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I Love Shirley Bassey

How can she be one of the world's most popular recording artists, and yet seem obscure at the same time? A search turns up nothing here. No mention on the 525-post, 8-year old Best Female Vocals thread.

Now normally I'm a classic rock and roll kind of guy. I love the Dead and Pink Floyd, etc, etc, and I only discovered her recently via YouTube. Now you can't sum up a 50-year show business career with one video, but here's a start: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51Wg6k9cWhM. Anyway, I have purchased several of her albums and she just knocks me out. The 50's and 60's stuff is before my time, so while I think it sounds good, it's not really my cup of tea. So far her 1970 album "Something" is my favorite, and I love everything forward from that point!

What I love about her: First and foremost that voice. Then her relationship with her audience. They love her, she loves them. She's not all haughty and stuck up like Diana Ross. Shirley's quite sexy, unlike Barbra Streisand, who has zero sex appeal in my opinion (YMMV). And Shirley's sexy without being borderline crass like Cher. The audience comes first with Shirley, not her own ego. I am mesmerized!!
nyctc7

Showing 2 responses by ben_campbell

ben_campbell
1,169 posts
 
Here in the UK she's basically seen as an old school singer in the Show Business style.
Big powerful voice but never seen as an important artist although she played the Glastonbury Festival a couple of years ago.
I can't see mee rushing to buy out any of her records.
ben_campbell
1,169 posts
 
Nyctc with all due respect most of those awards just confirm what I said-she appeals to an older generation, most of her fans would be into Show Business.

There's nothing wrong with that, music is just music, you either like it or don't.
Indeed there has been a resuurgence for that type of thing in the US and UK with shows like American Idol and the X Factor.

Personally I prefer those who have played with the art form and developed it-Shirley is much loved, you can't criticise her for not giving 100% but it is not for me.
Personally I can't get a grip on her, she doesn't inhabit a song the way a Sinatra does or even a Diana Ross in her heyday.
For my generation she was something your grandparents liked and your mum and dad, if they were square enough.
:-0
A much loved British entertainer with a great voice but I think history will suggest much more.
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