Paula Kelly (third from right) and Chita Rivera (second from right) as seductive dance hostess girls performing "Big Spender" in
Sweet Charity (1969).

"Big Spender" is a song written by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields for the musical Sweet Charity, first performed in 1966. Peggy Lee was the first artist to record the song for her album of the same name also that year. It is sung, in the musical, by the dance hostess girls; it was choreographed by Bob Fosse for the Broadway musical and the 1969 film.[1] It is set to the beat of a striptease as the girls taunt the customers.[2]

Shirley Bassey version

"Big Spender"
Single by Shirley Bassey
B-side"Dangerous Game"
ReleasedSeptember 1967[3]
Recorded1967
GenreJazz, vocal
Length1:48
LabelUnited Artists Records
Songwriter(s)Cy Coleman, Dorothy Fields
Producer(s)Norman Newell[3]
Official audio
"Big Spender" on YouTube

A hit version of the song by Shirley Bassey reached No. 21 in the UK Singles Chart in December 1967.[4] This version is featured in the 2004 film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, and in the 2005 film Nynne. Bassey often performed the song live, including at the 80th birthday of Prince Philip and the 2007 Glastonbury Festival.[5]

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.

Track listing

  1. Big Spender
  2. Dangerous Game[6]

Other versions

Parodies and alternate lyrics

  • A well known take-off of the song was shown on The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show 1975, sung by Brenda Arnau, and featuring Pan's People as guest dancers.
  • The song appeared in Muriel Cigar commercials in the 1970s, sung by Edie Adams. 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 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 Neighbors" episode of The Simpsons, Homer Simpson performed the song at a yard sale with new lyrics to reflect the merchandise he is promoting.
  • In the Discworld Noir 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 the "Viva Mars Vegas" episode of Futurama, a parody version is played of "Big Spender", with the lyrics as "Hey Rich Lobster", when Dr. Zoidberg shows up at a casino on Mars with millions of dollars to spend and lose.
  • A controversial video with flight attendants entreating an elite frequent flier made news in February 2019, generating protest from the flight attendants' union.
  • A parody appeared on a musical segment of SNL on Halloween of 2020 called "Big Spreader", referring to COVID-19.

Samples

Television and film appearances

References

  1. ↑ Listing with plot synopsis and production notes tamswitmark.com, accessed March 17, 2009
  2. ↑ Furia, Philip, America's Songs (2006), CRC Press, ISBN 0-415-97246-9, p. 287
  3. 1 2 "Shirley Bassey - Big Spender - Discogs". Discogs. January 9, 2016.
  4. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 44–45. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  5. ↑ Needham, Alex.ReviewThe Guardian, June 24, 2007
  6. ↑ "Big Spender - Discogs". Discogs. January 9, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Love, Peas and understanding at the MTV Asia Awards 2004 | Young Star, Lifestyle Features, The Philippine Star". Philstar.com. 2004-02-20. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
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