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Don’t Make Me Over (Song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| “Don’t Make Me Over” | |
|---|---|
| |
| Single by Dionne Warwick | |
| from the album Presenting Dionne Warwick | |
| B-side | “I Smiled Yesterday” |
| Released | October 1962 |
| Recorded | August 1962 |
| Studio | Bell Sound (New York City) |
| Length | 2:46 |
| Label | Scepter |
| Songwriters | Burt Bacharach Hal David |
| Producers | Burt Bacharach Hal David |
| Dionne Warwick singles chronology | |
| “Don’t Make Me Over“ (1962)”This Empty Place” (1963) | |
“Don’t Make Me Over” is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, originally recorded by American singer Dionne Warwick in August 1962 and released as the B-side of “I Smiled Yesterday” in October 1962 as her lead solo single from her debut album, Presenting Dionne Warwick (1963), issued under Sceptor Records. The song reached number 21 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number five on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart.
Dionne Warwick original
Warwick recorded “Don’t Make Me Over” in August 1962, a song that was later chosen as the B-side of her lead single from her debut album Presenting Dionne Warwick. In October 1962, Scepter Records released the track as the B-side of her first solo single “I Smiled Yesterday”.
Initially, Warwick had found out that “Make It Easy on Yourself“—a song on which she had recorded the original demo and had wanted to be her first single release—had been given to another artist, Jerry Butler.
From the catchy contemporary phrase, “Don’t make me over”, Burt Bacharach and Hal David wrote and produced their first US top 40 pop hit (No. 21) and US R&B hit (No. 5). It was also a top-forty hit in Canada, at number 38. The background vocals in the song were from the Gospelaires, which featured sister Dee Dee, Sylvia Shemwell and aunt Cissy Houston.
In 2000, Dionne Warwick’s 1962 version of “Don’t Make Me Over” on Scepter Records was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Track listing
- US, 7-inch vinyl single
A1: “Don’t Make Me Over” – 2:51
B1: “I Smiled Yesterday” – 2:43
- UK, 7-inch vinyl single
A1: “Don’t Make Me Over” – 2:46
A2: “Shall I Tell Her” – 2:33
B1: “Make The Music Play” – 2:25
B2: “Any Old Time Of Day” – 2:25
- France, 7-inch vinyl single
A1: “Don’t Make Me Over” – 2:46
A2: “Shall I Tell Her” – 3:20
B1: “I Smiled Yesterday” – 2:44
B2: “Wishin’ And Hopin'” – 2:25
Charts
| Chart (1962–1963) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia) | N/A |
| Canada (CHUM) | 38 |
| France (IFOP) | 69 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 21 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard) | 5 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 | 17 |
Jennifer Warnes version
| Chart (1979) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 67 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) | 36 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard) | 84 |
Sybil version
| “Don’t Make Me Over” | |
|---|---|
| |
| Single by Sybil | |
| from the album Let Yourself Go and Sybil | |
| B-side | “Here Comes My Love” |
| Released | July 10, 1989 |
| Genre | Dancesoul |
| Length | 3:54 |
| Label | Next Plateau Inc. |
| Songwriters | Burt Bacharach Hal David |
| Producers | Dolores DrewryJames Bratton |
| Sybil singles chronology | |
| “Can’t Wait (On Tomorrow)” (1988)”Don’t Make Me Over“ (1989)”Walk On By“ (1990) | |
In 1987, American singer Sybil included a dance cover of the song on her 1987 debut album, Let Yourself Go. At the time, the song was not released as a single in its own right from the album.
However, in July 1989, Next Plateau Records released a remixed version of the song as the second single from Sybil’s second album, Sybil (1989). This version reached number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Sybil’s highest-charting Hot 100 song in the US, and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart. The song received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). This version also peaked at number one in New Zealand for four weeks and became a UK hit, reaching number 19 on the UK Singles Chart.
Critical reception
Bill Coleman from Billboard described Sybil’s cover as a “spirited Soul II Soul-ish rendition of the Dionne Warwick classic [that] has smash written all over it”. In a retrospective review, Pop Rescue stated that it has a beat that musically reminds of “a hybrid” of Soul II Soul’s “Keep On Movin’“
and Take That‘s “Pray“, calling it “mellow and soulful”.
Miranda Sawyer from Smash Hits noted “the swoony dance wisples” of the song. David Keeps from Spin felt Sybil “seems to be emerging as the Dionne Warwick of the Soul II Soul generation”, remarking her “achingly sexy conga-strings-and-coos” version of “Don’t Make Me Over”.
Track listings
7-inch single, West Germany (1989)
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Don’t Make Me Over” (radio version) | 3:54 |
| 2. | “Here Comes My Love” | 3:58 |
|---|
12-inch single, West Germany (1989)
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Don’t Make Me Over” (The KING-dom Come mix) | 7:20 |
| 2. | “Don’t Make Me Over” (radio mix) | 3:54 |
|---|
| 3. | “Here Comes My Love” (vocal) | 3:58 |
|---|
| 4. | “Here Comes My Love” (instrumental) | 3:58 |
|---|
CD maxi, West Germany (1989)
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Don’t Make Me Over” (Nightime mix) | 3:45 |
| 2. | “Don’t Make Me Over” (Daytime mix) | 3:27 |
|---|
| 3. | “My Love Is Guaranteed” (Red Ink mix part 1) | 5:35 |
|---|
CD maxi, France (1989)
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Don’t Make Me Over” (The King-Dom Come mix) | 7:20 |
| 2. | “Don’t Make Me Over” (radio mix) | 3:54 |
|---|
| 3. | “Here Comes My Love” (vocal) | 3:58 |
|---|
| 4. | “Don’t Make Me Over” (instrumental version) | 3:36 |
|---|
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1989–1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) | 144 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM) | 58 |
| Canada Dance/Urban (RPM) | 2 |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) | 70 |
| Luxembourg (Radio Luxembourg) | 19 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade) | 11 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100) | 48 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) | 1 |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 19 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 20 |
| US 12-inch Singles Sales (Billboard) | 2 |
| US Dance Club Play (Billboard) | 4 |
| US Hot Black Singles (Billboard) | 2 |
| West Germany (GfK) | 40 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1989) | Position |
|---|---|
| US 12-inch Singles Sales (Billboard) | 10 |
| US Dance Club Play (Billboard) | 11 |
| US Hot Black Singles (Billboard) | 5 |
| Chart (1990) | Position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand (RIANZ) | 17 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA) | Gold | 500,000^ |
| ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | July 10, 1989 | 7-inch vinyl12-inch vinyl | Champion |
| October 2, 1989 | 12-inch vinylCD (remix) | ||
| Japan | January 1, 1990 | CD | Next Plateau Inc. |
| Australia | January 22, 1990 | 7-inch vinyl12-inch vinylcassette | Liberation |
Other versions
Various other versions of the song have been recorded:
- In 1964 the English singer Louise Cordet recorded the song which was released on Decca F11875 coupled with “Two Lovers”.
- In January 1966, Liverpudlian band the Swinging Blue Jeans released a version which peaked at No. 31 in the United Kingdom and No. 83 in Canada
- Brenda & the Tabulations hit number 15 on the US R&B chart with their version in 1970.
- The Dowlands, 1965
- Shirley and Johnny
- Lynden David Hall
- Lyn Collins
- Candice Glover – American Idol 2013
Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over (Documentary)
| Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over | |
|---|---|
| |
| Directed by | Dave Wooley David Heilbroner |
| Produced by | Dave Wooley Associate Producers Veda Wooley Davina Wooley |
| Starring | Dionne Warwick |
| Cinematography | Tom Bergmann Thaddeus Wadleigh |
| Edited by | Stephen Perry |
| Production companies | Mister Smith Entertainment Artemis Rising Foundation |
| Distributed by | CNN Films |
| Release date | September 11, 2021 (TIFF) |
| Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over is an American documentary film directed by Dave Wooley and David Heilbroner. It follows the life and career of Dionne Warwick.
On January 1, 2023, It premiered on CNN.
Synopsis
The film follows the life and career of Dionne Warwick. Quincy Jones, Burt Bacharach, Bill Clinton, Clive Davis, Gladys Knight, Cissy Houston, Elton John, Damon Elliott, Kenneth Cole, Berry Gordy, Alicia Keys, Jerry Blavat, Snoop Dogg and Smokey Robinson appear in the film.
Release
The film had its world premiere at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival in September 2021.
It screened at the Montclair Film Festival on October 23, 2021.
In February 2022, CNN+ acquired distribution rights to the film. The streaming service, however, ended shortly after launch and Dionne announced on her Twitter account that the documentary will have an on-air cable broadcast premiere date of August 28, 2022, exclusively on CNN.
The film premiered on January 1, 2023, debuting at #1 among cable news viewers aged 25–54. After the broadcast, it was made available on HBO Max.
Awards
At TIFF, the film was first runner-up for the People’s Choice Award for Documentaries. The film also won the Best Feature honor at the Gene Siskel Film Center’s Black Harvest Film Festival, as well as receiving Centerpiece Screening at DOC NYC and landing the Audience Award at the 2021 Montclair Film Festival.
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