Watch: Shirley Bassey’s ‘controversial’ first TV appearance

The great dame herself Shirley Bassey today celebrates her 88th birthday.

To mark the occasion we’ve ploughed the depths of YouTube to unearth a rare gem in the form of the rarely seen video of the singer’s first ever TV appearance.

Performing her debut single ‘Burn My Candle’ aged 19 on the BBC, it caused some controversy at the time.

The single released in 1956 included the word ‘sex’ in the lyrics was deemed too suggestive and salacious at the time and was subsequently banned by the BBC.

It obviously did little to harm her career if the last 70 years are any measure!

In a career spanning over 70 years, Bassey has sold over 140 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling female artists of all time. She is the first woman in history to claim a Top 40 album in seven consecutive decades in the United Kingdom.

Dame Shirley found fame in the mid-1950s and has since become one of the world’s most popular female vocalists.

She is perhaps best known for recording the theme songs to the James Bond films ‘Goldfinger’, ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ and ‘Moonraker’.

She was raised in the working-class neighbourhood of Splott in Cardiff.

Bassey initially worked in an Enamelware factory, before making her professional debut at 16 and her first major hit was ‘The Banana Boat Song’, after which she has had countless hits and has become a legendary figure in the music industry.

She is the first woman in history to claim a Top 40 album in seven consecutive decades in the UK.