She Puts The "Dame" In Dame Shirley Bassey

July 12, 2007 2:08 PM

Dame Shirley Bassey has sung some brilliant tunes in her 70 years on the planet. Some fans believe that the themes to Goldfinger and Diamonds are Forever define "Bond" more than any single actor in the role. She's covered the Doors and performed with dance acts like The Propellerheads. Now she's gone and redone Pink's "Get This Party Started" in glorious style.
posted by beaucoupkevin (44 comments total)

(That live version of "History Repeating" uses an orchestra instead of The Propellerheads, but I think that's more than acceptable when it's Dame Shirley Bassey.)
posted by beaucoupkevin at 2:12 PM on July 12, 2007

The Moonraker theme was the one that always did it for me; probably the only redeeming thing about one of the most boring Bond films ever. Her "Get This Party Started", sounds like she's trying to cover Richard Cheese covering Pink and it doesn't really work.
posted by Challahtronix at 2:20 PM on July 12, 2007

Can she please James Bond up the rest of today's pop music? Since "more cowbell" is officially over, I vote for saying "more full orchestra and absurdly powerful belting" from now on.
posted by Help, I can't stop talking! at 2:20 PM on July 12, 2007 [1 favorite]

I worship this woman.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 2:23 PM on July 12, 2007

Thanks, this is a little meatier than the last Bassey post.
posted by BrotherCaine at 2:26 PM on July 12, 2007

Okay, I hate to get all farky, but damn that is a smoking hot 70-year old woman.
posted by 23skidoo at 2:29 PM on July 12, 2007

wow she still sounds (and looks) great. i love all her bond stuff but my favorite will always be big spender.
posted by cazoo at 2:29 PM on July 12, 2007

She Puts The "Dame" In Dame Shirley Bassey

What on Earth do you mean?
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 2:34 PM on July 12, 2007

Marks & Spencer Blue
posted by cillit bang at 2:36 PM on July 12, 2007

What on Earth do you mean?

She's a dame who's a dame. She's a classy, leggy broad. She's a fox.

(And I had no idea about Marks & Spencer. Man.)
posted by beaucoupkevin at 2:39 PM on July 12, 2007

DAMMIT. I hate that I wasted my daily post on a double post because I wanted to post this so badly after I got called out. Post.

That said, I love Bassey. Goooold-FING-GAHHHH (waah waaaaah waaah). LOVE.
posted by spec80 at 2:51 PM on July 12, 2007

Okay, well she put the dame in Dame Shirley Bassey, to be honest.

Culturally-specific usages of the term as slang to connote something less fabulous than it ought to (i.e. a gun moll with good looks as opposed to a singer so fucking phenom-nom-nomenal she earned a title for perpetuity) are not other meanings.

So, to amend your title to my tastes: She puts the DAAAAAYUM in Dame Shirley Bassey.

p.s. Great Post. You made me all haughty with your dose of Bassey.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 2:59 PM on July 12, 2007

What would Metafilter be without youtube?
posted by A189Nut at 3:07 PM on July 12, 2007

Just watched a couple while making dinner - and rushed off to put some lipstick on. Haughty behavior indeed!

(I don't care how retro that sounds. Great post - thankyou, and you..and you...)
posted by Jody Tresidder at 3:15 PM on July 12, 2007

Nice.

The Bond people should figure out an excuse for making that the opening credits for the next Bond flick.
posted by adamrice at 3:19 PM on July 12, 2007

How curious. I was just hearing about her for the first time yesterday.

Hell of a voice.
posted by vernondalhart at 3:22 PM on July 12, 2007

I wanna be Shirley Bassey. So much.

I loved her expression when she said "Kiss my ass" too. :)
posted by miss lynnster at 3:24 PM on July 12, 2007

And: she's Welsh.
posted by mdonley at 3:35 PM on July 12, 2007

The Moonraker Know-OOOOOOHS
The Goldfinger know-OOOOOOOHS
The Diamonds they are for-EVAHHHHH
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 3:36 PM on July 12, 2007 [1 favorite]

Can she please James Bond up the rest of today's pop music? Since "more cowbell" is officially over, I vote for saying "more full orchestra and absurdly powerful belting" from now on.

Actually a lot of pop bands are doing that these days, look at The Arcade Fire, or The Decemberists, for example. I think Fallout Boy does that too, but I'm not sure.
posted by delmoi at 3:38 PM on July 12, 2007

Okay, well she put the dame in Dame Shirley Bassey, to be honest.

Or to be literal, which is much less fun. :P
posted by beaucoupkevin at 3:46 PM on July 12, 2007

HOLY SHIT THIS IS AWESOME

I have a new favorite diva.
posted by Sticherbeast at 3:50 PM on July 12, 2007

This FPP is a little doublish. Yours truly linked to the same Goldfinger clip in a Shirley Bassey thread just last month. But what the hell, you just can't have too much Bassey, eh? She's pretty great.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:51 PM on July 12, 2007

christ she is amazing! that Propellerheads track is my all-time verymostfave dance track evah, in a pretty stuffed collection of danceable techno, mind.

and how is it possible for anyone to look half their age at 70?!

/jealous
posted by lonefrontranger at 3:53 PM on July 12, 2007

She is divine. Hell, divoon!
posted by paddbear at 4:10 PM on July 12, 2007

I didn't know Bond was a Gay icon...

... oh, wait.
posted by vhsiv at 4:58 PM on July 12, 2007 [1 favorite]

Awesomeness. Thanks for posting, beaucoupkevin.
posted by LooseFilter at 5:03 PM on July 12, 2007

I’ve only clicked on the first link in the FPP. I need more time for the rest because a chill ran up my spine. The title song for “Goldfinger” puts Ennio Morricone in the shade.
posted by Huplescat at 5:27 PM on July 12, 2007

As someone who has never listened to Shirley Bassey - wow. I need to listen to more of her.

Oddly enough, she was born exactly one day after my (late) grandmother.
posted by cmgonzalez at 5:44 PM on July 12, 2007

"Goldfinger" is almost as good as Goldfinger (one of the top James Bond movies).

"Diamonds Are Forever" is 10 times as good as the movie (Sean Connery's worst).

Is that Marks and Sparks commercial a tie-in to Die Another Day?

Some Hooverphonics songs have the James Bond theme thing going on.

I didn't know Bond was a Gay icon...
I don't see why.

Yours truly linked to the same Goldfinger clip in a Shirley Bassey thread just last month.
Not a double. Posts != comments.
posted by kirkaracha at 5:57 PM on July 12, 2007

Yeah, he may be a gay icon, but he makes me angry.
posted by miss lynnster at 6:07 PM on July 12, 2007 [1 favorite]

That gay icon thing just goes to show how confusing it is to get old. I took my first date to “Dr. No” and got to third base with my suave under the dinning room table with my white dinner tux after the junior prom.

Now I find out I was gay the whole time.

Oh well....
posted by Huplescat at 7:18 PM on July 12, 2007

Back in the early 90's my friend and I crammed into the Adelaide Entertainment center with thousands of middle aged women dressed up to the nines to see Shirley Bassey live.

There was a huge hush across the audience as this impossibly glamorous woman dressed from neck to toe came out and sang one word, before pausing.

Hundreds of people burst into tears spontaneously as it echoed around the hall.

I was one of them.
posted by gomichild at 8:01 PM on July 12, 2007

I bought a Greatest Hits CD of hers a few years ago. Very impressive.
posted by pmurray63 at 8:51 PM on July 12, 2007

Oh fuck yes.

More.
posted by cowbellemoo at 8:55 PM on July 12, 2007

And she wore $6000 customized diamante wellies at Glastonbury.
posted by cushie at 9:29 PM on July 12, 2007

...she should have married Tom Jones.
posted by marvin at 11:05 PM on July 12, 2007

Mention of Dame Shirley’s unexpected collaborations shouldn’t omit the song she did with Yello: The Rhythm Divine.
posted by misteraitch at 12:43 AM on July 13, 2007

Back in the early 90's my friend and I crammed into the Adelaide Entertainment center with thousands of middle aged women dressed up to the nines to see Shirley Bassey live.

Ha! That was my sister and I at the Brisbane Convention Centre. We even got out picture in the Sunday Mail. Dame Shirley rocks! Thanks for the clips, I hadn't seen the Pink cover before.
posted by goo at 1:03 AM on July 13, 2007

and how is it possible for anyone to look half their age at 70?!

Excellent & judicious cosmetic surgery.
posted by Henry C. Mabuse at 1:03 AM on July 13, 2007

Awesome. I love her and I love this.
posted by Dantien at 6:49 AM on July 13, 2007

If that's the case, she quite possibly has the most kickass plastic surgeon alive. Although I'd be curious to see what she looks like up close without pancake makeup. She no doubt also has the most kickass stylists alive. But even her body looks good... so maybe she also has the most kickass personal trainer alive.

I would like to put my order in for a team of kickass people dedicated to ending my aging process too, please.
posted by miss lynnster at 7:59 AM on July 13, 2007

^ (I'll have what she's having.) ^
posted by LooseFilter at 9:51 AM on July 13, 2007

I think it's a credit to Dame Bassey's talents that she can make Pink's mindless song sound like an invitation to a party worth attending.
posted by RakDaddy at 9:51 AM on July 13, 2007