Fans are celebrating the life of Burt Bacharach by remembering his cameos in Austin Powers: The International Mystery Man.
- READ MORE: Burt Bacharach – What rock ‘n’ roll taught me
Today (February 9), it was announced that the legendary composer died of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles.
Bacharach was responsible for over 73 US Top 40 hits and 52 UK Top 40 hits, and wrote songs for many stars, including Tom Jones (“What’s New, Pussycat?”), Aretha Franklin (“I Say A Little Prayer”), Dusty Springfield (“The Look Of Love”), Dionne Warwick’s “Alfie” and Walker Brothers’ “Make It Easy On Yourself”.
Many fans and fellow musicians paid tribute to the multiple Grammy winner online, including Tim Burgess, who shared a clip of Franklin singing “I Say A Little Prayer”, writing, “One of the greatest legacies of songwriting of all time. Goodbye Burt Bacharach, you were a king.”
Clips were also shared of Bacharach’s famous cameo in 1997’s Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery, where he appeared in a key scene midway through the film.
In the film, Powers struggles to adjust to life in the 90s as Bacharach’s 1965 classic “What The World Needs Now Is Love” plays in the background. He drives through Las Vegas and is taunted by a group in a bar after giving them the “peace” sign.
At home, he compiles a list of dead musicians (Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Mama Cass), tries to play a Byrds CD on a record player, ruins a pair of Reebok sneakers and tries to make up for 30 years of world history. . who was lost
Later, he takes Elizabeth Hurley’s character for a spin on the Las Vegas Strip on the roof of a double-decker bus, then says to the camera, “Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Burt Bacharach.” At this moment, the camera cuts to Bacharach, dressed in a tuxedo, playing the song on the piano.
Bacharach later appeared in the 1999 film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Killed Me, where she performed “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” with Elvis Costello. In 2002, she appeared in Austin Powers in Goldmember during the end credits, when she again sang “What the World Needs Now Is Love” on the piano.
“Burt Bacharach randomly appearing in Austin Powers movies will always be iconic. Caption RIP,” one Twitter user wrote.
Another said: “I can’t be the only person of a certain age who knew him from the Austin Powers movies. One of the greats of pop music.”
See more tributes below.