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David McLean

The 1960s Edinburgh shows that made Burt Bacharach fall in love with the capital

Over six decades, Burt Bacharach gave love and joy to millions with his incredible catalogue of songs.

The legendary late songsmith, who sadly passed away on Wednesday aged 94, performed on stages all around the world, ticking off scores of major towns and cities over the course of his long career.

But from all the places the Walk on By and I Say a Little Prayer writer performed in, it's said he was particularly fond of Edinburgh.

READ MORE: When Edinburgh nightclub hosted legendary BBC music show Top of the Pops

The musical maestro first came to Scotland's capital in the 1960s as the arranger and conductor for screen icon Marlene Dietrich, who was forging a new career as a singer.

In 1964, the star pair performed at the Lyceum during the Edinburgh Festival and returned again the following year. The nightly performances went down at storm and firmly established Bacharach here in Scotland.

They were visits that would live long in the memory for Bacharach, who would share his recollections during a performance at the Playhouse in 2014.

According to the man himself, fans gathered by the stage exit, desperate to get Dietrich's autograph, to which the actress replied: "Ah, you don't want my autograph, you want Mr Bacharach's!"

When people asked who that was, Dietrich responded: "You'll know one day".

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Reviewing the 1964 show, Entertainment guide The Stage wrote: "Marlene Dietrich, the incomparable artist, casts a magic spell on audiences at the Lyceum this week, holding them entranced for sixty-five exciting minutes.

"Burt Bacharach directing the 18-piece orchestra on the stage, richly deserves a share of the plaudits."

Bacharach would return to Edinburgh on multiple occasions over the years, and it was obvious that he had great affection for the city - a fact he would often tell his fans during performances.

Writing in her autobiography, Marlene Dietrich even namechecked Edinburgh and Paris as the cities that the young Bacharach loved the most.

As time marched on Burt Bacharach would be known for far more than conducting orchestras. The American would compose hundreds of pop songs, many of which would become bona fide classics.

Bacharach along with lyricist Hal David penned an incredible 73 US and 52 UK Top 40 hits, and had his songs covered by more than 1,000 different artists, including Elvis, The Beatles and Frank Sinatra.

The songwriting duo wrote songs for a long list of famous stars, including Dionne Warwick, Cilla Black, Tom Jones and Dusty Springfield.

Burt Bacharach's final performance in Edinburgh was at the Playhouse on July 28, 2014.

READ MORE: Scottish Aldi manager shares one day of week you should always visit for reduced items

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