All Topics  
Shirley Bassey

 
Shirley Bassey

   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link






 

Shirley Bassey



 
 
Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey DBE
Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom....
 (born 8 January 1937, Cardiff
Cardiff

Cardiff is the Capital , largest city and most populous Unitary authority#Wales in Wales. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for many national cultural and sport institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of Welsh Assembly Government ....
, Wales
Wales

native_name = Cymru|conventional_long_name = Wales|common_name = Wales|image_flag = Flag of Wales 2.svg|national_motto = ...
) is a British
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 singer. She performed the theme songs
Theme music

The phrase theme music usually refers to that of a radio programming, television program, or movie. It is a Musical composition that is often written specifically for that show, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits....
 to the James Bond
James Bond

James Bond 007 is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections....
 film
Film

Film encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the film industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or special effects....
s Goldfinger
Goldfinger (film)

Goldfinger is the third spy film in the James Bond James Bond , and the third to star Sean Connery as the fictional character Secret Intelligence Service agent James Bond ....
 (1964), Diamonds Are Forever
Diamonds Are Forever (film)

Diamonds Are Forever is the seventh spy film in the James Bond James Bond , and the sixth to star Sean Connery as the fictional character Secret Intelligence Service agent James Bond ....
 (1971), and Moonraker
Moonraker (film)

Moonraker is the eleventh spy film in the James Bond James Bond , and the fourth to star Roger Moore as the fictional character Secret Intelligence Service agent James Bond ....
 (1979). She is the only singer to have recorded more than one James Bond
James Bond music

The James Bond series of films from EON Productions has had numerous signature tunes over the years, many of which are now considered classic pieces of cinematic music....
 theme song. Bassey is an international artist who has accumulated 20 silver discs for sales in Britain, Europe and the Middle East; fifty-plus gold discs for international record sales; and countless greatest hits
Greatest hits

A greatest hits album is a compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular music artist or band. To increase the appeal of the album – especially to people who already own the previously released material – it is common to include remixes or alternate takes of popular songs or new material, with new son...
 compilation album
Compilation album

A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from multiple recording artists, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, source or subject matter....
s including one gold and two platinum.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Shirley Bassey'
Start a new discussion about 'Shirley Bassey'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Recent Posts









Encyclopedia


Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey DBE
Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom....
 (born 8 January 1937, Cardiff
Cardiff

Cardiff is the Capital , largest city and most populous Unitary authority#Wales in Wales. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for many national cultural and sport institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of Welsh Assembly Government ....
, Wales
Wales

native_name = Cymru|conventional_long_name = Wales|common_name = Wales|image_flag = Flag of Wales 2.svg|national_motto = ...
) is a British
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 singer. She performed the theme songs
Theme music

The phrase theme music usually refers to that of a radio programming, television program, or movie. It is a Musical composition that is often written specifically for that show, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits....
 to the James Bond
James Bond

James Bond 007 is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections....
 film
Film

Film encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the film industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or special effects....
s Goldfinger
Goldfinger (film)

Goldfinger is the third spy film in the James Bond James Bond , and the third to star Sean Connery as the fictional character Secret Intelligence Service agent James Bond ....
 (1964), Diamonds Are Forever
Diamonds Are Forever (film)

Diamonds Are Forever is the seventh spy film in the James Bond James Bond , and the sixth to star Sean Connery as the fictional character Secret Intelligence Service agent James Bond ....
 (1971), and Moonraker
Moonraker (film)

Moonraker is the eleventh spy film in the James Bond James Bond , and the fourth to star Roger Moore as the fictional character Secret Intelligence Service agent James Bond ....
 (1979). She is the only singer to have recorded more than one James Bond
James Bond music

The James Bond series of films from EON Productions has had numerous signature tunes over the years, many of which are now considered classic pieces of cinematic music....
 theme song. Bassey is an international artist who has accumulated 20 silver discs for sales in Britain, Europe and the Middle East; fifty-plus gold discs for international record sales; and countless greatest hits
Greatest hits

A greatest hits album is a compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular music artist or band. To increase the appeal of the album – especially to people who already own the previously released material – it is common to include remixes or alternate takes of popular songs or new material, with new son...
 compilation album
Compilation album

A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from multiple recording artists, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, source or subject matter....
s including one gold and two platinum. Bassey has toured and performed with amongst others Nelson Riddle
Nelson Riddle

Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was a well-known United States bandleader, arrangement and Orchestration whose career spanned from the late 1940s, struggled with the advent of rock n roll, and saw a career revival in the early 1980s....
, Count Basie
Count Basie

William "Count" Basie was an United States Jazz piano, organist, bandleader, and composer. Widely regarded as one of the most important jazz bandleaders of his time, Basie led his popular Count Basie Orchestra for almost 50 years....
, Humphrey Littleton and Woody Herman
Woody Herman

Woodrow Charles Herman , better known as Woody Herman, was an United States jazz clarinetist, alto and soprano saxophonist, singer, and big band band leader....
; and has recorded with Carl Davis (London Symphony Orchestra), John Barry
John Barry

John Barry may refer to:*Sir John Barry , rector of Chew Stoke*John Barry , officer in the Continental Navy*John S. Barry , Governor of Michigan...
, Johnny Harris, the Swiss group Yello, Chris Rea
Chris Rea

Christopher Anton Rea is a singer-songwriter from Middlesbrough, England, recognisable for his distinctive, raspy voice. Rea has sold over 30 million albums worldwide....
 and The Propellerheads.

Biography


Birth to 1960

Shirley Bassey was born on 8 January 1937 to Henry Bassey and his wife Eliza Jane (formally Metcalfe) their eigth and last child, in Tiger Bay
Tiger Bay

This article relates to the place in Wales, for other meanings see Tiger Bay .Tiger Bay was the local name for an area of Cardiff which covered Butetown and Cardiff Docks....
, Cardiff
Cardiff

Cardiff is the Capital , largest city and most populous Unitary authority#Wales in Wales. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for many national cultural and sport institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of Welsh Assembly Government ....
. She grew up in the working-class dockside district of Tiger Bay as the youngest of seven children. After leaving Moorland School at the age of fifteen, Bassey first found employment packing at a local factory while singing in local public house
Public house

A public house, the formal name for a pub in Britain, is a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic beverage for consumption on or off the premises in countries and regions of United Kingdom influence....
s and clubs in the evenings and weekends. In 1953, she signed up for the revue Memories of Jolson, a musical based on the life of Al Jolson
Al Jolson

Al Jolson , born in Lithuania, Russian Empire, was a highly acclaimed American singer, comedian, and actor, and, according to PBS, the "first openly Jewish man to become an entertainment star in America." His career lasted from 1911 until his death in 1950, during which time he was commonly dubbed "the world's greatest entertainer.? Numerous...
. She next took up a professional engagement in Hot from Harlem, which ran until 1954. By this time Bassey had become disenchanted with show business
List of entertainment industry topics

The entertainment industry consists of a large number of sub-industries devoted to entertainment. However, the term is often used in the mass media to describe the mass media companies that control the distribution and manufacture of mass media entertainment....
, and had become pregnant at 16 with her daughter Sharon, so she went back to waitressing in Cardiff. However, in 1955, a chance recommendation of her to Michael Sullivan, a Streatham
Streatham

Streatham is a place in the London Borough of Lambeth in the United Kingdom . It is an inner London suburb situated south of Brixton. Streatham is 5.5 miles south of Charing Cross....
-born booking agent, put her firmly on course for her destined career. He saw talent
Talent

Talent may refer to:*Talent, a personal intellectual giftedness/skill*A Celebrity or group of them**Tarento, the Japanese pronunciation of the word; a variety entertainment personality in Japan...
 in Bassey, and decided he would make her a star
Celebrity

A celebrity is a widely-recognized or notable person who commands a high degree of public and media attention. The word stems from the Latin verb "celebrare" but one may not become a celebrity unless public and mass media interest is piqued....
. She toured various theatre
Theatre

Theatre is the branch of the performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one or more actor, isolated in time and/or Theater , present themselves to Audience." By this broad definition, theatre has existed since the dawn of man, as a result of human tendency for story telling....
s until she got an offer of the show that put her firmly on the road to stardom, Al Read
Al Read

Al Read was a famous British radio comedian active throughout the 1950s and 60s.He was born in Broughton, Greater Manchester, Salford, Lancashire and was a sausage maker in his father's business....
's Such Is Life at the Adelphi Theatre
Adelphi Theatre

The Adelphi Theatre is a 1500-seat West End theatre, located on the Strand, London in the City of Westminster. The present building is the fourth on the site....
 in London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
's West End
West End theatre

West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's "Theatreland". Along with New York City's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English language world....
. While she starred in this show, Philips
Philips Records

Philips Records is a record label that was founded by Dutch electronics giant Philips. It was started as Philips Phonographische Industries in 1950 in music....
 A&R
A&R

Artists and Repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and the artistic development of recording artists....
 and record producer
Record producer

In the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, Audio mixing and audio mastering processes....
 Johnny Franz
Johnny Franz

Johnny Franz was a United Kingdom record producer and A&R man at the Philips Records record label. Although his name is not recognized by many United States, Franz was one of United Kingdom's most successful producers in the 1950s and 1960s....
 spotted her on television
Television

Television is a widely used telecommunication mass-media for transmitting and receiving moving , either monochrome or color, usually accompanied by sound....
, was impressed, and offered her a record
Sound recording and reproduction

Sound recording and reproduction is the electrical or mechanics inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects....
 deal. Bassey recorded her first single
Single (music)

In the record industry, a single is a song usually used from a current or upcoming album to promote the album. Singles are distributed through a number of ways; originally, they were packaged as "single" records with one or two other songs and sold before the release of the album....
, entitled "Burn My Candle", and Philips released it in February 1956, when Bassey was just nineteen. Owing to the suggestive lyrics, the BBC banned it, but it sold well nonetheless, backed with her powerful rendition of "Stormy Weather". Further singles followed, and in February 1957, Bassey had her first hit
Hit parade

The hit parade is a list of tunes?songs and instrumentals?that are most popular at any given time. The term originated in the late 1930s and has also been used for broadcast programs featuring hit tunes, such as Your Hit Parade, which was broadcast on radio and television in the United States for many years....
 with "Banana Boat Song
Banana Boat Song

"Day-O " is a traditional Jamaican folk song, the best-known version of which was sung by Harry Belafonte and is the best-known Calypso_music. It is a song from the point of view of dock workers working the night shift loading bananas onto ships....
", which reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The chart week runs from Sunday to Saturday, with the chart being printed in Music Week magazine , ChartsPlus , and published online on various sites ....
. During that year, she also recorded under the direction of U.S.
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 producer Mitch Miller
Mitch Miller

Mitchell William Miller is an United States musician, singer, Conductor , record producer, A&R man and record company executive. He was one of the most influential figures in American popular music during the 1950s and early 1960s, both as the head of Artists & Repertoire at Columbia Records and as a best-selling recording artist....
 in America for the Columbia
Columbia Records

Columbia Records is an American record label founded in 1888.Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in pre-recorded sound, being the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders....
 label, producing the single "If I Had a Needle and Thread" b/w
A-side and B-side

A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of 7 inch vinyl records on which single s were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or flipside, is a secondary song that ofte...
 "Tonight My Heart She Is Crying". In mid-1958, she recorded two singles that would become classics in the Bassey catalogue: "As I Love You" appeared as a B-side
A-side and B-side

A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of 7 inch vinyl records on which single s were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or flipside, is a secondary song that ofte...
 to another ballad, "Hands Across the Sea". It did not sell well at first, but after a chance appearance at the London Palladium
London Palladium

The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster....
 things began to pick up. In February 1959, it reached number one
List of number-one singles from the 1950s (UK)

This is a list of the number one singles on the UK Singles Chart, during the 1950s. The source for this decade is the New Musical Express chart....
 and stayed there for four weeks. Bassey also recorded "Kiss Me, Honey Honey, Kiss Me" at this point, and while "As I Love You" raced up the charts, so too did this record, with both songs being in the top three at the same time. A few months later, Bassey signed to EMI
EMI

The EMI Group is a United Kingdom music company comprising the major record label EMI Music ? which operates several labels and is based in Kensington in London, England, United Kingdom ? and EMI Music Publishing, based in New York City....
 Columbia
Columbia Records

Columbia Records is an American record label founded in 1888.Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in pre-recorded sound, being the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders....
, and the second phase in her recording career had begun.

1960 to 1980

Throughout the 1960s, Bassey had numerous hits on the UK charts. Her recording of "As Long As He Needs Me
As Long as He Needs Me

As Long as He Needs Me is a torch song sung by the character of Nancy 'Sikes' in the musical film Oliver!, first introduced in the 1960 in music musical play....
" from Lionel Bart
Lionel Bart

Lionel Bart was a writer and composer of British pop music and musicals, best known for creating the book, music & lyrics for Oliver!...
's Oliver!
Oliver!

Oliver! is a United Kingdom Musical theater, with music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is loosely based upon the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens....
 reached number two, and had a chart run of 30 weeks. In 1962, Bassey's collaboration with Nelson Riddle
Nelson Riddle

Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was a well-known United States bandleader, arrangement and Orchestration whose career spanned from the late 1940s, struggled with the advent of rock n roll, and saw a career revival in the early 1980s....
 and his orchestra produced the album Let's Face the Music (#12) and the single "What Now My Love
What Now My Love (song)

"What Now My Love" is a popular music song. It started out as a French language song, "Et Maintenant" written by composer Gilbert B?caud and lyricist Pierre Delano?....
" (#5). Other top ten hits of the period included the number one double A-side
A-side and B-side

A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of 7 inch vinyl records on which single s were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or flipside, is a secondary song that ofte...
 "Climb Ev'ry Mountain
Climb Ev'ry Mountain

"Climb Ev'ry Mountain" is a show tune from the 1959 in music Rodgers and Hammerstein musical theatre The Sound of Music. Here it is sung at the close of the first act by the Mother Abbess....
" / "Reach for the Stars" in 1961, "I'll Get By" (also 1961) and "I (Who Have Nothing)
I (Who Have Nothing)

"I " is a song originally released by Ben E. King in 1963. It has been covered by many artists, including most recently by American Idol contestant Jordin Sparks, and also by Nikki Kerkhof, the winner of Idols 4, the Dutch version of Pop Idol....
" in 1963. During this period, John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States, serving from 1961 until John F....
 invited Bassey to sing at his Inauguration Ball. In 1965, Bassey enjoyed her first U.S. Top 10 chart
Record chart

Record chart are a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
 hit with the title song of the James Bond film, Goldfinger - from the number one original soundtrack in the U.S. of that year. Owing to the success of Goldfinger, she appeared frequently on many American television talk show
Talk show

A talk show or chat show is a television or radio program where one person or group of people come together to discuss various topics put forth by a talk show talk show host....
s such as those hosted by Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson

John William ?Johnny? Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years....
 and by Mike Douglas
Mike Douglas

Mike Douglas, born Michael Delaney Dowd, Jr. , was an United States entertainer....
. In the same year, she sang the title track for the spoof James Bond film The Liquidator. In 1968, Bassey performed the song "This Is My Life", an English language version of the Italian song La Vita by Carlo Donida at the San Remo Festival in Italy. Her version of the song with chorus sung in Italian
Italian language

Italian is a Romance languages spoken by about 63 million people as a first language, primarily in Italy. In Switzerland, Italian is one of four Linguistic geography of Switzerlands....
 became a Top 10 hit on the Italian chart.

Bassey lived as a tax exile for two years from 1968 to 1970 in Switzerland
Switzerland

Switzerland is a landlocked Swiss Alps country of roughly 7.7 million people in Western Europe with an area of 41,285 km?. Switzerland is a federal republic consisting of 26 states called Cantons of Switzerland....
 . Her previous Top 10 UK hit was as far back as 1963 and some albums such as Does Anybody Miss Me? and This Is My Life failed to chart. However, 1965 had marked a Top 20 live album recorded during a sell-out run at London's Pigalle and she enjoyed three other Top 30 UK albums during this period. From 1964 onwards the Goldfinger single (a million-seller both in the UK and the US) had a lasting impact on her career, being a best-selling soundtrack worldwide (and a Top 10 US hit). Writing for the sleeve notes of Bassey's 25th Anniversary Album, Clayton (1978) notes that: "Acceptance in America was considerably helped by the enormous popularity of (Goldfinger)... But she had actually established herself there as early as 1961, in cabaret in New York. She was also a success in Las Vegas... Shirley was not among the sideshows but in the big league. 'I suppose I should feel hurt that I've never been really big in America on record since Goldfinger... But, concert wise, I always sell out.'..." (http://www.songsofshirleybassey.co.uk/shirley_bassey.html) This was reflected in the fact that Bassey's only solo LP to reach the US Top 10 was Live at Carnegie Hall, though during the next five decades she would enjoy five Top 10 singles on American Charts. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Bassey_discography) In 1967 came the release of one of her best-known singles Big Spender, though charting just outside the UK Top 20.

Bassey's UK comeback came in 1970, leading to one of the most successful periods of her career. In this year, she returned to the UK with a record breaking run of performances at the Talk of the Town nightclub
Nightclub

A nightclub is a Alcoholic beverage, Dance and entertainment Music venue which does its primary business after dark. People who frequent nightclubs are known as clubbers....
. She had signed with the United artists
United Artists Records

United Artists Records was a record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1958 initially to distribute Soundtrack from its movies, though it soon branched out into recording music of a number of different genres....
 label
Record label

In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of recorded sound and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the Record producer, manufacturing, distribution , marketing and promotion, and enforcement of copyright protec...
 in the late 1960s and in 1970 released the album Something
Something (album)

Some Things is an album of Dance Songs by The Belgian trio Lasgo....
, which showcased a new Bassey style (the single of the same name was more successful in the UK charts than the original Beatles
The Beatles

The Beatles were a rock music and pop music band from Liverpool, England that formed in 1960. During their career, the group primarily consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr ....
 recording
Sound recording and reproduction

Sound recording and reproduction is the electrical or mechanics inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects....
). "Something" was also a Top 10 U.S. hit on the Adult Contemporary
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks

The Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary music and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States....
 chart. Other singles of this period included top ten hits "For All We Know
For All We Know (1970 song)

"For All We Know" is a popular music song originally written for the 1970 film Lovers and Other Strangers by Fred Karlin, Robb Wilson and Arthur James ....
" (1971) and "Never Never Never
Grande grande grande

"Grande grande grande" is a popular 1972 song by Mina Mazzini from the album Mina . The song was written and composed by Alberto Testa and Tony Renis....
" (1973) - the latter also reaching the Top 10 in the U.S. Adult Contemporary Chart. The success of "Something" (single #4, album #5) spawned a series of successful albums on the UA
United Artists

United Artists Entertainment LLC is an United States film studio. The current United Artists was formed in November 2006 under a partnership between producer/actor Tom Cruise and his production partner, Paula Wagner, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., an MGM company....
 label, including Something Else
Something Else (Shirley Bassey album)

Something Else is a 1971 album by Shirley Bassey.The follow-up to her landmark album Something , this proved to be almost as big when it too made the UK top 10, by peaking at No.7....
 
(1971), And I Love You So
And I Love You So (Shirley Bassey album)

And I Love You So is a 1972 album by British singer Shirley Bassey.Released late in 1972, this was Bassey's fourth album of the decade and was one of the albums which comprised her 'comeback' period of the 1970s....
 
(1972), I Capricorn
I Capricorn

I Capricorn is a 1972 album by British singer Shirley Bassey.Following on from the success of her previous two albums, I Capricorn saw Bassey still in the midst of her revival in the 1970s....
 
(1972) Never Never Never
Never Never Never

Never Never Never is a 1973 album by British singer Shirley Bassey.Released in May 1973, this album saw a peak in the Shirley Bassey career revival that she was experiencing during the early 1970s....
 
(1973), Good, Bad but Beautiful (1975), Life, Love and Feelings (1976), You Take My Heart Away (1977) and Yesterdays (1978). Bernard Ighner wrote and duetted with Shirley for the track Davy on the Nobody Does It Like Me album (1974). Additionally, many of Shirley's earlier LPs re-entered the charts, including some 1960s LPs that first charted on their re-release. Two compilations, The Shirley Bassey Singles Album
The Shirley Bassey Singles Album

The Shirley Bassey Singles Album is a compilation album released in 1975 by British singer Shirley Bassey.Having seen a sales dip in the latter half of the 1960s, Shirley Bassey enjoyed a successful comeback in the 1970s, beginning with the single and album hits, "Something "....
 (1975) and 25th Anniversary Album (1978) both made the UK top three.

Between 1970 and 1979, Bassey had 18 hit albums in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart

The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website ; the full Top 200 is published exclusively in ChartsPlus....
. Her 1979 album The Magic Is You featured a portrait by the photograher
Photography

Photography is the process, activity and art of creating still or moving by recording radiation on a sensitive medium, such as a photographic film, or an ....
, Francesco Scavullo
Francesco Scavullo

Francesco Scavullo was an United States fashion photography best known for his work on the covers of Cosmopolitan and his celebrity portraits....
. In 1973, her sold out concerts at New York's Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City located at 881 Seventh Avenue , occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street , two blocks south of Central Park....
 were recorded and released as a two LP set Shirley Bassey: Live at Carnegie Hall. This album and the majority of her recordings from this period have been re-mastered and released on CD by EMI
EMI

The EMI Group is a United Kingdom music company comprising the major record label EMI Music ? which operates several labels and is based in Kensington in London, England, United Kingdom ? and EMI Music Publishing, based in New York City....
 and BGO Records. In 1971, she recorded the theme song for Diamonds Are Forever. The recording featured as part of Sydney
Sydney

Sydney is the List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.34 million . It is the List of Australian capital cities of New South Wales, and was the site of the first British Empire colony in Australia....
, Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
's 2007 New Year's celebration. In 1976 Bassey starred in the first of her television program
Television program

A television program , television programme , or television show is something that people watch on television. It may be a one-off broadcast or, more usually, part of a periodically recurring television series....
s for the BBC, followed by a second series in 1979. The final show of the first series was nominated for the Golden Rose of Montreux in 1977. The series featured guests including Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond

Neil Leslie Diamond is an United States of America singer-songwriter.Neil Diamond is one of pop music's most enduring and successful singer-songwriters....
, Michel Legrand
Michel Legrand

Michel Legrand is a France musical composer, arranger, conductor, and pianist of Armenians descent.Legrand has composed more than two hundred film and television scores, several musicals, and made well over a hundred albums....
, and Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield

Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien, Officer of the Order of the British Empire , known as Dusty Springfield, was a leading pop music singer and entertainer....
; filmed in various locations throughout the world as well as in the studio. Bassey went on to record her third title theme for the Bond films with Moonraker in 1979.

1980 onwards

Throughout most of the 1980s, Bassey focused on charitable
Charitable organization

The definition of charitable organization, and of charity, varies according to the country and in some instances the region of the country in which the charitable organization operates....
 works and performing occasional concert
Concert

A concert is a live performance, usually of music, before an audience. The music may be performed by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band....
 tours throughout Europe
Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
 and the United States, having ended her contract with EMI and taking what she referred to as 'semi-retirement'. However, her singles sales were such that she remained the UK's biggest-selling artist throughout this period, until finally overtaken by Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)

Madonna is an American recording artist, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan and raised in Rochester Hills, Michigan, Madonna moved to New York City in 1977, for a career in modern dance....
 at the close of the decade. In 1983 Bassey recorded an album entitled All By Myself and made a TV
Television

Television is a widely used telecommunication mass-media for transmitting and receiving moving , either monochrome or color, usually accompanied by sound....
 special for duet]] with [[Alain Delon]], which became a hit single in Europe. In 1986, she released a single and video to support the London Tourist Board There's No Place Like London. In 1987, Bassey provided vocals for [[Switzerland|Swiss]] [[musician|artists]] [[Yello]] on "The Rhythm Divine", a song co-written by [[Scottish people|Scottish]] singer [[Billy Mackenzie]],. The same year she released an album La Mujer sung entirely in [[Spanish language|Spanish]]. In 1994 EMI released the 5 [[Compact disc|CD]] [[box set]], Bassey: The EMI/UA Years (1959-1979), which was shortly followed by Bassey's Lloyd Webber Collection on the EMI Premier label. In 1995, Bassey became only the second artist to give a concert at the [[Giza pyramid complex|Pyramids]] in [[Egypt]], at the invitation of the Egyptian premier. The following year, she collaborated with [[Chris Rea]] in the [[film|movie]] [[La Passione]], appearing in the film as herself and releasing the single "Disco La Passione". The [[remix]] of this single proved a major club hit throughout Europe. Bassey released a new recording the following year, "History Repeating" written for her by the [[Propellerheads]] and scoring a number one on the British dance music chart, and reaching the Top 10 of the U.S. [[Hot Dance Club Play|Dance Chart]]. The single reached the top five in Spain, Italy and Germany. The [[liner note]]s of the Propellerheads' album [[Decksandrumsandrockandroll]] included the lines 'We would like to extend our maximum respect to Shirley Bassey for honouring us with her performance. We are still in shock...'. The track also featured in the movie, [[There's Something About Mary]], and in a worldwide advertising campaign for [[Jaguar Cars]].

Bassey celebrated her 60th birthday the same year with two open air concerts, at Castle Howard
Castle Howard

Castle Howard is a stately home in North Yorkshire, England, 15 miles north of York. One of the grandest private residences in Britain, most of it was built between 1699 and 1712 for the Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle, to a design by Sir John Vanbrugh....
 and Althorp Park
Althorp

Althorp is a country estate and stately home in Northamptonshire, England, located roughly 5 miles north-west of the county town Northampton....
, and another TV special. The resulting live album The Birthday Concert received a Grammy Award
Grammy Award

The Grammy Awards ?or Grammys?are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry....
 nomination for 'Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance'. During her UK Tour in 1998, 120,000 people saw Bassey live and she smashed her own record in London for the longest run by a solo artist at the Royal Festival Hall with ten sold-out shows. In 1999, she recorded the official song for the Rugby World Cup, World in Union, with Bryn Terfel
Bryn Terfel

Bryn Terfel Jones Order of the British Empire is a Wales bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly Figaro and Leporello, but he has expanded his repertoire to include heavier roles, especially those by Richard Wagner....
 and performed at the opening ceremony at The Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium

The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and the Wales national football team but is also host to many other large scale events, such as Wales Rally Great Britain stage of the World Rally Championship, Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain,...
, Cardiff. Bassey contributed three songs to the official album Land of My Fathers. The album reached #1 on the UK compilation chart. In 2001, Bassey was principal artiste at the Duke of Edinburgh
Duke of Edinburgh

The Duke of Edinburgh is a dukedom associated with Edinburgh, Scotland. There have been three creations since 1726 . The current holder is Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the husband of and royal consort to Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom....
's 80th Birthday celebration. Then, in 2003, Bassey celebrated 50 years in show business
List of entertainment industry topics

The entertainment industry consists of a large number of sub-industries devoted to entertainment. However, the term is often used in the mass media to describe the mass media companies that control the distribution and manufacture of mass media entertainment....
 releasing the CD Thank You for the Years which was another Top 20 album. A gala charity auction of her stage costumes at Christie's
Christie's

Christie's is a leading art business and a fine arts auction house....
 'Dame Shirley Bassey: 50 Years of Glittering Gowns' raised £250,000 (US$500,000) for the Dame Shirley Bassey Scholarship at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Noah's Ark Children's Hospital Appeal.

Recent developments

Bassey topped the bill at the 2005 Royal Variety Performance
Royal Variety Performance

The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, usually the reigning monarch....
, introducing her new song "The Living Tree". Two popular Audiences with Shirley Bassey have also aired on British TV, the first attracted more than 10 million viewers in the UK, with the most recent in 2006. Bassey returned to perform in five arenas around the UK in June the same year, culminating at Wembley
Wembley Arena

Wembley Arena is an indoor arena in Wembley, London, UK. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium. It was built for the 1934 British Empire Games by Arthur Elvin, and originally housed a swimming pool, as reflected by its former name, the Empire Pool....
. She also performed a concert in front of 10,000 people at the Bryn Terfel
Bryn Terfel

Bryn Terfel Jones Order of the British Empire is a Wales bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly Figaro and Leporello, but he has expanded his repertoire to include heavier roles, especially those by Richard Wagner....
 Faenol Festival
Faenol Festival

The Faenol Festival is a music festival organised by Wales singer Bryn Terfel and held annually on the Vaynol , near Y Felinheli in Gwynedd, north Wales....
 in North Wales
North Wales

File:North Wales .pngNorth Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales and to the east by England....
 broadcast by BBC Wales
BBC Wales

BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages....
. "Where Do I Begin (Away Team Remix)", from Bassey's 2001 remix album, The Remix Album: Diamonds Are Forever, is featured in an episode of Showtime
Showtime

Showtime is a Pay TV brand used by a number of channels and platforms around the world, but primarily refers to a group of channels in the United States....
's The L Word
The L Word

The L Word was an American television drama series on Showtime that portrays the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual and transgender men and women and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles Area city of West Hollywood, California....
 and on Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck

Nip/Tuck is an United States Emmy Award- and Golden Globe Award-winning television series medical drama series created by Ryan Murphy for FX Networks....
 on the FX Network. Marks & Spencer
Marks & Spencer

Marks & Spencer is a major United Kingdom retailer, with over 840 stores in Marks & Spencer#International stores around the world, over 600 domestic and 285 international....
 signed her for their Christmas
Christmas

Christmas , also referred to as Christmas Day, is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus. The day marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts Twelve Days of Christmas....
 2006 'James Bond style' TV advertising
Advertising

Advertising is a form of communication that typically attempts to persuade potential customers to Purchasing or to consume more of a particular brand of Product or Service ....
 campaign. Bassey is seen in a glamorous Ice Palace singing a cover version
Cover version

In popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition of a previously recorded, commercially released song.In its current use, it can sometimes have a pejorative meaning — implying that the original recording should be regarded as the definitive version, usually in the sense of an "authentic" rendition, and all...
 of Pink's song, "Get the Party Started
Get the Party Started

"Get the Party Started" is a song by Pink , and was the first single from her second album, Missundaztood . It became an international hit and reached the top ten in many countries....
" wearing an M&S
Marks & Spencer

Marks & Spencer is a major United Kingdom retailer, with over 840 stores in Marks & Spencer#International stores around the world, over 600 domestic and 285 international....
 gown. The advert
Advertising

Advertising is a form of communication that typically attempts to persuade potential customers to Purchasing or to consume more of a particular brand of Product or Service ....
, launched in November 2006, also included model
Model (person)

A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who poses or who is displayed for the purpose of art, fashion, or other product s and advertising....
s, such as Twiggy
Twiggy

Twiggy is an English Model , actress, and singer, now also known by her married name of Twiggy Lawson. In the 1960s, at 16, she became the first prominent teenage model....
. It was shown for a couple of weeks leading up to Christmas, and proved so popular it was shown throughout the holiday period, with remixes of the song circulating on the underground music scene. "The Living Tree", written, produced and originally recorded by the group Never the Bride
Never The Bride

Never the Bride are a England Rock music group, founded before 1991....
, was released as a single on 23 April 2007, marking Bassey's 50th anniversary in the UK Singles Chart - and the record for the longest span of Top 40 hits in UK chart history. Bassey made an appearance at the 2007 Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival

The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or Glasto, is one of the largest music and performing arts festivals in the world....
. Wearing a pink Julien MacDonald
Julien MacDonald

Julien Macdonald OBE is a Wales fashion designer....
 dress, she performed a 45 minute set. A new album Get the Party Started
Get the Party Started (album)

Get the Party Started is the title of an album from Wales singer Dame Shirley Bassey and features thirteen new remixed and re-worked tracks by some of today's most contemporary record producer....
 was subsequently released on 25 June 2007 and entered the UK Albums Chart at number six. The single reached #3 on the U.S. Dance Chart. The same year, Bassey performed "Big Spender" with Elton John
Elton John

Sir Elton Hercules John Order of the British Empire is an England singer-songwriter, composer and pianist.In his four-decade career, John has been one of the dominant forces in rock and popular music, especially during the 1970s....
 at his annual White Tie and Tiara Ball to raise money for The Elton John AIDS Foundation. In August 2007, Bassey signed a new recording contract
Recording contract

A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote....
 with Universal Music's Decca Records
Decca Records

Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 in music by Edward Lewis . Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; later the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
 and has been reported to be collaborating with Pink.. Also in 2007, Bassey performed in Fashion Rocks in aid of The Prince's Trust at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall

The Royal Albert Hall is an arts venue situated in the Knightsbridge area of the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
.

She was rushed to hospital in Monaco on 23 May 2008 to have an emergency operation on her stomach after complaining of abdominal pains. She was forced to pull out of Nelson Mandelas 90th Birthday concert due to her illness. A biography
Biography

A biography is a description of someone's life, usually published in the form of a book or essay, or in some other form, such as a film. An autobiography is a biography by the same person it is about....
, Diamond Diva, was published in 2008.

Awards and achievements

In recognition of her career longevity, and admiration from the Royal Family
British Royal Family

The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in his or her Commonwealth realm#The Crown in the Commonwealth realmss, thus sometimes at variance with official national terms for the family....
, Bassey was created a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom....
 (DBE) on 31 December 1999 by HM Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known as the Commonwealth realms: Monarchy of the United Kingdom, Monarchy of Canada, Monarchy of Australia, Monarchy of New Zealand, Monarchy of Jamaica, Monarchy of Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Monarchy of the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Sain...
. She was invited to perform in 2002 at the Party at the Palace
Party at the Palace

The Party at the Palace was a pop concert held in London in 2002. The event was in commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II held over the Golden Jubilee Weekend 1 June-4 June 2002....
, a public celebration of The Queen's
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known as the Commonwealth realms: Monarchy of the United Kingdom, Monarchy of Canada, Monarchy of Australia, Monarchy of New Zealand, Monarchy of Jamaica, Monarchy of Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Monarchy of the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Sain...
 Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary....
. She was also awarded France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
's top honour, the Legion d'Honneur
Légion d'honneur

The L?gion d'honneur or Ordre national de la L?gion d'honneur is a France order established by Napoleon I of France, First Consul of the French First Republic, on May 19, 1802....
, to signify her popularity and importance in the culture
Culture

Culture is difficult to define. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions....
 of France. She now resides in Monaco
Monaco

Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a small sovereign city-state located in South Western Europe . The territory lies on the northern coast of the Mediterranean Sea....
 and has recently sold her London apartment - many of its furnishings were auctioned for charity. On 16 December 2007 Dame Shirley celebrated her 70th birthday with a party for friends at Cliveden
Cliveden

Cliveden is a mansion in Buckinghamshire, England overlooking the River Thames owned by the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty and operated as a hotel by von Essen hotels....
, a stately home
Stately home

A stately home is, strictly speaking, one of about 500 large properties built in the British Isles between the mid-16th century and the early part of the 20th century, as well as converted abbeys and other church property ....
 in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire is a Ceremonial counties of England and Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England home counties Counties of England in South East England England....
.

  • 1972 - Best Female Singer - TV Times, UK
  • 1973 - Best Female Singer - TV Times, UK
  • 1974 - Best Female Entertainer - American Guild of Variety Artists
  • 1976 - Best Female Singer - Music Week, UK
  • 1976 - 22-day British tour to mark twenty years as a recording artist
  • 1976 - EMI Award for twenty years as a recording artist - UK
  • 1977 - Best British Female Singer in the Last 50 years of Recorded Sound - (BRIT Awards
    Brit Awards

    The BRIT Awards, often simply called The BRITs, are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of British or Britannia, but has subsequently become a "backronym" for British Record Industry Trust....
     winner)
  • 1977 - BBC TV show nomination for the Golden Rose of Montreux
  • 1985 - Star of Sopot Festival (International Song Festival), Poland
  • 1991 - Walk of Fame, Star Boulevard - plaque unveiled in Rotterdam
  • 1993 - CBE - Commander of the British Empire
  • 1995 - Showbusiness Personality of the Year - Variety Club of Great Britain
  • 1996 - Europe's Lifetime Achievement Award - Ceremony held in Germany
  • 1997 - Grammy nomination - The Birthday Concert (recorded live at Althorp Park)
  • 1998 - Longest run by a solo artist (ten shows) - Royal Festival Hall, London
  • 1999 - Légion d'Honneur - France
  • 1999 - DBE - Dame of the British Empire
  • 1999 - Madam Tussaud's waxwork unveiled in London (second model in Las Vegas)
  • 1999 - 100 most famous people of the 20th century - Hello magazine
  • 2000 - Most Successful British Female Singer - Guinness Book of Records
  • 2003 - Outstanding Contribution to Music - National Music Awards, UK
  • 2003 - Woman of the Year - Western Mail Welsh Woman of the Year Awards
  • 2004 - Greatest Black Briton, Shirley voted into the top ten - BBC
  • 2004 - Artist for Peace Award - UNESCO
  • 2005 - Avenue of Stars - plaque unveiled in London
  • 2008 - "Goldfinger" - United Artists single (1964) inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame


Personal life

Bassey's first marriage
Marriage

Marriage is a social, spirituality, or law union of individuals. This union may also be called matrimony, while the ceremony that marks its beginning is usually called a wedding and the married status created is sometimes called wedlock....
 was to Kenneth Hume (from 1961 to 1965) and ended in divorce
Divorce

Divorce or dissolution of marriage is a legal process in which a judge or other authority dissolves the bonds of matrimony existing between two persons, thus restoring them to the marital status of being single....
. Her second husband was Sergio Novak. Bassey and Novak were married from 1968 until they divorced in 1977; Novak served as Bassey's manager for this period of time. Bassey has two daughters and one adopted son. Her first daughter Sharon was born when Bassey was seventeen. Bassey's second daughter, Samantha, was found dead in 1985 after apparently having fallen from the Clifton Suspension Bridge
Clifton Suspension Bridge

The Clifton Suspension Bridge is a suspension bridge, spanning the Avon Gorge and linking Clifton, Bristol in Bristol to Leigh Woods in North Somerset, England....
 in Bristol, England. Bassey has always insisted the death of her daughter was not suicide.

Discography


Bibliography

  • Shirley Bassey: Diamond Diva - Peter Hogan (2008)
  • Cardiff: Rebirth of a Capital (Foreword by Shirley Bassey) - Ungersma, Hurn (2005)
  • Shirley Bassey: Welsh History Stories - Evans, Stokes, ap Emlyn, ap Emlyn (2003)
  • Shirley Bassey: An appreciation - Muriel Burgess (1998, reprinted 1999)
  • My Life on Record and in Concert - Shirley Bassey (Bloomsbury, 1998)
  • The Trial of Shirley Bassey - A Play in One Act - Alexander Baron (1998)
  • Shirley Bassey: This Is My Life (Piano/vocal/guitar) - Sheet music book
  • Shirley Bassey: You're the Voice (Piano/vocal/guitar) - Sheet music book
  • Guinness Book of British Hit Singles
    Guinness Book of British Hit Singles

    British Hit Singles & Albums was a music reference book published in the United Kingdom by Hit Entertainment's "Guinness World Records" . It listed all the singles and albums featured in the Top 75 Charts in UK, as compiled by the editors of British Hit Singles & Albums....
     - 14th Edition - ISBN 0-85156-156-X
  • Guinness Book of British Hit Singles - 16th Edition - ISBN 0-85112-190-X
  • Guinness Book of British Hit Albums - 7th Edition - ISBN 0-85112-619-7
  • The Book of Golden Discs - 2nd Edition - ISBN 0-214-20512-6
  • The Guinness Book Of 500 Number One Hits - ISBN 0-85112-250-7


External links

  • (fansite
    Fansite

    A fansite, fan site, or fanpage is a website created and maintained by a fan_ or devotee interested in a celebrity, thing, or a particular cultural phenomenon....
    )
  • (fansite)