Knowing When To Leave - "Promises, Promises"

"Promises, Promises" was a 1968 Broadway musical adaptation of the 1960 film "The Apartment" that was nominated for several Tony Awards and won two. The musical featured the talents of Jerry Orbach, Jill O'Hara, and Edward Winter.

Based on the screenplay by: Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond
Book by Neil Simon
Music by: Burt Bacharach
Lyrics by: Hal David
Choreography by: Michael Bennett
Directed by: Robert Moore

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Category:

Music

Tags:

• Broadway
• Musical
• Burt Bacharach
• Hal David
• Jill O'Hara

[SidFortune]

Original cast versions of songs, as in this instance, usally deliver a level of dramatic flare that are more alive than subsequent covers. Jill O'Hara hits a home run here.

[robinycus]

Jill O'Hara owns these songs... always will. Her voice is so original. So perfect for the piece and period. And she still sounds great.

[scarecro9]

I've heard a few versions of this song but so far this one is my favorite. :)

Bridget

[Romeogirl1]

@edadam And Kristin Chenoweth put a VERY good original B-way spin on it.

[lvmfah]

@barriobajaj

Tuick credits Bacharach with providing strict directions even to what the drums should be doing. He says he leaned lavishly from Bacharach and started using all that in his subsequent work. (Bacharach, a consumate perfectionst, invited young talented Tunick to follow his guidance, even teaching him how to read, never mind write, the drum charts.)

For this and everything else, I believe Bacharach is by far the greatest pop arranger of all-time.

[barriobajaj]

If I remember correctly, Bacharach and David wrote all the songs on Promises Promises but they were arranged by Jonathan Tunick.

He turned this into a patter song and i doubt most singers could tackle this version without passing out. I wonder if she did this in one take.

The version Dionne did with Burt is a lot smoother but this one by Jill just grabs me.

[edadam]

jill o'hara sang it BROADWAY style. dionne sang it POP 40 style intentionally. why sing it in the same fashion as it was portrayed nightly on stage? apples and oranges. 

[jemb2000]

@maida1982a Betty Buckley originated the role in the London production.

[TruthSerum101]

@maida1982a Within the context of theatre/Fran Kubelik, Jill's vocals are just fine, it's the DEFINITIVE claim that I ain't buying. Miss Warwick's is my favorite. I also enjoy LIz Callaway's version.