Shimmy In Action + Born To Sing
Fab photos from Rien
A page all about one beautiful handmade gown full of silk tassels, the White Shimmy
Rien has kindly sent this link to a 1994 Royal Variety Show video featuring the gown:
The sound quality is muffled, but Shirley’s crystal singing cuts through clearly
Thanks to Scot for adding the video to YouTube
*************************************************************************************
Examples of what you think of the gown-
Megafan Ian said:
“Yes the white shimmy was a firm favourite of the late nineties.
Where is this shot taken? The white looked better than the black one!”
And Peter said:
“I LOVE the shimmy post!
And I loved the way Dame Shirley used that ‘frock’ at the 1994 Royal Variety”
*************************************************************************************
A type of dance
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimmy
*************************************************************************************
Born To Sing
also entitled I Was Born To Sing Forever
Written by M. Jouveaux / J.Barnel
English words penned by Norman Newell.
Released in 1986 as B-side of a Towerbell single (A-side: There’s No Place Like London).
The recording has never been re-released, but Shirley Bassey has performed the song on some live concerts such as in 1995 on her 40th anniversary world tour.
The original French title of this song was “Mourir Sur Scène”.
The song was a great hit in 1983 for Dalida. She was a singer of Italian descent, raised in Egypt, and she was very successful in France and some other countries (born: Yolande Christina Gigliotti).
Norman Newell translated this song for her into English, and so she recorded it in English as “Born To Sing” too. Norman Newell wrote English lyrics for a few more of Dalida’s songs, and he was, as we all know, responsible for many hits of Shirley Bassey.
On the 1995 video An Audience With Shirley Bassey, she says before this song:
“This next song was written for me by my dear friend Norman Newell, who wrote for me many of my hits. And this one is the last ones he wrote for me. Thank you Norman.”
Norman had not in fact written it for Shirley originally, but she was obviously referring to the fact that he had remembered this song, and offered it to her. She brought it back to the audience, because Dalida had died a few years before.
The live version is much better than the 1986 studio recording. It’s still a great song, but live, she sings it much more enthusiastically.
A fan told me that Norman Newell had once reported the following story about this song: One day he was at home, wearing a dressing gown, penning the words, and acting like Shirley would act - hands flying all over the place and running around in his lounge to get inspiration. Then the milkman knocked and he opened the door. Norman tried to explain that he was in fact, composing a song for Shirley Bassey. He laughed as he described a very shocked milkman.
*************************************************************************************
Lyrics
(live Shirley Bassey begins with the refrain before the first verse)
When the spotlight hits my face, I’m alive
The stage is where I’ll always survive
The only place that I want to be
When I hear the audience coming in I feel the magic starts to begin
And then I know they come to see me
When I hear the maestro strike up the band
And the drums begin to play
It’s the only way that I understand
To live my life each day
Refrain:
I was born to sing forever
Born to sing for you
And as long as were together
There’s nothing else I want to do
I was born to sing forever
To me that’s everything
And until the end of time I know, I’m born to sing
(live Shirley Bassey repeats the refrain here and then ends without the second verse)
When the rhythm start to beat in my brain
I sing the verse and then the refrain
And love to hear the sound of applause
When the crowd appreciate what I do
I find that each performance is new
I go on singing that is because
There are those who think I’m wasting my time
They say that’s life’s not just a song
But as long as there is music and rhyme
I know where I belong
I was born to sing forever
Born to sing for you
And as long as were together
There’s nothing else I want to do
I was born to sing forever
To me that’s everything
And until the end of time I know, I’m born to sing
I was born to sing forever
To me that’s everything
And until the end of time I know, I’m born to sing
Transcribed by Roman
*************************************************************************************
A prototype shimmy
*************************************************************************************
No Comments
No comments yet.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
