Any Shirley Bassey Fans out there?

[Terence Lee]

Shirley is best seen live and not just heard.
Here's Shirley in action in the 70s for the queen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO3sGgIkGfU

[Terence Lee]

Shirley has signed a reported £500,000 album deal with Geffen Records which is part of the giant Universal group. The album is being produced by David Arnold and will contain all new songs some of which David Arnold has written. Other tracks are said to have been written by Pet Shop Boys, Manic Street Preachers, Take That, Scissor Sisters, Snow Patrol and Kaiser Chiefs. It is due to be released later in the year. As yet it is still untitled.

[Terence Lee]

Shirley Bassey returns to the studio

David Arnold discusses the James Bond songstress’ upcoming album


Written by Matt Weston on 26 Jul, 2009

With Shirley Bassey returning to the studio last month to record her first new album in nearly a decade, James Bond composer David Arnold, with whom Bassey has teamed up, spoke to Variety about working with the 007 chart-topper.

“Shirley has sung so many different styles,” Arnold, composer of five Bond scores, said. “She is probably best known for the big ballads and the Bond themes, but ‘Big Spender’ and ‘Kiss Me Honey Honey Kiss Me’ show her playful and provocative side. [In choosing the songs], I tried to do something which honored all aspects of her character.”

Arnold revealed all but one of the new album’s songs is an original composition, but refused to be drawn on the names of the tracks and the writers behind them.

“[The concept] is to make a serious studio album with a great singer, to explore all facets of her abilities and personality,” Arnold said.

The album will be made up of contemporary songs, recorded, as many contemporary albums are, by laying down the instrumental first and the vocals later.

Variety speculates that the pairing could lead to a fourth James Bond theme for Shirley Bassey, following her classic title tracks from Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever and Moonraker.

72-year-old Bassey recorded the vocals last month at Ireland’s Grouse Lodge. The yet-to-be-named album will be released through Geffen Records later this year.

[Lena & Harry Smith]

Thank you for that good news of a new album Terence, that will be something well worth looking forward to.

[Terence Lee]

SUPERSTAR Shirley Bassey is releasing her first studio album in more than 20 years this November.

Now aged 72, the queen of Tiger Bay appears to have taken a leaf out of Tom Jones’ reinvention manual by recording an album of songs penned by young guns from the music industry. The Manic Street Preachers, Take That frontman Gary Barlow, The Pet Shop Boys, Kaiser Chiefs and Bond theme legends John Barry and Don Black have all stepped up to pen tunes for The Performance.

The album producer David Arnold scored Bond films Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, Die Another Day, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.

The 47-year-old said: “All these songs were just songs, until Dame Shirley Bassey sang them. Now they’re Shirley Bassey songs – hopefully classic and contemporary, like that voice.

“There’s something about a Bassey performance that can knock the wind out of your sails, make you laugh, make you cry, let you in on the joke or be led to a more exotic place.

“I tried to make a record that made the most of that voice and one that could sit alongside her other classic recordings.

“There isn’t a ‘next Shirley Bassey’, there never really was and I doubt if there ever will be. She’s as unique and wonderful today as she has ever been and I hope this record will reach an audience who may never have heard her before.”

Jo Mills is the widow of Gordon Mills, who wrote songs for Tom Jones, including It’s Not Unusual.

The 69-year-old, a huge fan of Dame Shirley, said: “Mark, Tom’s son, did a fabulous job when he did Reload. I don’t know whether Gordon, had he been alive, would have thought along those lines.

“It takes a young mind to think along those lines and someone has seen that and thought along the same lines [with The Performance]. I’m sure they did.

“That was what brought him [Sir Tom] back into the ‘young sphere’ and maybe she is trying to do that.”

HMV’s Gennaro Castaldo thought the record would be huge but that stiff competition from the likes of Robbie Williams and X Factor contestants would keep her from topping the charts.

She said: “The timing is great with the run up to Christmas. It is the ideal gift for older members of the family and something the kids will maybe pick up, particularly with the collaborations with contemporary artists.

“It worked well for Tom Jones and I’m sure it will work well for Shirley Bassey.”

None of the songs are duets but talks are underway about involving artists in promo videos.

Dame Shirley impersonator Ceri Jones, who performs as Ceri Dupree, began pretending to be the star when he was in school.

The 41-year-old, of Penarth, Cardiff, said: “For all those artists to write all those songs, it goes to show how much of an icon she is.

“There are only a few singers they would do this for. One would be Streisand and another would be Tina Turner. Madonna has not reached that status.”

He added: “You’ve got the Bassey fans and you’ve got the fans of people who’ve written for her. Take That fans will buy it for Gary Barlow.

“It’s got success written all over it.

“And the Manics song ‘The Girl from Tiger Bay!’ I don’t know what the song is like but the title’s great.”

Dame Shirley, who has sold 135 million records and now lives in Monte Carlo, has just released new pictures of herself in a figure-hugging red dress, dripping with diamonds.

The image consultant Wenda James-Rowe who runs The Style Team in Cardiff Bay, thought she looked great.

The 41-year-old said: “She has been around for a long time, something like 40 years, and she never lets you down in the bling and glamour stakes.”

The Performance is out on November 9.

[mariana44]

I love that picture of Dame Shirley-she is looking younger than ever !!!

[john]

Yes, she is looking pretty amazing.

[ROBERT M.]

I wonder how many face lifts Shirley has had but she does look amazing

[Terence Lee]

Here are the songs in her forthcoming album:
Almost There (Tom Baxter)
Apartment (Rufus Wainwright)
This Time (Gary Barlow)
Love You Now (Kaiser Chiefs)
Our Time is Now (John Barry/Don Black)
As God is my Witness (David Arnold/David McAlmont)
No Good about Goodbye (David Arnold/Don Black)
The Girl from Tiger Bay (Manic Street Preachers)
Nice Men (KT Tunstall)
After The Rain (Richard Hawley)
The Performance of my Life (Pet Shop Boys)

[mariana44]

That sounds like it could be an interesting collection !

[Terence Lee]

In Dame Shirley's forthcoming album, the Manic Street Preachers' track is called The Girl From Tiger Bay, and marks their first writing credit for another artist since Kylie Minogue's Some Kind Of Bliss in 1997.

The Pet Shop Boys, who have previously worked with divas such as Liza Minnelli and Dusty Springfield, contributed a song called The Performance Of My Life.

Other writers on Dame Shirley's album include KT Tunstall, Richard Hawley and Diamonds Are Forever composers John Barry and Don Black.

Their track, Our Time Is Now, is the first song they have written for the diva since the 1971 James Bond theme.

"It's been quite a few years since Diamonds are Forever," said Black in a staement, "but that lyric still applies to Dame Shirley. She lustres on."

"Whenever the great Terry Wogan plays a Dame Shirley Bassey record, he says 'she doesn't just sing songs, she bites lumps out of them'," he continued.

"I thought of Terry's words as I sat down to write these new songs for her. In other words, you have to give her some meaty emotions to sing about."

The Performance will be released in November.

[mariana44]

This sounds like it will be a great album , Terence-I will be looking forward to listening to it.

[jon]

I was a little surprised to see that my favourite group, the Manic Street Preachers, have written a song for Shirely Bassey's new album. Never been a fan of hers really but I may just be tempted to get the album.

[Terence Lee]

Amelia & Jon

The Performance can be pre-ordered now!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002 ... ic&sr=1-50

[Terence Lee]

Here's the latest photo: