Don't Make Me Over (song)

Warwick recorded "Don't Make Me Over" in August 1962, a song that was later chosen as the B-side of her lead single from her debut album Presenting Dionne Warwick. In October 1962, Scepter Records released the track as the B-side of her first solo single "I Smiled Yesterday". Initially, Warwick found out that "Make It Easy on Yourself"—the original demo of which she had recorded and had wanted to be her first single release—had been given to another artist, Jerry Butler.^[4]

From the contemporary phrase, "Don't make me over",^{[citation needed]} Burt Bacharach and Hal David wrote and produced their first US top 40 pop hit (No. 21) and US R&B hit (No. 5). It was also a top-forty hit in Canada, at number 38. The background vocals in the song were from the Gospelaires, which featured sister Dee Dee, Sylvia Shemwell and aunt Cissy Houston.^[5]

In 2000, Dionne Warwick's 1962 version of "Don't Make Me Over" on Scepter Records was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.^[6]

Quick facts Single by Sybil, from the album Let Yourself Go and Sybil ...

"Don't Make Me Over"
Single by Sybil
from the album Let Yourself Go and Sybil
B-side	"Here Comes My Love"
Released	July 10, 1989 (1989-07-10)
Genre	Dance soul
Length	3:54
Label	Next Plateau Inc.
Songwriters	Burt Bacharach Hal David
Producers	Dolores Drewry James Bratton
Sybil singles chronology
"Can't Wait (On Tomorrow)" (1988) "Don't Make Me Over" (1989) "Walk On By" (1990)
Music video
"Don't Make Me Over" on YouTube

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In 1987, American singer Sybil included a dance cover of the song on her 1987 debut album, Let Yourself Go.^[16][17] At the time, the song was not released as a single in its own right from the album.

However, in July 1989, Next Plateau Records released a remixed version of the song as the second single from Sybil's second album, Sybil (1989). This version reached number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Sybil's highest-charting Hot 100 song in the US, and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart. The song received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). This version also peaked at number one in New Zealand for four weeks and became a UK hit, reaching number 19 on the UK Singles Chart.

Various other versions of the song have been recorded:

• In 1964 the English singer Louise Cordet recorded the song which was released on Decca F11875 coupled with "Two Lovers".^{[citation needed]}
• In January 1966, Liverpudlian band the Swinging Blue Jeans released a version which peaked at No. 31 in the United Kingdom^[44] and No. 83 in Canada^[45]
• Brenda & the Tabulations hit number 15 on the US R&B chart with their version in 1970.^{[citation needed]}