Shirley Bassey – Spinning Wheel from the United Artists Lp Shirley Bassey Is Something

Ok, I know what you’re saying….what’s the deal Pres, you jumping on some Kanye shit or what? The answer would be no. I don’t need a late pass, however, I did just pick up this record over the summer while my man DJ Andy Smith and I were digging deep. I previously knew of the “Light My Fire” on this particular record, which coincidentally skipped like a mother, and the goodness Kenny Dope did with it’s remix. File under heavy drums and extended drum breaks. The full length Lp, however, did contain this funky gem of a side. Let’s stroll with The Tigress of Tiger Bay, Shirley Bassey with “Spinning Wheel” on United Artists Records .

Born in Cadiff, Wales in 1937, this future Dame started off singing at home with her 6 other brothers and sisters. she would make her mark in the mid 50’s singing in cabarets and after hours clubs, to get discovered by comedian Al Read. From this springboard came the revues and record contracts starting with Phillips and two number one hits “As I Love You” and “Reach For the Stars/ Climb A Mountain”. Bassey the Belter’s career took off and never looked back. From headlining gigs in New York and Las Vegas, to James Bond Movie themes (Goldfinger, Moonraker and Diamonds Are Forever) to covering every conceivable type of music and becoming a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1999. In between came the BBC television shows, the Johnny Carson and Mike Douglas appearances, as well as the myriad of chart hits and interpretations of the songs of the day. Let’s not push aside the Carnegie Hall sell outs and the thousands of appearances from Glastonbury to the Millenium Stadium, she has rocked them all. She continues to record today, and at 70 years of age, shows no sign of stopping. Recently, she’s done singles with The Propellorheads in “History Repeating”, featured on Kanye West’s “Diamonds From Sierra Leone”, and duets with Elton John and many, many others solidify her long career.

This side, honestly is unexpectedly funky. It was reworked by DJ Spinna a few years ago, and it go me on the hunt for the original. Spinna and Kenny Dope are producers/DJs really cut from the same cloth, and both have made a lot of us happy with their versions of Bassey sides. This particular record has the combination of a bigger band, complete with a horn section and some heavy drums (is that David Axelrod in there? Not really, but you get my point). A side doesn’t always have to be the rarest of the rare, to be funky. It’s these little surprises that always keep me digging. When I stared collecting and digging way back when, if someone had said Shirley Bassey was funky, I may have shrugged it off, looking for the most basic of drum beats. Hell, I was shocked when I saw Gangstarr sampled Leo Sayer! (Cheers on that one Andy via Peanut Butter Wolf). I hope a tune like this has encouraged you to look a little further and dig a little deeper in your quest for some black vinyl gold. I’m hoping to get another podcast done this weekend, and I’m gonna dedicate it to the Big man from London Town who has left me and gone back across the pond, but hopefully I’ll be having a cup of tea with the Geezer in his local cafe in 2008. Keep Diggin’!