Singer Presents Burt Bacharach
Aired: 14-March-1971

Directed by: Dwight Hemion
Written by: Bob Ellison, Marty Farrell
Produced by" Gary Smith, Dwight Hemion
Lighting Designer: John Rook

Barbra's Songs on this Special:

One Less Bell To Answer/A House Is Not A Home
Close To You - sung with Burt
Be Aware

This was Barbra's first guest appearance on TV since the Judy Garland show in 1963!

Barbra's first song was an incredible duet with herself on One Less Bell to Answer. Videotaped with Barbra singing all of her parts "live" (i.e. no lip-syncing), this medley is as close to a music video as you got in 1971.

Taped on a soundstage, three Barbra's duet on this song (left Barbra, right Barbra, and center Barbra). Barbra finished, solo, in spotlight. Gary Smith recalled how director Dwight Hemion staged this song: "Dwight presented [the song] with multiple images and some of the best lighting ever seen. Our lighting designer, John Rook, was someone we met in London when we were doing work there."

Next, Barbra joined Burt at the piano for a duet of Close To You.

Afterward, Barbra introduced a new Burt Bacharach/Hal David song called Be Aware. She sang it in her dark pantsuit, surrounded on a "mod" set by Bacharach's orchestra.

Click to hear the song:

* Screen captures on this page courtesy of Mark Boyce.

copyright © 2003-2008 Matt Howe