Main Index > Songs By Date > 2000 > The Remix Album...Diamonds Are Forever
 

The Remix Album...Diamonds Are Forever Remix Album 2000: Liberty, EMI Records UK: CD: 525873 2, Vinyl Double-LP: 525873 1

See also the corresponding remix single Where Do I Begin. Originally it had been announced that this album would also contain the following other remixes that were missing from the final UK release: Moonraker (by Superfunk), History Repeating (Propellerheads). In addition the Moonraker remix was also on some 11-track DJ promotional copies of the remix album. Other remixes appear on certain other issues (details below).
 

Chart Positions

		Entered: Sep 09 2000 Highest: Albums: #62  Run: 1 week

Other Releases

France: A limited two CD edition was released with the standard remix album plus an additional bonus CD single. L'album de remixes de Shirley Bassey - Seriée Limitée
Liberty / EMI Records France, set: 530037 2, bonus CD single: 8 89560 2

Japan: 13-track album was released on December 6 2000 with all the standard and bonus tracks on one CD.
EMI Japan, TOCP-65658, 4 988006 786929.

United States:  13-track album was also released in 2001 with all these tracks on one CD.
Nettwerk America, 0 6700-30178 2.

DJ-Only CDs: Some contain more remixes of the following songs: History Repeating, Diamonds Are Forever, Goldfinger, I (Who Have Nothing).
 

Cover Images

 

Track Listing Standard Tracks

01. 5:33 - Where Do I Begin (Love Story) (awayTEAM mix) (awayTEAM)
02. 5:51 - Goldfinger (Propellerheads mix) (Propellerheads)
03. 5:01 - Light My Fire (Kenny Dope remix) (Kenny "Dope")
04. 3:10 - Diamonds Are Forever (Mantronik 007 mix) (Mantronik)
05. 4:40 - Easy Thing To Do (Nightmares On Wax) (Nightmares On Wax)
06. 6:06 - Never, Never, Never (Groove Armada mix) (Groove Armada)
07. 5:02 - Big Spender (Wild Oscar mix) (Wild Oscar)
08. 4:02 - Spinning Wheel (DJ Spinna remix) (DJ Spinna)
09. 4:02 - Light My Fire (Twelftree's Lady mix) (Twelftree)
10. 7:06 - If You Go Away (DJ Skymoo mix) (Moloko / Mark Brydon - DJ Skymoo Aka Mark Brydon)
 

Track Listing Bonus Tracks

01. 4:23 - Moonraker (Superfunk mix) (Superfunk)
02. 6:00 - Diamonds Are Forever (Mantronik Diamond cut club mix) (Mantronik)
03. 8:39 - Light My Fire (Twelftree's full mix) (Twelftree)
 

Purchase This Item Using these links helps this site

2000 UK CD Release 2001 US CD Release

Rare & Deleted CDs & Vinyl

Compare Prices

Sleeve Note By Nick Robinson, Jul 2000

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MISS SHIRLEY BASSEY ...the Tigress from Tiger Bay, the lady that put the 'amour' in glamour, the voice that made those thrillers sound that more thrilling...

And what do we make of such talent today? The producers and musicians on this album are in no doubt that her voice is one of those heavenly instruments that only the luckiest get to work with. Kenny 'Dope' Gonzales, one half of the legendary US production team Masters At Work, explains: "I first came across Shirley Bassey's voice by accident when I was looking for records in New York. The amazing thing that hooked me when I heard that voice on record for the first time was the mere fact that it just cuts through everything."

"It was such a unique sound that I had to listen to the rest of the album immediately ." DJ Spinna, a record shopping partner of Kenny's and world-renowned turntablist, was similarly hooked. "I was hip to Shirley's extraordinary vocal performances on such tunes as the James Bond theme 'Goldfinger' and her version of 'Something', not to mention her many records that are much sought-after by beat diggers and DJ's worldwide for their intense, funky grooves and rich vocals," he says.

One of our illustrious gathering on this album has, of course, already worked with Miss Bassey. Propellerheads took Shirley back into the Top 40 when she sang on their 'History Repeating' single in 1998. For the bands Alex Gifford, this reunion posed a new challenge though. "Being asked to remix a Shirley Bassey song is like being asked to stir a shaken Martini. What can you do but screw it up? That gentle listener, is for you to decide but from our point of view, the temptation to meddle was just to much to resist," he says of the groups Goldfinger remix.

The special combination of Bassey and (John) Barry represents the pinnacle of a period of music during which hip young composers were fearlessly blending traditional writing and orchestrating skills with new grooves and attitudes into songs of exceptional quality and raunchiness; songs that demanded vocalists of equally exceptional calibre to perform them.

"I defy anyone to listen to the original version of Goldfinger without getting off on either Miss Bassey's recklessly brazen vocal performance, Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley's wry lyrics, John Barry's preposterously bodacious music or more probably all three. Its just not humanly possible," says Gifford. Of course, for many of these contemporary producers and DJ's, it is those Bond performances that hallmark Shirley's style.

"Sassy, Bond-style sex, romance and glamour," is how new production duo awayTEAM describe it. "Glamour, sex white fluffy pussies," is hip new funk-maker Robin Twelftree's' take.

For Kurtis Mantronik, a man who himself has traversed many genres during his long career as a producer and artist in the dance world, working on 'Diamonds Are Forever' was like stepping into the movies. "I've always loved the Bond films. I admire 007's style and Shirley's music reminds me of that class and cool that is James Bond. Working on this remix realised one of my dreams I feel that through it, I've actually taken part in the whole James Bond experience," he says.

Mark Brydon, one half of chart-topping dance act Moloko, has more humble view of what makes that voice so special.

"Listening to the many Bassey singles, I was reminded of those Saturday night TV variety shows of the Seventies when, after seemingly endless second-rate magicians producing doves from hats, families could witness something genuinely magical. It wasn't just Shirley's amazing vocals and the arrangements but also the sheer drama of her performance which remains something quite her own."

Perhaps strangely, Brydon decided to take on the lesser known Bassey song 'If You Go Away'. I'm sure the karaoke machines of the world contain more than a few of the ladies better known singles but 'If You Go Away' was a brave choice for the Tiger Bay one, let alone drunken Tokyo businessman," he says.

"Miss Bassey's fragile delivery of the intro soars to heights of desperation there is high drama here without the razzamatazz but with a lyric to leave you forgetting to exhale at the end," he says.

"I'd have been a shadow of your dog..." is as deep a line as you'll find anywhere straight from the coffee bars of Paris circa 1967. And Brydon's remix of the track, which rounds off this album in epic style, takes an equally bizarre turn. "Somehow making all things funky seemed at odds with this song so I opted for melancholic strings and a cold, European beat as camp as a row of tents but much better than watching ladies get sawn in half, any day!"

Of course, it's not just Bond and Saturday night TV that has kept Miss Bassey in our consciousness. There have been many other phases, stages and places that highlight a career that continues to shimmy, slink and shake its way around the world.

Indeed, who can forget classics like the 'Love Story' film theme? Well, those old enough to remember it, that is... "When we were kids, our mums seemed to watch Love Story endlessly so the song is familiar to us on a subconscious level firstly," admit awayTEAM, who themselves have just recorded their first movie song, a track for the screen adaptation of Iain Banks' 'Complicity'.

On their remix of 'Where Do I Begin (Theme from Love Story)', awayTEAM did like Mark Brydon and accentuated the highs of the song. "Shirley's version was very groovy and we thought we could expand on that. We felt it always needed a Tony Bennett-style swinging chorus so we gave it one."

It's when Shirley sings those love songs with such feeling and integrity that George Evelyn of Nightmares On Wax producer of two blissful, chilled-out groove albums on the Warp label - gets hypnotised by the Bassey sound. "The first words that come into your mind when you think of her are big, beautiful, proud and pure," he says. "My main reason for selecting 'Easy Thing To Do' was the lyrical content. By stating the obvious quotes about love, it contradicts the state of play in the world today - i.e.. there's not enough of it around!"

Working with the original music was, for many of these remixers an experience in itself. Groove Armada, recent UK chart debutantes with the delightfully laidback 'At The River', chose another less obvious Bassey cut 'Never Never Never'.

"It was a privilege to get the original music parts tape and something of a nightmare when it dawned upon us that Miss Bassey recorded the tune in the days of totally live recordings," says the band's Tom Findlay.

"It made the process a bit of a struggle for us. You'd hear this lovely guitar line but somewhere in the background there's the unmistakable sound of snare drums , cymbals and somebody making the tea! It limited the scope a little of what we could do but hopefully all the filtering was worth it and we've done justice to her voice and to the song. Working with Miss Bassey has been a blast."

Alex from Propellerheads also managed to reconstruct a masterpiece from its few raw ingredients. "'Goldfinger' was first recorded in 1964, before the use of multi-track tape machines, so we didn't have separate tracks of vocal, orchestra etc. to work from - just a regular copy of the record."

"It takes nerves of steel to take a scalpel to such a sexy body, but we just closed our eyes and thought of England. And Wales. And possibly the Bahamas. We hope you do too."

Even new boys like Robin Twelftree, who like Shirley - has also been signed to an EMI records label, feel a close affinity to Bassey. "It's the closest I'm going to get to Shirley without being stuck in a lift with her and it was delight and an honour to do the mix," he confesses.

Fellow newcomer Wild Oscar had already been dabbling with Dame Bassey's showstopper 'Big Spender' - trying to get a solid groove beneath it - when this remix compilation came along. "Remixing a classic track can be a risky business," he admits. "The original is really nicely recorded. I would have loved to have been responsible for that! But I'll happily settle for a place here instead."

Words such as honour and privilege are continually used by these remixers when talking about their work on this album. "When I was jumping up and down in my bedroom to 'Spinning Wheel' as an over-excitable teenager. I could never have imagined that one day I would be given the opportunity to remix such a living legend. When I first heard the live drums from the original recording tape, I almost passed out. It's been an experience that was a total honour", says DJ Spinna.

"I never thought I would have the chance to actually work with the original recorded parts of 'Light My Fire'," says Kenny Dope Gonzalez. "I always wondered what it would sound like with the drums a little louder and I was thrilled to have that chance to find out."

Hopefully, you the listener will also thrill at the chance to hear these songs in a new light.

And remember, through the whole album and throughout the ever-progressing musical world, there remains one undeniable, unmistakable, lip-quiveringly unique constant the voice that is Shirley Bassey.
 

Review From Sunday Times Culture, Aug 27 2000

Flanged, gated, riverbed - and chopped into pieces, thrown in the air and reassembled as she lands - by, among others, Mantronik, Groove Armada and Mark 'Moloko' Brydon, the girl from Tiger Bay proves that you can be Welsh and possessed of big lungs and still run a vocal gamut broader than A to B - a welcome and damning contrast to the chest-beating screamathon her compatriot Tom Jones indulged in on last year's woeful Reload. Nightmares on Wax dust down Easy Thing To Do and gives it lustrous new life; Propellerheads re-engage with Bassey on a cheeky update of Goldfinger; Kenny 'Dope' Gonzales offers a trip-hop Light My Fire; most successfully, Wild Oscar goes berserk on Big Spenda, touching every base known to dance and in the process fashioning a schizoid, anarchic club classic out of an already certifiable gem.

© Sunday Times 2000
 

Reviews - What's Hot and What's Not From Teletext, by Nigel Packer

The mightiest diva of them all gets the dance makeover treatment from various world renowned knob-twiddlers. By and large it's tastefully done, and the likes of Mantronik and Shirley's old pals Propellerheads treat the originals with plenty of respect. Then again you could stand her in front of a cement mixer and she'd still sound fantastic. Now there's an idea for an album with a difference.

© Teletext 2000
 

Online Review From 101cd.com

Take a handful of Classic Bassey tracks, mix them up and the end result is Diamonds Are Forever, The Remix Album. Classics such as Where Do I Begin, Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, Spinning Wheel and Big Spender get a complete remix makeover from credible artists such as Moloko, Propellerheads, Groove Armada and Nightmares On Wax. Probably the most played album in our office at the moment, this album is an absolute stormer! Well worth checking out.

© 101cd.com 2000
 

Moloko Remix Shirley Bassey From Q-Online, Jul 7 2000

Cardiff diva Shirley Bassey is about to be foisted on a whole new generation thanks to a new greatest hits compilation. Diamonds Are Forever: The Remix Album, features Bassey classics remixed by more contemporary artists including Moloko (If You Go Away), Propellerheads (Goldfinger), Groove Armada (Never, Never, Never), Kenny Dope (Light My Fire) and Nightmares On Wax (Easy Thing To Do). Ciara Nolan of Bassey's label EMI said that when Bassey visited her office to hear the end result, label staff were asked to provide 'dance space' for the frisky singer. "It was terrifying. She came in to the office and requested a space she could move in, because she likes to dance. But I was so relieved because she adored it. We had to sit through the whole album with Bassey dancing and singing in front of us."

© Q-Online 2000
 

Review From OK Magazine, Sep 1 2000

Album of the week: SHIRLEY BASSEY-DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (Liberty/EMI)

An extravaganza of 10 bold remixes of Bassey classics, bringing the heavenly vocals we all know and love bang up to date. Groove Armada provide a stunning take on Never Never Never, awayTEAM mix Where Do I Begin, while the fabulous Bond tune Diamonds Are Forever is given a new twist by Mantronik.

Rating: four stars out of five

© OK Magazine 2000
 

Review: Top Chartbusters From Livewire Magazine, Aug/Sep 2000, By Alan Jackson

An album of Shirley Bassey remixes, designed to capture the hearts of clubbers, leads Alan Jackson to relieve a close encounter with the awesome diva.

Mention the name Shirley Bassey to me and I'm apt to run and hide behind a sofa. It's not that I don't like her (although, to be honest, I'm not very keen). It's just that I find her scary. What's that doctor? The details? OK, if you insist... And did I comment last week on just how comfortable I find this couch?

I had been dispatched by The Times to review the nation's favourite diva in concert at London's Royal Albert Hall. My seat could not have been better, being just three rows back from the microphone stand. So close was I to the object of the audience's collective adoration that I could see each rise and fall of her rib-cage, each twist and quiver of her crimson-glossed lips. Travel reps and hairdressers in the rear stalls would have killed to have my ticket.

And all was fine until that moment when Miss Bassey took it into her head to climb down beyond the footlights and go walkabout. The song she was singing was an old one, The captain and Tennille's 1978 hit "You Never Done It Like That". And here is why my heart starts beating faster and my palms grow clammy. There is within its lyrics a line that goes, "Hey little man, I want to shake your hand..." And that's exactly what the singer did, each time those words occurred.

At their first utterance, she was barely off the bottom step and so sashayed straight for the fan directly in front of her, a silver-haired gentleman who rose to embrace her, this moment of intimacy captured in close-up by a roving cameraman and beamed on to giant screens placed either side of the stage. And by the time they came round again, the prowling Miss Bassey had turned a corner and had me in her sights...

Quickly, I shoved my notebook into my pocket and sank down so low in my seat that the arm-rest grazed my ear. But still she stared right at me. "Hey, little man, I want to..." There was a burst of excitement, a flurry of flowers, and an earnest declaration of, "Shirley, I love you!" Was it me that was speaking? Horrified, I pinched myself. But no, it was not. At the last moment, the man directly behind me had leapt forward, pressing upon the startled superstar a bouquet of arum lilies. Ritual humiliation (mine) had been averted. What's that doctor? No, you're right, other men are made of sterner stuff. For proof of this, look no further than Diamonds Are Forever - The Remix Album in which hip and happening dance producers of such pedigree as the Propellerheads Mantronix, Moloko and the AwayTEAM rifle through the glittering gems in the Bassey back catalogue and present them, remodelled, for a new generation to marvel at. Me? I'm going to have to lie down again.

Still glamorous after all these years, La Bassey is all set to enjoy a revival thanks to an album of hip, new takes on classic favourites.

© Livewire Magazine 2000
 

Review From Record Collector, Sep 2000, By Jake Kennedy

Following on from the success of the Propellerheads' collaboration, "History Repeating", here we find nine remix outfits given free rein on Bassey numbers of their choice.

With a voice like hers, the results should be stunning and, in some cases, they really are. Kenny Dope's not-so-different mix of "Light My Fire" is a stomper (but then, wasn't the tune already near-perfect?), and Nightmares On Wax's take of "Easy Thing To Do" is, unsurprisingly, the most relaxed offering. Mantronix's "Diamonds Are Forever" is charming as well, if only for it's insistence on not straying from the winning Mantronix formula.

Elsewhere, though, there's little to excite. The Propellerheads' bash at "Goldfinger" never escapes the 'interior designers with remix equipment' tag, and Moloko foolishly chose the sublime and haunting "If You Go Away" to drench with their stylisms.

The problem may be the difficulty in finding the balance between Ms Bassey's voice and the remixers' techniques. From the outset, the album doesn't gel properly, though there are some special moments, mainly down to the Tiger Bay diva's wonderful singing.

© Record Collector 2000
 

Dame Shirley's Set to Challenge Posh and Britney From The Weekly News, Sep 2 2000, By Bill McBride

Her greatest hits have been given disco treatment on latest album.

Shirley Bassey is already a singing legend. But now she's set to become a "disco diva" as a new generation of fans discovers her amazing vocal talent.

A newly-released album called 'Diamonds Are Forever - The Remix Album' (EMI) features 10 suitably extravagant reworkings of some of Shirley's greatest hits by top names on the current pop music scene.

Thanks to modern technology, primitive original recordings made up to 40 years ago have been given a contemporary gloss guaranteed to bring the house down in today's dance clubs.

Classics including Goldfinger, Light My Fire, Big Spender and the title track are presented as they've never been heard before, but the album's release in itself is a tribute to a seemingly-ageless grandmother celebrating 45 incredible years (Note by Roman: 47 years) at the top of the showbiz tree.

Shirley, now 63, became Dame Shirley Bassey in July, an honour conferred by the Queen at a ceremony held at Buckingham Palace.

Yet, to get where she is today, Shirley needed to display tremendous determination and dedication to overcome all the odds stacked against her in childhood.

Born in January, 1937, in Tiger Bay, Cardiff, she was the youngest of seven children.

Her parents, a Nigerian sailor and an Englishwoman, divorced before she was three years old, but the family stayed close and Shirley showed early vocal promise when singing duets with her brother.

After leaving school in 1952, 15-year old Shirley got a job in a local sausage factory and earned extra money singing at working-men's clubs in the evenings.

From there, she graduated to touring revues, getting her first big break in 1955 at a Christmas show hosted by comedian Al Read.

Soon after, Shirley was recruited to Read's own stage revue called 'Such Is Life'. The show ran for over a year and earned her a contract with Philips Records.

Success came quickly and her first hit was 'Banana Boat Song', which reached the Top 10 in early 1957, followed by chart-topping releases 'As I Love You' and 'Reach For The Stars/Climb Every Mountain'.

Popular recognition in the US arrived after Shirley was invited to sing the theme song to the third James Bond film, Goldfinger.

Shirley continued to have consistent chart success, but her loyal fans insist that to experience "The Full Bassey" she has to be seen on stage.

The emotion she puts into each ballad is legendary for its ability to reduce her audiences to torrents of tears.

Shirley also likes to mix in 'naughty numbers' like Big Spender, a show-stopper that also proved very effective at clearing pigeons from the runway at Liverpool Airport!

After touring the world several times over, Shirley is guaranteed sell-out audiences wherever she goes.

Shirley's attitude to life is best summed up in her own words - "You don't get older, you get better" - and no-one can deny she's done just that.

© The Weekly News 2000
 

Shirley Bassey Gets Reworked From Toronto Sun, Sep 17 2000, By Jane Stevenson

Classic songs by the 63-year-old Welsh diva get a modern reworking on this album, out Tuesday, courtesy of such producers-musicians as Propellerheads and Groove Armada.

If this doesn't get her some major play in dance clubs everywhere, you can lock me up and throw away the key. Unlike an earlier, similar effort by Englebert Humperdink, Bassey's songs, and her thrilling, fierce and distinctive voice, stand the test of time.

Where Do I Begin gets thumping drum-and-bass lines, while Propellerheads - who used Bassey to sing on their breakthrough hit, History Repeating - take the singer's biggest hit, Goldfinger, and add some funky, jazzy, guitar- piano-and-turntable grooves.

There's also plenty to recommend elsewhere with the sexy, sassy, swinging versions of Light My Fire (two remixes of this song, in fact), Big Spender, and Spinning Wheel; the very funky, yet soaring reworking of Diamonds Are Forever, and the dreamy, thoughtful Easy Thing To Do and If You Go Away. The only weak spot, surprisingly, is Groove Armada's jungle drum and swirling synthesizer take on Never Never Never.

If you're a Bassey fan and like to shake a leg, go out and buy this collection immediately.

Rating: 4½ stars out of 5.

© Toronto Sun 2000
 

Review From Vancouver Sun, Sep 21 2000, By Kerry Gold

If there ever was an excuse to dig out kitschy old warhorses like Goldfinger, Where Do I Begin, Diamonds Are Forever and Spinning Wheel, this is it. Since the electronic world discovered Shirley Bassey via remixing/techno outfit the Propellerheads, Bassey's become something of a diva to the decks. The pairing of her mega-watt voice and lush, movie-track symphonics with rubbery dance beats, extended grooves and jungle rhythms is hilariously brilliant stuff, and the most recorded fun to be had this fall music season.

The Propellerheads provide the grooves on a funky version of Goldfinger (the jazzy piano solo rocks), Wild Oscar turn Broadway classic Big Spender into a scratched out, funkified brew, Kenny Dope gets all heavy in the bottom end with Light My Fire, and Shirley gets digitized and set to a blend of strings and some seriously spacey knob-tweaking courtesy of Groove Armada. The collection includes remixes by awayTEAM, Mantronik, DJ Spinna, Twelftree and DJ Skymoo. Rating: 4 stars

© Vancouver Sun 2000
 

Review From HMV Choice, Oct 2000

Combine the 'big' voice of Shirley Bassey with some of the best remixers around, like Propellerheads, Mantronix, Moloko and Nightmares On Wax and you have a recipe for success. Some of Ms Bassey's greatest - Goldfinger, Big Spender, and especially Diamonds Are Forever are given a new lease of life. The album has a great start with Where Do I Begin remixed by awayTEAM and it just carries on in the same vein. A bit unusual, but this album could do for Shirley what Catatonia and Stereophonics did for Tom Jones.

© HMV Choice 2000
 

Review From Melbourne Star Observer, Oct 14 2000

If you only buy one album this year, make it this essential must-have CD for every self-respecting street-wise ... [wife and/or man]. I know this sounds incredibly dodgy, almost scary in fact, but this in the most inspired set of remixes I've heard in yonks. They don't ruin, bland-out or over-ride the majesty of Shirley's incredible voice, but add ultra-contemporary grooves to her songs for a wicked 2000 update. All the indispensable names appear in what must have been a brilliant gig to score - Propellerheads on Goldfinger, Kenny Dope on Light My Fire, Mantronix on Diamonds Are Forever, Groove Armada on Never Never Never, Wild Oscar on Big Spender plus many more. The collection entertains a delicious organic feel that makes Bassey a delectable main course. Dare I say dazzling? Well don't just sit there, get off ... and buy this today!

© Melbourne Star Observer 2000
 

Review From Melbourne Sunday Herald Sun, Dec 31 2000, By Graeme Hammond

Just as the Pet Shop Boys took a punt on dear Dusty Springfield in 1987 to provide vocals on a song that steamed ahead to become a hit, Britain's Propellerheads two years ago called on lustrous warhorse Shirley Bassey to belt out the vocals on History Repeating, creating one of dance music's great moments. The Propellerheads, then, could hardly be denied a place on this wonderful tribute by dance music producers of the 21st century to one of the previous century's greatest divas.

Kenny Dope, the AwayTEAM, Groove Armada and Moloko are among the gifted turntablists who were given access to the original, often primitive tapes of Bassey's sessions to do with them as they wished. The results are stunning: a punchy lounge version of Where Do I Begin by AwayTEAM is the highlight, but Never Never Never, Easy Thing To Do and two versions of Light My Fire also become electric.
Naturally, Bond themes Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever, are present and Big Spender is an inevitable conclusion. All of which goes to prove Bassey's voice was too good for just one generation to enjoy.

© Melbourne Sunday Herald 2000
 

Shirl's Still the Girl: Bassey Remixed From Daily News, Feb 18 2001, by Jim Farber

Great stars never go out of style - but they could use a face-lift every now and then. So the idea of letting today's edgiest remixers have their way with Shirley Bassey's brassy classics from the '60s and '70s is a good one.

The notion rises out of a larger trend: the influence of lounge music on today's electronic stars. You can hear it in music by groovy acts like Portishead and Everything But the Girl.

It was the English trip-hop duo the Propellerheads who had the bright idea of bringing Bassey back. They got the Welsh singer to shout on their hit "History Repeating" two years ago. Now they're part of this full-album treatment of her songs, along with Groove Armada, DJ Spinna, Kenny Dope and more. Bassey herself didn't lift a finger for the project - she didn't have to. (How could she improve on her own vocal perfection?) Yet most of the remixers found subtle and respectful ways to perform the necessary makeovers on her accompaniments and production.

The dance-oriented act awayTEAM puts a cool new funk beat behind "Where Do I Begin?" Nightmares on Wax injects hip-hop scratching into "Easy Thing to Do," while "Hey Big Spender" gets a whiff of drum 'n' bass, as well as an added rock guitar.

None of these snazzy doodads is allowed to overshadow Bassey. Not that they had a prayer of doing so. The woman simply devours lyrics. Hopefully, these recordings will give her the new generation of fans she richly deserves. Which begs just one question for the remixers: Can you do Tom Jones next?

© Daily News 2000
 

Review From DNA Magazine

Shirley Bassey began working with pop/dance/house musicians back in 1987. Swiss electro-pop group Yello were looking for a guest vocalist for their single The Rhythm Divine, and Shirley Bassey was suggested. It only took one phone call and a quick listen to Yello's demo tape for her to accept the offer.

A few weeks later it was time to record the single. Yello band member, Dieter Meier arrived late for his appointment with the diva. After a quick hello, he asked Ms Bassey to go straight to the recording studio in order not to lose any more time. "What for?" she asked. "To record the song? It's already been done!" While waiting for Dieter Meier, Shirley Bassey had recorded the song with the other member of Yello in just one take! Now that's a pro.

Thirteen years on and again Ms Bassey is working with the names of the moment. Groove Armada, Moloko, and Nightmares on Wax to name a few. Ten classic Bassey hits have been selected and touched up for The Remix Album...Diamonds Are Forever. Where Do I Begin is the first single release and possibly the best production on the album. Away Team have done a great job of working with the original and being able to manipulate it in a subtle and cleanly minimalist way - dreamy and harmonic but funky at the same time. Right on!

Propellerheads have left their mark on Goldfinger, making the opening extra special. Never, Never, Never deserves a mention because Groove Armada have changed it to a completely different track, but cleverly so. If You Go Away deserves a mention also because it's been turned into a techno track! Shirley the dance party diva - the album is worth it for this experience alone.

3 diamonds out of four-ever!

© DNA Magazine 2000

[Latest Updates] [Important Notice] [Contact Me] [Search Site]