We are delighted to present this wonderful archive recording, 30 minutes of Bassey Bliss, “My Name Is Shirley Bassey”
Songs: What About Today, Yesterday I Heard The Rain, Light My Fire, I Must Know, What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life, I Who Have Nothing, I’ll Never Fall In Love Again, The Lady Is A Tramp, The Fool On The Hill.
Your opportunity to own a piece of art and cultural history!
Sir Peter Blake’s spectacular triptych, ‘Appearing at the Royal Albert Hall,’ is a montage of more than 400 stars who have appeared at the iconic venue since its opening in 1871. The work features everyone from music legends Dame Shirley Bassey, Bob Dylan, David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix to pivotal figures in the arts and sciences such as Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking and J. K. Rowling.
The artist, known as the ‘Godfather of British Pop Art’, created the piece in 2014 to adorn the newly-refurbished Zvi and Ofra Meitar Porch and Foyer at Door 12 of the Hall, and now The Royal Albert Hall are offering you the opportunity to own a limited edition print of the work.
Printed on 330gsm Somerset satin paper, each of the 500 prints measures 39 × 105.6 cm with a paper size of 56.5×123 cm. Each one is hand signed and numbered by Sir Peter Blake and prints also features an embossed Royal Albert Hall crest below the print.
You can explore the work in its entirety and learn about all of the famous faces who appear on the work by visiting an interactive version of the piece at appearing.royalalberthall.com.
Each numbered limited edition print costs £1,500 inc. VAT. To order a print, or for any enquiries, please contact merchandise@royalalberthall.com
DSB appeared on ITV’s ‘Lorraine’ show last month and gave some insight into how she maintains her youthful vigour.
Expanded video with preview, introduction and additional footage:
Celebrated portrait photographer Alistair Morrison: “The Lots of Charity Great Britons dinner was such a wonderful success, a gathering of iconic stars who mingled informally and reminisced about great moments of the past. The highlight for me was sitting in the photo booth with Dame Shirley Bassey and Pierce Brosnan. What a wonderful way to have fun.”
Last year, striking portraits of Dame Shirley Bassey, Barbara Windsor and Neil Morrissey were released by the charity RNIB to mark the launch of its new campaign ‘SEE THE NEED’. The photographs show the celebrities with their eyes closed to raise awareness of the challenges facing people who lose their sight.
The charity is campaigning for every eye department in the UK to have access to a sight loss adviser, a specially trained member of staff who can provide practical and emotional support to patients who have just found out they’re losing their sight.
Currently just one in three eye departments in the UK have access to a sight loss adviser and RNIB is warning that patients are being left alone after the devastating news that they’re going blind.
Dame Shirley Bassey said; “As a singer, I need my sight. I’d miss so many things that are going on in the world, like colours, paintings, trees, wonderful buildings, castles. I need to see faces. I need to see the reactions of the people. If I couldn’t see the people, I could not imagine myself singing.”
Barbara Windsor added; “I want to see everything that’s going on, know everything that’s going on, and I’ve always been like that.
“I’d hate not to see, I couldn’t bear that. It must be really hard for somebody to lose their sight; I think it’s about time we started a new campaign to say ‘hey, this is important’”.
Alistair Morrison said; “I’ve been a photographer for 30 years and I’ve used my sight for everything I’ve done. Without it, it would be a completely different world for me. I think it’s essential that people understand that the moment you lose your sight, you’re going to be lost and at that time you’re going to need help. The idea that only one in three hospitals has that support is not right, and it has to change.”
Sight loss advisers offer emotional support and practical advice to people who are losing their sight. They help people understand their eye condition and explain how to take treatment that might prevent further sight loss.
Based in eye clinics and hospitals, sight loss advisers are a vital link to services such as counselling, workplace support and rehabilitation, so that people can adapt to life with sight loss whilst remaining independent.
RNIB is encouraging people to demand support in their area by signing the petition at www.rnib.org.uk/see.
Dame Shirley Bassey and Dame Joan Collins have been good friends since a very young age.
Joan’s father, Joe Collins, was Dame Shirley Bassey’s first agent and Joan has been married to Anthony Newley, who was the co-writer of one of Shirley’s biggest hits ‘Goldfinger’ and she was there in the studio when Dame Shirley recorded Goldfinger.
And… since this is the Video Showcase a video as well. But this time a beautiful song from JOAN! She made a beautiful cover of John Lennon’s IMAGINE in 1982. The song was released as single in the Netherlands and taken from a tribute album for the Beatles with the London Symphony Orchestre.
Okay… So we’ve had many Dallas actors and actresses singing tracks, such as Audrey Landers, Charlene Tilton, Victoria Principal, Patrick Duffyand even good old Larry Hagman, so I guess a single by a Dynasty actor or actress was to be expected. But I never imagined it would be the preposterous proposition of Joan Collins reciting the lyric of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’!
This single was released in 1982 to promote the album ‘The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra plays The Beatles’. You have to marvel at the sheer strangeness of records sometimes. The B-side is slightly less bizarre, with Roy ‘I wish it could be Christmas every day’ Wood singing
Lyrics:
On Tuesday November 17th, Dame Shirley Bassey attended the opening of the Skate at Somerset House with Fortnum and Mason.
Underneath the twinkliest Christmas tree in town, decorated with a generous sprinkling of mini Fortnum’s hampers, guests whizzed around to DJ Gemma Cairney, while snow queens tottered around the sides on gigantic stilts.
Dame Shirley Bassey confessed even she’s not perfect when Daily Mail bumped into her at this event:
Click to view slideshow.“It’s not my business to have an opinion on Sam Smith’s Bond song because Goldfinger wasn’t perfect. Not many people know this, but there are two wrong notes in there. The more I listen back, the more I can hear them. I’ve been unhappy about the song for 50 years!”
Photo taken November 2015 at Fortnum and Mason, for launch of a book about British jewellery designer Stephen Webster MBE.
‘Goldstruck: A Life Shaped by Jewellery‘ (Salma Editions, 2015) spans 350 pages, with a foreword written by his longtime friend Tracey Emin, and photography by Rankin, Amelia Troubridge and Webster himself. It delves into the designer’s 39-year “love affair with gold,” setting luxurious reproductions of stunning creations alongside a charming collection of musings on his life.
Click to view slideshow.Dame Shirley was wearing black velvet floral print paterned dress, black fishnet tights and black peep toed stiletto heeled shoes.
July 2015: Dame Shirley Bassey stepped out at the Red Cross Ball dressed to the nines, head-to-toe glamour, wearing a purple lace number. The glittering summer charity gala evening brought together high society from all over the world.
“I decided to isolate the Moonraker portion into a separate music video because this is one of the most underrated (and possibly the most beautiful) of Bond themes, and the film itself is a far more confident, well-executed and worthy offering from the Bond franchise than many realize. Both the song and the film deserve more appreciation than they tend to receive.” Klara Tavakoli Goesche
In 2001 Dame Shirley was a guest on An Audience with Des O’Connor and here are the parts of that show that featured Dame Shirley. Des O’Connor is the only one who’s allowed to call her ‘Shirl’. They go back a long time and Dame Shirley was on Des O’Connor shows in 1986, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996 & 1999.
Click to view slideshow.
A wonderful interview from British television from 1990. Dame Shirley Bassey talking about her new album at the time: Keep The Music Playing.
Click to view slideshow.
Veteran BBC broadcaster Sir Terry Wogan has died aged 77, after a short illness, his family has confirmed.
In a statement, they said: “Sir Terry Wogan died today after a short but brave battle with cancer.
“He passed away surrounded by his family. While we understand he will be missed by many, the family ask that their privacy is respected at this time.”
BBC director general Tony Hall said: “Terry truly was a national treasure.” Read more
Below a video from 1985 where Dame Shirley Bassey presents Terry Wogan the Personality of the Year Award.
Yesterday
Written by John Lennon / Paul McCartney.
Released on the 1991 album Keep The Music Playing.
In 1965 The Beatles reached No. 1 in the US Billboard with this song from their album “Help!”. And in 1967 Ray Charles reached a No. 25 in the US Billboard. Additionally there are many more stars who recorded this song, there are over 3000 released versions of this song.
Lyrics:
Yesterday
All my troubles seemed so far away
Now it looks as though they’re here to stay
Oh, I believe in yesterday
Suddenly
I’m not half the girl I used to be
There’s a shadow hanging over me
Oh, yesterday came suddenly
Why he had to go I don’t know he wouldn’t say
I said something wrong
Now I long for yesterday
Yesterday
Love was such an easy game to play
Now I need a place to hide away
Oh, I believe in yesterday
Why he had to go I don’t know he wouldn’t say
I said something wrong
Now I long for yesterday
Yesterday
Love was such an easy game to play
Now I need a place to hide away
Oh, I believe in yesterday
Oh, I believe in yesterday
(Transcribed by Roman)
Today an interview with Terry Wogan who sadly passed away last Sunday. Dame Shirley also performs her hit The Rhythm Divine with Swiss pop group Yello.
Click to view slideshow.
Dame Shirley Bassey on the Michael Ball Show in 1994. For previous posts CLICK HERE and CLICK HERE and CLICK HERE
Lyrics:
When I fall in love it will be forever
Or I’ll never fall in love
In a restless world like this is
Love is ended before it’s begun
And too many moonlight kisses
Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun
When I give my heart it will be completely
Or I’ll never give my heart
And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too
Is when I fall in love with you.
And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too
Is when I’ll fall in love with you
Filed under: Bassey Archive 
The Prince of Wales hosted a gala concert for the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama at Buckingham Palace on Monday. Dame Shirley Bassey, who generously supports two students at the college with scholarships, told BBC Wales at the event how she felt compelled to sponsor their training: “I started off with nobody supporting me, there was nothing when I started, there were no schools or college for me. I made it, and I wanted to give that back to my hometown, where I came from in the docks of Cardiff.”
Dame Shirley Bassey met nine-year-old pianist Charlotte Kwok, from Llanharan, who is a member of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama junior conservatoire, with her Mother Chui Au and and father Nicholas Kwok.
American soprano Chanae Curtis, 25, is on the college’s opera MA course and said Dame Shirley was full of praise for the show: “Just being here is incredible and then speaking to Shirley Bassey was amazing. It was nice to know that she liked it. She was so encouraging and had such a warm heart. She made a great comment and said that the college is opening doors and if she had had some of those opportunities when she was young she might have taken a different route.”
The College’s remarkable achievements in recent years have earned it a growing international reputation as a centre of excellence in training for careers in the arts and creative industries. The new venues and facilities opened in 2011 mean that exceptionally talented young people from across Wales can now train alongside their peers from more than 30 countries in facilities to rival the best in the world.
Other guests included actor Michael Sheen, actress Ruth Jones and singer Bryn Terfel.
Mae Ms Bassey yn noddi ysgoloriaethau i ddau fyfyriwr yn y coleg, a dywedodd wrth BBC Cymru ei bod yn teimlo angenrheidrwydd i noddi eu hyfforddiant. “Dechreuais i ffwrdd gyda neb yn fy nghefnogi,” meddai. “Doedd ‘na ddim cefnogaeth pan ddechreuais i, doedd dim ysgolion neu goleg i mi. “Fe wnes i lwyddo, ac rydw i’n awyddus nawr i gefnogi fy nhref enedigol, o ble ddes i – o’r dociau yng Nghaerdydd.” (BBC Cymru)
From the 1995 album Shirley Bassey Sings The Movies Eleanor Rigby.
Also below a live performance from the National Lottery Show from the same year.
Eleanor Rigby. Written by John Lennon / Paul McCartney.
Released on the 1995 album Shirley Bassey Sings The Movies. A live recording is available on The Diamond Collection.
In the UK the single “Yellow Submarine / Eleanor Rigby” was on the chart position number one for four weeks in August/September 1966. In the US Billboard The Beatles reached a No. 11 with this song. It is part of the soundtrack of the 1968 movie “Yellow Submarine” and has also been sung by Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin.
This song must have been quite a shock to pop listeners in 1966, as it talks about dead and unfeeling people. According to McCartney, Eleanor Rigby began as a plain tune with a melancholy descending phrase, and the image of a spinster, Miss Daisy Hawkins, sweeping up the rice in a church after a marriage. Armed with only the first verse, McCartney headed for Lennon’s house at Weybridge where, during an informal evening with friends, he and the other Beatles pieced the rest of the song together. Though an “Eleanor Rigby” lies buried close to McCartney’s home, he said that the name was a combination of a clothing shop and an actress’ name. With “the face that she keeps in a jar by the door” they hint at the masking of the despair inadmissible by English middle class etiquette. Eleanor Rigby dies alone, because unable to tell anyone how she felt. McKenzies sermon won’t be heard, and he does not care very much about his parishioners. At the beginning they started with “Father McCartney”, but then it became the more neutral “Father McKenzie”, a name found by consulting a telephone directory.
A comment about the movie “Yellow Submarine” from the internet: Pure delight, a phantasmagorical animated feature with as much to hear as there is to see: Beatles’ songs, puns, non sequitur jokes combined with surreal pop-art visions in story of Beatles trying to save Pepperland from the Blue Meanies.
Lyrics:
Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Waits in the window
Wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for?
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
Father McKenzie writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear
No one comes near
Look at him working
Darning his socks in the night when there’s nobody there
What does he care?
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
Oh, look at all the lonely people
Oh, look at all the lonely people
Eleanor Rigby died in the church and was buried along with her name
Nobody came
Father McKenzie wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave
No one was saved
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
Oh, look at all the lonely people
Oh, look at all the lonely people
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
(Transcribed by Roman)
Click to view slideshow.Dame Shirley Bassey’s fantastic performance on Parkinson in 2003 featuring Thank You For The Years & Diamonds Are Forever.
Click here for more info about Parkinson
Memory
Memory (reprise)
Lyrics:
Midnight. Not a sound from the pavement.
Has the moon lost her memory?
She is smiling alone.
In the lamplight the withered leaves collect at my feet
And the wind begins to moan.
Memory. All alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days;
I was beautiful then.
I remember the time I knew what happiness was.
Let the memory live again.
Every street lamp seems to beat
A fatalistic warning.
Someone mutters and a street lamp gutters
And soon it will be morning.
Daylight. I must wait for the sunrise,
I must think of a new life
And I mustn’t give in.
When the dawn comes tonight will be a memory too
And a new day will begin.
Burnt out ends of smoky days,
The stale, cold smell of morning.
The street lamp dies, another night is over,
Another day is dawning.
Touch me. It’s so easy to leave me
All alone with a memory
Of my days in the sun.
If you touch me I’ll understand what happiness is.
Look, a new day has begun.
