It took me forever to locate a copy of this album. To be precise, Diana Dors herself is more important to me than, say, her music. She was a magnificent figure in London culture circa pre-swinging 1960s. If one just has to compare her to someone, I guess it would be Jayne Mansfield. Busty, hour-glass figure, with a sexuality that is both enticing and alarming at the same time. My type of gal. A pal of the Kray twins, and other dark figures that made an appearance in London showbiz and gangster life, she strikes me as someone who liked to live life at its most bizarre and fullest.
With respect to this album, it's pretty good. She can sing, and the beauty of her voice, is actually the character behind the vocals. The Dors magic or personality comes through in these set of swing/pop classics. The opening track "The Gentleman is a Dope" is very much the iconic Dors touch. If nothing else, the title alone is a work of genius. "Swinging Dors" is a time capsule, but not always filled with goodies. Like all of life, there is the darkness - and it is there, if you give yourself time to swim into her 'darkness. ' For instance, Wally Stott did the arrangements and orchestration. He worked with Scott Walker on his first three solo albums. Doors can swing in both directions.
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