Alma Cogan - Ultimate

Britain's singing sweetheart was the 1950's best selling female recording artist. She was as comfortable singing a ballad as she was singing bossa nova or pop rock. Her hit recording of "Bell Bottom Blues" in 1954 started a string of hits that would be unparalleled. Later after the hit streak, she would throw all night parties in her Kensington Street home that made her fodder for gossip columnists, but it didn't faze her. Her guest list included all the British celebrities of the day, including Sir Noel Coward, Ethel Merman, Lionel Bart, Burt Bacharach and a young Sir Paul McCartney. It was that friendship that led to her recording several Beatle tunes which are included on this collection. Sadly, cancer took her at the end of the '60's and you can bet that she might even have recorded a Hendrix tune had she been given the chance.