One of the longest of the single-disc
Bassey best-ofs released (albeit in Europe),
The Ultimate Shirley Bassey also offers a bolstered sound courtesy of British EMI's remastering. It covers nearly all of the best material from her '60s and '70s prime, from early hits like "As Long as He Needs Me" and "You'll Never Know" to Bond series classics like "Goldfinger" and "Diamonds Are Forever" (though not 1979's "Moonraker"). Also appearing are the peaks of
Bassey's theatrical, frequently overwrought vocalizing -- "(Where Do I Begin) Love Story," "I (Who Have Nothing)," and the highly charting
Beatles cover "Something."