "What It Was Like to Work with Burt Bacharach, in the Words of his Collaborators". Biography. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
- ^ "Grammy Hall of Fame Award Archived February 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Grammy.org. Retrieved December 21, 2012
- ISBN 978-0-8256-7280-4. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-1949-4. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
- ^ "The 40th Academy Awards 1968". Oscars.org - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. October 4, 2014. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ Peña-Acuña (2018), p. 56.
- ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
- ^ Molanphy, Chris (March 15, 2025). "Singing Nuns and Green Tambourines Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
...the bossa nova-flavored pop [Mendes] recorded with his band Brasil 66 was closer to jazz than rock, like his cover of the Burt Bacharach/Hal David cocktail classic "The Look of Love"...
- ^ "Reach Out - Burt Bacharach | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
- ^ "Boys in the Band - Original Soundtrack | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
- ^ Strange Planet Emma-Kate Croghan commentary track, DVD, 1999.
Bibliography
- Peña-Acuña, Beatriz (2018). Understanding Steven Spielberg. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 9781527508187.
External links
- Sérgio Mendes interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' July 2008
- "The Look Of Love, Performed Live by Diana Krall". YouTube. January 18, 2017. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021.
