Though some might argue that Dusty Springfield's somewhat better-known version of the song is the definitive take, Dionne Warwick's 1966 single has the edge in terms of emotional fidelity. The preternaturally self-assured Springfield doesn't have Warwick's ability to put across vulnerability without falling into the trap of whiny victimhood. Although her masterful performance of "Walk On By" is the pinnacle of this particular set of emotions, Warwick manages to deliver Hal David's somewhat overwrought lyrics with a full complement of feelings while remaining this side of mawkishness. Burt Bacharach's oddly strident arrangement fits the lyrics oddly, although it's true to the shape of the melody. The peculiar way that the song unexpectedly trails off into nothingness rather than diving in for the big orchestral kill as the listener expects is a rather brilliant stroke, early evidence of the somewhat more experimental stance Bacharach was starting to take with his arrangements.
Dionne Warwick
I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself
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Song Review by Stewart Mason
Appears On
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1967 | Collectors' Choice Music | 2:47 | ||||
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1976 | Pickwick | |||||
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1988 | Hallmark Recordings | |||||
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1989 | Rhino | 2:48 | ||||
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1991 | Rhino | 2:46 | ||||
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1997 | Ape House Ltd. / Audiophile Legends | 2:47 | ||||
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1998 | Crimson Productions | 2:43 | ||||
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2001 | Empire Music Group Inc. | 2:47 | ||||
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2002 | Warner Elektra Atlantic Corp. / WEA International | 0:00 | ||||
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2003 |
Various Artists
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Audiophile Legends | 2:49 | |||
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2004 | Warner Music | 2:46 | ||||
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2006 | Rhino | 2:44 | ||||
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2008 | Sony BMG | 2:45 | ||||
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2011 | Music Club Deluxe | 2:45 | ||||
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2014 | Edsel | 2:46 | ||||
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2016 | Rhino | |||||
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