Make It Easy on Yourself: The Scepter Recordings, 1962-1971 drops on August 1st
SoulMusic Records and Second Disc Records have announced that the Dionne Warwick deluxe 12-CD box set Make It Easy on Yourself: The Scepter Recordings, 1962-1971 will be available on Friday, August 1st. This release will be the definitive celebration of the six-time Grammy Award winner and 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, one of the most successful and acclaimed vocalists.
Make It Easy on Yourself: The Scepter Recordings, 1962-1971 is the first-ever collection to comprehensively chronicle the first decade of the legendary Dionne Warwick’s recording career and her era-defining collaborations with songwriter-producers Burt Bacharach and Hal David.
The deluxe 12-CD set’s whopping 280 tracks encompass every original Scepter album and single release plus over 60 rare bonus tracks – 16 of which are previously unreleased (both in the studio and in concert) – totaling over 14 hours of timeless Warwick magic. The set includes the exclusive bonus disc Always Something There: Live & Studio Gems from The Scepter Vaults, which premieres a lost 1969 concert from Washington, D.C.
“I am so very thrilled about this wonderful collection of my recordings!” Warwick says in a statement. “It is truly something that I myself would buy.”
Make It Easy on Yourself: The Scepter Recordings, 1962-1971 also features never-before-heard alternate takes of “Don’t Say I Didn’t Tell You So,” “Who Gets the Guy,” “Walk the Way You Talk,” and “We’ve Only Just Begun,” along with the official CD debuts of Leslie Uggams and Dionne’s rare duet of Bacharach & David’s “Try to See It My Way” and the soundtrack versions of Dionne’s songs from the film adaptation of the Jacqueline Susann novel, The Love Machine.
All tracks have been newly remastered by Nick Robbins. The set is produced by Joe Marchese and Jim Pierson, with David Nathan serving as executive producer. John Sellards designed the packaging.
The lavish 68-page booklet features a 12,000-word essay by Marchese, drawing on previously unpublished interviews with Ms. Warwick and the late Burt Bacharach. The booklet also features a moving personal reflection from Nathan, and an appreciation of Dionne’s groundbreaking The Magic of Believing by gospel and soul historian Tim Dillinger. The booklet is copiously illustrated with numerous photos and album artwork. Each disc is housed within the slipcase in an individual wallet with detailed annotations.
This 225th reissue from SoulMusic Records completes the primary trio of Warwick’s incredible recording legacy, alongside the box sets, Sure Thing: The Warner Bros. Recordings, 1972-1977 and Déjà Vu: The Arista Recordings, 1979-1994. Released in cooperation with Miss Warwick herself, Make It Easy on Yourself: The Scepter Recordings, 1962-1971 is the ultimate tribute to this extraordinary artist and global icon.
