"Don't Make Me Over" is a song written by

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; born May 12, 1928) is an American composer, songwriter, record producer and pianist who composed hundreds of pop songs from the late 1950s through the 1980s, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David. A six-time Gra ...

and

Hal David Harold Lane David (May 25, 1921 – September 1, 2012) was an American lyricist. He grew up in New York City. He was best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach and his association with Dionne Warwick. Early life David ...

, originally recorded by

Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick (; born December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest U.S. hit makers between 1955 and 1999, based on her chart history on ''Billboards Hot 100 pop singles cha ...

in August 1962 and released in October 1962 as her lead solo single from her debut album ''

Presenting Dionne Warwick ''Presenting Dionne Warwick'' is the debut studio album by American singer Dionne Warwick. It was released by Scepter Records on April 10, 1963 in the United States. Composers Burt Bacharach and Hal David provided three-quarters of the track list ...

'' issued under Sceptor Records. The song reached number 21 on the US ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

and number five on the ''Billboard''

Hot R&B Singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

chart.

Dionne Warwick original

Warwick recorded "Don't Make Me Over" in August 1962 a song later chosen as the lead single for her debut album ''Presenting Dionne Warwick''. In October 1962, Scepter Records released the track as her first solo single. Initially, Warwick had found out that "

Make It Easy on Yourself "Make It Easy on Yourself" is a popular song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David which was first a hit for Jerry Butler in 1962. The best known version is the 1965 recording by the Walker Brothers for whom it was a No. 1 UK hit. Dionne Wa ...

" — a song on which she had recorded the original demo and had wanted to be her first single release — had been given to another artist, Jerry Butler. From the catchy contemporary phrase "don't make me over", (

makeover A makeover is a radical change in appearance. When the word is used to describe a change in human physical appearance, it may imply a change in clothing, haircut, or cosmetics. A personal makeover might also include weight loss, plastic surgery, ...

, its harsher social derivitave being throw over), Bacharach and David wrote and produced their first US top 40 pop hit (No. 21) and US R&B hit (No. 5). It was also a top-forty hit at number 38, in Canada. The background vocals in the song were from the Gospelaires, which featured sister

Dee Dee Deedee, DeeDee or Dee Dee may refer to: Given name * DeeDee Halleck (born 1940), American media activist * DeeDee Jonrowe (born 1953), American kennel owner and dog musher, three-time runner up in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race * Deedee Mag ...

, Sylvia Shemwell and aunt

Cissy Houston Emily "Cissy" Houston ( ''née'' Drinkard; born September 30, 1933) is an American soul and gospel singer. After a successful career singing backup for such artists as Roy Hamilton, Dionne Warwick, Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin, Houston embar ...

, who would be pregnant with her youngest child,

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...

, shortly after it made the charts that December.

Track listing

*UK, 7-inch single :A1: "Don't Make Me Over" – 2:46 :A2: "Shall I Tell Her" – 2:33 :B1: "Make The Music Play" – 2:25 :B2: "Any Old Time Of Day" – 2:25 * France, 7-inch single :A1: "Don't Make Me Over" – 2:46 :A2: "Shall I Tell Her" – 3:20 :B1: "I Smiled Yesterday" – 2:44 :B2: "Wishin' And Hopin'" – 2:25

Charts

Weekly charts

Jennifer Warnes version

Sybil version

In July 1989, American singer

Sybil Sibyls were oracular women believed to possess prophetic powers in ancient Greece. Sybil or Sibyl may also refer to: Films * ''Sybil'' (1921 film) * ''Sybil'' (1976 film), a film starring Sally Field * ''Sybil'' (2007 film), a remake of the 19 ...

released a dance cover of the song. Her version became a number-one hit in New Zealand for four weeks, reached number 20 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and peaked at number two on the ''Billboard''

Hot Black Singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

chart, eventually receiving a gold certification from the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA). This version also became a UK hit, peaking at number 19 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

Critical reception

Bill Coleman from ''

'' described Sybil's cover as a "spirited

Soul II Soul Soul II Soul are a British musical collective formed in London in 1988. They are best known for their two major hits; 1989's UK number five and US number eleven " Keep On Movin'", and its follow-up, the UK number one and US number four " Back to ...

-ish rendition of the

classic

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

has smash written all over it". Also Pop Rescue stated that it has a beat that musically reminds of "a hybrid" of Soul II Soul's " Keep On Movin'" and

Take That Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singe ...

's "

Pray Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified an ...

", calling it "mellow and soulful". Miranda Sawyer from ''

Smash Hits ''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand fo ...

'' noted "the swoony dance wisples" of the song.

Track listing

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Other cover versions

Various covers of the song have been made: * In January 1966, Liverpuldian band

the Swinging Blue Jeans The Swinging Blue Jeans are a four-piece 1960s British Merseybeat band, best known for their hit singles with the HMV label: "Hippy Hippy Shake", "Good Golly Miss Molly", and "You're No Good", issued in 1964. Subsequent singles released that y ...

released a cover version which peaked at 31 in the United Kingdom. * February 1969 Shirley and Johnny British Duo had minor success with the song. Mercury MF1074 * Brenda & The Tabulations hit number 15 on the US R&B charts with their cover in 1970. *

Jennifer Warnes Jennifer Jean Warnes (born March 3, 1947) is an American singer and songwriter. She has performed as a vocalist on a number of film soundtracks. She has won two Grammy Awards, in 1983 for the Joe Cocker duet "Up Where We Belong" and in 1987 fo ...

released version reached number 67 on the US Hot 100 in 1979.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Don't Make Me Over (Song) 1962 songs 1962 debut singles 1989 singles Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients Songs with lyrics by Hal David Songs with music by Burt Bacharach Dionne Warwick songs Jennifer Warnes songs Number-one singles in New Zealand Scepter Records singles Sybil (singer) songs