25th Anniversary Album

Last updated

25th Anniversary Album
Shirley Bassey 25th Anniversary Album.jpg
Compilation album by
Shirley Bassey
Released13 October 1978
Recorded1957 - 1976
Genre MOR
Label United Artists
Producer Various
Shirley Bassey chronology
Yesterdays
(1978)		25th Anniversary Album
(1978)		 The Magic Is You
(1979)

25th Anniversary Album is a compilation album by Shirley Bassey. Released in 1978 to mark her 25th year in show business, the album was a double set, comprising 40 tracks. The songs included span just 20 of the 25 years from 1957 to 1976, however, her first professional contract (which is reproduced within the album's inner sleeve) is dated 1953. Bassey had toured extensively throughout 1978 to mark her 25 years. This collection, including her biggest hits and some lesser-known recordings, became one of her biggest in the UK, where it reached No.3 and spent 12 weeks on the album chart.

Contents

Overview

1978 marked the 25th anniversary of Shirley Bassey's professional singing career. Her first contract was signed on the 17 December 1953 for a fee of £10 for two shows on the 20 December. [1] Her first recordings however, didn't come until 1956, with her first UK hit single arriving in 1957. For her 25th anniversary, Bassey embarked on an extensive tour throughout 1978. [2] For 20 years, Bassey regularly hit the charts with the biggest of her hits being included on this, her first compilation to span her entire career. The most recent songs included were three tracks from her 1976 album Love, Life and Feelings . The double album was released in October 1978 on her regular United Artists Records label. The album entered the UK charts in early November and reached a peak of No.3, remaining on the chart for 12 weeks. [3] The album was certified Platinum by the BPI at the end of the year, her only album to go higher than Gold certification. [4] At the time of the album's release, Bassey hit the headlines when she was arrested after she was accused of being drunk and disorderly following a party for the album's launch in London. She performed a show the following month in the presence of Prince Charles while on bail and hit the headlines again. [1]

The album was released in a lavish gatefold sleeve with a stapled four-page insert, showing photographs of Bassey's career as well as a photocopy of her very first contract. One contemporary review said it was one of the most important releases United Artists had ever undertaken. [5]

Track listing

Side One

  1. "Fire Down Below" (Lester Lee / Ned Washington) – 2:46 (Originally released: non-album A-side, 1957)
  2. "As I Love You" (Jay Livingston / Raymond Evans) – 2:53 (Non-album A-side, 1958)
  3. "Banana Boat Song" (Alan Arkin / Bob Carey / Erik Darling) – 2:43 (Non-album A-side, 1957)
  4. "You You Romeo" (Fred Elton) – 2:44 (Non-album A-side, 1957)
  5. "Kiss Me Honey Honey Kiss Me" (Albon Timothy / Michael Julien) – 2:26 (from The Bewitching Miss Bassey , 1959)
  6. "With These Hands" (Abner Silver / Benny Davis) – 3:19 (Non-album A-side, 1960)
  7. "As Long As He Needs Me" (Lionel Bart) – 3:00 (Non-album A-side, 1960)
  8. "Reach for the Stars" (Norman Newell / Udo Jurgens) – 2:58 (Non-album A-side, 1961)
  9. "You'll Never Know (Just How Much I Love You)" (Harry Warren / Mack Gordon) – 3:07 (Non-album A-side, 1961)
  10. "I'll Get By (As Long as I Have You)" (Fred E. Ahlert / Roy Turk) – 2:29 (Non-album A-side, 1961)
  11. "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" (Rodgers and Hammerstein) – 3:12 (from Shirley Bassey, 1961)

Side Two

  1. "Far Away" (Lionel Bart) – 3:12 (Non-album A-side, 1962)
  2. "Ave Maria" (Charles Gounod) – 3:52 (Non-album A-side, 1962)
  3. "What Now My Love" (Carl Sigman / Gilbert Bécaud) – 2:56 (from Let's Face the Music , 1962)
  4. "Tonight" (Leonard Bernstein / Stephen Sondheim) – 2:34 (Non-album A-side, 1962)
  5. "What Kind of Fool Am I" (Anthony Newley / Leslie Bricusse) – 3:18 (Non-album A-side, 1963)
  6. "I (Who Have Nothing)" (Carlo Donida / Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller) – 2:40 (Non-album A-side, 1963)
  7. "My Special Dream" (Freddy Douglass / Howard Greenfield / Sol Kaplan) – 2:55 (Non-album A-side, 1964)
  8. "Gone" (Tony Osborne) – 2:40 (Non-album A-side, 1964)
  9. "Goldfinger" (John Barry / Anthony Newley / Leslie Bricusse) – 2:51 (from Goldfinger, 1964)
  10. "No Regrets" (Tom Rush) – 4:25 (Should have been Non-album A-side from 1965 written by Charles Dumont but a track with the same name from the 1973 album Never Never Never , was used in error)

Side Three

  1. "Big Spender" (Cy Coleman / Dorothy Fields) – 1:48 (from And We Were Lovers , 1967)
  2. "Does Anybody Miss Me" (Johnny Worth / Les Reed) – 2:25 (from Does Anybody Miss Me , 1969)
  3. "This Is My Life" (Bruno Canfora / Norman Newell) – 3:11 (from This Is My Life, 1968)
  4. "Something" (George Harrison) – 3:32 (from Something, 1970)
  5. "The Fool on the Hill" (John Lennon / Paul McCartney) – 3:19 (Non-album A-side, 1970)
  6. "Diamonds Are Forever" (Don Black / John Barry) – 2:40 (from Diamonds Are Forever, 1971)
  7. "Where Do I Begin (Love Story)" (Carl Sigman / Francis Lai) – 3:12 (from Something Else, 1971)
  8. "For All We Know" (Arthur James / Fred Karlin / Robb Wilson) – 2:43 (from I Capricorn , 1971)
  9. "And I Love You So" (Don McLean) – 4:27 (from And I Love You So, 1972)
  10. "Make the World a Little Younger" (Denny McReynolds / Karen O'Hara / Terry Howell) – 3:34 (from Never Never Never , 1973)

Side Four

  1. "Never, Never, Never (Grande, Grande, Grande)" (Alberto Testa / Norman Newell / Tony Renis) – 3:35 (from Never Never Never , 1973)
  2. "Nobody Does It Like Me" (Cy Coleman / Dorothy Fields) – 2:14 (from Nobody Does It Like Me , 1974)
  3. "Send In the Clowns" (Stephen Sondheim) – 3:18 (from Good, Bad but Beautiful , 1975)
  4. "Emotion" (Patti Dahlstrom / Veronique Sanson) – 4:15 (from Good, Bad but Beautiful, 1975)
  5. "Good, Bad but Beautiful" (Clive Westlake) – 3:24 (from Good, Bad but Beautiful, 1975)
  6. "The Way We Were" (Alan and Marilyn Bergman / Marvin Hamlisch) – 2:45 (from Good, Bad but Beautiful, 1975)
  7. "What I Did for Love" (Ed Kleban / Marvin Hamlisch) – 3:43 (from Love, Life and Feelings , 1976)
  8. "Feelings" (Morris Albert) – 4:43 (from Love, Life and Feelings, 1976)
  9. "If I Never Sing Another Song" (Don Black / Udo Jurgens) – 4:02 (from Love, Life and Feelings, 1976)

Charts and certification

Chart (1978)Peak
position
UK Albums Chart [3] 3
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [6] Platinum300,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shirley Bassey</span> Welsh singer (born 1937)

Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey is a Welsh singer. Best known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the theme songs to three James Bond films, Bassey is widely regarded as one of the most popular vocalists in Britain. In 1999, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II. In 2023, Dame Shirley was awarded The Order of Saint Charles by Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Norman Newell was an English record producer, who was mainly active in the 1950s and 1960s. He was also the co-writer of many notable songs. As an A&R manager for EMI, he worked with musicians such as Shirley Bassey, Dalida, Claude François, Vera Lynn, Russ Conway, Bette Midler, Judy Garland, Petula Clark, Jake Thackray, Malcolm Roberts, Bobby Crush and Peter and Gordon.

Arthur Greenslade was a British conductor and arranger for films and television, as well as for a number of performers. He was most musically active in the 1960s and 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shirley Bassey discography</span>

This article presents the discography of Shirley Bassey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grande, grande, grande</span>

"Grande, grande, grande" is a 1972 Italian song, written by David William Moncrief, and composed by Alberto Testa and Tony Renis. It was a No. 1 hit for Mina in Italy and for Shirley Bassey released as "Never Never Never" in the U.K., U.S. and Australia. The 1973 Shirley Bassey single achieved sales of over 50,000 copies in Australia, being eligible for the award of a Gold Disc.

<i>And I Love You So</i> (Shirley Bassey album) 1972 studio album by Shirley Bassey

And I Love You So is a 1972 album by Shirley Bassey.

<i>Never Never Never</i> 1973 studio album by Shirley Bassey

Never Never Never is a 1973 album by Shirley Bassey. It features the hit single title track, which was a UK top 10 hit, which became one of Bassey's best-known songs. The album also became a top 10 hit in the UK and was a moderate hit in the US.

<i>The Shirley Bassey Singles Album</i> 1975 compilation album by Shirley Bassey

The Shirley Bassey Singles Album is a compilation album released in 1975 by British singer Shirley Bassey.

<i>Thank You for the Years</i> 2003 compilation album by Shirley Bassey

Thank You for the Years is a 2003 album by Dame Shirley Bassey.

<i>I Am What I Am</i> (Shirley Bassey album) 1984 studio album by Shirley Bassey

I Am What I Am was the only studio album recorded by Shirley Bassey for the Towerbell Records label. Several other tracks were also recorded at this label and issued as singles only. The recording sessions took place at Olympic Studios, Barnes, London, in July and August 1984. Following the success of the previous album All by Myself, this album peaked at number 25 in the UK album chart and reached Gold status. This release was the first digitally recorded album made by Shirley Bassey and was issued on vinyl, cassette and CD. Consisting of mainly re-recordings from Shirley Bassey's back catalogue and two new songs, this album was recorded 'live' with The London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Carl Davies. The album also reunited Shirley Bassey with Norman Newell, who had served successfully as her producer throughout the 1960s.

<i>Four Decades of Song</i> 1996 compilation album by Shirley Bassey

Four Decades of Song is a three-CD compilation from Shirley Bassey issued in 1996. This set features 54 songs recorded between 1959 and 1993. In 2008 EMI repackaged and retitled this boxset as Shirley Bassey The Collection; the new version had six extra tracks.

<i>Bassey – The EMI/UA Years 1959–1979</i> 1994 box set by Shirley Bassey

Bassey – The EMI/UA Years 1959–1979 is a 5-CD boxset compilation from Shirley Bassey issued in 1994, this set features 94 studio recordings on four CDs, recorded for EMI/United Artists between 1959 and 1979. Disc five features a previously unreleased live recording from Carnegie Hall. The boxset was reissued by EMI in 2010 in a standard jewel case set.

<i>Thoughts of Love</i> 1976 compilation album by Shirley Bassey

Thoughts of Love is a compilation album released in 1976 by singer Shirley Bassey. A themed compilation of love songs, selected from material recorded in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the album sold well in the UK and Germany, reaching the Top 20 in the UK Albums Chart and achieved Gold status. Thoughts of Love was re-issued on CD in 2011 by BGO Records, together with the 1979 album The Magic Is You.

<i>And We Were Lovers</i> 1967 studio album by Shirley Bassey

And We Were Lovers is a 1967 studio album by Shirley Bassey. The album featured Bassey's first recording of "Big Spender', the single subsequently hit #21 on the charts.

<i>Good, Bad but Beautiful</i> 1975 studio album by Shirley Bassey

Good, Bad but Beautiful is a 1975 album by Shirley Bassey. In the first half of the decade, Bassey recorded nine albums, with three making the top ten. In March 1975, Bassey released a compilation that became her highest-charting album to date, The Shirley Bassey Singles Album (#2), and reflects the momentum Bassey had maintained since her 1970 "comeback". Good, Bad but Beautiful, released in the autumn of 1975, spent seven weeks on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at #13, and earned a silver disc. The album reflects the formula that brought Bassey back to the charts: a combination of contemporary songs combined with her forte of standards, show tunes, and torch songs, featuring arrangements aimed squarely at the adult contemporary, or middle-of-the-road, audience. This was also achieved by modifying her backup orchestra to include electric guitars, a string and brass section with a more contemporary sound, and drumming that is more soft rock-oriented than jazz-oriented, while side two's opener, "Feel Like Makin' Love" displays a smooth jazz style.

<i>This Is My Life</i> (Shirley Bassey album) 1968 studio album by Shirley Bassey

This Is My Life is a 1968 album by Shirley Bassey. The mid to late sixties was a period of declining popularity for traditional pop. How much the changing tastes in popular music directly affected Bassey's record sales is difficult to quantify; but her record sales had been faltering since the latter part of the mid 1960s, and the album failed to chart(She did have some success in Italy during this period, where she recorded several songs in Italian, with two making the Top 40 there).

<i>Does Anybody Miss Me</i> 1969 studio album by Shirley Bassey

Does Anybody Miss Me is a 1969 album by Shirley Bassey. In 1969 Bassey moved her home to Lugano, Switzerland, with her second husband Sergio Novak, whom she had married in Las Vegas in August 1968. Remaining as a tax exile prevented her from performing and recording in the UK. In this period she continued to perform and record in Italy and the US. This album was recorded in the US and produced by the American producer Dave Pell, with arrangements by Artie Butler. The tracks on this album are a selection of standards and show tunes. The title track Does Anybody Miss Me was issued as a single in the UK, backed with the non album track Fa Fa Fa, but this failed to make any impression on the chart. Does Anybody Miss Me has remained part of her live show and was recorded as the opening track of the album Live At Talk Of The Town in 1970. This album saw Bassey re-record her 1958 UK #1 hit single As I Love You which she had previously released on the Philips label.

<i>The Shirley Bassey Collection</i> 1972 compilation album by Shirley Bassey

The Shirley Bassey Collection is a double compilation album released in 1972 by British singer Shirley Bassey. The album charted at #37 in the UK charts in January 1972.

<i>Love, Life and Feelings</i> 1976 studio album by Shirley Bassey

Love, Life and Feelings is the 21st studio album from Shirley Bassey, released in 1976 on the United Artists label. The album peaked at #13 in the UK album chart, and charted at #149 in the Billboard 200. Love, Life and Feelings was awarded silver record status by the British Phonographic Industry, with sales of more than 60,000 copies. Features covers of contemporary pop songs from the late 1960s and early 1970s, such as "Alone Again (Naturally)" the 1972 UK #3 single from Gilbert O'Sullivan and "The Way I Want to Touch You" from Captain & Tennille alongside "What I Did for Love", from the musical A Chorus Line written by Marvin Hamlisch.

<i>The Magic Is You</i> 1979 studio album by Shirley Bassey

The Magic Is You is a 1979 album by Welsh singer Shirley Bassey. Her final album for United Artists Records, the album notably featured a disco version of her signature 1968 song "This Is My Life".

References

  1. 1 2 Pieter (19 August 2016). "Shirley Bassey's 25th. anniversary -1978-". Shirley Bassey Blog. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  2. ↑ Pieter (2 November 2016). "FROM THE ARCHIVE 404 -1978-". Shirley Bassey Blog. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  3. 1 2 "25th anniversary album | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  4. ↑ "BPI Search". Bpi.co.uk. Archived from the original on 1 May 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  5. ↑ Pieter (29 May 2015). "Somewhere Over The Rainbow, My way & Interview". Shirley Bassey Blog. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  6. ↑ "British album certifications – Shirley Bassey – 25th Anniversary Album". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 29 April 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.