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Dionne Warwick Hated This 1968 Song, Even Though It Became One of Her Biggest Hits
Dionne Warwick initially disliked “Do You Know The Way To San Jose”, despite it becoming one of her most successful recordings. Her reaction illustrates how performers can misjudge a song’s potential, while the confidence of its writers, Burt Bacharach and Hal David, ultimately proved justified.
Warwick felt the 1968 song’s repeated “whoa” lyric and subject matter were silly, but recorded it because David strongly supported it. The track appeared on *Dionne Warwick in Valley of the Dolls*, required a return studio session to overdub vocals, and earned Warwick the first Grammy Award of her career.
In short
- Warwick disliked “Do You Know The Way To San Jose”.
- Hal David persuaded her to record it.
- The 1968 hit won Warwick her first Grammy.
Explained simply
Dionne Warwick is an American singer whose run of pop and soul hits in the 1960s made her one of the best-known voices of the era. Many of her most famous records were written by Burt Bacharach, the composer, and Hal David, the lyricist, who created songs with unusual melodies and polished pop arrangements.
“Do You Know The Way To San Jose” was released in 1968, at a time when San Jose, California, was becoming associated with opportunity and the wider pull of life on America’s west coast. Its lyrics follow someone leaving the bright lights of Los Angeles in search of a simpler, more settled life.
The record became a major success for Warwick and helped establish it as one of the enduring songs in her catalogue. It also brought her a Grammy, the leading US music award, marking an early milestone in a career that later included many more hits and awards.