Italian card + New Alma link

The front and reverse of a little Italian “Singers” collector’s card

They have her date of birth down as 18th June 1937 instead of 8th January

Tiger Bay is in il Galles, not Inghilterra

Never mind, that’s a good photo of la signora

Thanks to Bigspenda

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(Non-DSB) New Alma Cogan link

Further to the tributes dated 29th October and 14th July, this welcome message arrived today from Dean:-

“Here is the new site for Alma Cogan – I am currently working on a complete discography.

The site is run by Eddie G and has official recogition from Sandra Cohen (Alma’s sister)

Click to visit www.almacogan.com

There is another Shirley Bassey link in the story from Eddie G (aka as Eddie Keen).

He knew Alma and was at her recording of ‘There’s Never Been A Night’.

Alma was asked to record this song because it was rumoured that Shirley was to release it as a single.

Alma recorded for HMV (EMI) and Shirley was at this time still with Philips.

Thanks for all your Bassey Work!
Dean”

Thanks Dean. I’m impressed by this new web site, it’s well presented with some beautiful banner animations. A wonderful tribute!

I remember seeing Alma at the Chiswick Empire and the Winter Garden, Bournemouth.

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.

Bewitched + And I Love You So

An early album cover

Shirley’s been bewitching fans for five decades

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And I Love You So

Another beautiful song, beautifully sung…

Click here to watch Shirley’s 1988 performance

Thanks to Scot

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And I Love You So was written by Don McLean

Released 1972 on a single and on the album “And I Love You So”. Also recorded together with the London Symphony Orchestra 1984 on the album “I Am What I Am”. A live recording is available on the album “Live at Carnegie Hall”.

In 1970 a record with some songs of Don McLean was issued under the title “Tapestry” containing among other songs “And I Love Her So”.

Also in 1970 Perry Como covered this song as “And I Love You So” on his album “It’s Impossible”. Then in 1973 Perry re-released the song and reached No. 29 in the US Billboard.

Don McLean did not reach the charts with the song.

But in 1971 he charted with the famous “American Pie”.

For that song McLean became the subject of the hit “Killing Me Softly With His Song” by Roberta Flack. It’s all explained in the Wikipedia link given below.

Don refused to let the success of “American Pie” straitjacket his career. In subsequent records he avoided any attempts to recreate the “American Pie” flavour; his sales plummeted, and his later releases even failed to chart. Though this does not mean that he has not a big number of fans around the world, and he’s regularly giving concerts.

Thanks to Ed

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Lyrics

And I love you so
The people ask me how
How I’ve lived till now
I tell them I don’t know

I guess they understand
How lonely life has been
But life began again
The day you took my hand

And yes, I know
How lonely life can be
The shadows follow me
And the night won’t set me free
But I don’t let the evening get me down
Now that you’re around me

And you loved me too
Your thoughts are just for me
You set my spirit free
I’m happy that you do

The book of life is brief
And once a page is read
All but love is there
That is my belief

And yes, I know
How loveless life can be
The shadows follow me
And the night won’t set me free
But I don’t let the evening get me down
Now that you’re around me

And I love you so
The people ask me how
How I’ve lived till now
I tell them I don’t know

Transcribed by Roman

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(Non-DSB) Don McLean

The same song performed by the composer in 1980

Click here for Don’s original performance

Link to his official web site:

Click here for don-mclean.com

More information here at Wikipedia

Don’s song “Vincent” is a tribute to Vincent Van Gogh
The lyric # Starry starry night # referred to this painting…

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Ta Ta!

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Sunday Supplement – Vote for DSB + Rhythm Divine + 200 blogs + Alma Cogan

Vote for Shirley

The BBC have a website page called Living Icons

It gives the opportunity to vote for our favourite living icons which will then be shortlisted etc

The nominations close at midday on Monday 30th October

Voting from a shortlist of ten will begin on Saturday 11th November

I didn’t know about it until a gentle nudge thanks to Jonathan.

There’s still just about time to nominate Shirley

Click here to go straight to the BBC page

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The Rhythm Divine

Shirley’s stunning treatment of this song with Yello was featured on 14th September

If you love this song, go back to the archive blog to find a video, lyrics and everything about it

I consider it to be a masterpiece

Billy Mackenzie

Taking the song to its origins, Jonathan sent me this fantastic MP3 file to share.
It’s the original recording by Billy Mackenzie

While strictly “Non-DSB”, it is well worth the 4 minutes it takes to download from this link:-

Click here for free download

Jonathan wrote:

“It’s great and Billy was such a great pop star – shame Shirley didn’t cover more of his songs.”

Nobody can disagree with you there, Jonathan.
Many thanks for sending such an enjoyable piece of music.

There is plenty of information about Billy on the WWW, but for starters try this:

Click to visit Wikipedia article

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Somehow I’ve managed to clock up over 200 daily blogs since starting in April.

A success that is thanks to a massive amount of support from fans around the world.

It’s now the most popular DSB resource on the Web.

I’m delighted that there are loads of fans who check in almost daily.

Fans from not just the UK, the USA, Oz and NZ, but from throughout Europe, the Far East, in fact everywhere. Even places like Uruguay and Romania.

The messages I receive from fellow fans show an outpouring of appreciation for her 50 years of work.

This blog is quite simply by the fans for the fans.

My policy is to make it fun.

It is promotional, and hopefully not too obsessive. There’s always room for Non-DSB features, other great stars and # a few laughs, laughs, laughs.#

This is, after all, show business.

YouTube coincided this year, with wonderful video links to add to the hundreds of photos.

The format somehow suits the stream of information about our enigmatic, unique and sensational Superstar.

I’d like to thank all contributors. You are welcome to submit any text, photos or scans. Keep it coming!

Thanks for watching, and please stay tuned. 2007 could be another great year for the eternally 29-year-old Dame.

Shirley’s fans are the best!

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(Non-DSB) Tribute to Alma Cogan

Please see blog dated 14th July for a previous tribute to Alma.

It’s now 40 years since her untimely death.

Here’s a repost of a fine publicity photo. You can see from Shirley how long ago it was.

To celebrate Alma’s memory, there’s a good but lo-fi example of her talent on this link:

Click here for the Dixie Melody

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Boot Camp + MySpace + NTB + Karaoke + Joke + Tom + Bloopers

2003 Wembley

Repost: 2003 Birmingham

Repost: The boot incident

For your delectation, here’s Ian’s memory of a Bassey boot

Hi Peggy
Hope you are okay-thanks for another great blog week!

Here is my report for the blog on NEC show 2003 Boot incident,you can put it with the picture,sorry I don’t have facility to send photo of me with Shirley and my boot!

I have fond memories of this picture, taken at N.E.C. Birmingham on Shirley’s 2003 tour.

Every tour I always see Shirley at Birmingham and try to give her something ‘different’ to the norm of flowers etc. Sometimes it is a framed disc or a memento of her past triumphs.

Earlier in this concert I had taken up a framed photo of me presenting her with a framed disc at the 2000 Millennium Tour. Towards the end of the present show, Shirley complained her foot hurt in new shoes, calling out to backstage ‘Bring me another pair of shoes’ to which no one replied. She took her shoe off to rub her foot.

Instantly, I thought of the Morecambe and Wise sketch. I was in the second row from
the front, sitting with friends. I shot up to the stage, took off my chelsea boot and offered it up to Shirley.

She instantly knew what I was doing and said “You’re trying to do a ‘Morecambe and Wise’ aren’t you!”

Chelsea boots

-I laughed and said “Yes!”
Shirley then looked inside my boot,and asked me” What size is it?” to which I replied ”Its a 6”.
She said ”I’m a 7”. ( I always thought she was a 6 actually)

Shirley then shook it upside down and a stone fell out.

”Yuk! Something’s in it!” she said. We laughed and then Shirley handed it back to me.

It was a memory that will always stay with me, of one of my personal jokes I have played on Shirley over the years. She is always full of fun when I do them and likes a good laugh!

The gown she wore at this concert, as shown in the picture, was designed by Jenny Packham, who also designed the gown worn the previous night at Manchester, fondly called the handkerchief gown by fans due to the bottom of it.

This gown is a gold ‘column’ gown,it was very tight at the bottom for Shirley to dance in She had difficulty doing her dance steps, I remember. This may explain why she only wore it once, because it was difficult to move in.

The rest of the tour Shirley wore the gold ‘lace’ dress and Doug Darnell’s 50th Anniversary gold ‘flower’ dress at London-which looked a bit disappointing actually!

There we are Peggy- hope you and other followers enjoy reading it!

Ian
xxx

Thanks for a good story, Ian.
I can just imagine Shirley giving you the boot!

Please visit blog dated 8th September to enjoy Morecambe and Wise again

Fortunately the 2003 tour gowns were photographed by Bigspenda

It’s good to match up one fan’s pictures with another fan’s enjoyable memory

# That’s what friends are for# Well, sort of.

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MySpace Music

There is a DSB page on the MySpace Music web site

I can’t quite figure it out, but if you let it load for a little while there are some songs that can be played, and a type of guest book for messages

You can register with MySpace but I haven’t bothered. Got plenty of music already!

Anything on the WWW that includes Shirley is welcome!

Click here for DSB MySpace page

I think it’s organised by the fabulous group Never The Bride who have their own MySpace page

It includes their great, raunchy version of The Living Tree

Click here for Never The Bride

Nikki Lamborn, lead singer. A fantastically talented rock genius and a lovely person too!

For more, please see blog dated 27th April

Always the bride ha ha

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Karaoke, anyone?

If you think you’re Diva enough, try sing-a-log-a-Shirley

16 backing tracks for you to sing “in the style of” Shirley Bassey

(Hmmm… This could be the worst thing I’ve ever put on the blog)

Link to eBay sale of Karaoke CDG
Message to all fans: Please do not send me any recordings of your karaoke singing

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Joke

Shirley went to see her doctor.

Shirley: “Doctor, You’ve got to help me. I keep bursting out into song, and it’s always ‘The Green. Green Grass Of Home’!”

Doctor: “Oh, I know what that is. It’s a condition known as the Tom Jones Syndrome.”

Shirley: “Is that rare?”

Doctor: “It’s not unusual.”

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(Non-DSB) For sufferers of the Tom Jones Syndrome

The Green, Green Grass Of Home

It’s Not Unusual

Doctor Jones gives this advice:
# It happens every day, no matter what you say, you’ll find it happens all the time #

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Shirley’s out-takes

Watch this hysterical video of Shirley’s bloopers trying to record a TV introduction…
with a little Barbra-esque outbust at the end

Plus a (definitely Non-DSB) dreadful singer struggling with The Hungry Years
and then some more celebrity embarrassments…

Click here to see Shirley swear (it’s funny)

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