EMI/UA Years 1959-1979

AMG Review of EMI/UA Years 1959-1979

Bruce Eder
All Music Guide

In the United States, Shirley Bassey has had a serious following since 1964, and is best-known for her recordings of the James Bond movie themes Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever; in her native Great Britain, by contrast, her popularity dates from 1957 and has never abated, transcending any single hit or pair of hits. Thus, the first disc of this five-CD set presents 15 songs before listeners even get to "Goldfinger." That disc, made up of hit singles, notable album cuts, and previously unissued tracks, sets the pattern for this set, which ties up a lot of loose ends in Bassey's recorded output without losing sight of the standard reference points -- it's a very good compromise between the two box-set philosophies, balancing the hits and the rarities, all in newly remastered sound. Each disc is programmed in chronological order, showing Bassey's evolution from British pop singer to international pop star, and the evolution of her repertory from the standards of Cole Porter, Frank Loesser, Richard Rodgers, and Lorenz Hart, and newer British-spawned work by Leslie Bricusse and Lionel Bart; later embracing the work of the Beatles; and then latching on to '70s show numbers by Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and more, and pop material by David Gates. The songs are all worthwhile, including the outtakes, unissued tracks, and rare B-sides, but just as striking are Bassey's range and flexibility -- she was charting singles in 1957 and still placing records in the Top Ten in 1978, and she didn't achieve the latter as a nostalgia act or by bowing to crazes like disco. The real treat, however, is the fifth disc, Bassey's previously unissued complete Carnegie Hall debut concert from February 15, 1964. This is as fine a survey of Bassey's work as listeners are ever likely to see, short of Bear Family Records addressing her career, with excellent sound quality as well and a booklet that includes background on each song and a full U.K. discography.