New recordings produced by Frank Gallagher.

Entered: Jun 2003 Highest: Albums: #19 (Wales: #10)

 

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2003 CD Release

Rare & Deleted CDs & Vinyl

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The album "Thank you for the Years" is what the title suggests - it's a celebration of my 50 years in the music business. It seems only yesterday when I signed my first professional contract in 1953 - singing in a touring variety show called "Memories of Jolson" and so much has happened since then that I can't quite believe I'm still here - making music in a business which has changed so much since I first stepped into a recording studio.

But this is the why this album is so particularly special for me. It tracks a long and wonderful journey starting with six brand new songs recorded only this year and finishes right back where I started with my first ever single. I hope you like them as much as I do.

I thank everyone who has supported and enjoyed my work over the last 50 years. One thing is for sure it's been one hell of a ride - and given the chance - I might just do it all over again!

Thank YOU for the years, love

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This year sees the fabulous Dame Shirley Bassey celebrate her 50^th anniversary in show business.  The biggest selling female singer in the UK of all time, Dame Shirley has a new album released through Sony UK in May – Thank You For The Years features six brand new songs, including the title track, and a further sixteen classic Bassey tracks including her first ever Top 10 hit from 1957, The Banana Boat Song as well as her famous James Bond themes, 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever and 1964’s Goldfinger and her first UK No. 1 hits, 1959’s As I Love You and 1961’s Reach For The Stars.

The youngest of seven children, Bassey sang duets with her brother from a very early age at family get-togethers; on finishing school she found a job at a local factory and earned extra money singing at men’s clubs after hours.  She signed her first live appearance contract at the age of 16 and by 18 was travelling around the country singing at clubs throughout the UK.  Her powerful vocals, unique delivery and an early passion for beautiful dresses gave Bassey’s shows unprecedented appeal.  From the very beginning, Bassey would give every song her heart and soul – she connected with a quickly adoring public and Philips Records were swift to sign her to their burgeoning roster. 

Bassey had her first hit in 1957 with The Banana Boat Song and followed it with chart toppers and best sellers in swift succession.  In 1962 a pairing with arranger Nelson Riddle increased her prestige in America; her glamorous live show gained her headlining spots in New York and Las Vegas and when Goldfinger hit No. 8 in the American charts, it instantly became her signature song. 

Bassey’s hits in the UK continued into the 1970s led by Top 10 entries such as For All We Know, Never Never Never, and George Harrison’s Something.  In 1977 she was awarded the Britannia Award for Best Female Solo Singer in the Last 50 Years and fronted her own, highly rated, BBC TV show.  In 1979, her third James Barry James Bond theme, the sublime Moonraker, gave her the distinction of being the only artist to record three Bond themes.

During the mid 1980s Bassey took some time away from the bright lights, recording television specials in the UK, US and Europe and a number of albums including a 1987 album with synth-pop group Yello.  In the 1990s she toured the world several times, had a gigantic hit with the Propellerheads – History Repeating – and proved that comebacks weren’t needed because she’d never really been away.

During what can only be described as a glittering career, Dame Shirley Bassey has recorded over 60 albums, had 29 Top 40 hits, 12 Top 10 hits, 6 Top 5 hits and two No. 1s.  She was recently awarded France’s top honour, the Legion d’Honneur, to signify her enduring popularity and importance in the culture of France.  She is in constant demand by audiences all over the world; she has lived in Switzerland, Spain, the US and Monaco and maintains a home in London.  She is first and foremost a live entertainer, the consummate performer whose appearance onstage is guaranteed to leave no one in any doubt of her legendary status.  Every show is unique; each nuance of phrasing and expression is unrepeatable, making her performance electrifying.  The power of Dame Shirley Bassey’s instantly recognisable voice combined with the passionate delivery of every lyric is matched only by the sheer magnetism of her presence, extravagance of costume and the dedication of 50 years refining her art.

See Also: Questions & Answers with Andy Neve, Composer of Thank you for the Years
 

Frank Gallagher

The new recordings on Thank You For The Years were produced and orchestrated by Frank Gallagher. Frank Gallagher is a multi-talented fiddle, keyboard and whistle player, and has a classical musical training from Queen's University Belfast, where he took an M.A., he spent some six years working as musical arranger for Phil Coulter, touring and recording extensively with is orchestra, and also served as musical director in tours featuring Billy Connolly and Ralph McTell. He has also worked with Charlotte Church.

He's even combined his classical training with his love of Irish folk music (developed during his early days in and around Donegal) by conducting the Wen Orchestra in concert with The Chieftains at the Royal Albert Hall.

He has become involved in writing music for television, and was commissioned to create scores for three series including the BBC2 Borderlines documentary programme. He hopes to expand this side of his career, and currently has a number of TV projects underway.

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