"Walk On By" is a song written by

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. Start ...

and

Hal David Harold Lane David (May 25, 1921 – September 1, 2012) was an American lyricist. He was best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach and his association with Dionne Warwick. Early life David was born and raised in New ...

for singer

Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick ( ; born Marie Dionne Warrick; December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. During her career, Warwick has won many awards, including six Grammy Awards. She has been inducted into the Hollywood Wa ...

in 1963. Warwick's recording of the song peaked at number 6 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number 1 on the Cash Box Rhythm and Blues Chart In June 1964 and was nominated for a 1965 Grammy Award for the Best Rhythm and Blues Recording.

Isaac Hayes Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records in the 1960s, serving as an in-house songwr ...

recorded the song five years later, in 1969, and his version reached number 30 on the Hot 100 chart and number 13 in the R&B charts. "Walk On By" has since charted numerous times in various countries, with wildly different arrangements, as noted below. In 1998, the 1964 release by

Scepter Records Scepter Records was an American record company founded in 1959 by Florence Greenberg. History Florence Greenberg founded Scepter Records from the $4,000 she received after she sold Tiara Records and the Shirelles to Decca Records. When the S ...

was inducted into the

Grammy Hall of Fame The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...

Dionne Warwick original version (1964)

The original version of "Walk On By" by

was recorded at

Bell Sound Studios Bell Sound Studios was an independent recording studio in New York City from 1950 to 1976. At its height, the studio was the largest independent recording studio in the United States, and the site of recording sessions that produced seminal hits b ...

in New York City, the same late November/early 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 number 6 on the

U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number 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 run on Billboard's easy listening survey. The song was ranked number 51 on the ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' list of

The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is a recurring song ranking compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in December 2 ...

. "Walk On By" became Warwick's second international million seller, following "Anyone Who Had A Heart" in January 1964. Warwick also recorded a German version of the song, titled "Geh vorbei". Session drummer

Gary Chester Gary Chester (born Cesario Gurciullo; October 27, 1924 – August 17, 1987) was an American studio drummer, author, and teacher. Beginning in the 1960s, he played on hundreds of records for bands such as the Coasters, the Monkees and the Lovin' ...

played on this recording as did session bassist

Russ Savakus Russell Savakus (May 13, 1925 – June 26, 1984) was an American session bass player (both electric and stand-up), violinist and singer. Savakus recorded with numerous artists in and around the 1960s folk and folk-rock movement in New York. Earl ...

. Other musicians included

Artie Butler Arthur Butler (born December 2, 1942) is an American arranger, composer, songwriter, and session musician. In a long career, he has been involved in numerous hit records and other recordings, and has been awarded over 60 gold and platinum album ...

on organ, Paul Griffin on piano, Irwin Markowitz and Ernie Royal on trumpet, Bill Suyker and Allen Hanlon on guitar, Max Pollikoff, Charles McCracken,

Eugene Orloff Gene Orloff (June 14, 1921 – March 23, 2009) was an American violinist, concertmaster, arranger, contractor and session musician. Background The son of a Russian immigrant violin maker, Orloff would try and get his father's violin down from the ...

, Julius Held, and George Ockner on violin, Harold Coletta on viola, Lucien Schmit on cello,

Paul Winter Paul Winter (born August 31, 1939) is an American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. He is a pioneer of world music and earth music, which interweaves the voices of the wild with instrumental voices from classical, jazz and world music. The ...

on saxophone, and George Devens on percussion. In 2023, Warwick's recording was sampled by

Doja Cat Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini (born October 21, 1995), known professionally as Doja Cat (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, she began making and releasing music on SoundCl ...

for her single " Paint the Town Red". It reached number one on the Hot 100 on the issue dated September 16, 2023, marking the first time Warwick's voice appeared at number one since 1986's Year-end chart performance of "

That's What Friends Are For "That's What Friends Are For" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager. It was first recorded by Rod Stewart in 1982 for the soundtrack of the film '' Night Shift'', but it is best known for the 1985 version by Dionne Warwic ...

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Bobby Kris and the Imperials version (1965)

The

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

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

Charts

Isaac Hayes version (1969)

released a cover version of "Walk On By" in 1969 on the album ''

Hot Buttered Soul ''Hot Buttered Soul'' is the second studio album by American Soul music, soul musician Isaac Hayes. Released in June 1969, it is recognized as a landmark recording in soul music. Recorded with The Bar-Kays, the album features four lengthy tracks ...

'', transforming the song into a twelve-minute

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

vamp. A single edit reached number 30 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. Hayes's version was ranked No. 312 in the 2021 edition of ''

''s " Top 500 Songs of All Time".

Samples

Hayes's version was sampled in 1992 by

Compton's Most Wanted Compton's Most Wanted (C.M.W.) is an American gangsta rap group and part of the early West Coast hip-hop scene. The leaders of the group are MC Eiht and Tha Chill. History Formation and early years C.M.W. included rappers MC Eiht, Tha Chill, ...

in " Hood Took Me Under"; in 1994, by

The Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in the New York rap scene and gangsta rap tradi ...

in "Warning"; in 1995, by

Faith Evans Faith Renée Evans (born June 10, 1973) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and actress. Born in Lakeland, Florida, and raised in New Jersey, she relocated to Los Angeles in 1991 in pursuit of a recording career. Evans initially performed as ...

in "No Other Love", from the album ''

Faith Faith is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept. In the context of religion, faith is " belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". According to the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, faith has multiple definitions, inc ...

'';

2Pac Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...

in "

Me Against The World ''Me Against the World'' is the third studio album by American rapper 2Pac. It was released on March 14, 1995, by Interscope Records and Out da Gutta Records and distributed by Atlantic Records. 2Pac draws lyrical inspiration from his impend ...

", in 1998 by McGruff in " Harlem Kidz Get Biz"; in 1999, by MF DOOM in "Dead Bent"; in 2000, by

Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop collective formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its members include RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and, until his death in 2004, O ...

in "I Can't Go to Sleep"; in 1996, by

Hooverphonic Hooverphonic is a Belgian electronic band that was formed in October 1995. Though originally categorized as a trip hop group, they quickly expanded their sound to the point where it could no longer be described as a belonging to a single genre, ...

in "2 Wicky"; in 2005, by

Hip Hop Pantsula Jabulani Tsambo (14 September 1980 – 24 October 2018), better known by his stage name Hip Hop Pantsula, later shortened to HHP, was a South African Motswako rapper (Motswakolista) who performed in several languages, mostly in Setswana. He was p ...

in "Let Me Be", from his album '' YBA 2 NW''; and in 2016 in

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...

's "

6 Inch "6 Inch" is a song by American singer Beyoncé featuring Canadian singer The Weeknd. It is the fifth track on her sixth studio album, ''Lemonade (Beyoncé album), Lemonade'' (2016), released through Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. The ...

Gloria Gaynor version (1975)

Gloria Gaynor Gloria Fowles (born September 7, 1943), known professionally as Gloria Gaynor, is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits "I Will Survive" (1978), "I Have a Right, Let Me Know (I Have a Right)" (1979), "I Am What I Am (Broadway mus ...

released her disco version on her 1975 album, '' Experience Gloria Gaynor''. It became a hit in South Africa during the fall of the year, where it reached #12, and #17 in Germany.

Charts

The Stranglers version (1978)

In 1978,

the Stranglers The Stranglers are an English rock music, rock band formed in 1974. Scoring 23 UK top 40 singles and 20 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades, the Stranglers are one of the longest-surviving bands to have originated in the ...

recorded a version of "Walk on By" which reached No. 21 on the UK singles chart. This six-minute version of the song features extended

Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert, first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, sound was created ...

and guitar solos which Gene Becker of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

likened to

the Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, comprising vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most influential and controversial rock acts ...

' " Light My Fire". A music video was produced for the single, parodying

Michelangelo Antonioni Michelangelo Antonioni ( ; ; 29 September 1912 – 30 July 2007) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and editor. He is best known for his "trilogy on modernity and its discontents", ''L'Avventura'' (1960), ''La Notte'' (1961), and '' ...

's 1966 film ''

Blowup ''Blowup'' (also styled ''Blow-Up'') is a 1966 Psychological thriller, psychological Mystery film, mystery film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, co-written by Antonioni, Tonino Guerra and Edward Bond and produced by Carlo Ponti. It is Antoni ...

''. As with key sequences of the film, the Stranglers video was filmed largely in London's

Maryon Park Maryon Park is an urban public park located in Charlton in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, London, United Kingdom. It is situated on the A206 road south of the Thames Barrier, and is accessible from Woolwich Road, Charlton Lane and Thorntree Ro ...

. The single's chart performance may have been impaired by the fact that an EP featuring the song had been given away with the first 75,000 copies of the band's album ''

Black and White Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white to produce a range of achromatic brightnesses of grey. It is also known as greyscale in technical settings. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, ...

.''

Charts

Average White Band version (1979)

The

Average White Band The Average White Band (also known as AWB) was a Scottish funk and R&B band that had a series of soul and disco hits between 1974 and 1980. They were best known for their million-selling instrumental track " Pick Up the Pieces", and their alb ...

cut a lightly disco-tinged version (featuring reggae and funk underpinnings) that charted in 1979.

Charts

D-Train version (1982)

In 1982, "Walk On By" was covered by the funk duo D Train who had a UK and U.S. R&B/dance hit with the song in a

boogie Boogie is a repetition (music), repetitive, swung note, swung note or shuffle rhythm,Burrows, Terry (1995). ''Play Country Guitar'', p.42. Dorling Kindersley Limited, London. . groove (music), "groove" or pattern used in blues which was origina ...

/funk version.

Charts

Jo Jo Zep version (1983)

In 1983, Australian group

Jo Jo Zep Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons are an Australian blues music, blues and rock music, rock band that features the singer, songwriter and saxophonist Joe Camilleri (aka "Jo Jo Zep"). The band was active in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and had severa ...

covered "Walk On By" in a slow, moody version that featured electronics and synthesisers. The song was lifted from the band's seventh studio album, '' Cha''. The track was a minor hit in Australia, peaking at number 55, but was a major hit in New Zealand, hitting number 6.

Charts

Melissa Manchester version (1989)

In 1989, "Walk On By" was covered by singer

Melissa Manchester Melissa Manchester (born February 15, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Since the 1970s, her songs have been played by adult contemporary radio stations. She has also appeared on television, in films, and on stage. Early li ...

. Her version of the song hit number 6 on the ''Billboard''

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

chart.

Charts

Sybil version (1990)

In 1990, American singer

Sybil Sibyls were oracular women believed to possess prophetic powers in ancient Greece. Sybil or Sibyl may also refer to: Films * ''Sybil'' (1921 film) * ''Sybil'' (1976 film), a film starring Sally Field * ''Sybil'' (2007 film), a remake of the 1 ...

, 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".

Track listing

*US, 7" Vinyl single :A1: "Walk On By" (Club Mix) – 7:15 :A2: "Walk On By" (Radio) – 4:04 :B1: "Here Comes My Love" (Vocal Mix) – 3:48 :B2: "Here Comes My Love" (Instrumental) – 3:58 *UK, CD Maxi single # "Walk On By" (Club Mix) – 7:15 # "Bad Beats Suite" (Radio) – 3:12 # "Walk On By" (Dub Version) – 3:21

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Gabrielle version (1997)

In 1997, UK singer Gabrielle released her version of "Walk On By" as the fifth and final single from her studio album, '' Gabrielle''. It reached number 7 on the UK singles chart. A reviewer from ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as ''Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music We ...

'' rated the track five out of five, adding that the song "is given a fine treatment by Gabrielle, whose voice fits perfectly. A guaranteed radio biggie, too."

Track listings

Charts

Cyndi Lauper version (2003)

"Walk On By" was the first single from

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper ( ; born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Known for her distinctive image, featuring a variety of hair colors and eccentric clothing, and for her powerful four-octave vocal range;Jerome, ...

's 2003 covers album ''

At Last "At Last" is a song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film ''Sun Valley Serenade'' (1941). Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded the tune several times, with a 1942 version reaching number two on the US ''Billboard'' pop ...

''. It was also included on Lauper's 2004 DVD ''Live at Last''. It was released as a promo only. Remixes of the song reached number 10 on the U.S. dance chart.

Formats and track listings

US Promotional 12" # "Walk On By" (S.A.F.'s Walk to the Dance Floor Club Mix) – 8:12 # "Walk On By" (S.A.F.'s Walk to the Dance Floor Dub Mix) – 8:12 US Promotional 12" (Remix) # "Walk On By" (Eddie X Club Mix) – 10:53 # "Walk On By" (Eddie X Dub Mix) – 7:52 US Promotional CD # "Walk On By" (Live Version) – 3:26 # "Walk On By" (Album Version) – 4:31 # "Walk On By" (Tony Moran Mix) – 4:31

Charts

Seal version (2004)

Seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...

released a version of "Walk On By" as a single in 2004. Though the song did not chart in his native UK, it made the lower reaches of the charts in several European countries.

Charts

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Walk On By (Burt Bacharach and Hal David song) 1963 songs 1964 singles 1969 singles 1997 singles 2003 singles 2005 singles A&M Records singles Aretha Franklin songs Average White Band songs Breakup songs Cyndi Lauper songs D Train (entertainer) songs Dionne Warwick songs Gabrielle (singer) songs Gloria Gaynor songs Go! Beat singles Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients Helen Shapiro songs Isaac Hayes songs Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons songs Kiki Dee songs MGM Records singles Pete Waterman Entertainment singles Prelude Records singles Scepter Records singles Seal (musician) songs Songs with lyrics by Hal David Songs with music by Burt Bacharach Sybil (singer) songs The Beach Boys songs The Stranglers songs Torch songs United Artists Records singles Universal Music Group singles We Five songs