On a chilly night, I relax on the sofa while sipping a mug of warm ginger and turmeric tea. I stare at three images of a stunning stylish young Dionne Warwick donned in a dark blue sequin dress staring back at me from the album cover. The top of the album cover reads Make Way For Dionne Warwick. As the tea warms my body, an elegant melody pours out the speakers. “A chair is still a chair. Even when there’s no one sitting there. But a chair is not a house. And a house is not a home. When there’s no one there to hold you tight. And no one there you can kiss goodnight,” Warwick perfectly sings on the opening of A House Is Not A Home. As the song progresses, Warwick’s passionate vocals sail along the opulent melody that frames the composition.

On They Long To Be Close To You, Warwick effortlessly displays her vocal range. One moment, Warwick’s voice gentle as a feather inquires, “Why do stars fall down from the sky. Every time you walk by. Just like me, they long to be close to you.” Later, Warwick’s voice switches from gentle to assertive exclaiming, “On the day that you were born, The angels got together and decided to create a dream come true.” Although the song lyrics are not groundbreaking, Warwick’s vocals combined with the musicians’ splendid touch breathes life into the composition.

The songs on Make Way For Dionne Warwick rapidly pass due to their short duration. In most cases, the formula works for the pop songs, but in other cases I yearn for more depth. After about 14 minutes, side A ends and I flip the record on the turn table to side B. “La la la la la laaa la laaa…,” Warwick pleasingly hums at the beginning of You’ll Never Get To Heaven. As a minute or so passes, I truly admire Warwick’s voice, but my connection to the song is hindered by the lack of lyrical depth. However, the lyrics make perfect sense for a pop song that is produced to reach a broad audience. On the second verse, Warwick sings, “I’ve been hearing rumors about how you play around. Though I don’t believe what I hear, still it gets me down. If you ever should say goodbye. It would be so awful the angels would cry.” The song’s lyrics stick to simple, straight forward, and to the point – an effective formula for pop music.   

And then – “If you see me walking down the street. And I start to cry each time we meet. Walk on by, walk on by. Make believe. That you don’t see the tears. Just let me grieve. In private cause each time I see you I break down and cry. Walk on by,” Warwick declares on the touching song Walk On By. Throughout the song, Warwick movingly sings the poetic and relatable lyrics, such as, “Foolish pride. That’s all that I have left so let me hide. The tears and the sadness you gave me when you said goodbye. Walk on by.” In my mind, the lyrics garner an image of a woman unexpectedly seeing her former lover. While the song continues to play, the final scene of the movie Dead Presidents with Isaac Hayes rendition of Walk On By playing crosses my mind.

Next up, a chord progression played on a trumpet starts Wishin’ and Hopin’. Following the trumpet, Warwick drops knowledge, singing, “Wishin’ and hopin’ and thinkin’ and prayin’. Plannin’ and dreamin’ each night of his charms. That won’t get you into his arms. So if you’re lookin’ to find love you can share. All you gotta do is hold him and kiss him and love him. And show him that you care.” Like the previous songs, Warwick’s vocals excel throughout the track… effortlessly gliding on the rhythm…calmly leading on the harmonies.

After the Make The Night A Little Longer ends, I wonder to myself what my dad thought about this album. From the albums in his collection that I listened to so far, Make Way For Dionne Warwick seemed like an outlier. I wonder if he purchased the album for a few songs or if he was just a Warwick fan – she does have an exceptional voice. Throughout the album, Warwick displayed an impeccable ability to induce energy into lyrics that at times were not inventive. On many occasions, Warwick was on the edge of jumping in with both feet with raw soul stirring notes, but seem to pull back at the last second – was this by design. During the era this album was released, black soul music exhibiting raw emotions and improvisational vocal runs that induced claps, stumps, and shouts was forbidden in many white households. Although, many of the black soul songs were recreated by white singers with a more controlled pop music sound. Putting all that to side, Warwick does an excellent job with the material she was given. So make way for Dionne Warwick!

After further review…

Dionne Warwick’s Make Way For Dionne Warwick was released by Scepter Records in August 1964. As part of the 7th Annual Grammy Awards, Walk On By was nominated for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording.

Make Way For Dionne Warwick peaked at #10 and #68 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums and 200 charts, respectively. The album included three hit singles, You’ll Never Get To Heaven, A House Is Not A Home, and Walk On By. In the early 1980’s, the late Luther Vandross recorded a classic rendition of A House Is Not A Home, which was included on his debut album Never Too Much.

The lovely Warwick continues to shine til’ this day performing across the globe and releasing new songs. Her angelic presence is a beauty to behold and the wisdom she kindly shares is refreshing. Warwick legendary status does not hold her back from guiding, embracing, and recording with younger artists. In recent years, she has collaborated with Chance The Rapper on the song Nothing’s Impossible and with Krayzie Bone on the song Power In The Name.