There's No Place Like London

"There's No Place Like London" is a song co-written by Lynsey de Paul and Gerard Kenny,^[1][2][3] that was first recorded by Shirley Bassey with a 54 piece orchestra and produced by de Paul.^[4][5][6] It was released for the first time on CD to tie-in with the UK held Olympic Games in 2012 on the album, Olympic Tracks.^[7] It is listed in the BBC music database which catalogues songs they play.^[8] De Paul recorded a version of the song with a whole host of friends to celebrate Capital Radio's twentieth anniversary in 1993 under the name 'Lynsey and friends', which was released as a single. It was the winning record for the LBC London Parade, and went on sale to raise money for the Variety Club of Great Britain.^[9] According to the CD sleeve, the friends included Frankie Vaughan, Patti Boulaye, Gareth Hunt, Kenny Lynch, Rula Lenska, Gwen Taylor, Lionel Blair, Lorraine Chase, Pam St. Clement, Harry Fowler, Polly James, Larry Adler, Rose Marie, Victor Spinetti, Gordon Kaye and the St Joan of Arc School Choir.^[10][11]

"There's No Place Like London" has also been recorded as an instrumental version by the Tony Evans Orchestra,^[12] and was also featured in episode No. 18.2 of the Benny Hill Show in 1988.^[13] The lyrics sing the praises of London, U.K., the birth place of de Paul as well as the adopted home of Gerard Kenny, and features the lyrics "Take Paris in the spring, take New York in the fall, but I'd leave them behind, for the best of them all"^[14] In 2012, Gerard Kenny was interviewed by Radio Warwickshire about writing this and other songs.^[15]

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