Shirley Bassey

The pioneering spirit of Fields and Ferrier was an inspiration to a generation of young women but it was the influence of the American soul, blues and gospel movements that provided the next step-change for British female vocalists. The passion and musical freedom of the new music was the ideal background for a new era of social and sexual enlightenment. Names such as Shirley Bassey and Dusty Springfield jostled for pole position in the weekly charts.

Probably best known for her three legendary James Bond themes, Shirley Bassey has a longevity and status in popular Welsh music unsurpassed by any other female vocalist. Within two years of leaving school, she enjoyed her first top ten hit with 'The Banana Boat Song', followed by 'Kiss Me, Honey Honey, Kiss Me', and the number one, 'As I Love You'. In 1959 she released the smash which established her as a household name 'As Long As He Needs Me', from the Lionel Bart musical 'Oliver!'

However, in America, chart success was harder to find. It wasn’t until the 1964 classic, 'Goldfinger', from the Bond film of the same name, that she broke the US. Further hits in the 1960s included 'I (who have nothing)', 'Hey Big Spender' and 'No Regrets'.

Bassey combined her trademark vocal delivery with elements of jazz, funk and soul. She performed material penned by some of the industry's biggest names, including Andrew Lloyd Webber, Janis Ian and Stephen Sondheim. Although she remained largely quiet through the 1980s she came back in spectacular style in 1997 with 'History Repeating', a collaboration with Bath's Propellerheads. It introduced her to a new generation of dance fans, just as she was celebrating her 60th birthday.