Main Index > Songs By Date > 1973 > Live At Carnegie Hall
 
Shirley Bassey Live At Carnegie Hall
 Live Album 1973: UK: United Artists USD 301/2 US: UA-LA111-H2
Germany: UAS 29 524/5 XD, Japan: GSW1/2

Shirley Bassey Live at Carnegie Hall featuring Woody Herman and the Young Thundering Heard. Some original LP releases had a 12-page photo booklet inside the gate-fold cover. This album has been re-released completely digitally remastered on the 2 CD collection LIVE!. For a selection of photos related to this issue, please go to the Photo Gallery.
 
Chart Positions
USA Billboard   Entered: 1973
Highest: Pop Albums: #136  Black Albums: #20
Cover Images


Cover Images: T. Timoleon
 
Track Listing

LP One: Side A
01. 3:21 - Goldfinger
02. 2:54 - Where Am I Going
03. 3:54 - I Capricorn
04. 3:07 - Let Me Sing And I'm Happy
05. 2:23 - Johnny One Note
06. 3:28 - For All We Know

LP One: Side B
01. 3:38 - I'd Like To Hate Myself In The Morning
02. 3:50 - I (Who Have Nothing)
03. 3:15 - Day By Day
04. 0:51 - Narration
05. 4:38 - And I Love You So

LP Two: Side A
01. 2:52 - Diamonds Are Forever
02. 1:36 - Narration
03. 2:10 - Big Spender
04. 4:48 - Introduction Of Orchestra
05. 4:34 - Never, Never, Never
06. 6:05 - You And I

LP Two: Side B
01. 4:45 - Something
02. 3:02 - A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening (Instrumental)
03. 4:07 - This Is My Life
04. 2:54 - A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening (Instrumental)
05. 4:28 - The Party's Over
 
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Sleeve Note 
 by Noel Rogers

When Shirley Bassey signed with United Artists in the mid 60's, she was already an established star in British show business. With many successful records to her credit such as Kiss Me, Honey Honey, Kiss Me, As I Love You, I (Who Have Nothing), Far Away and The Party's Over ... songs she is still asked to sing wherever she appears ... they still sell in very large quantities on re-issue albums year after year to the joy of Shirley, who finds the continued sales appeal of these records a satisfying sign of loyalty from her fans of her earlier work.

When in 1969 Shirley took up residence in Switzerland she was unable to work in the UK for a period of two years and it was during this time that she recorded most of her songs in Los Angeles and produced the albums Does Anybody Miss Me and This Is My Life.

During her exile and living so close to Italy, I was able to convince Shirley that she should appear at the then "internationally-famous San Remo Festival". She was entered to sing This Is My Life and on the night she appeared, it was a landmark in her career in many ways, for she was acclaimed by the International audience, and the Italian public has discovered a new star. This Is My Life did not however go through the finals and the Italian Press conducted a campaign, voicing their objection to what they called the rejection of the greatest performer to appear at the Festival.

Since then I have been present at Shirley Bassey's performances in many parts of the world but San Remo remains for me the most nostalgically exciting performance of Shirley's I have ever seen.

This introduction to Italian audiences was followed by Canzonissima (Italian road shows) tours, television spectaculars and concerts, which served to heighten her popularity with the Italian public. During this time, Shirley continued to play the most important cabaret, club and hotel engagements in Australia, New Zealand, Las Vegas, New York, Puerto Rico and Scandinavia. By this time she was able and ready to come back home to work and record in London after a two-year break.

It was then that Mike Stewart, President of United Artists, asked me to act as executive producer for Shirley's recordings - a task that was exciting but at the same time daunting when I realised all that had gone before over future recording plans with Shirley we decided to try a completely new approach to recording for her return to the London studios. Johnny Harris was engaged as arranger and producer and we had Shirley singing with a group known as Heads, Hands & Feet (soon to become known in the States in their own right) and this in itself was a departure, giving us more time to experiment with ideas in the treatment of songs and a good basis on which to build the arrangements around the vocal and rhythm tracks. This formula we have used since, and has proved to be immensely successful. The first album of this new era was called Something and of course included the title song written by George Harrison which went on to become another major world-wide hit single for Shirley. The next album was Something Else and is probably my personal favourite to this day and then followed I Capricorn, And I Love You So and her last studio LP Never, Never, Never. The latter set was named after the single of the same name, which was Shirley's personal choice and which became her biggest hit in the US since Goldfinger.

The second and most comprehensive Shirley Bassey tour of the United States started in April, 1973 including two sell out evenings at the renowned Carnegie Hall during which this exciting album was recorded. Here the reception at both shows was phenomenal with standing ovations even before she sang a note and the atmosphere has been faithfully captured here. I suppose you could call this a definitive record of Shirley Bassey's established repertoire with the added excitement of being there on the night ... In other words, this is her life.
 

Review
 By Joe Viglione, All Music Guide

This double LP recorded May 11 and 12, 1973, and released that same year features a dozen violinists, four violas, four cellos, piano, bass, drums, guitar, percussion, and the amazing voice of the incomparable Shirley Bassey. Officially titled Shirley Bassey Live at Carnegie Hall featuring Woody Herman and the Young Thundering Heard, the album begins with her biggest American hit, "Goldfinger," and doesn't let up. Starting with a song that euphoric is impressive; few could lead off a concert with their signature tune and get away with it, but her voice is in amazing shape, and she sets the tone as this precious set of material is flawlessly reinvented. That's the Bassey treatment. She hits the audience with the hits. "Where Am I Going" and "Big Spender" from the musical production Sweet Charity, "For All We Know" from the motion picture Lovers and Other Strangers, and "Day by Day" from Godspell were melodies which reached the public consciousness thanks to other artists - the Carpenters on "For All We Know," and the original cast for the Godspell hit. Bassey just overpowers each memory when she's got your ear and uses the spirit of each song to take flight. The accompaniment is superb, but never gets in the way of the diva. Dusty Springfield titled her orchestrated 1967 album Where Am I Going and Bassey takes the same tune and shifts it to her arena. "And I Love You So" had become an adult contemporary staple at the time, thanks to Perry Como's hit version this very same year, but she dispenses with the pop and injects pure soul into what was originally Don McLean's light folk tune. Add George Harrison's "Something" to the mix, and it makes for a very appealing set. Bassey's interpretations are clearly her own, with the originals or most famous versions finding themselves as great reference points. I Capricorn was one of her albums released before this live set and Never, Never, Never the studio album which would follow; both title tracks get riveting performances here, the album flowing seamlessly. Her on-stage chatter along with another 007 theme, "Diamonds Are Forever," help make Shirley Bassey Live at Carnegie Hall a sweeping tour de force. It's just a breathtaking live album from a timeless artist.

Review text © All Music Guide
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