American composer Burt Bacharach, who died at his Los Angeles home on Wednesday aged 94, was a titan of 20th century pop music.
With six Grammys and three Oscars to his name, he was known for using atypical chord progressions and phrasing, with clear jazz influences.
More than 1,000 artists, including Dionne Warwick, Tom Jones, Herb Alpert and The Carpenters, topped the charts with his tunes. Here are 10 of his most famous.
(They long to be) Close to you (1963)
Many might recognise (They long to be) Close to you as the 1970 breakout hit of brother-sister duo The Carpenters. However, the song was written several years prior by Bacharach and his long-time collaborator Hal David, who died in 2012. It was recorded by several artists including soul singer Dionne Warwick in 1963 and pop star Dusty Springfield the year after. Bacharach even released his own version in 1971.
Walk On By (1964)
One of Warwick’s best-known tracks, Walk on By, was also written by Bacharach and David. The song reached number six in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in the year it was released and was nominated for a Grammy in 1965. The track has been rerecorded by several artists, including Isaac Hayes in 1969.
What the World Needs Now Is Love (1965)
The Bacharach-David song was first recorded by Jackie DeShannon and became an instant hit. It reached the top 10 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 1965, and was a chart-topper in Canada. In his 2014 autobiography, Bacharach said the song’s main melody was written back in 1962 and pivoted around a waltz tempo. The song was also routinely used as an intro and conclusion to Bacharach’s live performances.
I Say a Little Prayer (1967)
Written with David specifically for Warwick, the song expresses concern by a woman whose lover is serving in the Vietnam War. The track was recorded in 1966, and though Bacharach felt its rhythm was rushed, it became immensely popular, reaching number four in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in December 1967.
The Look of Love (1967)
The Look of Love was first conceived as an instrumental. However, it truly shined when accompanied with Dusty Springfield’s husky voice singing lyrics penned by David. One of the best-known songs in the British singer’s oeuvre, it featured in the 1967 James Bond spoof film Casino Royale and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008. It also received a Best Song nomination at the 1968 Academy Awards.
Do You Know the Way to San Jose? (1968)
The Bacharach and David song won Warwick her first Grammy Award in 1969, becoming her biggest international hit and selling several million copies worldwide. It tells the story of a person from San Jose who returns to the California town after failing to make it in the Los Angeles entertainment industry.
Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head (1969)
Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head was written by Bacharach and David for the 1969 Western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Sung by B J Thomas, it topped charts in the US and won an Oscar in 1970 for Best Original Song. The film also nabbed Bacharach the award for Best Original Score.
I'll Never Fall in Love Again (1969)
Though written by Bacharach and David for the 1968 musical Promises, Promises, there are several recordings of I'll Never Fall in Love Again. The most acclaimed versions are by Warwick, which reached number six in the US Billboard Top 100, and by Bobbie Gentry, whose 1969 version reached number one on the UK Singles Chart that same year.
Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) (1981)
Among the most recognisable movie theme songs of its time, Arthur’s Theme (Best You Can Do) was co-written for the film Arthur by singer Christopher Cross, Bacharach and his writing partner and then-wife Carole Bayer Sager. The song won the 1982 Academy Award for Best Original Song.
That's What Friends Are For (1982)
Written by Bacharach and Bayer Sager, That's What Friends Are For was first recorded by Rod Stewart in 1982 for the comedy film Night Shift. However, the cover version of the track was recorded in 1985 by Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder. Released under the Warwick & Friends moniker, the song was a charity single for AIDS research and prevention. It won two Grammys in 1986 and raised $3 million for the cause.
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
The Gandhi Murder
- 71 - Years since the death of MK Gandhi, also christened India's Father of the Nation
- 34 - Nationalities featured in the film The Gandhi Murder
- 7 - million dollars, the film's budget
Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
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Profile
Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari
Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.
Number of employees: Over 50
Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised
Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital
Sector of operation: Transport
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
