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One Less Bell to Answer
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<h2 id="background">Background</h2> <p>Burt Bacharach and Hal David disagree on the origin of "One Less Bell to Answer". Bacharach told Paul Zollo, the author of <i>Songwriters on Songwriting</i>, that the song was inspired by an incident that occurred with his then-girlfriend, actress <a href="/facts/Angie_Dickinson/ETaVqys8">Angie Dickinson</a>. "That was kind of a freak that it happened. The title was born from working on 'What's New Pussycat', and Angie Dickinson was living with me in London. A doorbell rang, and I think she made the comment, 'One less bell to answer, when I get out of here.' It was pretty intense, and it bothered her. We weren't married yet but we were living together. I think Hal heard her say, 'One less bell to answer'. He thought, that's a good song title and we wrote it." </p><p>In the liner notes of Bacharach's "The Look of Love" box set, Hal David described a different inspiration for the song: "Burt and I were in London working on a project, and I was invited to a dinner party. The hostess said to me, 'When you arrive, don't ring the bell, just come in. It'll make one less bell for me to answer.' I was wise enough to know it was a good title!" </p> <h2 id="personnel">Personnel</h2> <p>According to the AFM contract sheets, the following musicians played on the track.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> </p> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Hal_Blaine/lW7lf9Rd">Hal Blaine</a>: Drums, percussion</li> <li><a href="/facts/Bones_Howe/Mvnjcv6Q">Bones Howe</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Larry_Knechtel/DouErLEC">Larry Knechtel</a>: Keyboards</li> <li><a href="/facts/Joe_Osborn/ny3680oR">Joe Osborn</a>: Bass</li> <li><a href="/facts/Tommy_Tedesco/mvSr4qYj">Tommy Tedesco</a>: Guitars</li> <li>Gary Illingworth</li> <li><a href="/facts/Fred_Tackett/5CH0R9eu">Fred Tackett</a>: Guitars</li> <li><a href="/facts/Jimmy_Rowles/mh3f2KYv">Jimmy Rowles</a>: Keyboards, Piano</li> <li>Robert Alcivar</li> <li><a href="/facts/Bill_Holman_(musician)/8S0D1LXy">Bill Holman</a>: Saxophone</li> <li>Sid Sharp</li> <li>William Kurasch</li> <li>Ralph Schaeffer</li> <li>Arnold Belnick</li> <li>Assa Drori</li> <li>Tibor Zelig</li> <li>Bernard Kundell</li> <li>Henry Ferber</li> <li>Robert Konrad</li> <li><a href="/facts/Bud_Shank/rSncM1Wv">Bud Shank</a>: Flute, Alto Saxophone</li> <li><a href="/facts/Jim_Horn/x8meum2y">Jim Horn</a>: Saxophone</li> <li><a href="/facts/Emil_Richards/4VdYQNbC">Emil Richards</a>: Vibraphone, Percussion</li> <li>William Hinshaw</li> <li>Jim Decker</li> <li>Richard Perissi</li></ul> <h2 id="chart-history">Chart history</h2> <table><tbody><tr><td><h3>Weekly charts</h3><table><tbody><tr><th>Chart (1970–1971)</th><th>Peakposition</th></tr><tr><td>Canada <i><a href="/facts/RPM_(magazine)/FqFN5o4x">RPM</a></i> Adult Contemporary<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a></td><td>7</td></tr><tr><td>Canada <i>RPM</i> Top Singles<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a></td><td>11</td></tr><tr><td>U.S. <i><a href="/facts/Billboard_(magazine)/CVruQGq5">Billboard</a></i> <a href="/facts/Billboard_Hot_100/gwKl8VL9">Hot 100</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a></td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>U.S. <i><a href="/facts/Billboard_(magazine)/CVruQGq5">Billboard</a></i> <a href="/facts/Adult_Contemporary_(chart)/JmBSByRU">Easy Listening</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a></td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>U.S. <i><a href="/facts/Billboard_(magazine)/CVruQGq5">Billboard</a></i> <a href="/facts/Hot_R%2526B%2fHip-Hop_Songs/830VoC96">Soul Singles</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a></td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>U.S. <a href="/facts/Cash_Box_(magazine)/8L7IspkS"><i>Cash Box</i></a> Top 100</td><td>2</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td><h3>Year-end charts</h3><table><tbody><tr><th>Chart (1971)</th><th>Rank</th></tr><tr><td>U.S. <i>Billboard</i> Hot 100<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a></td><td>98</td></tr><tr><td>U.S. <i>Cash Box</i> <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a></td><td>91</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="certifications">Certifications</h2> <table><tbody><tr><th scope="col">Region</th><th scope="col">Certification</th><th scope="col"><a href="/facts/List_of_music_recording_certifications/6CPQFNNn">Certified units</a>/sales</th></tr><tr><th scope="row">United States (<a href="/facts/Recording_Industry_Association_of_America/8a7K0Ubf">RIAA</a>)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a></th><td>Platinum</td><td>1,000,000^</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3"><p>^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.</p></td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="use-in-media">Use in media</h2> <p>The 5th Dimension version of the song was prominently featured at the same time in an episode of the <a href="/facts/Robert_Wagner/F1xW3m6Q">Robert Wagner</a> TV series <i><a href="/facts/It_Takes_a_Thief_(1968_TV_series)/XEFpnBQ7">It Takes a Thief</a></i>. </p> <h2 id="other-versions">Other versions</h2> <p>Bacharach himself included a version of it as the closing number, with Cissy Houston singing, on his own 1971 eponymous A&M album. </p><p><a href="/facts/Rosemary_Clooney/YhUWazDE">Rosemary Clooney</a> had a national <a href="/facts/Easy_listening/ezgY94rq">easy listening</a> chart record of this song in 1968 (US No.34). <a href="/facts/Barbra_Streisand/esWJV0ac">Barbra Streisand</a> partially covered the song in the medley "One Less Bell to Answer/<a href="/facts/A_House_Is_Not_a_Home_(song)/7RutGmkX">A House Is Not a Home</a>" on her 1971 album <i><a href="/facts/Barbra_Joan_Streisand_(album)/BvwJ9R5k">Barbra Joan Streisand</a></i>. Also in 1971, <a href="/facts/Rita_Reys/F8WfKT8R">Rita Reys</a> recorded the song for her album <i>Rita Reys Sings Burt Bacharach</i>, which won her an Edison Award. <a href="/facts/Dionne_Warwick/tInXmfhS">Dionne Warwick</a> recorded a version of the song on her 1972 <a href="/facts/Warner_Music_Group/r0x3FlQE">Warner Bros.</a> album <i>Dionne</i>; Bacharach and David produced their track for Warwick. Another 1972 cover was by <a href="/facts/Shirley_Bassey/yIEbfbw4">Shirley Bassey</a> on her album <i><a href="/facts/I_Capricorn/AgoDpBCR">I Capricorn</a></i>. <a href="/facts/Vikki_Carr/IXk1A8QB">Vikki Carr</a>, <a href="/facts/Michael_Ball_(singer)/KosBPHLm">Michael Ball</a>, <a href="/facts/Vanessa_L._Williams/76RcpVWI">Vanessa Williams</a> from <i><a href="/facts/Everlasting_Love_(Vanessa_Williams_album)/RMEdkfTo">Everlasting Love</a></i> (2005), <a href="/facts/Trijntje_Oosterhuis/azbfNT8M">Trijntje Oosterhuis</a>, and <a href="/facts/Sheryl_Crow/12wQWjs5">Sheryl Crow</a> also have performed covers, and the song (specifically the Streisand medley version) was performed by <a href="/facts/Matthew_Morrison/eBSuF71F">Matthew Morrison</a> and <a href="/facts/Kristin_Chenoweth/alv7Pu8L">Kristin Chenoweth</a> in an episode of the American television series <a href="/facts/Glee_(TV_series)/tBNbRYns"><i>Glee</i></a>. In 2012 <a href="/facts/Steps_(pop_group)/voBIxgPd">Steps</a> covered the song on their album <a href="/facts/Light_Up_the_World_(Steps_album)/xGsYVqdN"><i>Light Up the World</i></a>. </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/List_of_number-one_adult_contemporary_singles_of_1971_(U.S.)/2lhL7lmr">List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1971 (U.S.)</a></li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy2YOL8wdBA&ab">Listen to "One Less Bell to Answer"</a> on <a href="/facts/YouTube_video_(identifier)/db276jst">YouTube</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Billboard Hot 100, Week of December 26, 1970 – Billboard.com. Retrieved December 7, 2018. <a href="https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1970-12-26/" target="_blank">https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1970-12-26/</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Billboard Hot 100, Week of January 2, 1971 – Billboard.com. Retrieved May 24, 2023. <a href="https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1971-01-02/" target="_blank">https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1971-01-02/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"One Less Bell To Answer AFM Contract" (PDF). The Wrecking Crew. American Federation of Musicians. Retrieved January 1, 2023. <a href="https://www.wreckingcrewfilm.com/afmcontracts/5thDimension_OneLessBell.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.wreckingcrewfilm.com/afmcontracts/5thDimension_OneLessBell.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1971-01-09. Retrieved 2018-07-04. <a href="http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.3739&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.3739.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.3739" target="_blank">http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.3739&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.3739.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.3739</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>"Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1971-01-30. Retrieved 2018-05-31. <a href="https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.3749&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.3749.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.3749" target="_blank">https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.3749&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.3749.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.3749</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990. ISBN 0-89820-089-X <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–2001. Record Research. p. 91. <a href="/wiki/Joel_Whitburn" target="_blank">/wiki/Joel_Whitburn</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 202. <a href="/wiki/Joel_Whitburn" target="_blank">/wiki/Joel_Whitburn</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Musicoutfitters.com <a href="http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1971.htm" target="_blank">http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1971.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>"Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 25, 1971". Archived from the original on October 6, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2018. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20161006205612/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/1971YESP.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20161006205612/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/1971YESP.html</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>"American single certifications – Fifth Dimension – One Less Bell to Answer". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 24 October 2023. <a href="https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Fifth+Dimension&ti=One+Less+Bell+to+Answer&format=Single&type=#search_section" target="_blank">https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Fifth+Dimension&ti=One+Less+Bell+to+Answer&format=Single&type=#search_section</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>