Kyle Riabko and Stephanie McKeon at the Close to You album launch. Pictures: Craig Sugden
Fans of the acclaimed Burt Bacharach review show Close to You will be pleased to hear that the original London cast has made a recording.
The show started off its life in the UK as What’s it all About? at the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2015 before transferring to the Criterion in Piccadilly, although its origins date back to a chance meeting between Bacharach and a young guitarist Kyle Riabko in a Santa Monica recording studio in 2010.
After being introduced to Bacharach at a Los Angeles recording studio, Riabko created a series of demos, reinterpreting the composer’s classic songs. Over the ensuing months, he took the demos to Bacharach who gave his blessing to What’s It All About? Bacharach Reimagined.
The Criterion production, renamed Close to You, finally closed, after an extension, on Valentine’s Day this year, although you can now revisit this musical love-letter in all its glory on a two-disc CD released by Entertainment360 and Ghostlight.
The great Burt Bacharach himself was on hand to lend support at the album launch in London’s Ivy members’ club this week. He joined Riabko – the album’s co-creator and lead musician – for a rendition of ‘Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head’.
Burt Bacharach, Kyle Riabko and Close to You cast members
Prior to this, Riabko’s manager David Seltzer introduced the evening before the 28-year-old guitarist-singer took to the stage for a mash-up of Bacharach numbers, starting with the crisp, sharp-as-as-tack ‘Anyone Who Had a Heart’, which opened the original stage show.
“Thank you to everyone who has come to see this show over the past few years,” said Riabko during his brief set. “It’s been a blast watching you react to each song with a look of ‘He wrote that too?!’ on your face. Yes, he did write that one. And that one. And that one.”
Among those in attendance at the London club was Elaine Paige, whose upcoming ‘Stripped Back’ series of weekend concerts promises to feature some of the legendary Bacharach’s music.
“This piece is meant as a gift to Burt,” concluded Riabko. “A reminder that, regardless of the generation any of us represent, we have been touched in one way or another by his music. The least we can do is carry the torch of timelessness into the next era.”
The 24-track two-disc release features at least 40 different Bacharach songs. Also included are the original 11 demo recordings that Riabko first created on his home studio – “by which I mean on my computer in my bedroom” – back in 2010 to successfully woo the songwriter.
Conceived by Kyle Riabko and David Lane Seltzer, Close to You previously played to critical acclaim at New York Theatre Workshop, where it became the venue’s longest-running show.
The recording features Kyle Riabko (vocals, guitars, keyboards, ukulele); Daniel Bailen (vocals, electric bass, upright bass, cello, guitar); Greg Coulson (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Anastacia McCleskey (vocals); Stephanie McKeon (vocals), Renato Paris (vocals, keyboards); and James Williams (percussion). The recording has been available from 24 June to digital music outlets and is released on CD on 1 July 2016.
Craig Glenday
Readers may also be interested in:
What’s It All About? Bacharach Reimagined – Menier Chocolate Factory – Review
www.sh-k-boom.com/close-to-you-bacharach-reimagined
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