''25th Anniversary Album'' is a compilation album by

Shirley Bassey Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Best known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the theme songs to three James Bond films, Bassey is widely regarded as one of the most popular vocalists ...

. Released in 1978 to mark her 25th year in show business, the album was a double set, comprising 40 tracks. The songs included span just 20 of the 25 years from 1957 to 1976, however, her first professional contract (which is reproduced within the album's inner sleeve) is dated 1953. Bassey had toured extensively throughout 1978 to mark her 25 years. This collection, including her biggest hits and some lesser-known recordings, became one of her biggest in the UK, where it reached No.3 and spent 12 weeks on the album chart.

Overview

1978 marked the 25th anniversary of Shirley Bassey's professional singing career. Her first contract was signed on the 17 December 1953 for a fee of £10 for two shows on the 20 December. Her first recordings however, didn't come until 1956, with her first UK hit single arriving in 1957. For her 25th anniversary, Bassey embarked on an extensive tour throughout 1978. For 20 years, Bassey regularly hit the charts with the biggest of her hits being included on this, her first compilation to span her entire career. The most recent songs included were three tracks from her 1976 album ''

Love, Life and Feelings ''Love, Life and Feelings'' is the 21st studio album from Shirley Bassey, released in 1976 on the United Artists label. The album peaked at #13 in the UK album chart, and charted at #149 in the Billboard 200. ''Love, Life and Feelings'' was award ...

''. The double album was released in October 1978 on her regular United Artists Records label. The album entered the UK charts in early November and reached a peak of No.3, remaining on the chart for 12 weeks. The album was certified Platinum by the BPI at the end of the year, her only album to go higher than Gold certification. At the time of the album's release, Bassey hit the headlines when she was arrested after she was accused of being drunk and disorderly following a party for the album's launch in London. She performed a show the following month in the presence of

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

while on bail and hit the headlines again. The album was released in a lavish gatefold sleeve with a stapled four-page insert, showing photographs of Bassey's career as well as a photocopy of her very first contract. One contemporary review said it was one of the most important releases United Artists had ever undertaken.

Track listing

Side One # "Fire Down Below" (Lester Lee / Ned Washington) – 2:46 (Originally released: non-album A-side, 1957) # "

As I Love You "As I Love You" is a 1958 hit song by Shirley Bassey with Wally Stott & His Orchestra, written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans for the Universal International motion picture, '' The Big Beat'' (1958). From 20 February 1959, it was number one on t ...

" (

Jay Livingston Jay Livingston (born Jacob Harold Levison, March 28, 1915 – October 17, 2001) was an American composer best known as half of a song-writing duo with Ray Evans that specialized in songs composed for films. Livingston wrote music and Evans t ...

/ Raymond Evans) – 2:53 (Non-album A-side, 1958) # " Banana Boat Song" ( Alan Arkin / Bob Carey / Erik Darling) – 2:43 (Non-album A-side, 1957) # "You You Romeo" (Fred Elton) – 2:44 (Non-album A-side, 1957) # "Kiss Me Honey Honey Kiss Me" (Albon Timothy / Michael Julien) – 2:26 (from '' The Bewitching Miss Bassey'', 1959) # " With These Hands" (

Abner Silver Abner Silberman (28 December 1899, in New York City, New York, United States – 24 November 1966) as pen name Abner Silver, was an American songwriter who worked primarily during the Tin Pan Alley era of the craft. Career Usually composing the m ...

/ Benny Davis) – 3:19 (Non-album A-side, 1960) # " As Long As He Needs Me" ( Lionel Bart) – 3:00 (Non-album A-side, 1960) # " Reach for the Stars" ( Norman Newell /

Udo Jurgens Udo is a masculine given name. It may refer to: People Medieval era *Udo of Neustria, 9th century nobleman *Udo (Obotrite prince) (died 1028) *Udo (archbishop of Trier) (c. 1030 – 1078) *Lothair Udo II, Margrave of the Nordmark (c. 1025 – 1 ...

) – 2:58 (Non-album A-side, 1961) # " You'll Never Know (Just How Much I Love You)" (

Harry Warren Harry Warren (born Salvatore Antonio Guaragna; December 24, 1893 – September 22, 1981) was an American composer and the first major American songwriter to write primarily for film. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song ...

/ Mack Gordon) – 3:07 (Non-album A-side, 1961) # " I'll Get By (As Long as I Have You)" (

Fred E. Ahlert Frederick Emil Ahlert (September 19, 1892 – October 20, 1953) was an American composer and songwriter. Early life He received a degree from Fordham Law School, but instead of pursuing a legal career he began work as an arranger, initially ...

/ Roy Turk) – 2:29 (Non-album A-side, 1961) # " Climb Ev'ry Mountain" ( Rodgers and Hammerstein) – 3:12 (from ''Shirley Bassey'', 1961) Side Two # " Far Away" (Lionel Bart) – 3:12 (Non-album A-side, 1962) # " Ave Maria" ( Charles Gounod) – 3:52 (Non-album A-side, 1962) # "

What Now My Love What Now My Love may refer to: * "What Now My Love" (song), a popular song, recorded by many artists * ''What Now My Love'' (album), an album by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass 1966, that includes a version of the song {{disambig ...

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Carl Sigman Carl Sigman (September 24, 1909 – September 26, 2000) was an American songwriter. Early life Born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York to a Jewish-American family, Sigman graduated from law school and passed his bar exams to practice in ...

/ Gilbert Bécaud) – 2:56 (from ''

Let's Face the Music ''Let's Face the Music'' is the sixth Shirley Bassey studio album, released in 1962, and arranged by Nelson Riddle. Kenneth Hume, Shirley Bassey's husband and manager wrote the sleeve notes for this album, in which he gives an insight into how t ...

'', 1962) # " Tonight" (

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with sho ...

) – 2:34 (Non-album A-side, 1962) # "

What Kind of Fool Am I What Kind of Fool Am I may refer to: *"What Kind of Fool Am I? "What Kind of Fool Am I?" is a popular song written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley and published in 1962. It was introduced by Anthony Newley in the musical ''Stop the World ...

" ( Anthony Newley / Leslie Bricusse) – 3:18 (Non-album A-side, 1963) # " I (Who Have Nothing)" ( Carlo Donida / Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller) – 2:40 (Non-album A-side, 1963) # "My Special Dream" (Freddy Douglass / Howard Greenfield / Sol Kaplan) – 2:55 (Non-album A-side, 1964) # "Gone" (Tony Osborne) – 2:40 (Non-album A-side, 1964) # " Goldfinger" ( John Barry / Anthony Newley / Leslie Bricusse) – 2:51 (from ''Goldfinger'', 1964) # " No Regrets" ( Tom Rush) – 4:25 (Should have been Non-album A-side from 1965 written by Charles Dumont but a track with the same name from the 1973 album ''

Never Never Never ''Never Never Never'' is a 1973 album by Shirley Bassey. It features the hit single title track, which was a UK top 10 hit, which became one of Bassey's best-known songs. The album also became a top 10 hit in the UK and was a moderate hit in th ...

'', was used in error) Side Three # "

Big Spender "Big Spender" is a song written by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields for the musical ''Sweet Charity'', first performed in 1966. Peggy Lee was the first artist to record the song for her album of the same name also that year. It is sung, in the musi ...

" (

Cy Coleman Cy Coleman (born Seymour Kaufman; June 14, 1929 – November 18, 2004) was an American composer, songwriter, and jazz pianist. Life and career Coleman was born Seymour Kaufman in New York City, United States, to Eastern European Jewish parents ...

/ Dorothy Fields) – 1:48 (from ''

And We Were Lovers ''And We Were Lovers'' is a 1967 studio album by Shirley Bassey. The album featured Bassey's first recording of "Big Spender', the single subsequently hit #21 on the charts. ''And We Were Lovers'' was recorded in America and in England. The Amer ...

'', 1967) # "Does Anybody Miss Me" ( Johnny Worth / Les Reed) – 2:25 (from ''

Does Anybody Miss Me ''Does Anybody Miss Me'' is a 1969 album by Shirley Bassey. In 1969 Bassey moved her home to Lugano, Switzerland, with her second husband Sergio Novak, whom she had married in Las Vegas in August 1968. Remaining as a tax exile prevented her fr ...

'', 1969) # "This Is My Life" ( Bruno Canfora / Norman Newell) – 3:11 (from ''This Is My Life'', 1968) # " Something" (

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

) – 3:32 (from ''Something'', 1970) # " The Fool on the Hill" ( John Lennon / Paul McCartney) – 3:19 (Non-album A-side, 1970) # "Diamonds Are Forever" ( Don Black / John Barry) – 2:40 (from ''Diamonds Are Forever'', 1971) # " Where Do I Begin (Love Story)" (Carl Sigman / Francis Lai) – 3:12 (from ''Something Else'', 1971) # "

For All We Know For or FOR may refer to: English language *For, a preposition *For, a complementizer *For, a grammatical conjunction Science and technology * Fornax, a constellation * for loop, a programming language statement * Frame of reference, in physics ...

" ( Arthur James / Fred Karlin / Robb Wilson) – 2:43 (from ''

I Capricorn ''I Capricorn'' is a 1972 album by Shirley Bassey. Following on from the success of her previous two albums, ''I Capricorn'' saw Bassey still in the midst of her revival in the 1970s. Some months earlier she had released the single "For All We K ...

'', 1971) # " And I Love You So" ( Don McLean) – 4:27 (from ''And I Love You So'', 1972) # "Make the World a Little Younger" (Denny McReynolds / Karen O'Hara / Terry Howell) – 3:34 (from ''

'', 1973) Side Four # " Never, Never, Never (Grande, Grande, Grande)" (

Alberto Testa Alberto Testa may refer to: *Alberto Testa (dancer) (1922–2019), Italian dancer *Alberto Testa (lyricist) (1927–2009), Italian composer and lyricist {{Hndis, Testa, Alberto ...

/ Norman Newell / Tony Renis) – 3:35 (from ''

'', 1973) # "Nobody Does It Like Me" (Cy Coleman / Dorothy Fields) – 2:14 (from ''

Nobody Does It Like Me ''Nobody Does It Like Me'' is a 1974 album by Shirley Bassey. Bassey's recordings had been selling well since 1970, scoring three top ten singles and three ten top albums. ''Nobody Does It Like Me'' was recorded with a new producer, George Butle ...

'', 1974) # " Send In the Clowns" (Stephen Sondheim) – 3:18 (from ''

Good, Bad but Beautiful ''Good, Bad but Beautiful'' is a 1975 album by Shirley Bassey. In the first half of the decade, Bassey recorded nine albums, with three making the top ten. In March 1975, Bassey released a compilation that became her highest-charting album to dat ...

'', 1975) # " Emotion" (

Patti Dahlstrom Patti Dahlstrom is a singer, songwriter, and teacher. She recorded four albums in the 1970s and co-wrote the Helen Reddy hit "Emotion". Career One of five children, Dahlstrom was born in Houston, Texas. She began writing songs before her teen y ...

/ Veronique Sanson) – 4:15 (from ''Good, Bad but Beautiful'', 1975) # "

" ( Clive Westlake) – 3:24 (from ''Good, Bad but Beautiful'', 1975) # " The Way We Were" (

Alan and Marilyn Bergman Alan Bergman (born September 11, 1925) and Marilyn Keith Bergman (November 10, 1928 – January 8, 2022) were an American songwriting duo. Married from 1958 until Marilyn's death, together they wrote music and lyrics for numerous celebrated telev ...

Marvin Hamlisch Marvin Frederick Hamlisch (June 2, 1944 – August 6, 2012) was an American composer and conductor. Hamlisch was one of only seventeen people to win Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards. This collection of all four is referred to as an " EGOT ...

) – 2:45 (from Good, Bad but Beautiful, 1975) # " What I Did for Love" (

Ed Kleban Edward "Ed" Kleban (April 30, 1939 – December 28, 1987) was an American musical theatre composer and lyricist. Kleban was born in the Bronx, New York City, in 1939 and graduated from New York's High School of Music & Art and Columbia Univers ...

/ Marvin Hamlisch) – 3:43 (from ''

'', 1976) # " Feelings" ( Morris Albert) – 4:43 (from ''Love, Life and Feelings'', 1976) # "If I Never Sing Another Song" (Don Black / Udo Jurgens) – 4:02 (from ''Love, Life and Feelings'', 1976)

Charts and certification

References

{{Authority control 1978 albums Shirley Bassey albums United Artists Records albums 1978 compilation albums