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Bassey!

Bassey!: Episode 4

Episode 4

BBC Radio 2 - Bassey!, Episode 4

The story of multi-million-selling Welsh singer Shirley Bassey.

The story of the multi-million-selling, world-famous Welsh vocalist. Featuring tracks from the 70s, 80s and 90s, plus several songs from Shirley Bassey's new album.

Friday Night is Bassey Night as the story of the multi-million-selling, world-famous Welsh vocalist reaches its conclusion with a double bill, just before Dame Shirley Bassey takes to the stage for a dazzling headline performance at the BBC Electric Proms. 

Before addressing the entertainer's modern-day renaissance, the documentary features Bassey's best-loved songs of the 70s, including vibrant covers of Something and Light My Fire, plus such ballad favourites as For All We Know and Never Never Never. She also talks about her gay following, her hilarious comedy sketch with Morecambe & Wise, and reveals surprising feelings about the songs that brought her to a new audience in the 80s and 90s; Yello's Rhythm Divine and History Repeating with Propellerheads. Chris Rea talks about working with the singer on a 90s film project and Cerys Matthews contributes her Bassey memories. 

We hear Dame Shirley's recollections of her headline-making Glastonbury Festival appearance of 2007 and find out what happened on the set of a high-profile commercial for a well-known high street brand. Also in tonight's programmes, to preview the much-anticipated live performance that follows, La Bassey talks to Paul Sexton about the art of performing live and how she goes about building a set list for her show, carefully positioning newer songs among classic hits.

Her Electric Prom marks the live debut of several tracks from her new album The Performance and the documentary will set the scene by featuring several tracks, including Gary Barlow's This Time, Tom Baxter's Almost There and the Pet Shop Boys' The Performance Of My Life. Barlow, Baxter and Neil Tennant all feature in the programme, along with fellow contributors to the album, Nick Hodgson, Richard Hawley and producer David Arnold.

Amazing music. Played by an amazing line up.

Radio 2: Amazing music. Played by an amazing line-up. The home of great music, entertainment and documentaries

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Dame Shirley Bassey, 'The Girl from Tiger Bay', tells her story to Paul Sexton

As Dame Shirley Bassey prepares to release a new studio album after five decades in the business, 'The Girl from Tiger Bay' tells her story to Paul Sexton

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