This album is the second of two budget-line collections of
Dionne Warwick recordings licensed by
Curb Records from
Warner Bros. Records (which controls
Warwick's recordings for
Scepter Records as well as her
Warner catalog). The first volume contained ten of
Warwick's
pop chart entries. This one is much more hit-or-miss; in fact, the word "classic" in the title makes sense only if you assume that some of
Warwick's best recordings are also among her most obscure. There are some more hits:
"I Say a Little Prayer," "Do You Know the Way to San Jose," and
"This Girl's in Love with You" all made the
pop and
R&B Top Ten;
"Reach Out for Me" was an
R&B chart-topper and Top 20
pop hit;
"Once You Hit the Road" made the
R&B Top Five and was a
pop chart entry; and
"If We Only Have Love," Warwick's cover of a song from the
musical revue
Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, reached the
pop and
easy listening charts.
"Close to You" was not a hit for
Warwick, but she recorded it for a B-side single long before it became a hit for
the Carpenters. The strangest selections are the three remaining ones:
"Do You Believe in Love at First Sight," "Don't Ever Take Your Love Away," and
"Do I Have to Cry" all appeared on
Warner Bros. singles in the mid-to-late '70s, a low point in
Warwick's career, and achieved no recognition whatsoever. Are they "classic songs"? They will be of interest to
Warwick completists, but most people likely to buy an album like this will be puzzled by their inclusion. ~ William Ruhlmann
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