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.
Propellerheads were an English electronic music duo, formed in 1995 in Bath and consisting of Will White and Alex Gifford.
Since its inception in 1962, the James Bond film series from Eon Productions has featured many musical compositions, many of which are now considered classic pieces of British film music. The best known piece is the "James Bond Theme" composed by Monty Norman. Other instrumentals, such as "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", and various songs performed by British or American artists such as Shirley Bassey's "Goldfinger", Nancy Sinatra's "You Only Live Twice", Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die", Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better", Sheena Easton's "For Your Eyes Only", Duran Duran's "A View to a Kill", Tina Turner's "GoldenEye" also become identified with the series.
"Get the Party Started" is a song by American singer Pink, released on October 16, 2001, as the lead single from her second album, Missundaztood (2001). It received positive reviews and became an international success and reached the top ten in many countries, peaking at number one in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Romania, Spain, and the Walloon region of Belgium. The song was Pink's biggest-selling song at that time.
"Goldfinger" is the title song from the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger. Composed by John Barry and with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, the song was performed by Shirley Bassey for the film's opening and closing title sequences, as well as the soundtrack album release. The single release of the song gave Bassey her only Billboard Hot 100 top forty hit, peaking in the Top 10 at No. 8 and No. 2 for four weeks on the Adult Contemporary chart, and in the United Kingdom the single reached No. 21.
Get the Party Started is a 2007 album by Welsh singer Dame Shirley Bassey.
Bob Kraushaar is an English pop music record producer specializing in mixing. Kraushaar has mixed and produced commercially successful songs and albums for numerous British and international artists. His first industry appointment was as runner for Trevor Horn. He graduated to tape-operating at Marcus Studios but moved back to the SARM Studios when they expanded and equipped with SSLs. His first chart success came with Johnny Hates Jazz, and he was soon known as a mixing specialist having made his mark with ZTT artists such as Propaganda and Art of Noise. SARM's associated ZTT label was outputting multiple 12-inch singles requiring alternative versions, and many of these were mixed by Kraushaar. He went on to work with Paul McCartney, ABC, The Human League, Erasure, and perhaps his most regular client, Pet Shop Boys. 1985 saw Kraushaar mixing "Intermission ", a track on Anne Pigalle's album Everything Could Be So Perfect.
"History Repeating" is a 1997 song written by Alex Gifford and originally performed by English electronic music duo Propellerheads featuring Welsh singer Shirley Bassey. It was released shortly before their only album, Decksandrumsandrockandroll, released in 1998 by Wall of Sound in Europe and DreamWorks in the US and Japan. The single was a #1 hit on the UK Indie Chart, and was also Bassey's first top ten appearance on any US chart since 1973's "Never Never Never", making #10 on the US Dance Club Chart. According to Bassey, Gifford wrote the song especially for her. The sleeve cover, an illustration by Duke D. Jukes, takes its inspiration from classic album sleeve from the Capitol 1957 release Just One Of Those Things by Nat King Cole.
Never the Bride are an English band founded in the early 1990s. The group is led by singer Nikki Lamborn and keyboardist/guitarist/singer Catherine "Been" Feeney, who co-write the music. The band's sound incorporates classic rock, blues, soul, and country. They have supported musicians including The Who, Elton John, Roger Daltrey, and Paul Rodgers.
Thank You for the Years is a 2003 album by Dame 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.
Shirley Stops the Shows is the seventh Shirley Bassey studio album, her 5th and final studio album recorded for the EMI/Columbia label in the UK. Released in 1965, this album is a mix of standards and showtunes. Shirley Bassey was at a high point in her career, with worldwide success of her single "Goldfinger", but the album failed to chart in the UK, a first for her Columbia albums. The album met with more success in the US, reaching number 85 in the US Pop charts. For the US market it was issued with an alternative running order, retitled Shirley Bassey Belts the Best! and "The Lady Is a Tramp" was replaced by "Goldfinger". Original release was in mono and stereo, both mono versions feature an alternative studio recording of "People" which has not yet been re-issued on CD. The stereo version, remastered, was issued on CD in 2008 together with 12 of Those Songs by BGO Records.
La MujerShirley Bassey canta en Español, is a Shirley Bassey studio album recorded in Spanish. The first recording sessions were held in Spain, and the album was completed in California, at the Hitsville West studio in December 1988. The 1980s saw a period of very few album releases from Shirley Bassey: All by Myself (1982); the acclaimed album I Am What I Am (1984); her recording of James Bond themes from 1987, The Bond Collection, ; and La Mujer. In 1987 the Swiss electronica band Yello approached Shirley Bassey about recording a song with them. The track "The Rhythm Divine" was a minor hit in the UK, charting at number 54 in the UK singles chart but achieving more success on mainland Europe. The success of the single released by Mercury Records, led to an album deal on the label.
Keep the Music Playing is a 1991 album by Shirley Bassey. The album was recorded in the UK at the Westgreen Studios and in the Netherlands at Wisseloord Studios, Hilversum. The album is a mixture of contemporary pop ballads, such as "I Want to Know What Love Is" from Foreigner, the Jennifer Rush power ballad "The Power of Love", and the more gentle "Still" from Lionel Richie, combined with standards from the field of jazz and pop, such as "He Was Beautiful", the sweet jazz ballad from Cleo Laine. Several of the song arrangements reflect an operatic pop style influence, which may have roots in her 1984 album I Am What I Am, which she recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra, and the fact that in the latter mid-1980s she started working with a vocal coach, a former opera singer. Bassey returned to the Beatles with "Yesterday", as she had previously covered "Something" and "Fool on the Hill" successfully in the 1970s, and had performed "Hey Jude" frequently live. Another previously successful formula was used for the closing track "Dio, Come Ti Amo " an Italian original in the tradition of "This is My Life" and "Natalie"..
"'Disco' La Passione" is a 1996 song by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea. The song was written for the film La Passione, a semi-autobiography by Rea. Shirley Bassey made her feature film debut here, but the film was a disappointment at the box office. A single was issued, produced by Rea and, unusual for Bassey, credited as co-performer. The track also appears on the soundtrack album La Passione. The single sold well in Europe, making the Top 40 of the Dutch and Belgian charts, but just missed being a Top 40 hit on the UK Singles Chart, charting at number 41.
"The Rhythm Divine" is a 1987 song written by Boris Blank, Dieter Meier, and Billy Mackenzie and recorded by Yello with Shirley Bassey.
The Performance is an album by the Welsh singer Shirley Bassey, released on 9 November 2009. It is her first studio album of original compositions in three decades. The album was executive produced by music executive Paul Carey and English film composer David Arnold co-produced the entire album with Mike Dixon. Songs on the album were written specifically for Bassey by renowned writers such as Rufus Wainwright, Gary Barlow and Pet Shop Boys. The recording of the album became the subject of a BBC documentary titled The Girl from Tiger Bay named after the song written for the project by James Dean Bradfield and Nicky Wire of Manic Street Preachers. The album gained favourable reviews and was certified gold in the UK for sales of over 100,000 copies.
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".
"There's No Place Like London" is a song co-written by Lynsey de Paul and Gerard Kenny, and held by the British Library that was published by Lynsey de Paul Music/Chelsea Publishing Co Ltd/Arlon Music/Chappell Music. It was first recorded by Shirley Bassey backed with a 54 piece orchestra, conducted by David Lindup and produced by de Paul, and released as a single in 1986. It was her last single for the independent British record label Towerbell Records and, unusually, the song starts with the chorus rather than a verse. According to Music Week, the song was commissioned by the "London Visitor & Convention Board as well as eight companies, including "British Airways" and the BT Group. A promotional video was made that featured Bassey's daughter Sharon and grandson Luke as well as de Paul and cameo's from celebrities such as Michael Caine, Spike Milligan, David Frost, Frank Bruno and Kermit the frog and shown on BBC News. A live performance of the song was premiered at the Royal Albert Hall, with songwriter de Paul in the audience as part of Bassey's 30th anniversary concerts. The song was well received by the UK press but it stalled at number 138 on the UK Singles Chart.
I Owe It All to You is an album by Welsh singer Shirley Bassey, released on 6 November 2020 by Decca Records. It contains a mix of new songs and cover versions "handpicked to reflect her incredible life and career". Bassey said of the album, "My new album is a celebration of 70 years in showbiz. 70 years of support from my fans and 70 years of music! I've trodden the boards of many stages and kicked up many a diamante heel! The songs I have chosen all feel very personal and connected to my life. I hope they will do the same for my fans."
