Shirley Bassey back with a bang (From Mid Devon Star)

Shirley Bassey back with a bang

2:52pm Tuesday 10th November 2009

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DAME SHIRLEY BASSEY: THE PERFORMANCE (Geffen Records): SOME of our best songwriters have got together to help Dame Shirl produce her first album of new material for 20 years with The Performance – and what a performance it is!

The wait was well worth it, as she features songs written especially for her by the likes of Take That’s Gary Barlow, The Manic Street Preachers, Pet Shop Boys, KT Tunstall, Rufus Wainwright and a brand new song from John Barry and Don Black – their first for her since Diamonds are Forever.

It is produced by David Arnold, the Grammy Award-winning producer best known for scoring five James Bond films, and it provides a massive sound with that same, classic cinema big sound.

It has been more than 50 years since the 72-year-old recorded her first song aged just 16 and that big, distinctive voice is still in as good form now as it was back then and since. And don’t forget our Shirl has found a whole new batch of fans following her Glasto appearance two years ago.

The album starts with a more lowkey Almost There but then comes in with the camp flamenco of Rufus Wainwright’s Apartment, while Gary Barlow shows his writing skills with the excellent This Time.

The Barry/Black composition Our Time Is Now is true Bassey as are the David Arnold outings with David McAlmont (As God Is My Witness) and Don Black (No Good About Goodbye). She also gives good performances on more lightweight offerings from KT Tunstall (Nice Men) and the Manics’ Girl From Tiger Bay – perhaps they tried a bit too hard for a good title?

But perhaps the best is left for Richard Hawley’s After The Rain, the former Pulp man’s effort portraying the Dame at her very best.

This is a great Performance which should keep all her fans eagerly awaiting the next album and hoping they won’t have to wait so long – while it will also attract plenty of new admirers.

TRACKS: 1.Almost There (Tom Baxter), 2 Apartment (Rufus Wainwright), 3 This Time (Gary Barlow), 4 I Love You Now (Nick Hodgson), 5 Our Time Is Now (John Barry/Don Black), 6 As God Is My Witness (David Arnold/David McAlmont), 7.No Good About Goodbye (David Arnold/Don Black), 8 The Girl From Tiger Bay (Manic Street Preachers), 9 Nice Men (KT Tunstall), 10 After The Rain (Richard Hawley), 11 The Performance Of My Life (Pet Shop Boys).

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