Burn My Candle (at Both Ends)
Encyclopedia
"Burn My Candle" was Shirley Bassey's
first single. It was recorded in February 1956, when Bassey was nineteen years old, and released later that month on a 78 rpm shellac disc (Philips PB 558), with Stormy Weather on the B side. The record was produced by Johnny Franz
, with Wally Stott
and his Orchestra backing Bassey. The song was written for Bassey by Ross Parker (most notable for We'll Meet Again
) at the behest of Bassey's then-manager, Michael Sullivan, who was seeking a song to make Bassey stand out. The BBC banned the playing of the record, presumably due to its suggestive lyrics. In his 2010 biography of Bassey, John L. Williams writes that:
Despite being popular with audiences, the record failed to chart. In a 2009 interview on the BBC series Imagine
, Bassey stated:
Its first appearance on an album was The Bewitching Miss Bassey
in 1959. On subsequent appearances the song is sometimes listed as "Burn My Candle (At Both Ends)". Most recently, it appears on the CD compilation Burn My Candle - The Complete Early Years. Shirley Bassey
re-recorded this song in 1966, but it remained unreleased until 1975 when it appeared on the 2LP set The Shirley Bassey Collection II.
Shirley 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"...
first single. It was recorded in February 1956, when Bassey was nineteen years old, and released later that month on a 78 rpm shellac disc (Philips PB 558), with Stormy Weather on the B side. The record was produced by Johnny Franz
Johnny Franz
Johnny Franz was a UK record producer and A&R man at the Philips label. Although his name is not recognized by many Americans, Franz was one of Britain's most successful producers in the 1950s and 1960s...
, with Wally Stott
Angela Morley
Angela Morley was an English composer and conductor. Morley was born in Leeds, Yorkshire in 1924, and played saxophone in a number of dance bands, and in 1944 became a member of Geraldo's band....
and his Orchestra backing Bassey. The song was written for Bassey by Ross Parker (most notable for We'll Meet Again
We'll Meet Again
"We'll Meet Again" is a 1939 song made famous by British singer Vera Lynn, and it also may refer to:* We'll Meet Again , a musical starring Lynn that includes the song...
) at the behest of Bassey's then-manager, Michael Sullivan, who was seeking a song to make Bassey stand out. The BBC banned the playing of the record, presumably due to its suggestive lyrics. In his 2010 biography of Bassey, John L. Williams writes that:
The song taken in isolation, is blatantly sexual but hardly convincing, as the double entendres of the title give way to single entendres in the bridge – There's "S" for Scotch, that's so direct / And for straight and simple sex / "I" for invitation to / A close relationship with you / "N" for nothing bad nor less / "S-I-N", that's sin, I guess....And that, right there, is the key to Shirley Bassey's early success: she was blatantly sexy and yet somehow, if not innocent, at least not too knowing.
Despite being popular with audiences, the record failed to chart. In a 2009 interview on the BBC series Imagine
Imagine (TV series)
Imagine is a wide ranging arts series first broadcast on BBC One in 2003, hosted and executive produced by Alan Yentob. Each series usually consists of 4 to 7 episodes, each on a different topic...
, Bassey stated:
It was banned by the BBC, and I didn't know why. And I said, 'Why are they banning it?' And my manager said, well—the lyrics may have something to do with it—and I said, 'Yah? But what?' I didn't even know what it was about. I'd never sung a risqué song and I think they purposefully didn't tell me so that I could give it that innocence.
Its first appearance on an album was The Bewitching Miss Bassey
The Bewitching Miss Bassey
The Bewitching Miss Bassey is a studio album from Shirley Bassey. Consisting of new and previously released material this was the first album from Bassey to be issued on the 12" Long-playing record format. Tracks were taken from sessions recorded between 1956 and early 1959. All the songs were...
in 1959. On subsequent appearances the song is sometimes listed as "Burn My Candle (At Both Ends)". Most recently, it appears on the CD compilation Burn My Candle - The Complete Early Years. Shirley Bassey
Shirley 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"...
re-recorded this song in 1966, but it remained unreleased until 1975 when it appeared on the 2LP set The Shirley Bassey Collection II.