Shirley Bassey: 'Tom and I don't belt'

Dame Shirley Bassey has insisted that she and fellow Welsh singer Tom Jones do not "belt" out their songs.

The 'Goldfinger' star told The Guardian that it is wrong to use the phrase to describe the vocals of professional singers.

Bassey said: "Don't say belting. I hate that word. It's an awful word. I don't like belting. Belting is disrespectful, you know.

"Only my kind of singer is accused of belting. You don't say that opera singers belt. I don't belt. That's just my voice."

When asked if Jones belts, she added: "He sings. He's a singer. Amateurs belt. We've both learned our craft and we don't deserve to be accused of belting."

Regarding her singing on upcoming album The Performance, Bassey said: "I have amazed myself. My vocal coach has always said I have a soft voice but I never use it and she was so right. It knocked me out. I'm so used to singing out."