For this weekend by special request of DavidB our blogmaster and Dieter from Hamburg this great rendition of “Still” sung live in Tokyo in 1994.
From the 1994 concert in Tokyo.
Still
Written by Lionel Richie.
Released on the 1991 album Keep The Music Playing.
In 1979 The Commodores reached No. 1 in the US Billboard with this song. It came from the album “Midnight Magic” which reached No. 3 in the charts. It was the last number one for the group whilst Lionel Richie was still a member. He acted as lead singer, song-writer and played saxophone. In 1981/82 he left The Commodores for a solo career.
Lyrics:
Baby Morning’s just a moment away And I’m without you once again You laughed at me You said you never needed me I wonder if you need me now
We played the games that people play We made mistakes along the way Somehow I know deep in my heart You needed me
Remembering the pain, if I must stay It’s deep in my mind, and locked away But then most of all I Do Love You Still
Memories Times I’m sure, will never forget Those feelings we can’t put aside For what we had Sometimes I try to understand But it’s so heavy on my mind
So many dreams that flew away So many words we didn’t say Two people lost in a storm Where did we go? Where’d we go? Lost what we both had found You know we let each other down But then most of all I Do Love You Still
We played the games that people play We made mistakes along the way Somehow I know deep in my heart You needed me ‘Cause I needed you so desperately We were too blind to see But then most of all I do love you Still
On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever) is song from the 1967 album And We Were Lovers. It was from the musical of the same title. On a Clear Day You Can See Forever is a musical with music by Burton Lane and a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner based loosely on Berkeley Square, written in 1929 by John L. Balderston. It concerns a woman who has ESP and has been reincarnated. The musical received three Tony Award nominations. A 1970 film adaptation directed by Vincente Minnelli starred Barbra Streisand and Yves Montand. (Special thanks to Scot for this information).
In Australia in 1971 Shirley Bassey was presented with a gold disc for this album, during her yearly visit to Australia and New Zealand. This was the first gold disc awarded to a female recording artist in Australia.
Lyrics:
On a clear day, rise and look around you
And you’ll see who you are
On a clear day how it will astound you
That the glow of your being outshines every star
You’ll feel part of ev’ry mountain, sea, and shore You can hear from far and near a world you’ve never heard before
And on a clear day, on that clear day You can see forever and ever more
You can hear from far and near a world you’ve never heard before
And on that clear day, on that clear day You can see forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and evermore!
The English lyrics penned by Rod McKuen. Released in 1967 on the Album And We Were Lovers and on a single. The UK album contained a version arranged by Ernie Freeman and the US and Spain album contained another arrangement by Marty Paich. This recording has also been released 1967/68 on an Italian 7″ single (UA 3144, “E’ Giorno” on the B-side). The song is available digitally remastered on many CD collections. A new remix of this song by Mark Brydon from “Moloko” has been released in 2000 on The Remix Album…Diamonds Are Forever. Moloko is a British band founded 1995/96. In addition to Mark Brydon, Roisin Murphy belongs to it as vocalist, but because for this remix Shirley Bassey had already done the vocals a long time before, Murphy didn’t have to sing for this track. Before Shirley Bassey, this song had been performed by Jacques Brel in French: “Ne Me Quitte Pas”. Later Rod McKuen wrote English lyrics to the song and performed successfully. Besides Shirley Bassey some other famous artists have performed this song. 1992 New Kids On The Block reached position No. 16 in the US Billboard with this song. Jacques Brel wrote the original French version “Ne Me Quitte Pas” of this song. He was born in Belgian and became one of France’s most beloved and enduring musical figures as well as a composer of international renown. At the age of 23 on a whim he quit his job and relocated the family to Paris to pursue a career as a songwriter; living in abject poverty, he struggled to find takers for his compositions, finally realizing he would be best served by performing them himself. Because of his own experiences he showed a strong persona in his stage-show and became known as both romantic and embittered. Some of his songs earned recognition throughout Europe, winning acclaim for their literate power and acute social commentary. His bleak songs exposed the injustice, hypocrisy and inhumanity he perceived as endemic in contemporary society. He never earned a hit record in America, but some of his songs after translation into English and performance by other artists, like this song for example and “If We Only Have Love” which has also been performed by Shirley Bassey. The last one is from a musical production “Jacques Brel is Alive and Well, and Living in Paris”. In 1967 after Jacques Brel had given many performances, he retired from the concert stage. He then acted in some films. In 1978 Jacques Brel died of cancer. Rod McKuen, who penned the English words to this song is a famous singer, poet and composer. He has composed more than 900 songs of which many are well known, like this one for example. His songs have been performed by many famous artists around the world. He earned more than 40 gold and platinum records worldwide. During the ’50s, McKuen had worked as a vocalist with Lionel Hampton’s band. Besides pop/rock songs, Rod McKuen has written both film and classical music. His scores for “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” and “A Boy Named Charlie Brown” have earned him two Academy Award nominations. His symphonies, concertos, suites and song cycles have been performed by orchestras throughout the world and are guaranteed to bring in large audiences. “The City: A Suite for Narrator and Orchestra” was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Music. Another passion of the prolific singer/composer is writing poetry, which takes up most of his time. Rod McKuen has written more than 40 books. His poetry is studied in schools, colleges, universities and seminaries around the world. In his literary career, Rod McKuen earned the Carl Sandburg and Walt Whitman Awards for poetry and the Brandeis University Literary Trust Award for his contributions to poetry. The lyrics to this song are a fine example of his poetry abilities. After Rod McKuen had received the test-pressing of the album “And We Were Lovers” including Shirley’s version of his song, he wrote to Shirley Bassey: Dear Shirley, It’s been a bang-bang day. Too much work. Too much work undone. An hour ago, the test pressing of your album arrived and I used it as an excuse to begin unwinding. Maybe it’s the scotch. Maybe it’s the time of evening and the fact that I’m by myself – whatever, i am unwinding and next to me is that probing, prying voice of yours – now warm, now cold as an iceberg, coaxing out my song and a brilliant programme of other tunes. Thank You for singing If You Go Away. Thank you for doing something different with it. Also, thank you for singing everything you sing. Most of all, thank you for being beautiful always and in all ways – and tonight, thanks for helping me to let go. I love you, Rod McKuen.
If You Go Away
If You Go Away (Alternative Take: The UK album contained a version arranged by Ernie Freeman and the US and Spain album contained another arrangement by Marty Paich. This recording has also been released 1967/68 on an Italian 7″ single (UA 3144, “E’ Giorno” on the B-side).
Remix version (From the 2000 remix album)
Lyrics:
If you go away, on this summer day Then you might as well take the sun away All the birds that flew in the summer sky When our love was new and our hearts were high When the day was young and the night was long And the moon stood still for the night birds’ song If you go away, if you go away, if you go away But if you stay, I’ll make you a day Like no day has been or will be again We’ll sail the sun, we’ll ride on the rain We’ll talk to the trees and worship the wind Then if you go, I’ll understand Leave me just enough love to hold in my hand If you go away, if you go away, if you go away If you go away, as I know you will You must tell the world to stop turning till You return again, if you ever do For what good is love without loving you Can I tell you now as you turn to go I’ll be dying slowly till the next hello If you go away, if you go away, if you go away But if you stay I’ll make you a night Like no night has been or will be again I’ll sail on your smile, I’ll ride on your touch I’ll talk to your eyes that I love so much But if you go I won’t cry Though the good is gone from the word goodbye If you go away, if you go away, if you go away If you go away as I know you must There’ll be nothing left in the world to trust Just an empty room full of empty space Like the empty look I see on your face I’d have been the shadow of your dog If I thought you might have kept me by your side If you go away, if you go away, if you go away
(Transcribed by Roman)
The release date for Dame Shirley Bassey’s new album “Hello Like Before” has been brought forward – The Standard CD Edition and Deluxe CD Edition will now be released November 17th. The date for the Vinyl Release remains unchanged on Amazon so far.
The press release below by HJPR was kindly shared with us by Sony:
One of the most iconic and indelible voices in British music. Dame Shirley Bassey returns with ‘Hello Like Before,’ her first album in five years & most personal yet, celebrating her very own Diamond Jubilee of an incredible 60 years in the entertainment business!
Recorded at the legendary Abbey Road studios with producer and musical director Stuart Barr at the helm, ‘Hello Like Before’ is a collection of some of the greatest songs of the 20th century – songs that Dame Shirley has always longed to record and finally been able to imbue with her own Bassey spellbinding presence.
This tour of Dame Shirley’s own personal musical history includes the likes of Sting’s ‘Englishman In New York’, Nina Simone’s ‘Wild Is The Wind’, The Beatles’ ‘Hey Jude’ (on the deluxe edition) and ‘It Was A Very Good Year’, made famous by Frank Sinatra and of which Dame Shirley says “When I was 17 I was too young to do this song, and when I was 21, and 35 … I’ve waited all these years to do it.”
The scope of the album charts the entire range and variety of Dame Shirley’s life and career. From the fun and sassy, to the theatrical, to the epic and emotional. ‘MacArthur Park’, in particular, was difficult to record – Dame Shirley admits “I broke down with emotion in the rehearsals for this, couldn’t finish it … I want it make everybody cry”. There is also a stunning duet with Paloma Faith on the timeless ‘Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend’.
One extra special moment during the creation of the album occurred when Dame Shirley came to recreate the song that arguably introduced her to the world as a bright-eyed girl from Tiger Bay, the unmistakeable sound of her first James Bond theme ‘Goldfinger’. “I got a couple of notes wrong originally! After 50 years I got the chance to re-record it and get it right. It was great to record it in Abbey Road, wearing a gown!”
With an unparalleled career in show business spanning over sixty years, Dame Shirley Bassey has done and seen it all, performing for the likes of Royals and Presidents, being met with rapturous applause on worldwide stages from the glamour of Las Vegas to the mud of Glastonbury.
Throughout it all, Dame Shirley’s immediately entrancing voice has matured and richened to ensure she remains even more vibrant a musical force than the day she first stepped into the spotlight. Quite simply, ‘Hello Like Before’ is Dame Shirley Bassey at her very best.
Dame Shirley Bassey Blog 
You must be logged in to post a comment.