Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel includes: Dionne Warwick, Luther Vandross, Kashif, The Spinners, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Jeffrey Osborne; Kenny G (saxophone). | | Producers include: Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Thom Bell, Barry Manilow, Steve Buckingham. | | Includes liner notes by David Nathan. | | Digitally remastered by James P. Nichols (RCA Studios, New York, New York). | | Recording information: RCA Recording Studios, New York, NY. | | Although the title might be stretching it a bit, Definitive Collection is nevertheless a solid overview of Dionne Warwick's storied career. Its greatest strength is that it encompasses the full breadth of the singer's catalog, assembling material not only from her peak-era Scepter tracks but also from her later hits on Arista. The vintage Burt Bacharach/Hal David-composed smashes have lost none of their lustre in the passing years, and many -- "Walk on By," "Do You Know the Way to San Jose," "Don't Make Me Over" and "Anyone Who Had a Heart" -- are presented here in their definitive readings; Warwick's subsequent recordings can't help but suffer in comparison, although hits like "I'll Never Love This Way Again" and the Barry Gibb duet "Heartbreaker" possess a certain charm. ~ Jason Ankeny | | THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION is just that, a 20-track retrospective of the New Jersey songstress' entire career. Extensive liner notes trace her career from roots in gospel to session work as a background singer, on through her association with Burt Bacharach and many later collaborations with some of the biggest names in music. | | The first nine tracks are all classic '60s tunes written by Bacharach and Hal David. The songwriting team presented Warwick with such chestnuts as "Walk On By," "Alfie," and "I Say A Little Prayer," and she croons them perfectly. "Then Came You," Warwick's duet with The Spinners, shows how she changed soulfully with the times. A collaboration with The Bee Gees, "Heartbreaker," was a Top-10 smash that welcomed in the '80s. Rounding out the record is "That's What Friends Are For," Warwick's biggest hit and her first collaboration with Bacharach in 15 years. Joining Warwick on this fabulous composition are Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder. In an age when every female R&B artist is being marketed as a "diva," the 25 years of music on this album prove that Warwick has indisputably earned her title. |
Musical Guests | | Elton John | | Jeffrey Osborne | | Luther Vandross | | Stevie Wonder | | Kashif | | Gladys Knight | | The Spinners | | Kenny G |
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