The Ultimate Shirley Bassey [Extra tracks]

The compilation is in a range of EMI's 'The Ultimate...' range of easy listening CDs and is thus bound to dodgy features (the Kay Starr compilations on EMI include non-original recordings as well). This may be an EMI CD, but it is primarly EMI Capitol it would appear. This would explain a lot about the CD, as Shirley signed to United Artists/Liberty/Capitol in the late 60s. One obvious note is that all the tracks are in Stereo. It'd be nice to see Shirley's tracks in their original mono form, but I guess stereo does make these sound good generally, so no fuss really.

Well, I opened up the sleeve and had a look. Very nice liner notes from the ever-comprehensive Martin Hutchinson, especially written for this new CD it would appear; but the inside tracklisting is the CD's major flaw. It does not list the original years next to ANY of the tracks. It merely says 'Digital Remaster 2003'. It does not even give you a chance to ascertain whether these are originals! These aren't 2003 recordings, EMI, so a little honesty wouldn't go amiss in that area.

Digitally Remastered, yes. Well, it certainly ain't late-80s style "quiet" on the CD but the remastering sounds piss-poor compared to the other, and, frankly better, new Shirley Bassey compilation CD 'Thank You For The Years'.

Well, now we come to the gruesome truth about the tracks themselves. OK, to be fair I'm exaggerating. But including re-recordings of her top 3 smash hits from 1959, Kiss Me Honey and As I Love You and attempting to pass them off as originals, to the average buyer, rather ruins this compilation. The originals were first released in 1958 and until 1959 she recorded for the British Philips label. This would explain why originals of those tracks aren't on EMI Shirley CDs - though they do appear alongside EMI tracks on 'Thank You For The Years'! The recordings included here were made in the late 60s. The remake of 'As I Love You' is not worth commenting on; suffice to say it is sacrilege to the classic original. Kiss Me, Honey Honey, Kiss Me, is rather good I suppose; but I really do prefer companies to stick to originals...

So, aside from those two, just one more dubious inclusion which is the version of 'Big Spender' featured. It isn't the most well known version. Though having said that most couldn't tell the difference. This one was on 2000's 'This Is My Life' as well. I don't think it has half the 'bite' of the slightly shorter one, but I don't know which is the actual original UK version so I'll refrain from commenting further.

As for the rest, nothing much to complain about at all. There are solid gold original recordings of all the rest of her solo hit singles here - the only one missing is 'The Fool On The Hill' which peaked at a mere #48 and is easily available elsewhere if you want it. There really isn't a duff one among them, except, maybe, her misguided attempt at 'Ave Maria'. You get all the EMI 60s hits, no matter how inconsequential they may have been to her career; 'Gone' and 'No Regrets' (the latter an Edith Piaf cover, no less) are two of her most underrated gems, showcasing her unqiue talent for belting out a song and still making you feel emotional.

It then goes on to include her American early 70s work, which resulted in several large top 10 hits here in Britain. 'Never Never Never' spent 3 weeks at #8 in 1973 and is up there with her best as a classic tale of heartbreak and devotion.

That was her last top 10 hit, albeit hit of any kind, until the late eighties when she had the first of four minor hits with collaborations on other artists' material. Those were indeed (small) hits, but I am not sure if they really fit in with Shirley's career on a grand scale. As a representation of Shirley's golden years, this doesn't do the job too badly at all. If you're collecting her 60s output you could do worse than buy this CD.

If you want originals from her early days combined with the peak period, though, I suggest you purchase 'Thank You For The Years'.