Wir Lieben Bacharach! And Quincy, Too: Jazz Club Label Compiles Rare Bacharach, Jones On CD

Great catalogue music often arrives in the unlikeliest of places.  Universal Music Classics and Jazz’s German division has created the budget Jazz Club label, celebrating artists from the various labels under the Universal umbrella.  And though its titles may not be available at your local shop, they’re well worth seeking out, offering plenty of material not available elsewhere.  Two of the most recent Jazz Club releases are of a particularly rare vintage.  Wir Lieben Bacharach! collects 18 German-language renditions of famous songs from the Burt Bacharach and Hal David songbook…and some not-so-famous songs, too!  Quincy Jones’ Originals, on the other hand, pairs Songs for Pussycats and Quincy in Rio, two rare themed LP compilations of Jones’ 1960s Mercury recordings on compact disc for the first time.

Wir Lieben Bacharach! – or We Love Bacharach! – is a particular treat.  With 18 tracks recorded between 1965 and 1973, it contains the songs that are the crème of the crop of the Bacharach and David ouevre: “Close to You,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” “A House is Not a Home.”  But listening to this compilation, you might know those tunes as “So wie ich,” “Ich wunsche mir so viel von dir” and “Ein Haus ist kein Zuhaus” as performed by Karel Gott, Bata Illic and Corry Brokken, respectively!  But in addition to the familiar classics, there are rare German renditions of “The Green Grass Starts to Grow,” “Hasbrook Heights,” “Paper Mache” and “The Wine is Young,” too, all favorites of Bacharach diehards including yours truly.  Some arrangements hew closely to the originals (Gus Backus’ “Hallo, Pussycat” – you can guess the English title!) while others offer unique re-interpretations (Die Caravelles’ “In Gedanken bin ich bei dir,” or “True Love Never Runs Smooth”).  For those who understand German, the translations are often far from literal, so that adds another dimension to these recordings.  The booklet has full-color reproductions of sixteen original LP and single sleeves, plus discographical information and liner notes – in German, of course!

Hit the jump to explore some of the earliest productions from the man known as Q!  Plus, we’ve got track listings with discography and order links for both releases!