"I Say a Little Prayer" | ||||
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Single by Dionne Warwick | ||||
from the album The Windows of the World | ||||
B-side | "(Theme from) Valley of the Dolls" | |||
Released | October 1967 | |||
Format | 7" single | |||
Recorded | 9 April 1966 A & R Studios, NYC; Engineered by Phil Ramone | |||
Genre | Soul, pop | |||
Length | 3:09 | |||
Label | Scepter | |||
Writer(s) | Burt Bacharach, Hal David | |||
Producer(s) | Burt Bacharach, Hal David | |||
Dionne Warwick singles chronology | ||||
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"I Say a Little Prayer" | ||||
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Single by Aretha Franklin | ||||
from the album Aretha Now | ||||
A-side | "The House That Jack Built" | |||
Released | July 1968 | |||
Format | 7" | |||
Genre | Soul | |||
Length | 3:30 | |||
Label |
Atlantic 2546 |
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Writer(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Jerry Wexler | |||
Aretha Franklin singles chronology | ||||
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"I Say a Little Prayer" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Dionne Warwick, originally peaking at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in December 1967. On the R&B Singles chart it peaked at number eight.
Intended by lyricist Hal David to convey a woman's concern for her man who's serving in the Vietnam War, "I Say a Little Prayer" was recorded by Dionne Warwick in a 9 April 1966 session. Although Bacharach's recordings with Warwick typically took no more than three takes (often only taking one), Bacharach did ten takes on "I Say a Little Prayer" and still disliked the completed track feeling it rushed. The track went unreleased until September 1967 when it was introduced on the album The Windows of the World which largely consisted of older material; it was Scepter Records owner Florence Greenberg rather than Bacharach who wanted "I Say a Little Prayer" added to that album from which it had a single release in October 1967 as the intended B-side of the newly recorded track "(Theme from) Valley of the Dolls". However, the brisk sound of "I Say a Little Prayer" which Bacharach disliked proved to be the comeback sound for Warwick as "I Say a Little Prayer" became the original favored side reaching #4 that December on the Billboard Hot 100 – Warwick's first Top Ten appearance since "Message to Michael" in the spring of 1966 – and also #8 on the Billboard R & B Chart and #4 on the Canadian Charts. "(Theme from) Valley of the Dolls" would become a hit subsequent to the success of "I Say a Little Prayer" reaching #2 in February 1968: Warwick's "I Say a Little Prayer"/"(Theme from) Valley of the Dolls" single would receive gold certification from the RIAA for sales of a million units becoming the only certified gold single of the first phase of Warwick's career.