If there is one good thing that came out of that time suck known as the BET Award is that more mature artists can certainly show up the young folks when it comes to singing. Anyway, that’s why I am so excited to share that Dame Shirley Bassey (yes a sister is a Dame—just like noted actresses Helen Mirren and Judi Dench) has just inked a new record deal. Her new project will be out as early as this fall. And like Tina Turner (who is a little younger) this lady has still got that sexy, sultry sound that made her one of the biggest selling artists in the UK of all time. Who knew? But it certainly explains why she is a ‘Dame’.
Bassey is best known for singing the theme songs for three, yes count ‘em three, James Bond movies: “Diamonds Are Forever”, “Goldfinger”, and “Moonraker”. This is ironic because we don’t automatically think of a sister when we think of James Bond. There were only two black “Bond Girls” (Gloria Hendry and Trina Parks) before Halle Berry did her thing in”Die Another Day.” But credit Kanye West with introducing her to another generation of fans when he sampled her in “Diamonds From Sierra Leone” (although the Dame was not happy about it). But she’s been gaining in popularity with a new generation of fans in the UK too—especially after she covered Pink’s “Get The Party Started” two years ago. (Okay, how cute is that?). In fact, she showed out at a music festival around the time of the hit and made the music industry stand up and take notice. That plus her sustained popularity convinced ‘the powers that be’ that she needed a new deal.
And the best part of all: the British press is comparing her comeback to that of Sting and The Police. Well, alright! I hope she brings her legendary style Stateside so we too can witness greatness. In the meantime, check out the Dame singing the hell out of one of her Bond theme songs:
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July 4th, 2009 at 2:06 am
i grew up hearing and singing shirley bassey songs..
she is the sound of bond everybody knows..
”goooold fingaaaaaaaaaaaaah”
when she rocked up at glastonbury on a helicopter in her gown and bejewelled wellies the crowd went absolutely crazy..
d.s.b is royalty over here..
we love her.. everybody loves her…
she is a british institution..
July 8th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Shirley Bassey is totally, completely, awesome, and somewhat underappreciated here in the USA.
The Goldfinger from 1973 at the Royal Albert Hall (that you linked) is my favorite version! But check this one out, the video is poor, but the performance is unlike any of the others!…youtube.com/watch?v=4_dXvf2kzOc
July 13th, 2009 at 10:28 am
It’s great to see that true, mature talent is still being appreciated. Her new generation of fans, of course, know her from her Bond themes, but, it may not have been until her recording of “History Repeating” with The Propellerheads in the mid to late ’90’s that we really stood up & took notice. Never before have we heard such bombastic vocals with that kind of production. Her latest album, “Get The Party Started” was a worldwide sensation, chock full of updated remixes of many of her classic recordings. Definitely worth a listen. At the moment, her Propellerheads-remixed version of her classic recording of “Where Do I Begin?” has gone viral on YouTube(with an animated singer, no less). Daniel Craig, the current James Bond, reportedly, wants her to record another Bond theme. Viva la talent!!!
BTW, GRACE JONES was also a Bond girl, in 1985’s “A View To A Kill”.