''The Bewitching Miss Bassey'' is the second studio

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...

by Welsh singer Shirley Bassey. Consisting of new and previously released material, this was the first album by Bassey to be issued on the 12" Long-playing record format. Tracks were taken from sessions recorded between 1956 and early 1959. All the songs were recorded in the UK with

Wally Stott Angela Morley (10 March 192414 January 2009) was an English composer and conductor who became a familiar household name to BBC Radio listeners in the 1950s. She attributed her entry into composing and arranging largely to the influence and en ...

and his Orchestra, with production by

Johnny Franz John Charles Franz (23 February 1922 – 29 January 1977) was an English record producer and A&R man at the Philips label. He was one of Britain's most successful producers in the 1950s and 1960s. While his recordings encompassed several forms o ...

. The only exception was "The Wall" which was recorded in New York with Jimmy Carroll and his orchestra and produced by

Mitch Miller Mitchell William Miller (July 4, 1911 – July 31, 2010) was an American choral conductor, record producer, record-industry executive, and professional oboist. He was involved in almost all aspects of the industry, particularly as a conductor ...

. Featuring Bassey's first five hit songs, including Bassey's 1958 number one single " As I Love You" and the huge hit " Kiss Me, Honey Honey, Kiss Me".Shirley Bassey on officialcharts.com
/ref> The album showcases the best of the early career of Shirley Bassey. All the songs were only recorded in mono, no stereo versions are known to exist. In the 1970s Philips did re-issue them in an "electronically enhanced" stereo (also known as "pseudo-stereo"). The album was re-issued in the US on the Epic label with different artwork. While this album has not been issued independently on CD, it was included in its entirety on the four-CD compilation titled ''Five Classic Albums Plus Bonus Singles'' in 2012.

Track listing

Side One # " Burn My Candle" ( Ross Parker) (Previously released in 1956) # " Night and Day" ( Cole Porter) # "

Crazy Rhythm "Crazy Rhythm" is a thirty-two-bar swing show tune written in 1928 by Irving Caesar with music by Joseph Meyer and Roger Wolfe Kahn for the Broadway musical ''Here's Howe''.

" (

Irving Caesar Irving Caesar (born Isidor Keiser, July 4, 1895 – December 18, 1996) was an American lyricist and theater composer who wrote lyrics for numerous song standards, including " Swanee", "Sometimes I'm Happy", " Crazy Rhythm", and " Tea for T ...

, Joseph Meyer,

Roger Wolfe Kahn Roger Wolfe Kahn (October 19, 1907 – July 12, 1962) was an American jazz and popular musician, composer, bandleader (Roger Wolfe Kahn and His Orchestra) and an aviator. Life and career Roger Wolfe Kahn (originally spelled "Wolff") was born in ...

) # "

The Wall ''The Wall'' is the eleventh studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released on 30 November 1979 by Harvest/EMI and Columbia/ CBS Records. It is a rock opera that explores Pink, a jaded rock star whose eventual self-imp ...

" (Oramay Diamond, Clyde Otis,

Dave Dreyer Dave Dreyer (September 22, 1894 in Brooklyn, New York – March 1, 1967 in New York City) was an American composer and pianist. He started off as a pianist with vaudeville greats such as Al Jolson, Sophie Tucker, Belle Baker, and Frank Fay. ...

) # "

The Banana Boat Song "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" is a traditional Jamaican folk song. The song has mento influences, but it is commonly classified as an example of the better known calypso music. It is a call and response work song, from the point of view of ...

" (Traditional; arranged by Erik Darling, Bob Carey and

Alan Arkin Alan Wolf Arkin (born March 26, 1934) is an American actor, director and screenwriter known for his performances on stage and screen. Throughout his career spanning over six decades, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award ...

) (Previously released in 1957) # "

The Gypsy in My Soul "The Gypsy in My Soul" is a popular song written for the 50th anniversary of the University of Pennsylvania Mask and Wig show in 1937 by two Penn graduates, Clay Boland and Moe Jaffe. Boland wrote the music and Jaffe the lyrics. Although both men ...

" ( Clay Boland, Moe Jaffe) # " Love for Sale" (Cole Porter) Side Two # " From This Moment On" ( Cole Porter) (Previously released in 1958) # " Kiss Me, Honey Honey, Kiss Me" (

Al Timothy Albon Timothy (5 July 1915 – 8 December 2000) was a Trinidadian jazz and calypso musician and songwriter who played numerous instruments but was best known for his tenor saxophone playing. His most successful hit as a songwriter was " Kiss Me, ...

, Peter Warne) # "You, You Romeo" (Fred Elton) (Previously released in 1957) # " My Funny Valentine" ( Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) # "

How About You? "How About You?" is a popular song composed by Burton Lane, with lyrics by Ralph Freed. (1941 in music) It was introduced in the 1941 film ''Babes on Broadway'' by Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. The lyrics of the song are often changed dependi ...

" ( Burton Lane,

Ralph Freed Ralph Freed (1 May 1907, Vancouver - February 13, 1973) was a Canadian born American lyricist and television producer. Early Life Born May 1, 1907 to Max Freed and Rosie (Rosza) Grossman who met in Charleston, SC. Ralph married Grace H. Berchma ...

) # "Fire Down Below" (

Ned Washington Ned Washington (born Edward Michael Washington, August 15, 1901 – December 20, 1976) was an American lyricist born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Life and career Washington was nominated for eleven Academy Awards from 1940 to 1962. He won the Bes ...

, Lee Lester) (Previously released in 1957) # " As I Love You" ( Jay Livingston, Ray Evans) (Previously released in 1958)

Personnel

* Shirley Bassey – vocal *

and his Orchestra – arranger, conductor * Jimmy Carroll and his orchestra – arranger, conductor

References

Sources

* http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/shirley_bassey/the_bewitching_miss_bassey/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Bewitching Miss Bassey Shirley Bassey albums 1959 albums Philips Records albums Albums conducted by Wally Stott Albums arranged by Wally Stott Albums produced by Johnny Franz Albums produced by Mitch Miller