Hal David

Induction Year: 1984

Birth Name: Harold Lane David

Birth Date: 5-25-1921

Place of Birth: New York, New York

Death Date: 09-01-2012

Place of Death: Los Angeles, California

Lyricist Hal David is best known for many huge pop hits by artists such as Dionne Warwick, Gene Pitney, Dusty Springfield and B. J. Thomas that he co-wrote with Burt Bacharach. But his catalog also includes a string of country successes in Nashville, including the evergreen "Sea of Heartbreak."

The Brooklyn native began his career as a journalist writing for the New York Post. Hal David is the younger brother of lyricist Mack David, and he began getting his earliest songs recorded in the late 1940s. Hal David co-wrote a number of successes before teaming up with Bacharach in 1957. The team's first hit together was the #1 country song "The Story of My Life," sung by Marty Robbins in 1958.

The team hit its stride in the 1960s, creating a staggering number of modern pop standards: "What the World Needs Now Is Love," "Alfie," "Anyone Who Had a Heart," "Walk on By," "What's New Pussycat," "This Guy's in Love with You," "(They Long to Be) Close to You," "Make it Easy on Yourself," "The Look of Love," "Don't Make Me Over," "Wishin' and Hopin'," "Do You Know the Way to San Jose," "One Less Bell to Answer" and more. They also co-wrote the songs for the Tony Award-winning hit musical Promises Promises and won an Academy Award for "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head."

A number of Hal David's lyrics became popular in Nashville along the way. In addition to "The Story of My Life" and "Sea of Heartbreak" (originally sung by Don Gibson), "Only Love Can Break a Heart" (Sonny James), and "I Say a Little Prayer" (Glen Campbell & Anne Murray) all became country favorites.

After the Bacharach partnership ended in 1973, Hal David began traveling to Nashville to collaborate on songs. He co-wrote such chart-topping country hits as "It Was Almost Like a Song" (Ronnie Milsap) and "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" (Willie Nelson & Julio Iglesias).

Hal David served as the president of ASCAP from 1980 to 1986. He was inducted into the national Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972, was given a 1997 Trustees Award by the Recording Academy, received his star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011 and was presented with the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize in 2012.

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Song Catalog

 

"(They Long to Be) Close to You"

(written with Burt Bacharach)

Dionne Warwick1965 
Dusty Springfield1967 
B. J. Thomas1970 
The Carpenters1970 #1 pop, #1 adult contemporary
Perry Como1970 
Diana Ross1970 
Gabor Szabo1970 #40 adult contemporary
Isaac Hayes1971 
Frank Sinatra1971 
Diana Ross1971 
Jerry Butler & Brenda Eager1972 #6 R&B, #91 pop
Jerry Butler1972 
B. T. Express1976 #31 R&B, #82 pop
Gwen Guthrie1987 #69 R&B
The Cranberries1994 
Barenaked Ladies1998 
Barry Manilow2007 
Harry Connick Jr.2009 
 

"Alfie"

(written with Burt Bacharach)

Cher1966 #32 pop
Jack Jones1966 
Cilla Black1966 #95 pop
Carmen McRae1966 #29 adult contemporary
Joannie Sommers1966 #9 adult contemporary
Andy Williams1967 
Dionne Warwick1967 #5 R&B, #15 pop
Burt Bacharach1967 
Stevie Wonder1968 #11 adult contemporary, #66 pop
The Anita Kerr Singers1969 
Tony Bennett1969 
Barbra Streisand1969 
The Sweet Inspirations1969 
Johnny Mathis1970 
The Delfonics1973 #88 R&B
Cleo Laine1987 
 

"Always Something There to Remind Me"

(written with Burt Bacharach)

Lou Johnson1964 #49 pop, #49 R&B
Brenda Lee1965 
The Four Seasons1965 
Sandie Shaw1965 #52 pop
The Pozo Seco Singers1966 
Patti LaBelle1967 
Dionne Warwick1968 #65 pop
R. B. Greaves1970 #3 adult contemporary, #27 pop, #50 R&B
Naked Eyes1983 #8 pop, #31 adult contemporary
 

"Anyone Who Had a Heart"

(written with Burt Bacharach)

Dionne Warwick1964 #2 adult contemporary, #8 pop, #8 R&B
Dusty Springfield1964 
Cilla Black1964 
Mary May1964 
The Four Seasons1965 
The Lettermen1968 
Martha & the Vandellas1972 
Luther Vandross1986 
Linda Ronstadt1994 
Shelby Lynne2008 
Wynonna Judd2009 
 

"Bell Bottom Blues"

(written with Leon Carr)

Teresa Brewer1954 #17 pop
Alma Cogan1954 
 

"Bing Bang Boom"

(written with Leon Carr)

Highway 1011991 #14 country
 

"Blue on Blue"

(written with Burt Bacharach)

Bobby Vinton1963 #2 adult contemporary, #3 pop
Paul Anka1963 
Bobby Vee1964 
Connie Francis1968 
 

"Do You Know the Way to San Jose"

(written with Burt Bacharach)

Dionne Warwick1968 #4 adult contemporary, #10 pop, #23 R&B
Connie Francis1968 
The Anita Kerr Singers1969 
Burt Bacharach1969 
Neil Diamond1993 
 

"Don't Make Me Over"

(written with Burt Bacharach)

Tommy Hunt1961 
Dionne Warwick1963 #2 adult contemporary, #5 R&B, #21 pop
The Swinging Blue Jeans1966 
The Anita Kerr Singers1969 
Brenda & the Tabulations1970  #15 R&B, #77 pop
The Lettermen1971 
Jennifer Warnes1980 #36 adult contemporary, #67 pop
Thelma Houston1981 
Sybil1989 #2 R&B, #20 pop
Neil Diamond1993 
Petula Clark1995 
Patti LaBelle1998 

"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself"

(written with Burt Bacharach)

Dusty Springfield1964 
Tommy Hunt1964 
Chuck Jackson1965 
Dionne Warwick1966 #20 R&B, #26 pop
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles1967 
Isaac Hayes1970 
Cissy Houston1970 
Gary Puckett1970 #14 adult contemporary, #61 pop
The Dells1972 
Elvis Costello1977 
The Stylistics1991 
Linda Ronstadt1994 
The White Stripes2002 
 

"I Say a Little Prayer"

(written with Burt Bacharach)

Dionne Warwick1968 #4 pop, #8 R&B
Aretha Franklin1968 #3 R&B, #10 pop
Martha & the Vandellas1968 
Sergio Mendes1968 
The Baja Marimba Band1968 #10 adult contemporary
Supremes & Temptations1968 
The Anita Kerr Singers1969 
Skeeter Davis1969 
Glen Campbell & Anne Murray1971 #13 adult contemporary, #40 country, #81 pop
The Dells1972 
Isaac Hayes & Dionne Warwick1977 #65 R&B
Al Green1978 
Diana King1997 #38 pop, #68 R&B
Reba McEntire & Dionne Warwick2006 
 

"I'll Never Fall in Love Again"

(written with Burt Bacharach)

Emmylou Harris1968 
Burt Bacharach1969 #18 adult contemporary, #93 pop
Johnny Mathis1969 #35 adult contemporary
Ella Fitzgerald1969 
Chet Atkins1969 
Bobbie Gentry1969 
Patti Page1970 
Dionne Warwick1970 #1 adult contemporary, #6 pop, #17 R&B
The Carpenters1970 
Bobby Vinton1970 
Isaac Hayes1971 
Joe Tex1972 
Liz Anderson1972 #56 country
Anne Murray1985 
Mary Chapin Carpenter1997 

"It Was Almost Like a Song"

(written with Archie Jordan)

Ronnie Milsap1977 #1 country, #7 adult contemporary, #16 pop
Roy Clark1978 
Floyd Cramer1978 
Hargus  
Johnny Mathis1978 
 

"Make It Easy on Yourself"

(written with Burt Bacharach)

Jerry Butler1962 #18 R&B, #20 pop
Little Anthony & the Imperials1964 
The Four Seasons1965 
The Walker Brothers1965 #16 pop
Sarah Vaughan1966 
Cilla Black1966 
Tony Bennett1970 
Dionne Warwick1970 #26 R&B, #37 pop
Johnny Mathis1972 #16 adult contemporary
Michael Henderson1982 #68 R&B
Ron Banks1984 #31 R&B
 

"Only Love Can Break a Heart"

(written with Burt Bacharach)

Gene Pitney1962 #1 adult contemporary, #2 pop, #16 R&B
Margaret Whiting1967 #4 adult contemporary, #96 pop
Sonny James1972 #2 country
Bobby Vinton1977 #44 adult contemporary, #99 pop
Dionne Warwick1977 #46 adult contemporary
 

"Promises, Promises"

(written with Burt Bacharach)

Jerry Orbach1968 
Dionne Warwick1968 #7 adult contemporary, #19 pop, #47 R&B
Connie Francis1968 
Burt Bacharach1969 
The Crusaders1969 
 

"Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head"

(written with Burt Bacharach)

Academy Award song

B. J. Thomas1969 #1 pop, #1 R&B
Perry Como1970 
Andy Williams1970 
Bobbie Gentry1970 
Engelbert Humperdinck1970 
Peggy Lee1970 
Dionne Warwick1970 
Barbara Mason1970 #38 R&B
The Four Tops1970 
Nancy Wilson1970 
Mel Tormé1970 
Ray Stevens1970 
Dottie West1970 
Ferlin Husky1970 
Bobby Vinton1970 
Dean Martin1971 
 

"Santa Barbara"

(written with Archie Jordan)

Ronnie Milsap1978  #2 country

"Sea of Heartbreak"

(written with Paul Hampton)

Don Gibson1961 #2 country, #21 pop
Jody Miller1965 
The Everly Brothers1967 
Kenny Price1972 #24 country
Lynn Anderson1979 #33 country
Poco1982 #35 adult contemporary
Merle Haggard1989 
Ronnie McDowell1989 #39 country
Johnny Cash1996 
Charley Pride1996 
Anne Murray2002 
Jimmy Buffett2004 
Alan Jackson2007 
Rosanne Cash2009 
 

"Send a Little Love My Way"

(written with Henry Mancini)

Anne Murray1973 #10 adult contemporary, #72 pop, #79 country
 

"The Four Winds and the Seven Seas"

(written with Don Rodney)

Sammy Kaye1949 #3 pop
Mel Tormé1949 #10 pop
Vic Damone1949 #16 pop
Herb Jeffries1949 #18 pop
Guy Lombardo1949 #19 pop
 

"The Look of Love"

(written with Burt Bacharach)

Dusty Springfield1967 #22 pop, #31 adult contemporary
Nina Simone1967 
Gladys Knight & the Pips1968 
Liza Minnelli1968 
Sergio Mendes1968 #2 adult contemporary, #4 pop
Tony Joe White1969 
The Anita Kerr Singers1969 
Isaac Hayes1971 #79 pop
Anita Baker1994 
Neil Diamond1998 
Diana Krall2002 #22 adult contemporary
Diana Ross2007 
Shelby Lynne2008 
Barry Manilow2010 
Glenn Frey2012 

"The Story of My Life"

(written with Burt Bacharach)

Marty Robbins1958 #1 country, #15 pop
Alma Cogan1958 
Al Downing1962 
Frankie Laine1969 
Don McLean2001 
 

"This (Girl's) Guy's in Love with You"

(written with Burt Bacharach)

Herb Alpert1968 #1 pop, #1 adult contemporary
The Lettermen1968 
Eydie Gormé1968 #22 adult contemporary
Petula Clark1968 
Jackie Wilson1968 
Supremes & Temptations1968 
Tony Mottola1968 #22 adult contemporary
Chet Atkins1969 
Bobby Vinton1969 
B. J. Thomas1969 
Dionne Warwick1969 #2 adult contemporary, #7 pop, #7 R&B
Ella Fitzgerald1969 
Brenda Lee1969 
Aretha Franklin1970 
The Temptations1970 
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles1970 
Donny Osmond1972 
Harry Connick Jr.1996 
Barry Manilow2006 
Julio Iglesias2006 

"To All the Girls I've Loved Before"

(written with Albert Hammond)

Willie Nelson & Julio Iglesias1984 #1 country, #3 adult contemporary, #5 pop
Merle Haggard1984 
Engelbert Humperdinck1988 
Tom Jones1998 
 

"Trains and Boats and Planes"

(written with Burt Bacharach)

Burt Bacharach1965 
Billy J. Kramer1965 #10 adult contemporary, #47 pop
Dionne Warwick1966 #22 pop, #37 adult contemporary, #49 R&B
The Everly Brothers1967 
The Box Tops1967 
The Shadows1967 
Connie Francis1968 
Astrud Gilberto1969 
The Dells1972 
Dwight Yoakam2003 
 

"Walk on By"

(written with Burt Bacharach)

Dionne Warwick1964 #6 pop, #6 R&B, #7 adult contemporary
Aretha Franklin1964 
Little Anthony & the Imperials1964 
The Lettermen1964 
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles1967 
The Anita Kerr Singers1969 
Isaac Hayes1969 #13 R&B, #30 pop
Johnny Mathis1970 
Diana Ross1971 
Gloria Gaynor1975 #99 pop
The Average White Band1979 #32 R&B, #92 pop
D Train1982 #42 R&B
Melissa Manchester1990 #6 adult contemporary
Sybil1990 #3 R&B, #74 pop
Cyndi Lauper2003 
Alicia Keys2006 
Michael McDonald2008 
Diana Krall2009 
 

"What the World Needs Now Is Love"

(written with Burt Bacharach)

Jackie DeShannon1965 #7 pop, #40 R&B
The Four Seasons1965 
Johnny Mathis1966 
Sammy Davis Jr.1966 
Patty Duke1967 
The Chambers Brothers1967 
The Sweet Inspirations1968 
Diana Ross & the Supremes1968 
The Anita Kerr Singers1969 
Tony Bennett1969 
Tom Jones1970 
Tom Clay1971 #8 pop, #32 R&B
The Fifth Dimension1971 
Petula Clark1974 
Ron Shaw1979 #90 country
Billie Jo Spears1981 #51 country
Luther Vandross1994 
HipHop Nation & Dionne Warwick1998 #87 pop
Barry Manilow2006 
 

"Wishin' and Hopin'"

(written with Burt Bacharach)

Dionne Warwick1963 
Dusty Springfield1964 #4 adult contemporary, #6 pop
The Merseybeats1964 
Brenda Lee1965 
Nancy Sinatra1966 
Rita Coolidge1981 
Shelby Lynne2008 
 

"You'll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart)"

(written with Burt Bacharach)

Dionne Warwick1964 #34 pop, #34 R&B,
Cilla Black1969 
The Stylistics1973 #4 adult contemporary, #8 R&B, #23 pop

Other Media

Hal David

Induction Year: 1984