Groove Along To 'Walk On By' Almost 60 Years After Release

Jun 15, 2020 by apost team

Dionne Warwick is one of the most loved singers from the 1960s. Her music has longevity because it's so catchy and the themes speak to a vast majority of people.

Composed by Burt Bacharach, with lyrics by Hal David, Walk On By was written for Dionne specifically, and it's clear no one else could deliver a performance quite like hers, even though it has become a popular song for artists to cover. Here, we look at the original video for the song, which came out in 1963, nearly 60 years ago.

The video begins with Dionne exiting a house that's built on a studio stage while wearing a stunning bright green dress. As she sings on the steps, a man and a woman pass each other on the street below, giving extra meaning to the words that she's singing. Soon the two people turn into two couples, as they all begin to dance in a groovy dance sequence—this was the '60s after all! 

As Dionne keeps walking closer to the camera, entering a close-up shot, her dress begins to sparkle—not only is her gown a stunning shade of apple green, but it's embellished with hundreds of jewels. Simply stunning. What's more, the dancers are wearing matching green clothes, with the men in green jackets and the women in half-green dresses. 

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Soon, Dionne is front and center, while a larger group of male dancers is behind her on the street. For the song's orchestral breakdown in the middle, they all begin a choreographed dance sequence that's as graceful and smooth as the music. They move in elegant ways that express the true emotion of what the song is about. By the end, both male and female dancers have come back on the stage, and they literally walk on by each other as Dionne majestically finishes singing the song.

Written specifically for the songstress by Bacharach and David, a renowned songwriting pair that wrote many songs for Warwick, Walk On By came out in 1963. It peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 6, although it hit number 1 on the Cash Box Rhythm and Blues Chart. It was also nominated for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording at the 1965 Grammy Awards.

Since it was released the song has garnered many covers, of which the most famous include Isaac Hayes, Gloria Gaynor, The Stranglers, Gabrielle, Cyndi Lauper, and Seal. Often the arrangement of the song is very different depending on the artist who is covering it.

Coming in at number 70 on the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list, Walk On By was the second-highest song performed by a solo female vocalist on the list, after Aretha Franklin's Respect. What a feat!

Do you remember this song when it came out or listening to it in your youth? Let us know your memories and associations with this wonderful tune, then pass it along to your friends so they can take a trip down memory lane too!