Happy 50th: Dionne Warwick, Here I Am

50 years ago today, Dionne Warwick released her fifth full-length studio release, an album which may not have delivered any smash hits but went on to be viewed one of the classic albums of her career nonetheless.

Produced by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, just like the four albums that preceded it, Here I Am seemingly had a pop chart advantage with its title track, which had been featured in the hit film What's New, Pussycat? (The movie's theme song, of course, was also a Bacharach / David composition.) Alas, “Here I Am” made it no further than #65 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the follow-up single, “Lookin' with My Eyes,” made it precisely one spot higher before beginning its descent. Indeed, the only top-40 hit to emerge from the album was “Are You There (With Another Girl),” which is the unlikeliest of the three of have become a hit, given its unique instrumentation.

Here I Am has often been cited as the Warwick album where Burt Bacharach started to his stride as a songwriter, expanding beyond the typical pop songs of the day and getting more creative with his compositions. Lest it be forgotten, however, Warwick also tackled songs by other composers, including “Once in a Lifetime,” written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse, and “I Love You Porgy,” from Porgy & Bess, even serving up a little religion by covering “This Little Light.”