It's really hard to play the way he does. Every musical part of him is wanting to play it correctly. I'm no great musician and I find it almost impossible to do it for more than a few bars before I have to stop. An amazing comedian and musician.
Dame Shirley Bassey. What a legend. Born in 1937 She is the daughter of a welsh mother and a Nigerian father. He left before she was 3 years old and she's one of 7 children. As you can imagine back then mixed race kids stood out among the population, so I'm sure the family had their fair share of struggles. She's got so much class but so down to earth. You only have to listen to "goldfinger" to hear what an amazing voice she has. Much loved by us old buggers in blighty. ✌️♥️🇬🇧
" i heard a knock at the front door and i opened it. There was my mother in law, soaking wet due to the rain. I said, don't just stand there getting wet through - go home! "
Les Dawson was a comedy legend, very much like Tommy Cooper. Never swore, never rude & the biggest celebrities of the time wanted to be on their shows, just pure admiration & affection for them. 🤣🤣
Shirley Bassey was from the Tiger Bay area of Cardiff’s docklands, to explain that joke - she didn’t have a wealthy childhood. The joke about Weybridge going downhill is that that’s a very upmarket town.
Les was a very British comedian and we loved him for it. I remember one he told: The mother in law told me she needed to lose weight a couple of months ago and asked for my advice. I told her to walk two miles every day. She should be just outside Aberdeen by now. 😂
Whatever Happened to entertainment as good as this? Hilarious and suitable for the whole family. Shirly looked like she was enjoying herself as much as Les. You see her immersing herself in comedy and then you see her serious side, singing the theme tune from James Bond`s Gold Finger. Two true professionals at the top of their game.
He died far, far to soon leaving a wife and young daughter behind. His memory lives on for us all in clips like this one. Thank you for giving us a wonderful memory. ❤️🌹
Watch his Cissy and Ada sketches with Roy Barraclough, the sketches he did with John Cleese in Sez Les and him hosting the Panel show, 'Blankety Blank'. The disdain he showed for the show and the celebrity guests was hilarious. Class 🤣
He honed his act and timing in Northern Working Men's Clubs on Friday & Saturday nights, in the Cities and what you would call " rustbelt " towns, they were famously difficult audiences to please, he once said " If they like you in Barnsley, they don't applaud, they let you live ! ". His mother in law jokes were legendary ... " I'm not saying she's a big woman, but her shadow weighs 40 lbs " " I called round the other day ... she was in the parlour, listening to some of her favourite German marching tunes " " She's got a great recipe for yoghurt, she stares at a pint of milk for an hour " " She's a fuller figured lady, she gets her knickers on a prescription "
I used to love Les back in the day lol. My Dad was a professional piano player and said that playing out of tune like Les did was one of the most difficult things to do when you can actually play for real. Legend
Brilliant. I remember that sketch when it first broadcast - yes I'm that old. Shirley was great and didn't take herself too seriously. If you have not seen it go and watch the time she was on the Morecombe and Wise Show - another classic comedy routine. 🤣
OMG I am old enough to have enjoyed the hell out of that!! Hat off to you for finding it, but I think it showcased Les Dawson at his best. Yes, very old school, but there was a reason people loved him!! And also Shirley Bassey is yet another national treasure to the UK and to Wales. Top-notch!!
To have two classics like this bouncing off each other is just legendary... They get on as friends and their chemistry was respectful and deeply affectionate. No egos here!! They can easily 'undermine' each other through comedy... An art!! Where are these comedy greats now....... 😍
all good clean humour, nothing smutty but plenty of innuendos, it was humour the whole family could watch together. Shirley Bassey was a huge star in her own right too. As others have said go down the rabbit hole of his Cissie and Ada characters. you won't regret it. Cheers
Love the old school comedians like Les Dawson who would tell a joke and you thought that you knew where the punchline was going and then they would throw a sudden unexpected twist at the end catching you unaware. Les was quite an accomplished piano player and used to spend hours practicing to work out which 'wrong note' worked best. Classy and sadly missed.
Yep that right, modern comedians are smart arses rather than telling jokes and stories. Bernard Manning would be shot now! Les Dawson, Ken Dodd, Billy Connelly are comedy engineers, they worked very hard at their craft to make it look natural and off the cuff.
Les was actually a very accomplished pianist. He always said he found it more difficult playing the wrong notes than the correct one's. Shirley of course was most famous for singing 3 James bond themes, including Goldfinger.
Les Dawson was my all time favourate comedian. And Dame Shirley Bassey pronounced Bass-ey another great singer from wales as is Sir Tom Jones. So sad the way Les passed away while attending a physical at the hospital ...passing it and few seconds later collapsing from a heart attack. And this way he played the piano out of tune keys was so funny but he really could play it. Glad you enjoyed it EB ...keep up the good work love ya XX
Les was from the time of our great comedians, Two Ronnie's, Bob Monkhouse, Dick Emery etc all big household names. Dame Shirley Bassey was a frequent guest star on Les's shows. She has always been the lady, the diva & the mix of Les & Shirley was always great to watch. Shirley Bassey is famous for her great hits 'Gold Finger' (bond theme) & many others including 'Diamonds are Forever', 'Big Spender' etc. A true star & also much loved. Thank You for reacting to the great Les Dawson 👍🇬🇧❤🇺🇸
They both worked their way up by doing countless gigs in workers social and variety clubs for years. Both real professionals who'd paid their dues. Les was *hilarious.*
Les did some of the best mother-in-law jokes you will ever hear. My fave? "When I came home from work I could tell the mother in law had visited. All the mice had jumped into the traps!" :)
He did well for a lad from a northern England working class mining town. His delivery walked that fine line of articulate stupidity that only the best can pull of correctly. His national prominence stemmed from his retaining his northern roots & the humour from there that not all comedians could manage. Brilliant. One of the greats that could read the ingredients off a cereal box & make you ROFLMAO.
With respect, Les did not come from a mining town he came from an area of Manchester called Collyhurst where the overwhelming industries were Manufacturing & Heavy Engineering.
He lived in Collyhurst, just 2 miles from a sizeable coal mine in Bradford. A lot of the heavy engineering was in the area simply because of the close proximity to the coal mine.
@@ge5168 Again with respect, you are wrong. I was born in Clayton Manchester in 1960, half a mile from Bradford Pit, areas like Collyhurst, Miles Platting & Newton Heath were Heavy Industry & Engineering that had nothing to do with the mining industry, how do I know this? Both my Father & Grandfather were Heavy engineers in the Miles Platting area for over 60 yrs between them as we're the Dad's of all the lads I went to school with. Out of interest I was there in person when they closed & blew up Bradford Pit which stood where both a large Asda is & the Manchester City Eastlands stadium is now both of which are far closer to my birthplace than Collyhurst.
Hey electric Beard, howzi't hangin budd ? Yer know how you say ' ass ' in america, well thats the right phonetic to use for Shirley Bassey. Also just like to add, that Les was actually a very accomplished pianist, and spent some his early career playing in a parisien brothel🤣
A snippet of Les' biog- he ran away to Paris to become a poet, ended up getting by playing piano in a posh brothel. Returned to England and tried to make a living as a smooth piano and song man. He was not very well received and got depressed. He went on stage drunk as a lord one night, started getting laughs and a star was born.
Shirley Bassey sang the song Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever and Moonraker for the James Bond movie franchise. Les Dawson was a brilliant piano player, but he was very good at mixing the notes up.
To Mr eclectic beard....he was an utter genius and enjoyed by millions in dear old blighty without any shadow of a doubt the funniest comedian of all time purely because he didn't even have to swear or curse to have you rolling around in tears of laughter 😂
Thank you so much for that video and the person who suggested you react to that - what a laugh I had ! Would like more of that, please. And the diva Dame Shirley Bassey, she of the magnificent voice,never seen her laugh like that. That she played a back role makes me like her even more !!!!
Thank you alan , this brings back some great memories , i as a small boy would never miss any of Les Dawsons shows he is one of the all time greats . His sketch shows were very funny . Yes he had that talent of looking depressed and making everyone laugh . You might know Dame Shirley Bassey her most famous songs Goldfinger " and " Diamonds are Forever " from James Bond .
Nice video. Shirley Bassey pronounced like this "baa see" or "bah see". She is one fantastic singer! She did three Bond songs Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, and Moonraker in addition numerous studio albums and other hit songs.
Dame Shirley also guested on the Morecambe and Wise Show...she has a great sense of fun. Les was actually a good pianist, but he got more from the audience from screwing up.
I'm so unlucky the good Samaritans sent a cease and desist letter telling me never to call again I went to the doctors and told him I was feeling depressed he said I can cure that and handed me one way tickets to Switzerland saying there's a clinic that will help I was mugged and the robber felt so sorry for me he gave me his money the voices in my head said this is too much and I haven't heard from them ever since 😂
Thank you EB for reviewing this. I only watched to see Shirley. She was my beloved Dad’s favourite & watching her reminded me of him. 💕 Forgot how funny Les was. X
Hi E.B., I always loved watching Les Dawson, he was a true Northern comic following in the traditions of their ilk. (Robb Wilton, Frank Randle, Norman Evans & Al Read) all from before my time, back in the `40`s & `50`s but I enjoyed finding out about them. You can see their influence in Les Dawson`s performance.
Shirley Bassey has a 'diva' reputation, sings big blockbuster songs (Diamonds are Forever) and is happy to send herself up with appearances on Les Dawson and Morecambe & Wise.
Eclectic Beard Reaction To Les Dowson, He Was A Pure Genius From The 1960'/1970's Right Through To To The Early To Mid 1980's A Genius, A Real Comedy Great,!!!!!!!!.
HEY EB✌️great reaction to Les I think it was Michael Parkinson (former UK chat show host) said it was impossible to do a straight interview with him so that might be one to consider a reaction to 😂a one line master 70s /80s legend the Atheist holiday joke really got me. Thank you buddy and take care now 👍✌️🙏
I think this would have been a Royal Variety performance show, played live for charity , probably in the presence of Her Majesty, hence the loud applause. All a long time ago, Shirley is now 85 and still singing. ♥
It was from the Shirley bassey show ithink it was late 70s early 80s ( not certain) she had her own shows with various guest acts each weeks she would sing duets (if they were singers)as far as I know Les was the only one she did a skit with on her show
Been looking forward to you discovering Les Dawson. He was a master wordsmith and fantastic piano player. You can just imagine him agonising over the precise words to use, to make sure his jokes get elevated to perfection. You definitely need to see his sketches with the legendary Roy Barraclough.
These two were massive stars in the UK for many years, Dame Shirley famously is the only person to sing the theme for 3 James Bond movies, Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever & Moonraker.
The producers also wanted her to sing the theme song to Live And Let Die. They asked Paul McCartney to write it but didn't figure on him releasing his own version rather than giving the song to Shirley.
Another one to try is Dave Allen on Airplanes. Another fabulous comedian from the British age of comedic legends. Out of all the comedians from that time I miss Les Dawson, Dave Allen, and Ken Dodd the most. Literally brought up on their comedy. Superb! And Les....no smut or swearing at all, just perfectly timed superb comedy. Les wrote all of his own material, and despite his poor piano playing performances he was in fact a virtuoso pianist of the highest caliber. A true legend. How they are missed.
Dame Shirley Bassey is an astonishing singer - watch her rendition of Goldfinger from the Bond Film or Diamonds are for ever. Hey Big Spender is another of her great songs
Both Les & Shirley were family favourites, back in the day. Les, sadly passed away quite a few years ago & Shirley is still alive, rarely performs professionally now. BTW Nice polo shirt!!!
look for clips of his TV series called "Sez Lez". the Cissi and Ada sketches are funny as hell. he and another fella play nosey neighbours from up North. when ever they are gossiping and want to say something rude, they just mouth the words rather than say them out loud. this was a thing that came from the women who use to work in the cotton mills in the North of England.
Thank you for showing this. He's one of my favourites that straight serious face makes his humour even funnier. I found using that face i can make people believe anything until they realise im joking it does make my job enjoyable. More of this stuff please 😁
I dont think I have ever seen Shirley in a part like this wasn't she good? and Les was great as usual, glad you enjoyed this, yes try and find some more of him.
They both came from similar backgrounds Shirley came from tiger bay in Wales and worked hard to reach intentional stardom Les came from Barnsley and worked normal jobs playing the club's at weekends then got a break on opportunity knocks (a TV talent show) and build up from that but both never forgot their roots great entertainers
Les wore his intelligence lightly. He wrote about 15 books, fiction & non-fiction, & to be able to play the piano "badly" but entertainingly like that, you have to be able to play well.
I once went to a Fun Run in Lytham St Annes near where Les lived and he was the guest starter. He told so many jokes that when he started the race we could hardly run for laughing.
I think the American didn't quite understand the gag about working on the docks, although offered an alternative 😂🤣😂🤣 he also missed the one about the only suit that didn't have arrows.🤪🤪
Shirley Bassey was renowned for being a real Diva. You did not mess with her. That added greatly to the sketch. Another excellent sketch with Shirley is the Morecambe and Wise Christmas Special. Hugely funny.
Les Dawson had the insane ability to deliberately play the wrong notes on the piano without missing a beat, a proper old school entertainer.
It's really hard to play the way he does. Every musical part of him is wanting to play it correctly. I'm no great musician and I find it almost impossible to do it for more than a few bars before I have to stop. An amazing comedian and musician.
Playing the piano deliberately wrongly, showed his musical genius 👍🇬🇧
Very old school, mother-in-law jokes, etc, but a real gem!! Just loved his old woman talking over the fence persona.
He was a bit like Eric Morecombe in this regard - he allegedly played all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order.
He was an amazing pianist, it takes a huge amount of talent to play something just wrong enough but to be totally recognisable and otherwise correct.
Dame Shirley Bassey. What a legend. Born in 1937 She is the daughter of a welsh mother and a Nigerian father. He left before she was 3 years old and she's one of 7 children. As you can imagine back then mixed race kids stood out among the population, so I'm sure the family had their fair share of struggles. She's got so much class but so down to earth. You only have to listen to "goldfinger" to hear what an amazing voice she has. Much loved by us old buggers in blighty. ✌️♥️🇬🇧
She' was pretty popular in USA, also.
She was on for the Jubilee show's Diamonds are forever
What a voice that Lady had :)
Actually her mother was born in Nortb East England and moved to Cardiff
One fine woman
" i heard a knock at the front door and i opened it. There was my mother in law, soaking wet due to the rain. I said, don't just stand there getting wet through - go home! "
Les Dawson was a comedy legend, very much like Tommy Cooper. Never swore, never rude & the biggest celebrities of the time wanted to be on their shows, just pure admiration & affection for them. 🤣🤣
You have to understand also, that Shirley Bassey is a mega star in Britain. It’s a bit like talking to the queen, Les is a genius. 👌👌👌
Shirley Bassey was from the Tiger Bay area of Cardiff’s docklands, to explain that joke - she didn’t have a wealthy childhood. The joke about Weybridge going downhill is that that’s a very upmarket town.
Les was a very British comedian and we loved him for it.
I remember one he told:
The mother in law told me she needed to lose weight a couple of months ago and asked for my advice.
I told her to walk two miles every day.
She should be just outside Aberdeen by now.
😂
Whatever Happened to entertainment as good as this? Hilarious and suitable for the whole family. Shirly looked like she was enjoying herself as much as Les. You see her immersing herself in comedy and then you see her serious side, singing the theme tune from James Bond`s Gold Finger. Two true professionals at the top of their game.
He died far, far to soon leaving a wife and young daughter behind. His memory lives on for us all in clips like this one. Thank you for giving us a wonderful memory. ❤️🌹
Plus three older children from his first marriage.
Watch his Cissy and Ada sketches with Roy Barraclough, the sketches he did with John Cleese in Sez Les and him hosting the Panel show, 'Blankety Blank'. The disdain he showed for the show and the celebrity guests was hilarious. Class 🤣
I loved him on blankety blank always made me laugh. I wish i had met him wonderful man.
I agree, Cissy and Ada is amazing, love the waitress scene
@@paulstanding8516 Fans of Cissy and Ada should look up Norman Evans, a man who heavily influenced that routine.
"When you went on your honeymoon, were you virgo intacta?"
"No, bed and breakfast."
I grew up watching Les dawson, he was very quick witted and his delivery was always on point. He was also hilarious on 'Blankety Blank'.
He was hilarious full stop. They don't make them like they used to.
Blankety blank was a great show if he was the host , other hosts were good but he was the best imo
Les was an absolute comedians comedian, learnt his art the hard way in the working mens clubs …. So sadly missed 👍🇮🇲💪
Northern working men's clubs. Where if they like your act they don't clap, they let you live.
He honed his act and timing in Northern Working Men's Clubs on Friday & Saturday nights, in the Cities and what you would call " rustbelt " towns, they were famously difficult audiences to please, he once said " If they like you in Barnsley, they don't applaud, they let you live ! ". His mother in law jokes were legendary ...
" I'm not saying she's a big woman, but her shadow weighs 40 lbs "
" I called round the other day ... she was in the parlour, listening to some of her favourite German marching tunes "
" She's got a great recipe for yoghurt, she stares at a pint of milk for an hour "
" She's a fuller figured lady, she gets her knickers on a prescription "
Comedy has never been the same since Les Dawson passed on. A golden time for our greatest comedy.
We brits born in the 60s were brought up on Les Dawson! He was an absolute comic genius and is greatly missed. You are in for a treat brother.
I used to love Les back in the day lol. My Dad was a professional piano player and said that playing out of tune like Les did was one of the most difficult things to do when you can actually play for real. Legend
I've tried, it's surprisingly hard to do
Dame Shirley and Les were really GREAT together on her show, and when he got his own show he invited Dame Shirley on as his Guest .
Brilliant. I remember that sketch when it first broadcast - yes I'm that old. Shirley was great and didn't take herself too seriously. If you have not seen it go and watch the time she was on the Morecombe and Wise Show - another classic comedy routine. 🤣
OMG I am old enough to have enjoyed the hell out of that!! Hat off to you for finding it, but I think it showcased Les Dawson at his best. Yes, very old school, but there was a reason people loved him!! And also Shirley Bassey is yet another national treasure to the UK and to Wales. Top-notch!!
To have two classics like this bouncing off each other is just legendary... They get on as friends and their chemistry was respectful and deeply affectionate.
No egos here!!
They can easily 'undermine' each other through comedy... An art!!
Where are these comedy greats now....... 😍
all good clean humour, nothing smutty but plenty of innuendos, it was humour the whole family could watch together. Shirley Bassey was a huge star in her own right too. As others have said go down the rabbit hole of his Cissie and Ada characters. you won't regret it. Cheers
You’re looking at comedy from Britain which is over 40 years old.
It’s timeless with a lot of comedians from that era
Love the old school comedians like Les Dawson who would tell a joke and you thought that you knew where the punchline was going and then they would throw a sudden unexpected twist at the end catching you unaware. Les was quite an accomplished piano player and used to spend hours practicing to work out which 'wrong note' worked best. Classy and sadly missed.
We aren't aloud comedians like these now a days they would be cancelled
Yep that right, modern comedians are smart arses rather than telling jokes and stories. Bernard Manning would be shot now! Les Dawson, Ken Dodd, Billy Connelly are comedy engineers, they worked very hard at their craft to make it look natural and off the cuff.
Les Dawson is sorely missed. I'm glad you found this video. Brings back sweet memories. I laughed again. And Shirley is still singing at 85.
As a Brit, I love your reaction to our Les and Shirl'.
Shirley Bassey is a lovely Welsh lady from Tiger Bay, and was a huge star. She did the Bond theme song to Gold Finger💙✊
Love Shirley ❤ she was so gorgeous. Les just cracks me up looking at him lol
"Cissie and Ada" is also a chucklefest
Les was actually a very accomplished pianist. He always said he found it more difficult playing the wrong notes than the correct one's. Shirley of course was most famous for singing 3 James bond themes, including Goldfinger.
1:25 As soon as she mentioned Andre Previn I immediately thought of "You are playing *all* the wrong notes!"
Les Dawson was my all time favourate comedian. And Dame Shirley Bassey pronounced Bass-ey another great singer from wales as is Sir Tom Jones. So sad the way Les passed away while attending a physical at the hospital ...passing it and few seconds later collapsing from a heart attack. And this way he played the piano out of tune keys was so funny but he really could play it. Glad you enjoyed it EB ...keep up the good work love ya XX
Ohh this is a classic! So, so funny!! Shirley Bassey is the definition of Sublime, utterly awesome performance... She almost kept it together.....
Les was from the time of our great comedians, Two Ronnie's, Bob Monkhouse, Dick Emery etc all big household names. Dame Shirley Bassey was a frequent guest star on Les's shows. She has always been the lady, the diva & the mix of Les & Shirley was always great to watch. Shirley Bassey is famous for her great hits 'Gold Finger' (bond theme) & many others including 'Diamonds are Forever', 'Big Spender' etc. A true star & also much loved. Thank You for reacting to the great Les Dawson 👍🇬🇧❤🇺🇸
They both worked their way up by doing countless gigs in workers social and variety clubs for years. Both real professionals who'd paid their dues. Les was *hilarious.*
Les did some of the best mother-in-law jokes you will ever hear. My fave?
"When I came home from work I could tell the mother in law had visited. All the mice had jumped into the traps!" :)
Shirley Bassey, what a great actress she would have been. This is very British, it was so funny.
He did well for a lad from a northern England working class mining town.
His delivery walked that fine line of articulate stupidity that only the best can pull of correctly.
His national prominence stemmed from his retaining his northern roots & the humour from there that not all comedians could manage. Brilliant.
One of the greats that could read the ingredients off a cereal box & make you ROFLMAO.
he wasnt from a mining town...he was from COLLYHURST in manchester...just like myself...get your facts right!
Collyhurst..... Just a stones throw from Bradford Pit. So very much a coal mining area.
With respect, Les did not come from a mining town he came from an area of Manchester called Collyhurst where the overwhelming industries were Manufacturing & Heavy Engineering.
He lived in Collyhurst, just 2 miles from a sizeable coal mine in Bradford. A lot of the heavy engineering was in the area simply because of the close proximity to the coal mine.
@@ge5168 Again with respect, you are wrong. I was born in Clayton Manchester in 1960, half a mile from Bradford Pit, areas like Collyhurst, Miles Platting & Newton Heath were Heavy Industry & Engineering that had nothing to do with the mining industry, how do I know this? Both my Father & Grandfather were Heavy engineers in the Miles Platting area for over 60 yrs between them as we're the Dad's of all the lads I went to school with. Out of interest I was there in person when they closed & blew up Bradford Pit which stood where both a large Asda is & the Manchester City Eastlands stadium is now both of which are far closer to my birthplace than Collyhurst.
Hey electric Beard, howzi't hangin budd ? Yer know how you say ' ass ' in america, well thats the right phonetic to use for Shirley Bassey. Also just like to add, that Les was actually a very accomplished pianist, and spent some his early career playing in a parisien brothel🤣
Just a note..Weybridge is a very up market town near London....and a sketch you should watch is Shirley Basset singing with Morecambe and Wise....
The Greatest Comedian Ever, Miss him. Great Content.
A snippet of Les' biog- he ran away to Paris to become a poet, ended up getting by playing piano in a posh brothel. Returned to England and tried to make a living as a smooth piano and song man. He was not very well received and got depressed. He went on stage drunk as a lord one night, started getting laughs and a star was born.
Shirley Bassey had a fantastic voice she sings gold finger for the James Bond film in 1964 and Les Dawson was at that time the master of comedy.
Magic,you appreciate British humour and we had plenty of it 👍
Shirley Bassey sang the song Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever and Moonraker for the James Bond movie franchise.
Les Dawson was a brilliant piano player, but he was very good at mixing the notes up.
Moonraker too.
@@stevemccullagh36. I put that in my comment.
@@timglennon6814 Not when I replied, Daddy-o. But it's all good 👍
I think Golden eye as well.
@@musicferret1829 Goldeneye was Tina Turner.
To Mr eclectic beard....he was an utter genius and enjoyed by millions in dear old blighty without any shadow of a doubt the funniest comedian of all time purely because he didn't even have to swear or curse to have you rolling around in tears of laughter 😂
Many many thanks Mate! One of my all time favourite sketches. Dame Shirley also starred with Morecambe and Wise! Worth checking out!
Thank you so much for that video and the person who suggested you react to that - what a laugh I had ! Would like more of that, please. And the diva Dame Shirley Bassey, she of the magnificent voice,never seen her laugh like that. That she played a back role makes me like her even more !!!!
Thank you alan , this brings back some great memories , i as a small boy would never miss any of Les Dawsons shows he is one of the all time greats . His sketch shows were very funny . Yes he had that talent of looking depressed and making everyone laugh . You might know Dame Shirley Bassey her most famous songs Goldfinger " and " Diamonds are Forever " from James Bond .
Les Dawsons A Candle in Cumbria is a great clip to check out :D
Nice video. Shirley Bassey pronounced like this "baa see" or "bah see". She is one fantastic singer! She did three Bond songs Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, and Moonraker in addition numerous studio albums and other hit songs.
Apart fro having the most amazing singing voice, I always found Shirley Bassey very enchanting and with such a warm glowing aura about her.
Les Dawson was also sublime at gurning (face pulling) try taking a look at his candle in Cumbria routine.
You not knowing Shirley Bassey. one of the top 5 world superstars of all time is the big surprise here. Les is Les. genius.
Wish we have TV like this again.
Dame Shirley also guested on the Morecambe and Wise Show...she has a great sense of fun. Les was actually a good pianist, but he got more from the audience from screwing up.
Les was brilliant, and when he had someone to bounce off it was even better. His Sissy and Ader sketches are pure genius.
All about the delivery, he came from my neck, of the woods, Collyhurst Manchester uk
I'm so unlucky the good Samaritans sent a cease and desist letter telling me never to call again I went to the doctors and told him I was feeling depressed he said I can cure that and handed me one way tickets to Switzerland saying there's a clinic that will help I was mugged and the robber felt so sorry for me he gave me his money the voices in my head said this is too much and I haven't heard from them ever since 😂
Thank you EB for reviewing this. I only watched to see Shirley. She was my beloved Dad’s favourite & watching her reminded me of him. 💕 Forgot how funny Les was. X
Shirley Basely was called the girl from Tiger Bay which was a slum area in Cardiff near the docks, now long gone.
the much loved les dawson
Grew up watching Les. He's actually a very good piano player. Great comedian. Thanks for the reaction 👍
hahaha brilliant. What a talent he was. Playing out of key like that after learning the proper tune must be so hard. Shirley totally corpsed it
Another couple of brilliant old comics .... Ken Dodd and Bob Monkhouse
Hi E.B., I always loved watching Les Dawson, he was a true Northern comic following in the traditions of their ilk. (Robb Wilton, Frank Randle, Norman Evans & Al Read) all from before my time, back in the `40`s & `50`s but I enjoyed finding out about them. You can see their influence in Les Dawson`s performance.
Saw Les in Bridlington in the 70s Roy Barraclough sat next to me before their Cissie and Ada sketch, awesome.
Dame Shirley sang the theme for Goldfinger.
Lugubrious Les Dawson! Superb.
Your enjoyment of this is infectious. I admire you for understanding the accents and references.
Shirley Bassey is an icon here. Brilliant singer.
The fact that still have me in stitches after all these years is testament to the genius of Dawson. The tears are running down my cheeks!
Shirley Bassey has a 'diva' reputation, sings big blockbuster songs (Diamonds are Forever) and is happy to send herself up with appearances on Les Dawson and Morecambe & Wise.
Eclectic Beard Reaction To Les Dowson, He Was A Pure Genius From The 1960'/1970's Right Through To To The Early To Mid 1980's A Genius, A Real Comedy Great,!!!!!!!!.
HEY EB✌️great reaction to Les I think it was Michael Parkinson (former UK chat show host) said it was impossible to do a straight interview with him so that might be one to consider a reaction to 😂a one line master 70s /80s legend the Atheist holiday joke really got me. Thank you buddy and take care now 👍✌️🙏
The quick fire jokes by Les Dawson says brings tears of joy. He's hilarious !
I think this would have been a Royal Variety performance show, played live for charity , probably in the presence of Her Majesty, hence the loud applause. All a long time ago, Shirley is now 85 and still singing. ♥
It was from the Shirley bassey show ithink it was late 70s early 80s ( not certain) she had her own shows with various guest acts each weeks she would sing duets (if they were singers)as far as I know Les was the only one she did a skit with on her show
"I'd like to play a selection of Beethoven's work, but why should I? He never played anything of mine." -- Les Dawson
Been looking forward to you discovering Les Dawson. He was a master wordsmith and fantastic piano player.
You can just imagine him agonising over the precise words to use, to make sure his jokes get elevated to perfection. You definitely need to see his sketches with the legendary Roy Barraclough.
These two were massive stars in the UK for many years, Dame Shirley famously is the only person to sing the theme for 3 James Bond movies, Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever & Moonraker.
The producers also wanted her to sing the theme song to Live And Let Die. They asked Paul McCartney to write it but didn't figure on him releasing his own version rather than giving the song to Shirley.
@ewancarmichael3412 IMHO a law should have been passed decades ago that all Bond themes were to be sung by Dame Shirley!
Absolute legend of comedy. Probably the greatest pianist on TV ever to deliberately play bum notes and make it work pure genius
Love Les Dawson. Shirley Bassey has a great sense of humour, she also did a sketch with Morecombe and Wise which is hilarious.
You HAVE to watch Les and Roy Barraclough doing their Cissie and Ada characters 🤣🤣..Their faces!🤣💙✊
Another one to try is Dave Allen on Airplanes. Another fabulous comedian from the British age of comedic legends. Out of all the comedians from that time I miss Les Dawson, Dave Allen, and Ken Dodd the most. Literally brought up on their comedy. Superb! And Les....no smut or swearing at all, just perfectly timed superb comedy. Les wrote all of his own material, and despite his poor piano playing performances he was in fact a virtuoso pianist of the highest caliber. A true legend. How they are missed.
I can't believe she is still active at 87.
The applause 👏👏 is real not faked.😎
Shirley sings Goldfinger for the James Bond film, she's from south Wales
Les is very good at playing the piano very badly
I can't believe you have never heard of Dame Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Bassey is an astonishing singer - watch her rendition of Goldfinger from the Bond Film or Diamonds are for ever. Hey Big Spender is another of her great songs
Both Les & Shirley were family favourites, back in the day.
Les, sadly passed away quite a few years ago & Shirley is still alive, rarely performs professionally now.
BTW Nice polo shirt!!!
look for clips of his TV series called "Sez Lez". the Cissi and Ada sketches are funny as hell. he and another fella play nosey neighbours from up North. when ever they are gossiping and want to say something rude, they just mouth the words rather than say them out loud. this was a thing that came from the women who use to work in the cotton mills in the North of England.
Thank you for showing this. He's one of my favourites that straight serious face makes his humour even funnier. I found using that face i can make people believe anything until they realise im joking it does make my job enjoyable. More of this stuff please 😁
She also did an appearance on Morcambe and Wise . One of their funniest and well worth a reaction.
Les Dawson was one of the best uk comics of all time!!!
I dont think I have ever seen Shirley in a part like this wasn't she good? and Les was great as usual, glad you enjoyed this, yes try and find some more of him.
They both came from similar backgrounds Shirley came from tiger bay in Wales and worked hard to reach intentional stardom Les came from Barnsley and worked normal jobs playing the club's at weekends then got a break on opportunity knocks (a TV talent show) and build up from that but both never forgot their roots great entertainers
Les came from Collyhurst in Manchester.
Les wore his intelligence lightly. He wrote about 15 books, fiction & non-fiction, & to be able to play the piano "badly" but entertainingly like that, you have to be able to play well.
Les Dawson was the finest comedian in the UK and i my eyes still is when it comes to "mother-in-law" Jokes.
You should see Dame Shirley with Morecambe and Wise. She does come from Cardiff!
I once went to a Fun Run in Lytham St Annes near where Les lived and he was the guest starter. He told so many jokes that when he started the race we could hardly run for laughing.
I think the American didn't quite understand the gag about working on the docks, although offered an alternative 😂🤣😂🤣 he also missed the one about the only suit that didn't have arrows.🤪🤪
"nuns going around in two's mugging everybody.... " 🤣🤣🤣 It's the surreal images he conjures up with these lines.
Shirley Bassey was renowned for being a real Diva. You did not mess with her. That added greatly to the sketch. Another excellent sketch with Shirley is the Morecambe and Wise Christmas Special. Hugely funny.