SHIRLEY BASSEY - 2 ORIG NM VINYL ALBUMS: LOVE SONGS & LA MUJER + FREE UK POSTAGE

	£		28
	$		36

PLEASE, READ THE FULL ITEM DESCRIPTION & SELLING CONDITIONS (E.G. COMPLETED PAYMENT REQUIRED WITHIN 4 DAYS OF AUCTION END) CAREFULLY & ASK ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE DECIDING IF YOU WISH TO BID OR BUY.

SHIRLEY BASSEY - LOVE SONGS (1982) & LA MUJER (1989)

2 near mint original vinyl albums + FREE POSTAGE TO UK ADDRESSES

+++++++    MULTI-WIN SAVING OPPORTUNITY    +++++++

 Win this and my other Shirley Bassey auction - The "Bond Collection" CD - and I’ll take £10.00 off the total price (given back as a Paypal refund), meaning that you’ll pay just £32.50, instead of £42.50 for the two.

Interested? Just win and pay for these two Shirley Bassey auctions and then let me know as soon as you can so I can get you the promised refund quickly.

And if you have any questions, just ask before buying.

This auction is for the only two - vinyl - albums of new material that Shirley Bassey recorded during the 1980s: 1982’s Love Songs (also known as All By Myself) and 1989’s La Mujer, her first - and so far only - complete album of songs in any other language than English. Both were recorded and - probably, in the case of Love Songs which has no “country of origin” credit - manufactured in the USA..

After a packed decade of recording (ten albums of new material, one of re-recorded favourites and two live releases - all with United Artists [UA] plus a number of compilations, mostly from her previous labels, Philips/Fontana and EMI/Columbia) and a punishingly persistent touring schedule that took her back and forth across the world, Shirley Bassey not only decided to end her contract with UA in 1979 but, in her own words, also went into “semi-retirement”.
Though partly understandable as a well-earned opportunity to take a break from such a demanding routine, it was - almost certainly - also partly the result of her splitting up with her second husband and manager Sergio Novak in 1979, after eleven years together.

However, while the 1980s provided a degree of rest for her, they were also a time of sadness (her younger daughter Samatha died in mysterious circumstances in 1985) and musical introspection as she chose not to attach herself to any long-term recording contracts but instead opted for what seem like “one-off” deals, which produced two releases of new material, plus a third album of re-recorded favourites.


Love Songs (1982. K-tel, Cat. No. APKL 1163 and comes with a poly-lined innder sleeve.)

This raised some eyebrows amongst Shirley’s fans as it was released through K-tel, a record label that had gained a degree of notoriety in the mid to late 1970s as one of a number of - in some circles somewhat tackily regarded - nostalgic collections labels that recycled old hits from the 60s and 70s: Arcade and Ronco were two of the other labels.

There was however, nothing recycled or tacky about this effort from Ms Bassey who turns in ten excellent performances, including stand-out renditions - in this listener’s opinion - of Leon Russell’s This Masquerade, Solitaire (Neil Sedaka/Phil Cody) and We Don’t Cry Out Loud - by Peter Allen/Carol Bayer Sager.
And with assuredly Bassey-esque versions of All By Myself, If And When, He’s Out Of My Life, New York State Of Mind, Can You Read My Mind, Only When I Laugh and New York:Medley, this is a confident, top quality album that sits comfortably alongside many of her great 70s releases.

Side 1            All By Myself; This Masquerade; If And When; He’s Out Of My Life & New York State Of Mind.
Side 2            Can You Read My Mind; Only When I Laugh; Solitaire; New York:Medley & We Don’t Cry Out Loud.

Condition:
Vinyl:  No marks, still very shiny, plays with full, clear sound and no obvious extraneous noises either in the run-ins/outs, between or during the tracks.[Mint-].
Label: Exceptionally clean with no blemishes or other signs of use/deterioration.[Mint-].
Sleeve(s): Single pocket, shiny (but not gloss) finished card outer sleeve has a small squash at the lower/right corner, some surface creases (most noticeably                  on the back at the top and near the lower spine) and some other - mostly small/light - surface marks.
Otherwise though, this 35+ years old sleeve still has strong colouring, no spine deterioration, clean/sharp edges with no seam splits/wear, smooth/clean surfaces with no writing, tears or other obvious deterioration/damage beyond the creasing/light surface marks mentioned above.[Exc +].
The poly-lined inner sleeve, not the original, has no obvious deterioration.[Mint-].


La Mujer (1989. Polygram/Mercury, Cat. No. 422 838 033-1 and comes with a poly-lined innder sleeve.) Originally marketed for limited release - in America, mainland Europe and Spanish-speaking countries in South America - this album is now becoming hard to find in vinyl, especially in as good a condition as this copy.

Though Bassey had recorded a few songs in Italian in the late 60s and early 70s (Sergio Novak, her husband at that time, was Italian), she had not previously released a whole album in anything other then English, so Spanish was a new direction for her and she opted to take a 20-hour crash-course to learn the language well enough to give this bold venture a good shot.

And, with full credit to her, she resists the temptation to limit the album to Spanish versions of English songs she had already recorded, and just two of the selections come from her back catalogue: Sin Ti [Without You] and Hoy No Tengo Hada [I Who Have Nothing].
Of the remainding eight compositions, three are Spanish versions of English songs that she’s not recorded previously - Nadie Mas Te Quiso (Como Yo) [I Could Never Miss You (More Than I Do) - Noel Harrison], Asi Sola Yo [Out Here On My Own - Michael & Leslie Gore] and Vallas [Rivals - Barbara Dickson/Charlie Dore], with the other five - La Pasion Que Nos Devora, Volveras, No Me Hables Mas De Amor, No Fingire and Si Yo Te Quiero Mas - were written specially for her by Leonardo Schultz.

As ever, Ms Bassey’s interpretation, phrasing, delivery and power are peerless and while the original Spanish songs take a bit of getting used to, they are nevertheless a pleasure to hear and, taken with the others, make for enjoyable listening.
Clearly Shirley’s “semi-retirement” had given her both the courage to explore new paths and the confidence to make it enjoyable for her legions of fans!Clearly Shirley’s “semi-retirement” had given her both the courage to explore new paths and the confidence to make it enjoyable for her legions of fans!

Side 1            La Pasion Que Nos Devora; Sin Ti [Without You]; Volveras; No Me Hables Mas De Amor & Nadie Mas Te Quiso (Como Yo) [I Could Never Miss You
                      (More Than I Do)].
Side 2            Asi Sola Yo [Out Here On My Own]; No Fingire; Hoy No Tengo Hada [I Who Have Nothing]; Vallas [Rivals] & Si Yo Te Quiero Mas.

Condition:
Vinyl:  No marks, still very shiny, plays with full, clear sound and no obvious extraneous noises either in the run-ins/outs, between or during the tracks. [Mint-].
Label: Exceptionally clean with no blemishes or other signs of use/deterioration.[Mint-].
Sleeve(s): Single pocket, gloss-finished card outer sleeve has small squashes on the right top/bottom corners, some open edge feathering, a few light surface creases, a few other [surface] marks (the latter most noticeably on the back towards the middle) and, only visible in direct light, just a faint hint of ringwear. Otherwise though, this 28+ years old sleeve still has strong colouring, no spine deterioration, clean/sharp edges with no seam splits/wear, smooth/clean surfaces with no writing, tears or other obvious deterioration/damage beyond the creasing/light surface marks mentioned above. [Exc +].
The poly-lined inner sleeve, not the original, has no obvious deterioration. [Mint-].

Note: Delivery to non-UK addresses is by International Signed-For service only and the charge for this is included in the quoted postage/shipping rates.

IMPORTANT AUCTION TERMS!

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