Walk On By (Burt Bacharach and Hal David song)

"Walk On By"
Single by Dionne Warwick
from the album Make Way for Dionne Warwick
B-side	Any Old Time of Day (Bacharach & David)
Released	April 26, 1964
Format	7" single
Recorded	1964 at Bell Sound Studios, November 1963
Genre	Soul, pop
Length	2:55
Label	Scepter
Writer(s)	Burt Bacharach Hal David
Producer	Burt Bacharach Hal David
Dionne Warwick singles chronology
"Anyone Who Had a Heart" (1963) "Walk on By" (1964) "You'll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart)" (1964)

"Walk On By" is a song composed by Burt Bacharach, with lyrics by Hal David. The song was originally recorded by Dionne Warwick.

Charting versions

"Walk On By" has charted numerous times in various countries, with wildly different arrangements. The following entries discuss the chart versions of the song, in the order in which they appeared:

Dionne Warwick version

The original version of "Walk On By" was recorded at the same December 1963 session that yielded her hit "Anyone Who Had a Heart". "Walk On By" was the follow-up to that single, released in April 1964 and reaching #6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Cashbox's R&B chart. (Billboard did not print rhythm and blues charts during 1964, the year of the song's peak performance.) The song also reached the top 10 in a brief run on Billboard's easy listening survey. The song was ranked #70 on the Rolling Stone list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Warwick also recorded a German version of the song, entitled "Geh Vorbei".

Chart (1964)	Peak position
US Hot 100	6
US R&B	1
US A/C	7
UK Singles Chart	9

Bobby Kris & The Imperials version

Toronto folk-rock group Bobby Kris & The Imperials released a fairly straight-ahead cover version late 1965. The track became a major hit in Canada, reaching #8 in early 1966, but "Walk On By" was to be the band's only hit.

Chart (1966)	Peak position
Canada RPM 100	8

Isaac Hayes version

Funk/soul musician Isaac Hayes released a cover version in 1969 on his album Hot Buttered Soul and transformed the song into a twelve-and-a-half minute funk vamp. Edited for single release down to under 5 minutes, this single reached #30 on the U.S. charts.

Chart (1969)	Peak position
US Hot 100	30

The Stranglers version

In 1978, The Stranglers recorded a gritty punk-inspired version (with an extended organ solo) that hit #21 on the UK charts.

Chart (1978)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	21

D-Train version

In 1982, funk duo D-Train recorded a UK and U.S. R&B/dance hit with the song in a boogie/funk cover.

Chart (1982)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	44
US R&B	42
US Dance	45

Jo Jo Zep version

In 1983, Australian act Jo Jo Zep covered the song in a slow, moody version that featured electronics and synthesizers. The track was a minor hit in Australia, peaking at #55, but was a major hit in New Zealand, hitting #6.

Chart (1983)	Peak position
Australia	55
New Zealand	6

Sybil version

In 1990, singer Sybil, who had scored her biggest hit a year prior with a cover of Warwick's "Don't Make Me Over," also scored a U.S. and UK hit with "Walk On By."

Chart (1990)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	6
US Hot 100	74
US R&B	3
US Dance	3

Gabrielle version (1997)

In 1997, UK singer Gabrielle released her version of "Walk on By" as the fifth and final single from her album, Gabrielle. It reached #7 in the UK.

Chart (1997)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	7
Dutch Singles Chart	96

Track listing

UK CD: (GODCD 159)

1. "Walk on By"
2. "Walk on By" (45% Novocaine remix)
3. "Walk on By" (live from TFI Friday)
4. "Something to Talk About"

Cyndi Lauper version (2003)

"Walk on By" was the first single from Cyndi Lauper's 2003 covers album, At Last. It was also included on Lauper's 2004 DVD Live at Last. It was released as a promo only. Remixes of the song reached #10 on the U.S. dance chart.

Chart (2004)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	10

Track listing

CD:

1. "Walk on By" (Eddie X club mix) 10:51
2. "Walk on By" (Eddie X dub mix) 7:52
3. "Walk on By" (live version) 3:26
4. "Walk on By" (S.A.F. dub mix) 8:12
5. "Walk on By" (S.A.F.'s Walk to the Dance Floor club mix) 8:10
6. "Walk on By" (Tony Moran mix) 4:31

Seal version (2005)

Seal released a version of "Walk On By" as a single in January 2005. Though the song did not chart in his native UK, it made the lower reaches of the charts in several European countries, including #57 in Austria, #49 in Germany, and #46 in Switzerland.

Other versions

• Alan Price
• Alicia Keys recorded a hip hop version of the song on 2003 mutli-platinum album The Diary of Alicia Keys
• Aretha Franklin
• Average White Band
• The Beach Boys covered the song in a studio outtake for their 1969 album, 20/20.
• Bob Baldwin released a version of the song on his 1997 album, Cool Breeze.
• Brenda & the Tabulations on their 1967 album, Dry Your Eyes
• A 1960s garage rock version was recorded by The Outcasts from Manhasset, New York
• The Dells recorded a version on their 1972 album The Dells Sing Dionne Warwicke's Greatest Hits released on Cadet Records, produced by Charles Stepney
• Diana Krall recorded a jazzy version of the song on her 2009 album, Quiet Nights
• Florence Ballard after she left the Supremes
• Gloria Gaynor
• Kiki Dee recorded a version of the song in 1969 for Motown Records during her work on the Great Expectations album, but the song was not released until 2005 on the retrospective album Kiki Dee - Love Makes The World Go Round: The Motown Collection
• Melissa Manchester released the song on her 1989 Tribute album
• [[Peter Nero}]]
• Laura Nyro recorded a version of the song that was included on her 2001 Angel in the Dark (posthumous album recorded 1994–1995)
• Peter White released a version of the song on his 1994 album, Reflections
• Roland Kirk recorded a version on his 1965 album Slightly Latin
• Ronan Keating recorded the song for his 2011 album, When Ronan Met Burt
• Vanilla Fudge on the 1984 album "Mystery (Vanilla Fudge album)"
• We Five
• The Undisputed Truth on the album Law of the Land
• Paul Carrack recorded a version on his 2001 Groovin' album

External links

• Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics