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Shirley Bassey
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Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey DBE (born 8 January 1937, Cardiff, Wales) is a British singer. She performed the theme songs to the James Bond films Goldfinger (1964), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), and Moonraker (1979). She is the only singer to have recorded more than one James Bond 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 compilation albums including one gold and two platinum.
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Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey DBE (born 8 January 1937, Cardiff, Wales) is a British singer. She performed the theme songs to the James Bond films Goldfinger (1964), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), and Moonraker (1979). She is the only singer to have recorded more than one James Bond 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 compilation albums including one gold and two platinum. Bassey has toured and performed with amongst others Nelson Riddle, Count Basie, Humphrey Littleton and Woody Herman; and has recorded with Carl Davis (London Symphony Orchestra), John Barry, Johnny Harris, the Swiss group Yello, Chris Rea 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, Cardiff. 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 houses 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. 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, 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-born booking agent, put her firmly on course for her destined career. He saw talent in Bassey, and decided he would make her a star. She toured various theatres until she got an offer of the show that put her firmly on the road to stardom, Al Read's Such Is Life at the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End. While she starred in this show, Philips A&R and record producer Johnny Franz spotted her on television, was impressed, and offered her a record deal. Bassey recorded her first single, 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 with "Banana Boat Song", which reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart. During that year, she also recorded under the direction of U.S. producer Mitch Miller in America for the Columbia label, producing the single "If I Had a Needle and Thread" b/w "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 to another ballad, "Hands Across the Sea". It did not sell well at first, but after a chance appearance at the London Palladium things began to pick up. In February 1959, it reached number one 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 Columbia, 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" from Lionel Bart's Oliver! reached number two, and had a chart run of 30 weeks. In 1962, Bassey's collaboration with Nelson Riddle and his orchestra produced the album Let's Face the Music (#12) and the single "What Now My Love" (#5). Other top ten hits of the period included the number one double A-side "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" / "Reach for the Stars" in 1961, "I'll Get By" (also 1961) and "I (Who Have Nothing)" in 1963. During this period, John F. Kennedy invited Bassey to sing at his Inauguration Ball. In 1965, Bassey enjoyed her first U.S. Top 10 chart 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 shows such as those hosted by Johnny Carson and by Mike Douglas. 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 became a Top 10 hit on the Italian chart.
Bassey lived as a tax exile for two years from 1968 to 1970 in 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. She had signed with the United artists label in the late 1960s and in 1970 released the album Something, which showcased a new Bassey style (the single of the same name was more successful in the UK charts than the original Beatles recording). "Something" was also a Top 10 U.S. hit on the Adult Contemporary chart. Other singles of this period included top ten hits "For All We Know" (1971) and "Never Never Never" (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 label, including Something Else (1971), And I Love You So (1972), I Capricorn (1972) Never Never Never (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 (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. Her 1979 album The Magic Is You featured a portrait by the photograher, Francesco Scavullo. In 1973, her sold out concerts at New York's Carnegie Hall 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 and BGO Records. In 1971, she recorded the theme song for Diamonds Are Forever. The recording featured as part of Sydney, Australia's 2007 New Year's celebration. In 1976 Bassey starred in the first of her television programs 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, Michel Legrand, and Dusty Springfield; 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 works and performing occasional concert tours throughout Europe 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 at the close of the decade. In 1983 Bassey recorded an album entitled All By Myself and made a TV 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 and Althorp Park, and another TV special. The resulting live album The Birthday Concert received a Grammy Award 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 and performed at the opening ceremony at The Millennium Stadium, 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's 80th Birthday celebration. Then, in 2003, Bassey celebrated 50 years in show business 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 '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, 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. She also performed a concert in front of 10,000 people at the Bryn Terfel Faenol Festival in North Wales broadcast by BBC Wales. "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's The L Word and on Nip/Tuck on the FX Network. Marks & Spencer signed her for their Christmas 2006 'James Bond style' TV advertising campaign. Bassey is seen in a glamorous Ice Palace singing a cover version of Pink's song, "Get the Party Started" wearing an M&S gown. The advert, launched in November 2006, also included models, such as Twiggy. 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, 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. Wearing a pink Julien MacDonald dress, she performed a 45 minute set. A new album Get the Party Started 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 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 with Universal Music's Decca Records 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.
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, Diamond Diva, was published in 2008.
Awards and achievements
In recognition of her career longevity, and admiration from the Royal Family, Bassey was created a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) on 31 December 1999 by HM Queen Elizabeth II. She was invited to perform in 2002 at the Party at the Palace, a public celebration of The Queen's Golden Jubilee. She was also awarded France's top honour, the Legion d'Honneur, to signify her popularity and importance in the culture of France. She now resides in Monaco 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, a stately home in Buckinghamshire.
- 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 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 was to Kenneth Hume (from 1961 to 1965) and ended in divorce. 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 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 - 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
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