For today’s blog we are happy to present the video footage of Dame Shirley Bassey’s seventieth birthday party which was held on December 16th. 2007 at Cliveden House Berkshire near London. With special thanks to Alan from London who provided the video that was broadcast by CNBC.
Today we have a request from Michael in Toronto and Michael wrote:
Hi Pieter!
My favourite DSB song is Never Never Never. While I know it is probably one of the most played DSB songs, I would love to see some articles about the song, etc. Perhaps you could also include the finest version of the song, (IMO), from Royal Albert Hall, 1973.
Cheers, and continue to do what you do for all of us!
So here it is Michael and all the information you want.
The album ‘Never never never’ was digitally remastered in 2005 by BGO along with the ‘Good bad but beautiful’ album. The original album sleeve had one of the most beautiful and natural pictures of Dame Shirley Bassey and was photographed by Lord Snowdon. The inlay of the album had one of the most un-natural photo’s ever made of Shirley, unfortunately. This is what is written about the photographs in the booklet of the CD: ‘Wrapped in a gate fold sleeve, the cover art carried an extra public interest with the controversial sleeve photographs being taken by Lord Snowdon. The front sleeve had a romantic sorft focus-look with a head and shoulder shot of Shirley wrapped in furs. The gatefold centre sleeve featured Snowdon’s photograph of Shirley reclining on a leatherette sofa, her pose emitting a sultry seductive aura”.
Never, Never, Never :
Music written by Tony Renis.
Original Italian lyrics by Alberto Testa and Fabio Testa
English lyrics penned by Norman Newell.
Recorded: December, 1972 Released:
UK: February, 1973 on United Artists single UP 35490
US: March 7, 1973 on United Artists single UA-XW211-W Charted:
UK Single: #8, March 3, 1973
US Easy Listening: #8, May 12, 1973
US Pop: #48, May 19, 1973
Released in 1973 on the album Never, Never, Never and on some singles. The single “Never, Never, Never” reached position number eight in the charts. In 1984 it was recorded again with the London Symphony Orchestra on the album I Am What I Am.
The original Italian song “Grande, Grande, Grande” was performed by Mina before Shirley. See also an Italian site about Mina. Norman Newell penned the English lyrics to the song to reach an international audience. Since then this song was part of almost every live concert until today. Therefore it is available on many live albums and collections and videos. On live concerts Shirley Bassey sometimes jokes that this song is from the time where she “was married to the Italian”. She means Sergio Novak with whom she was married from 1968 till 1979. A remix of Shirley’s version by the “Groove Armada” has been released in September 2000 on The Remix Album…Diamonds Are Forever.
Celine Dion released this song 1997 on her album “Let’s Talk About Love” as a duet with Luciano Pavarotti. She only slightly modified the lyrics and called it then “I Hate You Then I Love You”.
Vikki Carr recorded this song too, but in Spanish and she kept the original title “Grande, Grande, Grande”.
In 1993 the Belgian singer Sandra Kim recorded a whole record with covers of sixties songs: “Les Sixties” in French and “Sixties” in Dutch. On both records is a cover of “Never, Never, Never”: French: “La rue de nos premiers baisers”, Dutch: “Nooit of Nooit”. The links lead to a fan page of Michel with translations.
In 2001 another Belgian singer Frank Galan released an English/Spanish version of “Never, Never, Never” in duet with the Belgian singer Dana Winner.
(Thank you Michel for this additional information)
Lyrics:
I’d like to run away from you, but if you never found me I would die I’d like to break the chains you put around me, but I know I never will You stay away and all I do is wonder why the hell I wait for you But when did common sense prevail for lovers when we know it never will Impossible to live with you, but I know, I could never live without you For whatever you do I never, never, never want to be in love with anyone but you.
You never treat me like you should, so what’s the good of loving as I do? Although you always laugh at love, nothing else would be good enough for you Impossible to live with you, but I know, I could never live without you For whatever you do I never, never, never want to be in love with anyone but you
You make me laugh, you make me cry, you make me live, you make me die, for you You make me sing, you make me sad, you make me glad, you make me mad, for you I love you, hate you, love you, hate you But I’ll want you till the world stops turning For whatever you do I never, never, never want to be in love with anyone but you
I love you, hate you, love you, hate you But I’ll want you till the world stops turning For whatever you do I never, never, never want to be in love with anyone but you
I love you, hate you, love you, hate you But I’ll want you till the world stops turning For whatever you do I never, never, never want to be in love with anyone but you
Dame Shirley Bassey Blog 
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