Country music star Neal McCoy has released some new music for the first time in a long while and is one of the chosen few to be on The Songs of Burt Bacharach and Hal David.
“Alfie” is the first single from the upcoming Tribute Album: The Songs of Burt Bacharach and Hal David” Featuring Country Voices Honouring the Iconic Duo’s Songbook.
Burt Bacharach is said to have named “Alfie” as his personal favorite among the hundreds of songs he wrote during his career, McCoy’s version of “Alfie” is the first single from “Melodic Genius: The Songs of Burt Bacharach and Hal David” which will be available in early 2027 on StarVista Music.
The tribute album will feature acclaimed country artists including Neal McCoy, Lee Brice, Crystal Gayle, Tracy Lawrence, Tanya Tucker and more, as they bring their distinctive vocal styles to the duo’s exceptional songwriting.
McCoy said recording "Alfie" came about when he got a call saying there was one spot left on this tribute album and would he be interested in singing a version of “Alfie”
“The track was already recorded, so we had to make sure in was in my key. The stars were aligned, and it was in the perfect key for me. I grew up listening to my parents playing all the beautifully written songs of the day so although it may seem like departure from my country music style it’s right in my wheelhouse and I feel super comfortable singing that style.” “Alfie” was a chance to connect with one of the most introspective songs Bacharach and David had ever written and discover what its message could mean through his own voice and life experiences.
“Alfie” asks questions that never seem to grow old," said McCoy. "Every generation hears something different in it, and I hope listeners hear something in my version that speaks to where they are in their own lives." His interpretation pairs the song's melodies and lyrics about love with the warmth and sincerity of his trademark baritone vocals, transcending genres and bringing a new perspective and sound to an iconic song. Originally written as the title track for the 1966 film “Alfie,” the song was originally a hit for Cilla Black (and for Dionne Warwick shortly after) and Bacharach’s instrumental version won a GRAMMY Award in 1968.
Listen on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/track/4RD20ZxvtmxC7cxWm1psAh?autoplay_ok=1
It is one of 11 tracks on the forthcoming tribute album, “Melodic Genius: The Songs of Burt Bacharach and Hal David,” that honours the enduring legacy of the most celebrated composers in the history of American popular music. The compilation reimagines their most renowned hits with fresh, inspired interpretations, produced by the award-winning production team of Ed Seay, Joe Chemay and Biff Watson, in partnership with StarVista Music. It combines timeless songwriting with the voices of legendary country stars and rising artists including Peyton Aldridge, Jason Canela, Crystal Gayle, Tracy Lawrence, Lauren Lucas, Neal McCoy, Wendy Moten, Cherie Oakley, Rissi Palmer, Lee Brice & Tanya Tucker (in a duet) and Emmy Russell.
The duo of Bacharach and David is one of the most successful songwriting partnerships in music history. They produced an extraordinary catalog of songs known for their sophisticated harmonic structures, unexpected time-signature changes and inventive jazz-influenced melodies. Their creative partnership yielded more than 70 Top 40 hits in the United States alone and an additional 52 in the United Kingdom. Bacharach earned six GRAMM Awards, three Academy Awards, an Emmy Award and, alongside David, the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.
Neal McCoy has one of country music's most enduring careers, with 15 studio albums and numerous charted singles. He first reached the top of the charts in 1994 with the back-to-back No. 1 hits, "No Doubt About It" and "Wink," from his platinum-certified album “No Doubt About It.” His success continued with multiple platinum and gold-certified releases and six additional Top Ten hits, followed by another Top Ten single, "Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On.” McCoy has completed 17 USO Tours and is the recipient of multiple humanitarian awards from the Academy of Country Music, the Country Radio Broadcasters and the Masonic Grand Lodge.
His 2016 album, “You Don’t Know Me,” will be re-issued by StarVista Music on August 14. The collection of jazz standards was a creative labor of love for McCoy, produced by Steve Tyrell, who won a GRAMMY for Rod Stewart’s “Stardust: The Great American Songbook Volume III.
Listen to the full album on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/album/3hiP3le1B1JNGX3dsuCTWi
“I’m really excited about reissuing this album and I hope Neal McCoy fans enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it. It has some of my all-time favourite songs to sing on it, “Dream A Little Dream of Me”, “Laura”, “It Had to Be You”, “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” and of course “You Don’t Know Me. “
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