The Look of Love (1967 song)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"The Look of Love" is a popular song composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and sung by Dusty Springfield, which appeared in the 1967 spoof James Bond film Casino Royale.
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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.
Recordings
Early recordings
The song was originally recorded by Dusty Springfield for the Casino Royale soundtrack, receiving an Oscar nomination and reaching the US Top 40. (Soundtrack engineered by Phil Ramone and recorded separately from the rest of the film tracks) Springfield re-recorded the song the same year in London, featuring a throaty saxophone solo, and released it as the B-side of "Give Me Time". 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. 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 March 1968. The lead vocal on this single was handled by Janis Hansen, not Lani Hall, a rarity in the early Brasil '66 canon. Soul group The Delfonics also covered the song in 1968 on their album La La Means I Love You.
Later recordings
Isaac Hayes covered the song for his 1970 album ...To Be Continued. While Hayes used the same lyrics, his cover includes a unique instrumental which has been heavily sampled on R&B and hip-hop records.
El Chicano covered "The Look of Love" on their 1970 album, Viva Tirado .
Additional recordings
- Beegie Adair - I'll Take Romance (2002) With the Jeff Steinberg Orchestra.
- Anita Baker - Rhythm of Love (1994)
- Shirley Bassey
- Patti Austin - (R&B, Jazz & Pop Singer)
- Marilyn Scott - (Smooth Jazz Singer)
- Will Downing - (R & B & Smooth Jazz Singer)
- Grover Washington, Jr. featuring Jean Carne on vocals - (Jazz Saxophonist)
- Willie Bobo
- Chris Botti - A Thousand Kisses Deep (2003). (Chantal Kreviazuk provides the guest vocals). Botti also recorded it on Live: With Orchestra and Special Guests (2006) with Paula Cole and Burt Bacharach. Sy Smith performed the song during Botti's 2009 tour. Smith's version of the song appears on Botti's concert DVD, Chris Botti in Boston. In 2011, Botti recruited Lisa Fischer to perform the song for his 2011 tour.
- Odell Brown
- Jean Carne - (R&B Singer)
- El Chicano on their initial album Viva Tirado featuring their number one single "Viva Tirado"
- Steve Cole - Moonlight (2010)
- Dominique Dalcan
- The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, under the Direction of Lee Castle
- Marvin Gaye
- Larry Goldings - When Larry Met Harry: Larry Goldings & Harry Allen (2010)
- Kelly Harland
- Susanna Hoffs
- Gene Harris
- Ahmad Jamal
- Jack Jones
- Ronan Keating on the album When Ronan Met Burt (2011)
- Barney Kessel
- Gladys Knight & The Pips
- Diana Krall (with the London Symphony Orchestra) for the album The Look of Love (2006) and Live in Paris (2002). Krall's record went platinum and made the top 10 of the Billboard 200. It topped the Canadian album charts and went quadruple platinum in Canada.
- Claudine Longet Album of same name, 1967
- Amanda Lear
- Eliot Lewis - Master Plan (released June, 2003); Eliot Lewis - The Originals (released Sept. 2010)
- Shelby Lynne, Just a Little Lovin' (pays tribute to Dusty Springfield)
- Sergio Mendes (featuring Fergie) (from the album Encanto)
- Sitti Navarro (Philippine bossa nova singer) - My Bossa Nova
- Trijntje Oosterhuis
- Diana Ross & The Supremes (Ross would cover the song again decades later, solo)
- Robert Shames, Composer/multi-instrumentalist, arranged a noteworthy version for string quartet in 2007 to much critical acclaim.
- Nina Simone
- Slum Village
- Jimmy Sommers - Time Stands Still (2006)
- Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (a reggae version) Moods for Tokyo Ska: We Don't Know What Ska Is (1997)
- The Tymes on their 1969 album People.
- Vanilla Fudge
- David T. Walker
- Dionne Warwick
- Grover Washington, Jr.
- Julian Lloyd Webber recorded a version for cello in 2006.
- Tony Joe White
- Reuben Wilson
- Bobby Womack
- Faye Wong
- The Zombies (during live performances)
References in pop culture
- Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles sings the tune.
- In Yamaha DGX-series keyboards, "The Look of Love" is featured as a demo song.
- An instrumental version is featured in the film The Boys in the Band (1970), directed by William Friedkin.
- A character hums it in the film Alive (1993)
- It was used in a McDonald's television commercial in the mid-1990s.
- In the film Dead Presidents (1995) Isaac Hayes' version is in a scene where the characters Kirby, Joe, and Anthony are driving along after Anthony's rocky return from the Vietnam War.
- The song is used (anachronistically) in the film Catch Me If You Can (2002) during a scene set in 1964.
- The song is also featured in the film, I Think I Love My Wife (2007), written and directed by Chris Rock. (Erica Canales sings the song produced by Marcus Miller.)
- The song appears in an episode of "The Sarah Silverman Program" titled "Vow Wow".
- The song is featured in the film "Toast (film)" (2010).
- The song was deleted from the 2012 season 5 premier of Mad Men before airing because the song was not yet released during the time of the episode.
