A House Is Not a Home (song)
Encyclopedia
"A House Is Not a Home" is a 1964 song recorded by American
singer Dionne Warwick
. Written by the team of Burt Bacharach
and Hal David
, the song was a modest hit in the U.S. for Warwick, peaking at #71 on the pop singles chart as the B-side of the top 40 single, "You'll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart)". Two weeks earlier, a competing version by Brook Benton
had debuted on the Billboard Hot 100
. Benton's version split airplay with Warwick's, and ultimately peaked at number seventy-five. The Brook Benton version of the tune was used as the theme for the film of the same name.
Warwick's version of "A House Is Not a Home" fared better in Canada, where it was a top 40 hit, peaking at #37. The song made the R&B top 10 in Cashbox by both Warwick and Benton, with neither artist specified as best seller.
performed the song with Bacharach on the 1970 television special Another Evening With Burt Bacharach (a performance she was "quite proud of").
The song was an outtake in the sessions that produced the 1968 album Diana Ross & the Supremes Join the Temptations
. It is available on the compilation Joined Together: The Complete Studio Duets, a 2004 Motown CD.
Barbra Streisand
recorded a medley of the song with "One Less Bell to Answer
" (the 5th Dimension hit) for her 1971 album Barbra Joan Streisand
.
Sonny Rollins
recorded a version at the 1974 Montreux Jazz Festival
released on The Cutting Edge
.
The song was covered by R&B
singer Luther Vandross
, whose version became an R&B hit in 1981. His performance of the song at the NAACP Awards telecast would bring Warwick to tears. Vandross' version would be sampled two decades after that by Kanye West
on his, Jamie Foxx
's and Twista
's hit, "Slow Jamz
", in 2004.
The song has also been frequently featured on the popular television show American Idol
, with performances by Tamyra Gray
, Ruben Studdard
, Anwar Robinson
, Elliott Yamin
and Jacob Lusk
. Season 3 runner-up Diana DeGarmo
also sang the song in the musical revue, Back to Bacharach and David
in 2009 that was directed by Kathy Najimy
.
Bill Evans
and other notable jazz musicians like Sonny Rollins
have performed and recorded the song—it has thus acquired the status of a jazz standard
.
In 1993, pianist Joe Sample
did a cover of this song on the album Invitation.
In 1995, another instrumental rendition was released on saxophonist Nelson Rangell
's album "Destiny."
Stevie Wonder
covered the song on his album Eivets Rednow.
Ronald Isley
would record his own version with Bacharach
, using essentially the same template as Luther Vandross
.
In 2005, Aretha Franklin
covered the song for the tribute album So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross
.
In 2002, Lynne Arriale
covered the song on her album "Inspiration".
In the SpongeBob SquarePants
episode, "Welcome to the Chum Bucket", SpongeBob and Mr. Krabs sing a song entitled "A Grill Is Not a Home". It is rumored to be a parody of this song.
On the television series Half & Half
, Adam sings the song while the doorbell rings on the final season 4 episode "The Big Young & Restless episode" aired October 17, 2005.
Perry Como
, Shirley Bassey
, Ella Fitzgerald
, Lulu
and Georgie Fame
also recorded the song.
In 2010, Kristin Chenoweth
performed the song in the Broadway revival of Promises, Promises
. Although the song was not part of the original show, it was added to showcase her voice and, as Bacharach and David had written all of the original score, it fit in perfectly, both dramatically and musically.
The song was also covered twice in "Home
," the sixteenth episode of the TV series Glee
, once by Chris Colfer
and Cory Monteith
, and once by Matthew Morrison
and Kristin Chenoweth
as part of a medley with "One Less Bell to Answer
."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
. Written by the team of Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
and Hal David
Hal David
Harold Lane "Hal" David is an American lyricist. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. David is best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach.-Career:...
, the song was a modest hit in the U.S. for Warwick, peaking at #71 on the pop singles chart as the B-side of the top 40 single, "You'll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart)". Two weeks earlier, a competing version by Brook Benton
Brook Benton
Brook Benton was an American singer and songwriter who was popular with rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music audiences during the late 1950s and early 1960s, when he scored hits such as "It's Just A Matter Of Time" and "Endlessly", many of which he co-wrote.He made a comeback in 1970...
had debuted on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. Benton's version split airplay with Warwick's, and ultimately peaked at number seventy-five. The Brook Benton version of the tune was used as the theme for the film of the same name.
Warwick's version of "A House Is Not a Home" fared better in Canada, where it was a top 40 hit, peaking at #37. The song made the R&B top 10 in Cashbox by both Warwick and Benton, with neither artist specified as best seller.
Cover versions
Dusty SpringfieldDusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
performed the song with Bacharach on the 1970 television special Another Evening With Burt Bacharach (a performance she was "quite proud of").
The song was an outtake in the sessions that produced the 1968 album Diana Ross & the Supremes Join the Temptations
Diana Ross & the Supremes Join the Temptations
Diana Ross & the Supremes Join The Temptations is, as the title implies, a collaborative album combining Motown's two best selling groups, Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations. Issued by Motown in late 1968 to coincide with the broadcast of the Supremes/Temptations TCB television special,...
. It is available on the compilation Joined Together: The Complete Studio Duets, a 2004 Motown CD.
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
recorded a medley of the song with "One Less Bell to Answer
One Less Bell to Answer
"One Less Bell to Answer" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Originally written in 1967 for Keely Smith, the song was rediscovered in late 1969 by Bones Howe, the producer for The 5th Dimension, and the song was included on the group's 1970 debut album for Bell Records, Portrait. ...
" (the 5th Dimension hit) for her 1971 album Barbra Joan Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand (album)
Barbra Joan Streisand is an album by Barbra Streisand, released in August, 1971 on Columbia Records.- Chart and sale :The album reached #11 on Billboard's Pop Albums Chart and was certified Gold by the RIAA.-Track listing:Side One:...
.
Sonny Rollins
Sonny Rollins
Theodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins is a Grammy-winning American jazz tenor saxophonist. Rollins is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. A number of his compositions, including "St...
recorded a version at the 1974 Montreux Jazz Festival
Montreux Jazz Festival
The Montreux Jazz Festival is the best-known music festival in Switzerland and one of the most prestigious in Europe; it is held annually in early July in Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva...
released on The Cutting Edge
The Cutting Edge (album)
The Cutting Edge is a live album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival and released on the Milestone label in 1974, featuring performances by Rollins with Stanley Cowell, Yoshiaki Masuo, Bob Cranshaw, David Lee and Mtume with Rufus Harley joining on one...
.
The song was covered by R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
singer Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
, whose version became an R&B hit in 1981. His performance of the song at the NAACP Awards telecast would bring Warwick to tears. Vandross' version would be sampled two decades after that by Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
on his, Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
's and Twista
Twista
Carl Terrell Mitchell , better known by his stage name Twista, is an American rapper. He is known for once holding the title of fastest rapper in the world according to Guinness World Records in 1992, being able to pronounce 598 syllables in 55 seconds...
's hit, "Slow Jamz
Slow Jamz
"Slow Jamz" is the Grammy-nominated first single from Twista's album Kamikaze and from Kanye West's debut album The College Dropout. Released in 2003, the single, which features Kanye West and Jamie Foxx peaked at number one in the USA for a week on February 10, 2004 becoming Twista's, West's and...
", in 2004.
The song has also been frequently featured on the popular television show American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, with performances by Tamyra Gray
Tamyra Gray
Tamyra Monica Gray is an American actress, singer and songwriter, who finished fourth place on the first season of the musical reality competition American Idol in 2002. Record and television executive Simon Cowell — who judged the show for nine seasons — was disappointed when she was voted off...
, Ruben Studdard
Ruben Studdard
Christopher Theodore Ruben Studdard , best known as Ruben Studdard, is an American R&B, pop, and gospel singer. He rose to fame as winner of the second season of American Idol...
, Anwar Robinson
Anwar Robinson
Anwar Farid Robinson is an American singer/songwriter/musician who was the 7th place finalist on the fourth season of American Idol.-American Idol:...
, Elliott Yamin
Elliott Yamin
Elliott Yamin , born Efraym Elliott Yamin, is an American singer known for his hit single "Wait for You" and placing third on the fifth season of American Idol....
and Jacob Lusk
Jacob Lusk
Jacob Lusk is an American singer from Compton, California, who finished in fifth place on the tenth season of American Idol.-Early life:...
. Season 3 runner-up Diana DeGarmo
Diana DeGarmo
Diana Nicole DeGarmo is an American singer and Broadway actress. She finished as the runner-up on the third season of the reality/talent-search television series American Idol, narrowly missing the win by about 2% out of over 65 million votes...
also sang the song in the musical revue, Back to Bacharach and David
Back to Bacharach and David
Back To Bacharach and David is an Off-Broadway revue that featured the songs of Burt Bacharach and Hal David in a show created by Steve Gunderson and Kathy Najimy and directed by Najimy, with musical arrangements and orchestrations by Gunderson...
in 2009 that was directed by Kathy Najimy
Kathy Najimy
Kathy Ann Najimy is an American actress, most notable as Olive Massery on the television series Veronica's Closet, Sister Mary Patrick in Sister Act and the voice of Peggy Hill on the animated television series King of the Hill. Prior to her film work, she was best known for two Off Broadway shows...
.
Bill Evans
Bill Evans
William John Evans, known as Bill Evans was an American jazz pianist. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines influenced a generation of pianists including: Chick Corea, Herbie...
and other notable jazz musicians like Sonny Rollins
Sonny Rollins
Theodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins is a Grammy-winning American jazz tenor saxophonist. Rollins is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. A number of his compositions, including "St...
have performed and recorded the song—it has thus acquired the status of a jazz standard
Jazz standard
Jazz standards are musical compositions which are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive list of jazz standards, and the list of songs deemed to be...
.
In 1993, pianist Joe Sample
Joe Sample
Joseph Leslie "Joe" Sample is an American pianist, keyboard player and composer.He is one of the founding members of the Jazz Crusaders, the band which became simply The Crusaders in 1971, and remained a part of the group until its final album in 1991 .- Biography :Sample began playing the piano...
did a cover of this song on the album Invitation.
In 1995, another instrumental rendition was released on saxophonist Nelson Rangell
Nelson Rangell
Nelson Rangell is an American velvet-smooth jazz musician and composer originally from Castle Rock, Colorado. Although Rangell is known for his work with the tenor, alto, and soprano saxophone, his primary instrument is the piccolo flute, which he began playing at the age of 15...
's album "Destiny."
Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
covered the song on his album Eivets Rednow.
Ronald Isley
Ronald Isley
Ronald Isley is an American singer and is known as the lead singer and founding member of the family music group The Isley Brothers.-Career:...
would record his own version with Bacharach
Bacharach
Bacharach is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Rhein-Nahe, whose seat is in Bingen am Rhein, although that town is not within its bounds....
, using essentially the same template as Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
.
In 2005, Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
covered the song for the tribute album So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross
So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross
So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross is a tribute album to the late soul legend Luther Vandross, consisting of cover versions of past songs by Vandross and other artists, recorded by several R&B and/or soul singers, in addition to rapper Wyclef Jean and pop singers Elton John and...
.
In 2002, Lynne Arriale
Lynne Arriale
Lynne Arriale is an American jazz pianist. She was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She received her Master's Degree from the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and in her initial training was classical. However her interest in the works of Keith Jarrett and Herbie Hancock led her to jazz. She gained...
covered the song on her album "Inspiration".
In the SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...
episode, "Welcome to the Chum Bucket", SpongeBob and Mr. Krabs sing a song entitled "A Grill Is Not a Home". It is rumored to be a parody of this song.
On the television series Half & Half
Half & Half
Half & Half is an American sitcom that aired on UPN from September 23, 2002, to May 15, 2006. The show focuses on the lives of two paternal half-sisters in their twenties who were estranged throughout their childhood, and are finally developing a close relationship...
, Adam sings the song while the doorbell rings on the final season 4 episode "The Big Young & Restless episode" aired October 17, 2005.
Perry Como
Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
, Shirley Bassey
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
, Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
, Lulu
Lulu (singer)
Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...
and Georgie Fame
Georgie Fame
Georgie Fame is a British rhythm and blues and jazz singer and keyboard player. The one-time rock and roll tour musician, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still a popular performer, often working with contemporaries such as Van Morrison and Bill Wyman.-Early life:Fame took piano lessons from the...
also recorded the song.
In 2010, Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
performed the song in the Broadway revival of Promises, Promises
Promises, Promises
Promises, Promises is a musical based on the 1960 film The Apartment. The music is by Burt Bacharach, lyrics by Hal David, and book by Neil Simon. Musical numbers for the original Broadway production were choreographed by Michael Bennett; Robert Moore directed and David Merrick produced...
. Although the song was not part of the original show, it was added to showcase her voice and, as Bacharach and David had written all of the original score, it fit in perfectly, both dramatically and musically.
The song was also covered twice in "Home
Home (Glee)
"Home" is the 16th episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on April 27, 2010. It was directed by Paris Barclay and written by series creator Brad Falchuk...
," the sixteenth episode of the TV series Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, once by Chris Colfer
Chris Colfer
Christopher Paul "Chris" Colfer is an American actor and singer known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television series Glee, for which he won a 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated twice for an Emmy...
and Cory Monteith
Cory Monteith
Cory Allan Monteith is a Canadian actor and musician, best known for his role of Finn Hudson on the Fox television series Glee.-Early life:...
, and once by Matthew Morrison
Matthew Morrison
Matthew James "Matt" Morrison is an American actor, director, musician, and singer-songwriter. He is best known for starring in multiple Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including his portrayal of Link Larkin in Hairspray on Broadway, and most notably for his Emmy and Golden Globe nominated...
and Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
as part of a medley with "One Less Bell to Answer
One Less Bell to Answer
"One Less Bell to Answer" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Originally written in 1967 for Keely Smith, the song was rediscovered in late 1969 by Bones Howe, the producer for The 5th Dimension, and the song was included on the group's 1970 debut album for Bell Records, Portrait. ...
."