What Now My Love?

What Now My Love? recorded: July 4, 1962 released:   UK: July, 1962 on Columbia single DB 4882   US: August 10, 1962 on United Artists single UA 503 charted: single UK: #5, August 30, 1962 see also: album

1962 released on the album Let's Face The Music and on some singles. The single reached position number five in the UK singles charts and stayed in the charts for 17 weeks.

The song is available on CD on the digitally remastered album. A new studio recording together with the London Symphony Orchestra has been released 1984 on the album I Am What I Am. A live recording is available for example on the 1997 The Birthday Concert and on the video Shirley Bassey Live In Cardiff.

This was originally the French song "Et Maintenant" by Gilbert Bécaud 1961.
Gilbert Bécaud was born as François Silly 1927 in France. He began to earn his money with music with the age of 20, playing piano and composing film music, alias Francois Bécaud. 1948 he met the lyricist Pierre Delanoë, who became his friend and they wrote together many successes. In the 1950's Bécaud wrote also for Edith Piaf. From 1952 on he finally used the name Gilbert Bécaud and pea-cravats became his brand. Because of his temperament on his appearances, he became "Monsieur 100.000 Volt", "Monsieur Dynamite" and "Le champignon atomique". Bécaud wrote many successful chansons, sometimes mixed with jazz-elements. He has also had some success with cantatas, operas and music for film. Gilbert Bécaud published a new album 1999 and gave great concerts until he died 2001.

Other songs of Gilbert Bécaud recorded by Shirley Bassey are Love On The Rocks, and It Must Be Him.

"Et Maintenant" has been re-recorded more than 150 times. With the English lyrics by Carl Sigman as "What Now My Love" it became famous all around the world. For more information on the lyricist Carl Sigman look at (Where Do I Begin?) Love Story.
1966 Sonny and Cher reached position number 14 in the US Billboard with this song.

In the album sleevenote Kenneth Hume wrote:

"One of the last arrangements being What Now My Love, was written by Nelson Riddle the morning of the recording session and parts of the orchestra score only arrived halfway through the session - the copying being done by an extraordinary organisation, appropriately called Panic Music..."

Lyrics:

What now my love?

Now that you've left me

How can I live

Through another day?

Watching my dreams

Turning to ashes

And my hopes

Into bits of clay

Once I could see

Once I could feel

Now I'm numb

I've become unreal

I walk the night

Without a goal

Stripped of my heart

My soul

What now my love?

Now that it's over

I feel the world

Closing in on me

Here come the stars

Tumbling around me

There's the sky

Where the sea should be

What now my love?

Now that you're gone

I'd be a fool

To go on and on

No one would care

No one would cry

If I should live

Or die

What now my love?

Now there is nothing

Only my last

Good-bye

(transcribed by Roman <scribbler@gmx.net>)