I'd like to run away from you

Continuing my trip back in time through the album charts

08/07/73 : Never Never Never - Shirley Bassey

I'm obviously aware of our Shirl, but really only from her Bond themes - and I always forget she's done three (but, to be honest, Moonraker is best forgotten about on all fronts).  I'm expecting some average to fine songs elevated by her voice - perfectly listenable but not really my sort of thing.

And yeah, that's kinda where we are, with a but - it's not my sort of thing, but I really quite liked it.  She's still very much stuck in the 60s, but to be honest it's been so nice to hear a female voice that she could have come out with anything and I'd have been glad to hear it.  The title track, "I Won't Last A Day Without You" and (of course) "Killing Me Softly" were the stand-out tracks for me, but it's all pretty good.  I also enjoyed "No Regrets" and was surprised to read that this wasn't originally a Walker Brothers track - it was written and first recorded by Tom Rush, a US folk/blues singer.  I listened to this album in the early morning when it was very dark outside and the music seemed to fit perfectly with that - it feels very intimate.  Overall, I enjoyed this more than I was expecting - they're generally good songs, arranged well with her classy voice shining through.

We're all the way down at #20 again on its seventh week of a ten week run, having peaked at #10 in its initial week.  The top five this week are That'll Be The Day, Peters & Lee, George Harrison, Perry Como and Bowie (of course!) and the highest new entry is Mike Oldfield all the way down at #31.  And that's the only new entry in the chart this week, although there are NINE re-entries.  But - not only are we listening to a woman, we also get to see ANOTHER woman in the charts with Liza Minelli appearing at #35.  Wow - the women are taking over with there being SIX of them in the charts this week!

Wikipedia manages to have quite a few sentences on the entry - which I've read a few times and not found any content at all.  The album exists, basically - but you already knew that.

"Customers also listened to" Cilla Black, Lulu and Eartha Kitt - some powerful voices there and no mistake.  But are they as powerful as Shirley's?  I was surprised at how much I liked this - it felt like a nice intimate set in a dark club and it shows off her great voice well.

01/07/73 - Very much of its time
15/07/73 - Not as bad as I feared