The Look of Love (1967 song) explained

The Look of Love
Cover:	Look of Love.JPG
Type:	Song
Artist:	Dusty Springfield
Album:	Casino Royale Soundtrack
B-Side:	Give Me Time (L'Amore Se Ne Va)
Released:	April 1967
Recorded:	January 29, 1967
Studio:	Philips Studios, London
Genre:	Bossa nova, pop
Length:	4:11
Label:	Colgems
Composer:	Burt Bacharach
Lyricist:	Hal David
Producer:	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. In 2008, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.^[3] It also received a Best Song nomination at the 1968 Academy Awards. The song partially inspired the film (1997).

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 in an early cut of the film.^[4]

Recordings

Early recordings

• Stan Getz made the first recording of the song, an instrumental version, in December 1966 for his album .^[5]
• 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 an Oscar nomination for songwriters Bacharach and David.^[6] Springfield re-recorded the song the same year 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.

The Look of Love
Cover:	The_Look_of_Love_-_Sérgio_Mendes_&_Brasil_'66.jpeg
Type:	single
Artist:	Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66
Album:	Look Around
B-Side:	Like a Lover
Released:	1968
Genre:	Bossa nova^[7]
Label:	A&M
Prev Title:	My Favorite Things
Prev Year:	1968
Next Title:	The Fool on the Hill
Next Year:	1968

• 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.

The Look of Love
Type:	Song
Artist:	Isaac Hayes
Album:	...To Be Continued
A-Side:	Ike's Mood I
Released:	1970
Recorded:	Summer 1970
Genre:	Funk, soul^[8]
Label:	Enterprise
Composer:	Burt Bacharach
Lyricist:	Hal David

• An instrumental version of the song was included on the 1967 Burt Bacharach album Reach Out,^[9] which was also featured on the soundtrack for the film The Boys in the Band.^[10]
• 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
• Legendary 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 on his, ...To Be Continued (1971)
• Diana Krall on her The Look of Love (2001)^[11]

Impact

Actor and comedian Mike Myers said his film 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.^[12]

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

• Book: Peña-Acuña, Beatriz. 2018. Understanding Steven Spielberg. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. 9781527508187.

External links

• Sérgio Mendes interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' July 2008
• Web site: The Look Of Love, Performed Live by Diana Krall . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/SQuDaIbpA1g . 2021-12-13 . live. YouTube .

Notes and References

1. Book: Howes, Paul . 2012 . The Complete Dusty Springfield . Titan . 9781781165409. .
2. Book: Goldschmitt, K.E. . 2019 . Bossa Mundo: Brazilian Music in Transnational Media Industries . Oxford University Press . 79 . 9780190923525.
3. http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/awards/hall-of-fame#l "Grammy Hall of Fame Award
4. Book: Dominic, Serene. Burt Bacharach, Song by Song: The Ultimate Burt Bacharach Reference for Fans, Serious Record Collectors, and Music Critics. December 2, 2014. 2003. Music Sales Group. 978-0-8256-7280-4. 182.
5. Book: Churchill, Nicholas. Stan Getz: An Annotated Bibliography and Filmography, with Song and Session Information for Albums. August 2, 2015. December 15, 2004. McFarland. 978-0-7864-1949-4. 224.
6. Web site: The 40th Academy Awards 1968 . Oscars.org - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . 3 January 2021 . en.
7. Book: Stanley, Bob . Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Pop Gets Sophisticated: Soft Rock. https://books.google.com/books?id=9emZAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT7. 13 September 2013. Faber & Faber. 978-0-571-28198-5. 250.
8. Web site: Isaac Hayes – The Look Of Love (1971, Vinyl). April 22, 2021. Discogs.com. January 1971 .
9. Web site: Reach Out - Burt Bacharach | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic. April 22, 2021. AllMusic.
10. Web site: Boys in the Band - Original Soundtrack | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic. April 22, 2021. AllMusic.
11. Web site: www.allmusic.com. www.allmusic.com. June 18, 2024.
12. News: McEvoy . Colin . What It Was Like to Work with Burt Bacharach, in the Words of his Collaborators . . February 9, 2023 . February 11, 2023.