Presenting Dionne Warwick
| Presenting Dionne Warwick | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 1963 | |||
| Studio | Bell Sound (New York City) | |||
| Length | 31:18 | |||
| Label | Scepter | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Dionne Warwick chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Presenting Dionne Warwick | ||||
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Presenting Dionne Warwick is the debut studio album by American singer Dionne Warwick. It was released by Scepter Records on April 10, 1963 in the United States. Composers Burt Bacharach and Hal David provided three-quarters of the track listing, having met Warwick during the summer of 1961 at Bell Sound Studios when she was working as a background singer during the recording session for The Drifters' minor hit "Mexican Divorce" (1962). The songwriters would go on to become frequent collaborators on subsequent Warwick projects. Presenting Dionne Warwick peaked at number 14 on the UK Albums Chart and spawned the lead single "Don't Make Me Over" which reached number five on the US Hot R&B Singles chart and became a top-forty hit on several international charts.[1]
Background
Presenting Dionne Warwick is notable for including "Don't Make Me Over", Warwick's debut single,[2] as well as "Wishin' & Hopin'", which would become a hit for Dusty Springfield in 1964, "It's Love That Really Counts", which brought Warwick to the attention of Scepter owner Florence Greenberg, and "Make It Easy on Yourself". "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" features backing vocals by Dionne's sister Dee Dee Warwick and The Shirelles.[2] Presenting Dionne Warwick was digitally remastered and reissued on CD on May 15, 2007 by Collectors' Choice Music.[2]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| Pitchfork | 8.5/10[3] |
In the 21st century, AllMusic editor Lindsay Planer gave the album four stars out of five. She wrote:[2]
Warwick's inviting voice was at the core of their successful working relationship, coupled with the undeniably unique and expertly crafted material, yielding a host of classics such as "Wishin' and Hopin'." The version here predates Dusty Springfield's rendering and was likewise much of the reason Springfield chose to cover it to begin with. Other seminal entries featured on Presenting Dionne Warwick are "Make It Easy on Yourself" and the lovelorn melancholy ballad "I Cry Alone," as well as the unique arrangement of "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah."
A 2023 review from Pitchfork rated this release an 8.5 out of 10, with critic Andy Cush calling it "an imperfect lens through which to examine her artistry", but he traces the singer's career up to this release and highlights several tracks as exceptional, writing that "the ghostly minimalism of the demos" enhances the listening experience.[3]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "This Empty Place" | 2:55 | |
| 2. | "Wishin' and Hopin'" |
| 2:55 |
| 3. | "I Cry Alone" |
| 2:37 |
| 4. | "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" | 2:40 | |
| 5. | "Make the Music Play" |
| 2:25 |
| 6. | "If You See Bill" | Luther Dixon | 2:58 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7. | "Don't Make Me Over" |
| 2:46 |
| 8. | "It's Love That Really Counts" |
| 2:16 |
| 9. | "Unlucky" |
| 2:25 |
| 10. | "I Smiled Yesterday" |
| 2:44 |
| 11. | "Make It Easy on Yourself" |
| 2:40 |
| 12. | "The Love of a Boy" |
| 1:59 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Make the Music Play" |
| 2:25 |
| 2. | "Anyone Who Had a Heart" |
| 3:04 |
| 3. | "Shall I Tell Her" | 2:29 | |
| 4. | "Don't Make Me Over" |
| 2:46 |
| 5. | "I Cry Alone" |
| 2:37 |
| 6. | "Getting Ready for the Heartbreak" |
| 2:33 |
| 7. | "Oh Lord What Are You Doing to Me" |
| 3:15 |
| 8. | "Walk on By" |
| 2:58 |
| 9. | "Any Old Time of the Day" |
| 3:18 |
| 10. | "Mr. Heartbreak" |
| 2:32 |
| 11. | "Put Yourself in My Place" |
| 2:12 |
| 12. | "I Could Make You Mine" |
| 2:25 |
| 13. | "This Empty Place" |
| 2:55 |
| 14. | "Please Make Him Love Me" |
| 2:33 |
Charts
| Chart (1963) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums (OCC)[1] | 14 |
References
- ^ a b "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Planer, Lindsay. Presenting Dionne Warwick > review at AllMusic. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
- ^ a b Cush, Andy (July 23, 2023). "Dionne Warwick: Presenting Dionne Warwick". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
