Let’s put it this way: Burt Bacharach is definitely one of my all-time favourite composers. My favourite songs by him are hard to count. The song “Say a Little Prayer” is my little cabinet piece when there’s a piano around somewhere.

For me, Bacharach is the grand master of balance. Finding the right balance of major and minor, of symmetry and irregularity, of craft and intuition is the recipe for timelessly great music.

Bacharach has shaken such songs out of his sleeve time and again. You don’t always notice the careful construction and perfectionism in the arrangement at first hearing.

The recordings from the 60s in particular very often have a comforting, warm sound, reminiscent of a utopian, peaceful time that probably never existed for anyone.

But this discrepancy is already built into the songs, in the irregular beats, the dynamic breaks and especially in the melancholic lyrics by Burt’s congenial partner Hal David.

I would love to hear Billie Eilish sing “The Look of Love”. A few dabs of electric piano played by her brother Finneas would probably suffice as accompaniment.

I’m working on music that is supposed to recreate the 60s, 70s and 80s for a documentary. I feel like a musical model hobbyist who builds his own oldies station….