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There's No Place Like London

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"There's No Place Like London" is a song co-written by Lynsey de Paul and Gerard Kenny,[1][2][3][4] and held by the British Library.[5][6][7][8] The song was published by Lynsey de Paul Music/Chelsea Publishing Co Ltd/Arlon Music/Chappell Music.[9][10]

Vinyl release

[edit]

It was first recorded by Shirley Bassey[11][12][7] backed with a 54 piece orchestra, conducted by David Lindup and produced by de Paul, and released as a single in June 1986.[13][14][15][16] The B-side was Bassey's version of "Born to Sing" composed by Jeff Barnel and Michael Joubeveaux with English lyrics by Norman Newell, that was also produced by de Paul.[17][13] It was released June 1986 and was Bassey's last single for the independent British record label Towerbell Records.[18] Unusually, the song starts with the chorus rather than a verse.[19] The song was well received by the UK press[20] but it stalled at number 138 on the UK Singles Chart.[21]

According to Music Week, the song was commissioned by the "London Visitor & Convention Board (formerly the "London Tourist Board") as well as eight companies, including "British Airways" and the BT Group (at that time known as "British Telecom").[22][23][24] A promotional video was made that featured Bassey's daughter Sharon and grandson Luke as well as de Paul and cameo's from celebrities such as Michael Caine, Spike Milligan, David Frost, Frank Bruno and Kermit the frog and shown on BBC News.[25] A live performance of the song was premiered at the Royal Albert Hall, with songwriter de Paul in the audience[26] as part of her concert celebrating her 30th anniversary as a recording artist in 1986.[27] [28] Bassey also sang the song as well as part of her 'Live from the Piccadilly' show later that year,[29][30] as well as on the 1987 Royal Variety Performance,[31] and, ironically, for her "Shirley Bassey Live" in Berlin in honour of 750 years of Berlin in 1987.[32] She also performed the song on prime time TV on "Des O'Connor Tonight" Christmas show.[33] The song is considered as one of Bassey's defining, signature songs and is listed as part of her essential repertoire alongside other Bassey classics.[34]

CD release and cover versions

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It was released for the first time on CD to tie-in with the UK held Olympic Games in 2012 on the Warner/Chappell album, Olympic Tracks.[35] It is listed in the BBC music database which catalogs songs they play.[36] Speaking about the recording of the song in an interview, de Paul said "we wrote.."There's No Place Like London", and the Tourist Board liked it, and then we thought of an artist and I thought of Shirley Bassey. So I approached her and asked her to sing it and she really liked the song - that's the way round it came, it didn't come that I wrote for her I just had the song and said would you sing it. And she was great."[37] It is still one of the most played Bassey songs on BBC radio[38][39] and is listed on their Bassey website.[40] Two different live Bassey performances of the song appear on the Odeon Entertainment DVD, Shirley Bassey On TV, released in 2010.[41]

De Paul recorded a version of the song with a whole host of celebrity friends to celebrate Capital Radio's twentieth anniversary in 1993 under the name 'Lynsey and friends', which was produced by de Paul and released as a single in the UK.[42] It was the winning record for the LBC London Parade, and went on sale to raise money for the Variety Club of Great Britain.[43] According to the CD sleeve, the friends included Frankie Vaughan, Patti Boulaye, Gareth Hunt, Kenny Lynch, Rula Lenska, Gwen Taylor, Lionel Blair, Lorraine Chase, Pam St. Clement, Harry Fowler, Polly James, Larry Adler, Rose Marie, Victor Spinetti, Gorden Kaye and the St Joan of Arc School Choir.[44][45]

It was covered and released by drag queen diva La Voix (real name Chris Dennis), a semi-finalist of Britain's Got Talent and who appeared in Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, as a track on the 2018 album, Hello.[46][47][48] Drag queen Tiffaney Wells also has covered the song.[49]

"There's No Place Like London" has also been recorded as an instrumental version by the UK band leader and producer Tony Evans as "The Tony Evans Orchestra" on his album of the same name,[50][51] as well as by the artist Ameritz.[52] Being in the style of a slow fox-trot, it has become a ballroom dancing standard.[53] The song was also performed by "Hills Angels" as part of a musical sketch in episode No. 2 of the 18th season of the Benny Hill Show in 1988 and released internationally on DVD in 2011.[54]

The lyrics sing the praises of London, England, the birthplace of de Paul as well as the adopted home of Gerard Kenny, and featured the lyrics "Take Paris in the spring, take New York in the fall, but I'd leave them behind, for the best of them all".[55] In 2012, Gerard Kenny was interviewed by Radio Warwickshire about writing this and other songs. In the interview he revealed how he and de Paul wrote the song and how proud he was to hear Bassey sing it at the Royal Variety Performance in front of Queen Elizabeth II, who clearly liked it and was part of the spontaneous standing ovation that Bassey received.[56]

A show entitled No Place Like London after the song "There's No Place Like London", featuring singers Brunie Riley and Milko Foucault-Larche singing the songs of Shirley Bassey and Engelbert Humperdinck, is currently on tour with dates in Australia.[57][58] The song is mentioned an article entitled "Iconic Landscapes: The Lyrical Links of Songs and Cities", that appeared in the academic publication Focus on Geography, a peer-reviewed, full-colour quarterly journal, with numerous articles written by well-known academic and professional geographers.[59] In 2021, the song was included in the listing "Notable Songs with City Names in the Title" by journalist Ansel Pereira.[60] It still receives plays on major radio stations such as BBC Radio.[61] In 2023, "Audio Tips" listed the song as number 38 on their "40 Great Songs About Cities" listing[62] and more recently it was also listed by Spinditty under "100 Best Songs With Names of Cities in the Title".

Weekly charts

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Weekly chart performance for "There's No Place Like London"
Chart (1986) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[63] 138

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "THERE S NO PLACE LIKE LONDON". Repertoire.bmi.com. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
  2. ^ There's no place like London (Musical score, 1985). 2016-05-11. OCLC 84948692.
  3. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts - Offizielle Deutsche Charts". Offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
  4. ^ "Release group "There's No Place Like London" by Lynsey de Paul". Musicbrainz.org. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  5. ^ "Explore the British Library". Explore.bl.uk. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  6. ^ "Hollywood - Paul Roth's Music Liner Notes - Page 12". Musiclinernotes.wordpress.com. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  7. ^ a b "There's No Place Like London". Musicbrainz.org. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  8. ^ "There's no place like London | WorldCat.org". Search.worldcat.org. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  9. ^ "Mick Cooper's Gerard Kenny page". Michaelcooper.org.uk. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  10. ^ Music Week, p. 19, 9 August 1986
  11. ^ "Shirley Bassey - Women in Jazz". Wijsf.bizland.com. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  12. ^ "WBSS Media-Dame Shirley Bassey". Wbssmedia.com. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  13. ^ a b "Shirley Bassey - There's No Place Like London / Born To Sing - Towerbell - UK - TOW 90". 45cat.com. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  14. ^ "Music". Lynseydepaul.com. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
  15. ^ "Shirley Bassey : Biography". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2016-12-12.
  16. ^ "Shirley Bassey I am What I am Tour". Theatregold1.mybigcommerce.com.
  17. ^ "Shirley Bassey – There's No Place Like London (1986, Vinyl) - Discogs". Discogs.
  18. ^ "Shirley Bassey - There's No Place Like London". 45cat.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  19. ^ "Top 10 Songs that Start with the Chorus". Thetoptens.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  20. ^ "Shirl gives us a rare twirl", Daily Record, 25 October 1986
  21. ^ "UK Singles Charts: 1986 (including chart panel sales)". Ukmix.org. p. 10. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  22. ^ "William Price Meets some Legends – Dame Shirley Bassey – 1980s and 1990s". Smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com. 2 May 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  23. ^ Evans, Doug (19 July 2021). "Diva forever: The story of Dame Shirley Bassey". Herald.wales. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  24. ^ Music Week, p. 3, 5 July 1986
  25. ^ Music Week, 5 July 1986
  26. ^ "There's No Place Like London". Shirleybassey.wordpress.com. 25 February 2008. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  27. ^ Music Week, p. 13, 17 May 1986
  28. ^ "Music Week" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. 17 May 1986. p. 13. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  29. ^ "November | 2015 | Shirley Bassey Blog". Shirleybassey.wordpress.com. p. 3. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  30. ^ Shirl gives us a rare twirl by Leslie Hardie, Daily Record, 26 October 1986
  31. ^ Diamonds Are Forever - Shirley Bassey: A Celebration of My 50 Years as Her Greatest Fan by Mary Long (ISBN 9781786062499)
  32. ^ "Shirley Bassey - On Tv (DVD)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-12-12.
  33. ^ ""Des O'Connor Tonight" Episode #10.11 (TV Episode 1986)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  34. ^ "Repertoire". That's Shirley Bassey. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  35. ^ "Various - WARNER/CHAPPELL PRESENTS: Olympic Tracks (CD)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  36. ^ "There's No Place Like London - Shirley Bassey Song - BBC Music". Bbc.co.uk. 1970-01-01. Retrieved 2016-12-12.
  37. ^ "Lynsey de Paul Exclusive FemaleFirst Interview". Femalefirst.co.uk. 2007-08-06. Retrieved 2016-12-12.
  38. ^ "Shirley Bassey - New Songs, Playlists & Latest News - BBC Music". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-07-10.
  39. ^ "Sooty and Sweep plus Miss Hope Springs, Jo Good and Simon Lederman - BBC Radio London". BBC. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  40. ^ "There's No Place Like London - Shirley Bassey Song - BBC Music". BBC. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  41. ^ "Shirley Bassey - On Tv". Discogs.com. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  42. ^ "Lynsey And Friends - There's No Place Like London". 45cat.com. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  43. ^ "LBC London Parade song winners · British Universities Film & Video Council". Bufvc.ac.uk. 1993-11-06. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
  44. ^ "Lynsey De Paul - There's No Place Like London (Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  45. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts - Offizielle Deutsche Charts". Offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 2016-12-12.
  46. ^ "Hello La Voix Album". Lavoix.co.uk.
  47. ^ "No Place Like London Town by la Voix (Singer)". WhoSampled.
  48. ^ "Cover Versions, Samples, Medleys". Cover.info. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  49. ^ "TIFFANY WELLS DOUBLE BILL". Qxmagazine.com. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  50. ^ "The Tony Evans Orchestra - There's No Place Like London (CD)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  51. ^ "Cover versions of There's No Place Like London by Tony Evans and His Orchestra". SecondHandSongs.com. 2013-11-12. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  52. ^ "There's No Place Like London (In the Style of Shirley Bassey) [Karaoke Version] - Single". Hmvdigital.com. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  53. ^ "Slow Foxtrot". Ballroomdancemusic.info. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  54. ^ "The Benny Hill Show (TV Series) : Episode #18.2 (1988) : Soundtracks". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  55. ^ "THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE LONDON - Lyrics - International Lyrics Playground". Lyricsplayground.com. 2007-10-10. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
  56. ^ "Trailer for the Interview with Gerard Kenny – Radio Warwickshire". Radiowarwickshire.com. 2012-11-22. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
  57. ^ "Shirley Bassey and Engelbert Tribute show - Club Condell Park". Clubcondellpark.com.au. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  58. ^ "Milko Forte & Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre Present No Place Like London". Casulapowerhouse.com. 23 October 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  59. ^ David J. Keeling (2011). "Iconic Landscapes: The Lyrical Links of Songs and Cities". Focus on Geography. 54 (4): 113–160. doi:10.1111/j.1949-8535.2011.00033.x.
  60. ^ Spinditty, August 24, 2021
  61. ^ "BBC Radio London - Jo Good and Simon Lederman, Hidden River Festivals and Danusia Samal". Bbc.co.uk.
  62. ^ "40 Great Songs About Cities (2023 with Videos)". Audiotips.com. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  63. ^ "Shirley Bassey: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
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