Burt Bacharach feud – Dionne Warwick ‘never forgave’ Cilla Black

Burt Bacharach died of natural causes on Wednesday at home in Los Angeles. The Oscar-winner amassed eight Grammy Awards in addition to three Academy Awards for a glittering career that included iconic tracks like Do You Know The Way To San Jose, Alfie and I Say A Little Prayer. The greatest names in the music industry recorded his music but a transatlantic battle erupted when a US and UK star clashed over one of Bacharach’s most beautiful songs. SCROLL DOWN TO LISTEN TO THE TWO VERSIONS 

American legend Dionne Warwick was widely acknowledged as Bacharach’s muse but always felt that her British rival had ruined her chances of UK success by jumping in and recording some of the composer’s biggest hits and releasing them over here first.

The Soul singer bluntly told reporters back in 2016, “She stole my music.”

Matters came to a head  over Black’s version of Anyone Who Had A Heart, which shot to number one in the UK in 1963 and completely eclipsed Warwick’s original.

The single launched Cilla’s career, selling over a million copies and establishing her as a star for five decades.

Warwick said: “From 1962, when I first met that woman, there was a confrontation. She stole my songs and I was not a very happy camper about that.”

And then again on Lorraine in 2019, Warwick had another go: “I was not pleased, of course, that she covered my recording of Anyone Who Had a Heart. Prior to at least giving me the time and exposure.”

Extraordinarily, there was almost a film about the whole saga, starring another huge star.

In 2016, Warwick posed in Cannes in front of a poster announcing a biopic of her life focussing on the 1960s, with Lady Gaga set to play Cilla.

At the time Warwick told reporters she regarded the British star as her “nemesis.” Cilla Black’s estate released a statement about the casting saying: “We think Lady Gaga is fabulous. She’s a great actress and we really look forward to seeing her portrayal.”

Even more extraordinarily, representatives for Lady Gaga then denied she was at all involved in the project.