Gordon from London sent us this wonderful flyer of the Roundhouse BBC Electric Proms from October last year.
I think it gives us an opportunity to review this last performance from Dame Shirley Bassey again because we never get tired of seeing it.
I chose my favourite song from the album (or should I say CD) After the rain. I would like to thank Gordon and I am sure I speak on behalf of all blog viewers, for sending this for the blog and also for the video-tapes he sent us from which we will see more on the next blogs.
After the rain is written by Richard Hawley and in the booklet of the CD he wrote: “To be asked to contribute a song to Shirley’s album is an honour and also a difficult task as well. I decided to contribute a slow ballad instead of a big sho tune or anything too bombastic. The song is about the clarity you can get after a storm, it’s a very simple song but Shirley has given a lot to the song I didn’t know as there before. It’s a great honour for me and something I won’t forget.”
Click to enlarge
Dame Shirley talks about her ‘golden handshake’
Dame Shirley Bassey Blog 
Love the whole show of Dame Shirley Bassey in Electric Proms. Isn’t it wonderful, if this show broadcast in Australian TV??! Or better suggestion to make it as DVD?! I am pretty sure,” The Performance,” sale will be selling much faster.
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after the rain -the worst song shirley ever recorded-the key or as we say in germany -the tonality is false for shirley ,it’s a very simply little number,not for her voice and not for her pesonality.she has recorded some quiet songs before,like the great “it’s always 4 a.m”from her 1969 album does anybody miss me.much better in everyway.
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I appreciate her honesty but I totally disagree with Holly’s comment. I think Dame Shirley is brilliant with her After the rain performance. I think that after 57 years in the business she would be a pretty good judge of the proper key or tonality for her. I love the song and her performance. I would love to hear the 4am song too. My favorite song from the album is This Time, though it is hard to choose a favoriite since they all are so good. Thanks Pieter for posting this.
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I agree with Holly, i don’t like the song, my favourites from the album are No Good About Goodbye, I love you now and Nice Men.
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hello lydia,you can hear “it’s always 4 a.m” on youtube.-and belive me-even after 57 years some singers sing in the wrong key.but this has nothing to do with my admiration for dame shirley,i have every LP she has ever recorded and saw her several times in concert.she is the best female singer in her domain-bar none.but i’m sure she will never sing after the rain again in any concert.and she know why.and your favorite song this time is perfect for shirley.in every way!
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I CAN TAKE THE SONGS AND TAKE IT TO MY LIFE WHEN I LISSEND AND THEY GIVE ME SO MANY THINGS THAT I CAN THINK ABOUT EVERY DAY
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I think this is a great song and song by a great singer, if it was only 25 pounds to see her that was a bargain, I last saw the Dame at the Melbourne concert hall in 1992 and that cost $42.00 , I’m glad to see she doesn’t overcharge. I paid $247 to see Barbra Streisand in 2000 and we were miles from the stage.
I wish the BBC would put this Show on DVD so all us overseas fans can see it in full.
Pauline
Melbourne.
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I think Dame Shirley sings this song better live than on the CD.
I like After the Rain, Almost there and all the other songs on the Performance CD except for The Apartment, but thats me I think it’s a daft song, with silly lyrics and is not the usual Bassey song, but as long as The Dame likes it than thats all that matters.
If it only cost 25 pounds to see the Dame at the Electric Proms than thats s great bargain, I paid $247 aussie dollars to see Barbra Streisand in 2000 at a lousy football stadium in Melbourne and we were miles from the stage. Please BBC put this Electric Proms on DVD for us overseas.
Thanks
Pauline
Melbourne
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THERE IS A SHIRLEY BASSEY NIGHT ON FRIDAY 7TH MAY.BBC4 FROM 10PM.
YOU CANT BEAT A BIT OF DAME SHIRLEY OF AN EVENING AND BBC4 ARE SPOILING US HERE.
FIRST THERE IS ALAN YENTOBS IMAGINE DOCUMENTARY WITH CONTRABUTIONS FROM GARY BARLOW AND THE PET SHOP BOYS ,FOLLOWED BY AN EPISODE OF THE SHIRLEY BASSEY SHOW FROM THE 1970s I AM LUCKY TO HAVE THEM .
THEN AS IF TO PROVE SHE HAS LOST NONE OF HER POWERS ,THERE IS LAST YEARS BRILLIANT ELECTRIC PROMS APPEARANCE WHERE DSB GAVE MUSICIANS LESS THAT HAVE HER AGE A RUN FOR THERE MONEY ON UPDATE SONGS THAT HAVE MADE HER A LEGEND .
I HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE AND WAS TOTALLY NERVOUS AT FIRST MET DAME SHIRLEY SINCE THE 1970s ALL THE ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCES ROYAL GALAS CONCERTS AND GIVEN HER BOUQUETS .
WHEN SHE VISITED SCOTLAND IN THE BORDERS SHOPPING AND A FAVORITE ANTIQUE SHOP OF THE STARS IVE SEEN HER IN THERE , AS WELL AS BARBARA STRIESAND I WAS VERY LUCKY AND GOT THERE AUTOGRAPHS .
I WAS ALSO AT THE CHRISTIES AUCTION WHEN DAME SHIRLEY SOLD HER GOWNS AND SHE SINGED MY CATALOGUE,AND ALSO THE SAME HAPPENED WITH DIANA PRINCESS OF WALES .
I GET A LOT OF PLEASURE FROM DAME SHIRLEYS SONGS AND IM SURE SHE MUST GET BORED SINGING THE STANDARDS ALL THE TIME SO WHY NOT SEE THINGS FROM A DIFFERANT ANGLE AND THE SHOW MUST GO ON .
AND AS SHIRLEY HAS SAID AS LONG AS SHE HAS HER VOICE SHE WILL KEEP GOING AS THE PROMS PROVED WHO ELSE IN THERE SEVENTIES CAN HOLD NOTES LIKE HER ,VERY FEW .
HOPE YOU CAN ALL GET THE FRIDAY NIGHT SHOWS
THE BLOG IS GREAT AND WELL DONE I LOOK IN EVERY DAY THANKYOU ALL THOSE INVOLVED AS I KNOW IT MUST BE HARD WORK .
ROY .
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