Loading... Please wait..."During my time as the official photographer for Dame Shirley Bassey I met her and her team at Lyndhurst Hall recording studios in Hampstead, North London. It was bank holiday Monday in the summer of 2009.
After a while in the studio with Dame Shirley and David Arnold the legendary James Bond music producer (who was now producing Dame Shirley's new album), Gary Barlow arrived as planned. He said hello to all of us. Dame Shirley and Gary had never met before. Everyone seemed rather nervous.
Gary asked if Dame Shirley wanted to hear the song he had written for her, she said she would love to hear it. Gary sat at the grand piano and played his composition called "This Time". He played and sung it as if he was on stage at Wembley Arena, it was stunning.
David Arnold and Dame Shirley stood and listened. After a few minutes, Dame Shirley was reading the lyrics and she started to join in and sing. It was an incredible moment. I had to get that shot, so I quietly moved to the end of the grand piano and when they were singing loud and Gary was playing loud notes on the piano, I pulled the trigger.
That way I wouldnt be the idiot who would put them off their stroke. So, this shot is that moment and quite a moment it was.
To me, it looks a little like one of those shots I have always loved, from the 1960's where artists are in the studio recording."