“Message to Michael” (Dionne Warwick)/”Message to Martha” (Jerry Butler/Lou Johnson)

Today’s classic song of the day is “Message to Michael,” written by the legendary team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. That’s actually not the original title of the song, however, which I shall shortly explain.

Bacharach and David wrote “Message to Martha,” as the song was originally titled, in 1962. The song was about a Kentucky gentleman telling a bluebird to take a message to his love (the aforementioned Martha), who was pursuing fame and fortune in New Orleans, imploring her to return home at her earliest convenience.

“Message to Martha” was first recorded by R&B singer Jerry Butler in 1962 but not released (as an album track) until December of 1963, on Butler’s Need to Belong album. It was subsequently recorded (in German) by Marlene Dietrich, for whom Bacharach had served as music director, and then by Lou Johnson. Johnson’s version was released as a single in 1964, but it failed to crack the Billboard Hot 100. That same year, British singer Adam Faith recorded a version of the song that reached #12 on the UK charts.

The song got a second life in 1966, when Dionne Warwick recommended that French singer Sacha Distel include it in his live act. (Warwick was headlining with Mr. Distel in Paris at the time.) Distel ultimately chose not to sing the song, so Ms. Warwick decided to record it herself. Bacharach and David initially were against her singing what they saw as a man’s song, but finally relented and changed the singer’s gender to female and the title to “Message to Michael.” (As a guy named Michael, I appreciate that.)

“Message to Michael” became Ms. Warwick’s first top twenty hit since “Reach Out to Me” in 1964. Released in March of 1966, the track peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, #9 on the Cash Box Top 100, #12 on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart, and #5 on Billboard’s R&B chart. It’s become a true classic, one of dozens of Bacharach/David tunes that deserve a place in the New Great American Songbook.

And here’s your daily bonus video of the day, the divine Ms. Dionne Warwick singing “Message to Michael” live in 1966. Nobody could sing a Bacharach/David song better.