There is a theory that about thirteen billion years the universe was formed in a vast explosion of light and heat that erased all that was before it, a big bang that would be responsible for planets, stars and the beginnings of life as we know it….
About six months before that Dame Shirley Bassey was born.
Or that’s how it seems. Lauded as a national treasure, famed for a voice that sums up a camp glamour all of its own. Shirley seems to have been around forever, best known as the woman who possibly defined the word ‘diva’, a woman who collaborated with John Barry to create some of the most memorable Bond themes and lets not forget she was the woman who made wellies glamorous at Glastonbury.
Well kids, she’s back with her first new album in 20 years and she hasn’t turned up to the party alone. On ‘The Performance’ out November 9th, there’s a host of heavy duty collaborators involved in the songwriting process. Ranging from Rufus Wainwright, Gary Barlow and Richard Hawley right through to The Pet Shop Boys (who are no strangers adding a touch of refreshment to an evergreen career).
Musically there are a lot of songs here that defy what you might expect from Bassey, the vast production values that she is famed for on many of her outings are reigned in somewhat and with these songs that’s more than appropriate. Consequently it marks something of a musical step forward for someone who could arguably be seen as being in the autumn years of their career.
It also means that this album is no novelty or sympathy laden last ‘career grab’, it stands up in its own right as a credible continuation of Shirley’s back catalogue. Tracks like ‘Apartment’ and ‘This Time’ highlight the songwriting credentials of the likes of Wainwright and Barlow (whether you are a Take That fan or not, he does know his way around pop’s sensibilities) and prove they have displayed an understanding of the voice they are writing for.
From a vocal standpoint I went into this album with certain preconceptions of what I might find. Bassey’s voice is still instantly recognisable and she still has a solid degree of her own kind of finesse, control and a good deal of the vaunted power she always had and in this collection it rarely deserts her. In fact the shining moments come from the unlikeliest of collaborators (The Manic Street Preachers penned ‘The Girl From Tiger Bay’ being one of the best examples).
Towards the end of the album we do see a hint of the old Dame Shirley as she closes with the track ‘The Performance Of My Life’ penned by The Pet Shop Boys I expected this to a synth laden hi nrg stormer to take us out of the album (kind of like their work with Liza Minnelli and the late Dusty Springfield) however in this case they ditch the electronics and go for one of those emotionally charged string drenched numbers for which Shirley has always been known. The lack of beats and bleeps on this one is probably the biggest surprise of the album but nonetheless it’s a good closer.
The album as a whole does come armed with quite a few surprises. The fact that Dame Shirley has not slipped into a parody of herself is possibly one of the biggest ones you will find. It would have been easy to parade down a familiar avenue of ‘giant torch songs’ and ‘movie soundtrack stylings’ but no, this is a credible collection of contemporary music, written by some of the industry’s strongest names and delivered in fine form by one of the UK’s most beloved vocalists.
