What the World Needs Now is Love - wikipedia What the World Needs Now is Love This article is about the song. For the Wynonna Judd album, see What the World Needs Now Is Love ( album ). For the Glee episode, see What the World Needs Now ( Glee ). For the Stan Getz album, see What the World Needs Now : Stan Getz Plays Burt Bacharach and Hal David. `` What the World Needs Now Is Love '' Single by Jackie DeShannon from the album This Is Jackie DeShannon B - side `` I Remember the Boy '' Released April 15, 1965 Genre Folk rock, jazz, soul Length 3 : 10 Label Imperial Records Songwriter ( s ) Hal David, Burt Bacharach Producer ( s ) Burt Bacharach Jackie DeShannon singles chronology `` When You Walk in the Room '' ( 1964 ) `` What the World Needs Now Is Love '' ( 1965 ) `` A Lifetime of Loneliness '' ( 1965 ) `` When You Walk in the Room '' ( 1964 ) `` What the World Needs Now Is Love '' ( 1965 ) `` A Lifetime of Loneliness '' ( 1965 ) `` What the World Needs Now Is Love '' is a 1965 popular song with lyrics by Hal David and music composed by Burt Bacharach. First recorded and made popular by Jackie DeShannon, it was released on April 15, 1965, on the Imperial label after a release on sister label Liberty records the previous month was canceled. It peaked at number seven on the US Hot 100 in July of that year. In Canada, the song reached number one. Contents 1 Recording history 2 Tom Clay version 3 In popular culture 4 Quotation 5 References 6 Bibliography 7 External links Recording History The song was originally offered to Dionne Warwick, who turned it down at the time, though she later recorded it for her album Here Where There Is Love. ( Warwick also recorded a second version in 1996, which scraped the lower reaches of the US Hot 100. ) Bacharach initially did not believe in the song, and was reluctant to play it for DeShannon. DeShannon 's version was recorded on March 23, 1965, at New York 's Bell Sound studios. Bacharach arranged, conducted and produced the session. In 1968, The Supremes recorded the song for their album Reflections. It has been recorded or performed live by over 100 artists, including Cilla Black, Carla Thomas, Tom Clay, The Staple Singers, Judy Garland, The Chambers Brothers, Merrilee Rush, McCoy Tyner, Barry Manilow, Jad Fair with Daniel Johnston, Ed Ames, Johnny Mathis, Zwan, Steve Tyrell, Luther Vandross, Andrea Ross, Aimee Mann, Rigmor Gustafsson, Stacey Kent, Mr. Bungle, The Young Americans, Rick Astley, Coldplay, My Morning Jacket at the Lockn Music Festival in Arrington, Virginia and most recently by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones in 2016. It even made the country charts in a version by a little - known singer / songwriter, Ron Shaw, on the Pacific Challenger label in the late 1970s. In 2011, Ronan Keating recorded the song for his album When Ronan Met Burt. Kree Harrison, in 2013, made a cover of the song in the 12th season of American Idol. The studio version was recorded by Idol Studio Recordings. On June 15, 2016, the song was recorded by Broadway for Orlando, with all proceeds going to the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting. On Dec. 22, 2016 the Mighty Mighty Bosstones announced the upcoming release of their version of the song On Mar. 24, 2017 it was re-recorded by Hans Zimmer, Steve Mazzaro & Missi Hale for the movie The Boss Baby. Tom Clay version `` What the World Needs Now Is Love / Abraham, Martin and John '' Single by Tom Clay from the album What the World Needs Now Is Love B - side `` The Victors '' Released July 1971 Format Vinyl record Recorded Early 1971 Genre Pop, spoken word Length 6 : 10 Label Motown ( MoWest MW5002F ) Songwriter ( s ) Hal David, Burt Bacharach Producer ( s ) Tom Clay Tom Clay singles chronology `` What the World Needs Now Is Love / Abraham, Martin and John '' ( 1971 ) `` Whatever Happened to Love '' ( 1971 ) `` What the World Needs Is Love / Abraham, Martin and John '' ( 1971 ) `` Whatever Happened to Love '' ( 1971 ) In addition to the DeShannon hit recording and the numerous cover versions, `` What the World Needs Now is Love '' served as the basis for a distinctive 1971 remix. Disc jockey Tom Clay was working at radio station KGBS in Los Angeles, California, when he created the single `` What the World Needs Now is Love / Abraham, Martin and John '', a social commentary that became a surprise hit record that summer. The song begins with a man asking a young boy to define such words as bigotry, segregation, and hatred ( to which the boy says he does n't know ) ; he says that prejudice is `` when someone 's sick ''. Following that is a soundbite of a drill sergeant leading a platoon into training, along with gunfire sound effects, after which are snippets of the two songs -- both as recorded by The Blackberries, a session recording group. Interspersed are excerpts of speeches by John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, the eulogy ( given by Ted Kennedy ) after Robert 's assassination, and Martin Luther King, Jr., and soundbites of news coverage of each one 's assassination. The ending of the song is a reprise of the introduction. `` What the World Needs Now is Love / Abraham, Martin and John '' rose to No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1971, and was Clay 's only Top 40 hit. In popular culture `` What the World Needs Now is Love '' has been used in many film soundtracks, notably Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice and For the Love of Fred ( used as the film 's closing theme song in both ), Austin Powers : International Man of Mystery, My Best Friend 's Wedding, Bridget Jones : The Edge of Reason, Hot Shots !, Happy Gilmore, and Forrest Gump. In the Danish zodiac porn comedy I Jomfruens tegn ( 1973 ), an extended version is used for the hardcore underwater orgy that ends the film. In April 1968, Cilla Black released a rendition of the song on her third studio album Sher - oo ! which was a Top 10 hit on the UK album chart. In June 1968, following the shooting of Robert Kennedy but before he died ( approximately 26 hours ), the Jackie DeShannon version was played over and over on Los Angeles radio stations as an audio vigil. This also continued for a few days following his death. The first few notes of the song have also been used as a toteboard cue for the annual Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon. A recording by Des O'Connor featured in episode # 3.1 ( `` The Early Birds '' ) of The Good Life. A shortened version of the title is used in a biography of Burt Bacharach and Hal David by Robin Platts. It was featured in the fourth season of Beverly Hills, 90210, in the episode `` Twenty Years Ago Today ''. In the Philippines, it was also used as the theme song of an event dubbed as Close - Up Lovapalooza to break the record of most people kissing simultaneously in 10 seconds to celebrate Valentine 's Day. Jessica Mauboy sang `` What the World Needs Now Is Love '' on Australian Idol in 2006. American experimental band Mr. Bungle covered the song live at least twice in 2000. Alec Baldwin sang a part of the song in the episode `` Somebody to Love '' of 30 Rock while playing a piano, as his soon to be lover CC walked down the stairs at the party which they met. It was a top 5 song in American Idol season 2 in 2003. Two versions of the song, one performed by Burt Bacharach himself, were played near the end of the film Austin Powers in Goldmember. The song was covered by Jad Fair and Daniel Johnston on the album It 's Spooky, with revised lyrics, referencing crack houses and Satanism. Andy Fletcher of Depeche Mode used to play it as the last song for his DJ sets in 2004. The song was used as the unofficial theme tune of the improvised BBC One drama series True Love ( TV series ), being played at the beginning of the episode, and at the end when the credits rolled. In 2010, Connecticut musician Michael Occhionero used the song during the fade out of his song `` Hey ! Mr. '', which includes samples of `` Paperback Writer '' and `` Mr. Tambourine Man ''. In 2013 Australia 's Got Talent R&B soul singer Leon Lee performed his rendition of the song which received a lot of praises from all judges on the show. On July 7, 2014, SiriusXM 's Ron and Fez show opened with the cast singing the song in a sarcastic manner to support recently fired co-worker, Anthony Cumia who was terminated on allegations of racism. The cast of Glee covered the song in the sixth episode of their sixth season, `` What The World Needs Now ''. They serenaded characters Santana and Brittany in an attempt to support their upcoming wedding. Pop Idol winner Will Young covered the song in late 2015 as part of a World Wildlife Foundation Awareness campaign. On July 27, 2016, an all - star ensemble of Broadway vocalists performed the song at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, as a protest against gun violence. On March 24, 2017, the song was added and recorded by Missi Hale for the film The Boss Baby. Quotation The song contains the memorable lines : `` What the world needs now is love, sweet love It 's the only thing that there 's just too little of... ``. The song builds upon the theme of `` Stowaway in the Sky '', composed in 1960 by Jean Prodromidès for the film of the same title. References Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2004 ). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits : Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 174. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 2010 - 11 - 30. Retrieved 2009 - 04 - 29. Jump up ^ Burt Bacharach interviewed on the Pop Chronicles ( 1969 ) Jump up ^ Are You Ready For This reissue liner notes Jump up ^ `` Broadway For Orlando -- Broadway Records ''. Broadwayrecords.com. 2016 - 07 - 25. Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 29. Jump up ^ Andrew Hamilton. `` Tom Clay Biography & History ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 29. Jump up ^ `` Answers.com -- Tom Clay ''. Answers.com. Retrieved 25 September 2014. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel, Top Pop Singles : 1955 -- 2006, 2007. Jump up ^ `` I JOMFRUENS TEGN : Review ''. Uncut.dk. Retrieved 25 September 2014. Jump up ^ `` Ron & Fez : Ron Briefly Discusses Anthony 's Firing ( 07 / 07 / 14 ) ''. YouTube. Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 29. Jump up ^ `` '' Stowaway in the Sky ``, by Jean Prodromidès, arranged by Nelson Riddle ''. YouTube. Retrieved 21 September 2015. Bibliography Platts, Robin ( 2003 ) Burt Bacharach & Hal David : What the World Needs Now, Collector 's Guide Publishing, ISBN 1 - 896522 - 77 - 7 External links Hal David Recollections. Accessed June 2007. Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Songfacts Accessed July 2008 Jackie de Shannon Discography, Accessed July 2008 Burt Bacharach Albums Hit Maker ! : Burt Bacharach plays the Burt Bacharach Hits Woman Painted from Memory ( with Elvis Costello ) At This Time Film scores What 's New Pussycat ? After the Fox Casino Royale Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Lost Horizon Arthur Compositions A-M `` Alfie '' `` Another Tear Falls '' `` Any Day Now '' `` Anyone Who Had a Heart '' `` Are You There ( With Another Girl ) '' `` Arthur 's Theme ( Best That You Can Do ) '' `` Baby It 's You '' `` Back at You '' `` Blue Guitar '' `` Blue on Blue '' `` Do You Know the Way to San Jose '' `` Do n't Make Me Over '' `` Do n't Say Goodbye Girl '' `` Do n't You Believe It '' `` God Give Me Strength '' `` Heartlight '' `` A House Is Not a Home '' `` I Just Do n't Know What to Do with Myself '' `` I Say a Little Prayer '' `` I Want You '' `` I 'll Never Fall in Love Again '' `` Living Together, Growing Together '' `` Long Ago Tomorrow '' `` The Look of Love '' `` Love Power '' `` Magic Moments '' `` Make It Easy on Yourself '' `` Making Love '' `` Message to Michael '' `` My Little Red Book '' N-Z `` On My Own '' `` One Less Bell to Answer '' `` Only Love Can Break a Heart '' `` Please Stay '' `` Rain on Me '' `` Raindrops Keep Fallin ' on My Head '' `` Reach Out for Me '' `` Slow Jamz '' `` The Story of My Life '' `` That 's What Friends Are For '' `` ( There 's ) Always Something There to Remind Me '' `` ( They Long to Be ) Close to You '' `` This Guy 's in Love with You '' `` Three Wheels on My Wagon '' `` Tower of Strength '' `` Trains and Boats and Planes '' `` Turkey Lurkey Time '' `` Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa '' `` Walk On By '' `` What the World Needs Now Is Love '' `` What 's New Pussycat ? '' `` The Windows of the World '' `` Wishin ' and Hopin ' '' `` Wives and Lovers '' Tribute albums Connie Francis Sings Bacharach & David Sings the Music of Bacharach & Kaempfert Four Bacharach & David Songs One Amazing Night To Hal and Bacharach Back to Bacharach When Ronan Met Burt ( also produced by Bacharach ) Related articles Back to Bacharach and David Hal David The Look of Love ( musical ) Promises, Promises ( musical ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=What_the_World_Needs_Now_Is_Love&oldid=797744444 '' Categories : Rick Astley songs Songs with music by Burt Bacharach Songs with lyrics by Hal David 1965 singles Billie Jo Spears songs Jackie DeShannon songs RPM Top Singles number - one singles 1965 songs Imperial Records singles Motown singles Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats Talk Contents About Wikipedia 日本 語 Norsk Русский ไทย Edit links This page was last edited on 28 August 2017, at 22 : 51. 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Question: what the world needs now is love singer
Answer: Jackie DeShannon