I Say a Little Prayer

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“I Say a Little Prayer”

Single by Dionne Warwick
from the album The Windows of the World

A-side

I Say a Little Prayer

B-side

(Theme From) Valley of the Dolls

Released

October 1967

Format

7" single

Recorded

1967 A & R Studios, NYC

Genre

Soul, pop

Length

3:09

Label

Scepter

Writer(s)

Burt Bacharach, Hal David

Producer

Burt Bacharach, Hal David

Certification

Certified RIAA Million Seller Gold Single Award

Dionne Warwick singles chronology

"The Windows of the World"
(1967)

"I Say a Little Prayer"
(1967)

"Do You Know the Way to San Jose"
(1968)

I Say a Little Prayer (often named in error as I Say A Little Prayer For You) is a song written by songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Dionne Warwick in 1967.

The song was Warwick's second single from her Scepter Records album The Windows Of The World, following the LP's title track. The tune reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1967 and was a certified million seller by the RIAA. The single later appeared on the LP Dionne Warwick's Golden Hits, Part Two and is considered one of Warwick's signature songs. The flip or "B-side" of the single (Theme From) Valley of the Dolls was also a million seller and rode the #2 position for 4 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in February 1968. I Say A Little Prayer and its B-side (Theme From) Valley of the Dolls became one of the most successful double sided hits of the Rock era.

Like several Bacharach compositions, I Say A Little Prayer contains passages written in unusual time signatures. The verses are in 10/4 time (using successive measures of 4/4 + 2/4 + 4/4), and the chorus in 11/4 (using 4/4 + 4/4 + 3/4).

[edit] Other Recordings

Many famous singers have performed or recorded this song, including Aretha Franklin, who recorded it in 1968 as part of her album Aretha Now. It was later included in the 1969 compilation album Aretha's Gold, and the 1971 album Aretha's Greatest Hits. Aretha's version peaked at #10 on the Billboard Magazine Hot 100.

The song has also appeared in many films, being featured prominently in the comedy My Best Friend's Wedding in 1997, which featured both a cover by Diana King and a version sung by the film's cast, and also parodied in the later film Date Movie.

Additionally, the song has also been recorded as a live duet between Natalie Cole and Whitney Houston.

In the jazz world, Rahsaan Roland Kirk covered the song on his 1969 release, Volunteered Slavery.

In the UK, the song was also covered by UK dance act Bomb the Bass. On the February 5, 2007, episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Natalie Cole sang the tune as well. In the same year, an Icelandic pop band, Al'MargiR, has also covered this song as their new single of the third studio album.

In Mexico, the song was covered by girl-group Pandora. The version is called "Rezo Una Oracion Por Ti", literally translated.

“I Say a Little Prayer (American Idol Performance)”

Single by Joanne Borgella

Released

February 21, 2008

Format

iTunes download

Recorded

Hollywood, CA USA
2008

Genre

Pop

Length