Hey little spenders! Go back to yesterday
If you missed the premiere broadcast of the amazing new remix version of Big Spender, you can still hear it
Elaine Paige played it on her Sunday BBC Radio 2 show just before the two o’clock news
Fortunately, Radio 2 keep programmes for 7 days on an on-demand archive
Here’s my convoluted way of getting to hear the new Biggie:-
Visit:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/
Then click on “More shows” on the right hand side of the page under LISTEN
This opens up a new smaller page called BBC RADIO PLAYER
Scroll down till you see Elaine Paige in the left column
Click on “Elaine Paige”
This brings up the show’s own page
Now the tricky part, click >>>FWD 15 minutes three times and >>>FWD 5 minutes once
If you go five minutes further ahead you miss the beginning
So sit through the song from The Rocky Horror Show ‘Time Warp’ and the plug for Cats…
Then… volume up … Big Spender is on! Shirley meets ZZ Top!
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Well that’s # My Way # – hope it works!
if you know a quicker way please let me know
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On Saturday’s blog was news of the free CD in The Times, and I hope those who could bought the paper (£1.25 value!)
It included the premiere of another amazing remix track from the new album in a Brazilian mood, with jazz trumpet solo
‘Where Is The Love?’ was first issued on the album The Show Must Go On
The CD features artists appearing at festivals this summer
Who’d have thought we’d see Bassey and Bjork on the same album?
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As well as the free CD, The Times also gave away this booklet
They included this photo of Glastonbury
Dame Shirley has politely declined accommodation in the tent park 
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Where Is The Love?
Written by Ralph MacDonald / William Salter
Released on the 1996 album The Show Must Go On
New remix on the 2007 album Get The Party Started
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About the song
For more than a quarter century, Ralph MacDonald has stood at the forefront of traditional and contemporary music leaving his indelible mark on nearly every genre of melody and rhythm.
Ralph MacDonald was literally born into music. His father was MacBeth The Great, a popular calypsonian and band leader during the 1940′s and 50′s. Seated squarely on his father’s lap in the West Indian and Latin cultural citadels of the Harlem Renaissance, MacDonald began his early childhood education in music and live performance.
At 17, MacDonald became the percussionist for famed songster Harry Belafonte and began a musical relationship with him that would last nearly a decade.
During that time, MacDonald wrote an album of songs for Belafonte entitled Calypso Carnival. He also met his future collaborator, William Salter. The two began writing together and formed the song writing team of MacDonald and Salter.
MacDonald left Belafonte’s band in 1970. He was followed shortly thereafter by Salter. The two began to aggressively market themselves.
By 1971, Roberta Flack was all the rage in the music world and MacDonald had begun working with her. During a recording session, he played a sampling of his material for Roberta. She fell in love with one of the tunes that MacDonald had originally intended to give to The Fifth Dimension, one which they never got a chance to hear. Roberta claimed the tune for her new album and teamed up with Donny Hathaway to record the very first version of a song that would later be covered by more than 200 different artists in over 30 languages.
He also wrote “When You Smile” which was also a success for Shirley Bassey.The song, “Where Is The Love”, sold over 10 million copies and gave MacDonald his first Grammy as a writer.
Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway reached No. 5 on the US Billboard with this song in 1972.
It has also been sung by Stephanie Mills and Robert Brookins, included on his 1988 LP “Let It Be Me”. In addition it was sung by Mica Paris and Will Downing, included on her 1989 LP “So Good”.
Information from Songs of Dame Shirley Bassey
Update thanks to Aidan:
“Don’t forget the wonderful version of “Where Is The Love” by Liza Minnelli!
The song is on the CD “The Singer” which was released in 1990 on CBS 4656692.
That is the version I know the song from
“
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Original lyrics
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
You said you’d give to me, soon as you were free
Will it ever be?
Where is the love?
You told me that you didn’t love her, and you were gonna say goodbye
But if you really didn’t mean it, why did you have to lie?
Where is the love?
You said was mine all mine, till the end of time
Was it just a lie?
Where is the love?
If you have had a sudden change of heart, I wish that you would tell me so
Don’t leave me hangin’ on to promises
You’ve got to let me know
Oh how I wish I never met you I guess it must have been my fate, to fall in love with someone else’s love
All I can do is wait
Where is the love?
You said was mine all mine, till the end of time
Was it just a lie?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Transcribed by Roman
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