There are lots of articles, tributes, and retrospectives circulating today focused on Delon. What I dare say you won’t read about in any of them is his one-off collaboration with singer Shirley Bassey in 1983. Bassey is in exceptionally fine voice for this project, a song entitled “Thought I’d Ring You.” Delon’s contribution amounts to a couple of seductively delivered spoken-word segments.
Thought I’d ring you
And tell you I’m in town
Hope to see you
Yes, dinner would be fine
Do you remember,
When you and I first met?
I know I do, do you?
Oh non, je n’ai rien oublié
(Oh no, I haven’t forgotten anything)
Rien oublié de cette étrange fille
(Forgotten nothing about this strange life)
Qui est venue traverser ma vie et ma ville
(That came to cross my life and my town)
Rien oublié non plus de cette drôle de nuit
(Nor anything of this odd night)
Dans nous sommes sortis, je crois
(After which we became, I think)
Amis?
(Friends?)
Lost and confused
Whatever could I do
Nothing to lose
Oh, don’t you see I trust in you?
Caught in the rain on such a sunny day
Caught in the rain on such a special day with you
Nice to see you
You’ve hardly changed, it’s true
A little older
But time ‘s been kind to you
Do you remember a very special night?
You know I do
Do you?
Oh oui, tu as bien fais d’appeler
(Oh yes, you did right to call)
Moi, moi je suis bouleversé
(I, I am confused)
Ça m’a complètement surpris, tu sais
(It completely moved me, you know)
De te voir à Paris, no je n’ai pas oublié encore
(To see you in Paris, no I haven’t forgotten yet)
Ni le bain de la fontaine, ni la robe collée sur ton corps
(Either the bath in the fountain, or the dress clinging on your body)
Ni les mots du poème, comment pourrai-je oublier?
(Or the words of the poem, how could I forget?)
Lost and confused
Whatever could I do
Nothing to lose
Oh, don’t you see I trust in you?
Caught in the rain on such a sunny day
Caught in the rain on such a special day with you
Notes The Shirley Bassey Blog:
Shirley Bassey has never recorded [“Thought I’d Ring You”] as a solo. Two duet versions have been released. The first duet was with Alain Delon singing in French, which was released on a single in 1983 (instrumental version on the B-side) and on the B-side of a maxi-single in 1984.
The second version was with Al Corley singing English. This recording begins and ends with a studio-created live atmosphere. This version was released on the B-side of the single “Remember” (another duet with Al Corley.)
The recording with Alain Delon is available on some collection CDs and download releases. Sadly on many of the recordings they fade it out after about 3:21 minutes, whereas the original and complete recording was 4:17–4:20 minutes in length.
I can’t imagine Shirley being too happy about her encounter with Delon pictured above, despite appearances to the contrary. After all, as it was once noted in a print interview . . .
Anybody who wants to make Shirley Bassey mad should light up a cigar in her presence. In that case the world famous star explodes. She says: “Cigar-smoke makes me sick to the stomach. It stays in your hair, your clothes, your eyes are burning and you have to ventilate the room for at least three days and nights. It is very rude to light up a cigar in the presence of others.”
That all being said, the whole music video for “Thought I’d Ring You” looks like it was filmed in a haze of cigar smoke! 😆
Related Off-site Links:
French Actor and Heartthrob Alain Delon Dies at 88 – Sylvie Corbet and Thomas Adamson (AP News, August 18, 2024).
Alain Delon, 1935-2024 – Dan Callahan (Stolen Holiday, August 18, 2024).
The Complicated Stardom of Alain Delon – France 24 (August 18, 2024).
For more of Shirley Bassey at The Wild Reed, see:
• Time of the Tigress
• The Living Tree: Shirley Bassey and Me
• The Rhythm Divine
• History Repeating
• Oscar Highlights 2013
• Quote of the Day – February 26, 2013
• Shirley, Shirley, Shirley!
• Happy Birthday, Shirley!
• The Sweetness and the Sorrow
• Congratulations, Shirley!
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