A House Is Not a Home (song)
"A House Is Not a Home" is a 1964 ballad recorded by American singer Dionne Warwick, and written by the team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David for the 1964 film of the same name, starring Shelley Winters and Robert Taylor. The song was a modest hit in the United States for Warwick, peaking at #71 on the pop singles chart as the B-side of the top 40 single, "You'll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart)". Another version of the song, by Brook Benton, which was the version  that appeared in the film, was released at nearly the same time. It debuted two weeks earlier on the "Billboard" Hot 100. Benton's version split airplay with Warwick's, and ultimately peaked at #75. Warwick's version of "A House Is Not a Home" fared better in Canada, where it was a top 40 hit, peaking at #37. The ballad made the R&B top 10 in Cashbox by both Warwick and Benton, with neither artist specified as best seller. Despite its modest initial success, the song went on to achieve greater renown through frequent recordings by other artists, including  a hit version in 1981 by Luther Vandross. Production. The Warwick single was performed in the key of F major, and it is most often played in that key in jazz interpretations. Bacharach recorded and performs the song in the key of A-flat major. Luther Vandross version. The song was recorded by R&B/soul singer-songwriter Luther Vandross on his 1981 debut album "Never Too Much". The track, which was recorded at seven minutes long, was released as a single and became an R&B hit, and later one of Vandross's signature songs. His performance of the song at  the 1988 NAACP Awards telecast would bring Warwick to tears. In 2009, "Essence" magazine included Vandross's version of the song in their list of the "25 Best Slow Jams of All Time". Vandross's version was sampled by Kanye West on "Slow Jamz", from his 2003 studio album "The College Dropout".