Big Spender
Encyclopedia
"Big Spender" is a song written by Cy Coleman
and Dorothy Fields
for the musical
Sweet Charity
, first performed in 1966. It is sung, in the musical, by the dance hostess "girls"; it was choreographed by Bob Fosse
for the Broadway musical and the film
. It is "set to the beat of a striptease" as the girls "taunt" the customers.
reached #21 in the UK Singles Chart
in December 1967. This version featured in the 2004 film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers
, and in the 2005 film Nynne
. The song has become one of Bassey's signature songs. She has performed the song numerous times, most notably for the 80th birthday of Prince Philip. She also sang it at the 2007 Glastonbury Festival
.
In December 2007 it was re-released in a new remixed version as a digital download
. This was the third and final single released from the album Get the Party Started. The single features a remix from Pink Pound and two instrumental remixes that were not included on the album release. Unlike the previous two singles this track featured a remix of a previous released recording, the vocal track was taken from a session recorded in 1984 for the album I Am What I Am
. There was no promotion undertaken for the single and no video was made to support the release.
by many artists
, and has often appeared as a pop-culture reference in other works, including the following:
Cy Coleman
Cy Coleman was an American composer, songwriter, and jazz pianist.-Life and career:He was born Seymour Kaufman on June 14, 1929, in New York City to Eastern European Jewish parents, and was raised in the Bronx. His mother, Ida was an apartment landlady and his father was a brickmason...
and Dorothy Fields
Dorothy Fields
Dorothy Fields was an American librettist and lyricist.She wrote over 400 songs for Broadway musicals and films...
for the musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
Sweet Charity
Sweet Charity
Sweet Charity is a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and book by Neil Simon. It was directed and choreographed for Broadway by Bob Fosse starring his wife and muse Gwen Verdon. It is based on Federico Fellini's screenplay for Nights of Cabiria...
, first performed in 1966. It is sung, in the musical, by the dance hostess "girls"; it was choreographed by Bob Fosse
Bob Fosse
Robert Louis “Bob” Fosse was an American actor, dancer, musical theater choreographer, director, screenwriter, film editor and film director. He won an unprecedented eight Tony Awards for choreography, as well as one for direction...
for the Broadway musical and the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
. It is "set to the beat of a striptease" as the girls "taunt" the customers.
Shirley Bassey version
A hit version of the song by Shirley BasseyShirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
reached #21 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in December 1967. This version featured in the 2004 film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers is a 2004 film about the life of English comic actor Peter Sellers, based on Roger Lewis' book of the same name...
, and in the 2005 film Nynne
Nynne
Nynne is a Danish film directed by Jonas Elmer, starring Mille Dinesen. It is based on the bestselling Danish novel Nynnes dagbog by Henriette Lind, Lotte Thorsen and Anette Vestergaard, which again was based on a popular newspaper column in Politiken...
. The song has become one of Bassey's signature songs. She has performed the song numerous times, most notably for the 80th birthday of Prince Philip. She also sang it at the 2007 Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
.
In December 2007 it was re-released in a new remixed version as a digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
. This was the third and final single released from the album Get the Party Started. The single features a remix from Pink Pound and two instrumental remixes that were not included on the album release. Unlike the previous two singles this track featured a remix of a previous released recording, the vocal track was taken from a session recorded in 1984 for the album I Am What I Am
I Am What I Am (Shirley Bassey album)
I Am What I Am was the only studio album recorded by Shirley Bassey for the Towerbell Records label, several other tracks were also recorded at this label and issued as singles only. The recording sessions took place at Olympic Studios, Barnes, London, in July and August 1984...
. There was no promotion undertaken for the single and no video was made to support the release.
Track listing UK Digital remix single "Big Spender"
- "Big Spender" (NorthxNWest remix) (remix by NorthxNWest) - 3.24
- "Big Spender" (Pink Pound remix) (remix by Pink Pound) - 5.42
- "Big Spender" (NorthxNWest instrumental) (remix by NorthxNWest) - 3.24
- "Big Spender" (Pink Pound instrumental) (remix by Pink Pound) - 5.42
Other versions
"Big Spender" has been coveredCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by many artists
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, and has often appeared as a pop-culture reference in other works, including the following:
- Peggy LeePeggy LeePeggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
, who recorded the song in 1966. Her rendition became a hitHit recordA hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
on the USUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Easy ListeningHot Adult Contemporary TracksThe Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
chartRecord chartA record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
in that year. - QueenQueen (band)Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
performed it live at Wembley StadiumWembley StadiumThe original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
on 12 July 1986, and also performed it live in the early 1970s. - During the animated opening credits of The Pink Panther Strikes AgainThe Pink Panther Strikes AgainThe Pink Panther Strikes Again is the fifth film in the Pink Panther series and picks up where The Return of the Pink Panther leaves off...
(1976), animator Richard WilliamsRichard WilliamsRichard Williams is a Canadian animator. He is best known for serving as animation director on Disney/Amblin's Who Framed Roger Rabbit and for his unfinished feature film The Thief and the Cobbler...
has a lineup of Pink Panthers in a parody of the hostess girls' staging; Henry Mancini quotes "Big Spender," seguing seamlessly into the "Pink Panther Theme." - In Hou Hsiao-hsienHou Hsiao-HsienHou Hsiao-Hsien is an award-winning film director and a leading figure of Taiwan's New Wave cinema movement.-Biography:...
's 1987 film Daughter of the NileDaughter of the NileDaughter of the Nile is a 1987 Feature film by Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Hsiao-Hsien.-Background:...
, the song plays twice from Lin Hsiao-fang's restaurant. - Dionne WarwickDionne WarwickDionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
and Debbie Boone performed the song on Boone's show One Step Closer in 1982. - Bette MidlerBette MidlerBette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
covered this song for her Peggy Lee tribute album Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee SongbookBette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee SongbookBette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook is an album by Bette Midler. The album was produced by Barry Manilow as a follow-up to their grammy-nominated album Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook. ...Peggy Lee Songbook was Bette's first album released in the DualDisc format...
which was released in 2005. - In an episode of British Asian sketch comedy show Goodness Gracious Me, the cast perform a parody of the song called "Big Spinster".
- In the "Two Bad NeighborsTwo Bad Neighbors"Two Bad Neighbors" is the 13th episode of The Simpsons seventh season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 14, 1996. In the episode,the Simpson family is having a garage sale. Right when the sale gets moving, George H. W...
" episode of The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, Homer SimpsonHomer SimpsonHomer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
performed the song at a yard sale with new lyrics to reflect the merchandise he is promoting. - In Grounded for LifeGrounded for LifeGrounded for Life is an American television sitcom that debuted on January 10, 2001 as a mid-season replacement on the FOX Network. It was created by Mike Schiff and Bill Martin. It ran for two seasons on the network until being cancelled only two episodes into its third season...
Sean has it approved for his daughter Lily to perform "Big Spender" at her school talent show. - The song "Roc-A-Fella BillionairesRoc-A-Fella Billionaires"Roc-A-Fella Billionaires" is a single from Freeway from his album Free at Last featuring Jay-Z. The song was produced by Dame Grease and samples Helen Gallagher's version of "Big Spender".Was originally titled "Big Spender"....
" by FreewayFreeway (rapper)Leslie Edward Pridgen , better known by his stage name Freeway, is an American rapper. Best known for his tenure on Roc-A-Fella Records and his affiliation with Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel, he is recognized by his high-pitched delivery and for the long beard he keeps due to his Muslim faith...
featuring Jay-ZJay-ZShawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
samples Helen GallagherHelen GallagherHelen Gallagher is an American actress, dancer, singer and makeup artist.-Early years:Born in Brooklyn, she was raised in Scarsdale, New York for several years until the Wall Street crash which heralded the Great Depression, and her family moved to the Bronx. Her parents separated and she was...
's version of the song. - In National Lampoon's European VacationNational Lampoon's European VacationEuropean Vacation is a 1985 comedy film. The second film in National Lampoon's Vacation film series, it was directed by Amy Heckerling and stars Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo. Dana Hill and Jason Lively replace Dana Barron and Anthony Michael Hall as Griswold children Audrey and Rusty...
, Mrs. Griswold performs "Big Spender" with exotic dancing while Clark (her husband) video tapes it. - The Pussycat DollsPussycat DollsThe Pussycat Dolls are an American pop girl group and dance ensemble based in Los Angeles; currently consisting of Lauren Bennett, Vanessa Curry, Kristal "Lyndriette" Smith, Tiffany "Taz" Zavala, Kia Hampton and Paula Van Oppen. The Pussycat Dolls were founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995...
Doll Domination Tour that started in 2009, featured Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, and Kimberly Wyatt dancing "Big Spender", following by a performance by Melody Thornton. - In the Discworld NoirDiscworld NoirDiscworld Noir is a computer game based on Terry Pratchett's Discworld comic fantasy novels, and unlike the previous Discworld games is both an example and parody of the noir genre. The game was developed by Perfect Entertainment and published by GT Interactive. It was originally released in 1999...
computer game the 'Troll Saphire' performed a parody of "Big Spender", with the opening lyrics as "The minute you walked through the wall, I could tell that you were a troll of destruction" - In "Dream OnDream On (Glee)"Dream On" is the 19th episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on May 18, 2010. It was directed by Joss Whedon and written by series creator Brad Falchuk. Neil Patrick Harris guest-stars as former glee club star Bryan Ryan...
", a season 1 episodeGlee (season 1)The first season of the musical comedy-drama television series Glee originally aired on Fox in the United States. The pilot episode was broadcast as an advanced preview of the series on May 19, 2009, with the remainder of the season airing between September 9, 2009 and June 8, 2010...
of GleeGlee (TV series)Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, a woman auditioning for Les MisérablesLes Misérables (musical)Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
sings this song. The song was performed again on the season 3 premiereGlee (season 3)A third season of the Fox musical comedy-drama television series Glee was commissioned on May 23, 2010 while the first season aired. It premiered on September 20, 2011, and is being produced by 20th Century Fox Television and Ryan Murphy Television, with executive producers Dante Di Loreto and...
"The Purple Piano ProjectThe Purple Piano Project"The Purple Piano Project" is the premiere episode of the third season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 45th overall. The episode was written by series co-creator Brad Falchuk, directed by Eric Stoltz, and first aired on September 20, 2011 on Fox in the United States...
" by Sugar (Vanessa LengiesVanessa LengiesVanessa Lynne-Marie Lengies is a Canadian actress best known for starring in the drama American Dreams as Roxanne Bojarski...
), a student who can't sing. - In Muriel Cigar commercials in the 1970s, sung by Edie AdamsEdie AdamsEdie Adams was an American singer, Broadway, television and film actress and comedienne. Adams, a Tony Award winner, "both embodied and winked at the stereotypes of fetching chanteuse and sexpot blonde." She was well-known for her impersonations of female stars on stage and television, most...
. A modified version of the tune entreated the viewer to "...spend a little dime with me", referring to the price of a Muriel Cigar. - In the first episode of the Oxygen series, The Glee ProjectThe Glee ProjectThe Glee Project is an American reality television series from Oxygen. It serves as an audition for the FOX TV series Glee. Although originally planned to begin broadcasting in late May 2011, The Glee Project premiered on June 12, 2011...
, the song is sung by Ellis, in order to be called back. - In the late 1970s Tom Waits often used to perform Small Change/Big Spender as a medley with "Big Spender" Written by Coleman and Fields. Originally performed by Helen Gallagher, Thelma Oliver and The Girls in the musical "Sweet Charity " in 1965. Originally recorded by Shirley Bassey in 1967.
External links
- http://www.songsofshirleybassey.co.uk/song/sng67014.html
- Shirley Bassey sings Big Spender BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
archive footage