Cherry Red is getting the party started with Dame Shirley Bassey.  On April 18, the label's Strawberry imprint will release The Singer, a 3-CD collection filled with previously unreleased tracks, hits, and rarities primarily drawn from the "Goldfinger" chanteuse's period with United Artists Records (1966-1980).  It's been fully authorized by Dame Shirley herself.

The project's roots stretch back nearly 15 years.  In 2011, plans began to release two CDs of rarities from the UA years and one with the Welsh superstar's 1973 Royal Albert Hall concert which had been aired on the BBC but remained unavailable in commercial form.  At the time, the set was to be titled, simply. Shirley.  Various obstacles stood in the release's way; The Shirley Bassey Blog reports that Miss Bassey initially was reticent about airing previously unreleased material, although upon hearing the final versions, she gave her blessing.  Capitol (then in control of the United Artists catalogue via EMI's acquisition of the label) then denied clearance for the Royal Albert Hall concert.  The tenacity of compiler Martin Daye and producer/audio restoration engineer Richard Moore has finally resulted in a release of this long-awaited set, no doubt aided by the support of current repertoire owner Warner Music Group.

In addition to the Royal Albert Hall concert, The Singer offers eight additional previously unreleased studio tracks including renditions of Bruce Johnston's "I Write the Songs" (a 1976 chart-topper for Barry Manilow), Charlie Smalls' "Ease On Down the Road" from The Wiz, and Mac Davis' "I Believe in Music."  Among the other treasures are a super-rare 1966 re-recording of "I (Who Have Nothing)" from a promotional record; two soundtrack cuts penned by Lalo Schifrin and Peter Callander from the score of 1965's spy film The Liquidator; the unique U.S. single version of Bassey's "Big Spender" from the score of Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields' Broadway musical Sweet Charity; the Italian-language recording of the Bond theme "Diamonds Are Forever;" and non-LP B-sides including Barry Manilow's beloved hit "Copacabana."

The released material is choice, as well, with an emphasis on Bassey's reinventions of then-contemporary pop material including The Doors' "Light My Fire," The Beatles' "Something" and "The Fool on the Hill," Jacques Brel and Rod McKuen's "If You Go Away," and Frank Sinatra's Paul Anka-penned "My Way."  The single version of Bassey's immortal "Goldfinger" is presented in a brand-new mix, as is her recording of David Gates' Bread hit "Everything I Own."  (The English "Diamonds Are Forever" and "Moonraker" are also featured on this set.)  The Albert Hall concert features more pop repertoire (Don McLean's "And I Love You So," Badfinger's "Without You") alongside standards and showtunes (Irving Berlin's "Let Me Sing and I'm Happy," "The Party's Over" from Bells Are Ringing, "Where Am I Going" from Sweet Charity) - all rendered with that inimitable Bassey belt.

Bassey's most recent studio album, 2020's I Owe It All to You, marked her 70 years in show business.  With so many tracks never before heard by the general public, The Singer (gorgeously designed by John Sellards) looks to be an ideal celebration of her 75th remarkable year as an entertainer.  You'll find it at the links below from Cherry Red on April 18; as of this writing, only the Amazon U.K. link is active.  We will update the others as soon as they go live.  As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Shirley Bassey, The Singer (Cherry Red/Strawberry, 2025) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Cherry Red)

CD 1

1. I've Got A Song For You
2. Shirley
3. Never, Never, Never
4. For All We Know
5. Till Love Touches Your Life
6. When You Smile
7. Moonraker
8. And I Love You So
9. I (Who Have Nothing) (1966 Promo Version)
10. Fool on the Hill
11. Light My Fire
12. Something
13. My Way
14. Goldfinger (Single Version - New Stereo Mix)
15. If You Go Away
16. Burn My Candle (1966 Version)
17. The Liquidator (Stereo Soundtrack Version)
18. La Vita
19. Kiss Me, Honey, Honey Kiss Me (1966 Version)
20. As I Love You (1966 Version)
21. Diamonds Are Forever
22. Big Spender (U.S. Version)
23. The Greatest Performance of My Life

CD 2

1. Look For Me Tomorrow (I'll Be Gone)
2. I Write the Songs (*)
3. Without A Word
4. Everything I Own (New Mix)
5. Why Can't I Cry? (*)
6. I'm Not Anyone
7. Night Moves
8. Vivo Di Diamanti (Diamonds Are Forever)
9. My Liquidator (Stereo Film Version)
10. Because You're Mine (*)
11. Runaway (Non-LP B-Side)
12. Ease On Down the Road (*)
13. Copacabana (Non-LP B-Side)
14. It's Always 4 a.m.
15. Moonraker (End Title)
16. If I Should Love Again
17. Where Is Love?
18. I Got Lost in His Arms (*)
19. Until It's Time for You to Go
20. The Singer (*)
21. I Believe in Music (*)
22. Don't You Pass Me By (*)

CD 3: Shirley Bassey Live at The Royal Albert Hall. 1973 (previously unreleased)

1. Goldfinger Fanfare
2. Where Am I Going?
3. Shirley
4. And I Love You So
5. Let Me Sing and I'm Happy
6. I'd Like To Hate Myself in the Morning
7. Make the World a Little Younger
8. Without You
9. Goldfinger
10. Day By Day
11. Never, Never, Never
12. Somehow
13. A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening (Tabs)
14. The Greatest Performance of my Life
15. A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening (Tabs)
16. This Is My Life
17. The Party's Over
18. The Party's Over (Tabs)
19. Something
20. The Party's Over (Tabs)

(*) previously unreleased

CD 1, Tracks 1-2 & 19 from I've Got a Song for You, United Artists SULP-1142, 1966
CD 1, Track 3 from Never, Never, Never, United Artists UAG 29471, 1973
CD 1, Track 4 from United Artists single UP 35267, 1971
CD 1, Track 5 & CD 2, Track 19 from Something Else, United Artists UAG 29149, 1971
CD 1, Track 6 from United Artists single UP 35649, 1974
CD 1, Track 7 & CD 2, Track 15 from United Artists single UP 602, 1979
CD 1, Track 8 from United Artists single UP 35459, 1972
CD 1, Track 9 from The Sassy Miss Bassey, United Artists promo SP-104, 1974
CD 1, Track 10 from United Artists single UP 35156, 1970
CD 1, Tracks 11-13 from Something, United Artists UAS 29100, 1970
CD 1, Track 14 new mix of Columbia single DB 7360, 1974
CD 1, Track 15 from United Artists single UP 1176, 1967
CD 1, Track 16 & CD 2, Track 1 from The Shirley Bassey Collection II, United Artists UAD 60111/2, 1975
CD 1, Track 17 & CD 2, Track 9 from The Liquidator: Music from the Original Soundtrack, MGM CS 8029, 1965
CD 1, Track 18 from This Is My Life, United Artists UAS 6675, 1968
CD 1, Track 20 from The Shirley Bassey Collection, United Artists 60013/4, 1972
CD 1, Track 21 from United Artists single UP 35293, 1971
CD 1, Track 22 from United Artists (U.S.) single UA 50229, 1967
CD 1, Track 23 & CD 2, Track 17 from I, Capricorn, United Artists UAS 29246, 1972
CD 2, Track 3 from United Artists single UP 1207, 1968
CD 2, Track 4 new mix of track from The EMI/UA Years 1959-1979, EMI BASSEY 1, 1994
CD 2, Track 6 from Nobody Does It Like Me, United Artists UAS 29621, 1974
CD 2, Track 7 from The Magic Is You, United Artists UATV 30230, 1979
CD 2, Track 8 from United Artists (Italy) single 35293, 1971
CD 2, Track 11 from United Artists single UP 36102, 1976
CD 2, Track 13 from United Artists (U.S.) single UA-X1303-Y, 1979
CD 2, Track 14 from Does Anybody Miss Me, United Artists UAS 6713, 1969
CD 2, Track 16 from United Artists single UP 35424, 1972​