As Long as He Needs Me
{{subst:Infobox standard | title = As Long As He Needs Me | english_title = | comment = Introduced in the 1960 musical Oliver! | image = | image_size = | caption = | writer = Lionel Bart | composer = | lyricist = | published = 1960 | written = | language = English | form = | original_artist = | recorded_by = Many artists; see #Recorded versions | performed_by = }}
| "As Long as He Needs Me" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "So in Love" |
"As Long as He Needs Me" is a torch song sung by the character of Nancy in the musical film Oliver!, and originally introduced in the 1960 musical by Georgia Brown, who was the first actress to play Nancy. It is a love ballad expressing Nancy's love for her criminal boyfriend Bill Sikes, despite his mistreatment of her.
A reprise of this song towards the end of the show expresses Nancy's affection for young Oliver Twist, implying that she now feels that the child also needs her. This reprise was omitted from the film version.
The song has also been sung as "As Long as She Needs Me," when sung by a male singer. Its popularity grew by virtue of renditions by several popular singers, including Lionel Bart and Shirley Bassey who reached number two for 5 weeks on the United Kingdom charts with the song. Bassey's recording became one of the highest sellers of 1960 staying on the UK charts for 30 weeks, and is still heard regularly playing in the background on the TV show "EastEnders". The song was performed by Nadia Turner and Melinda Doolittle on American Idol.
Recorded versions
- Samantha Barks
- Lionel Bart
- Shirley Bassey (1960)
- Josephine Barstow (1991)
- Georgia Brown (London Stage Production), Georgia Brown Sings Gershwin/Georgia Brown (2003)
- Anita Bryant
- Alma Cogan - Celebration (2006)
- Kim Criswell (1988)
- Sammy Davis Jr. (As Long as She Needs Me) (1963)
- Doris Day - Latin for Lovers/Love Him (1995)
- Sally Dexter (London revival cast) (1994)
- The Drifters (1965)
- Maureen Evans
- Michael Feinstein - Romance on Film/Romance on Broadway (2002)
- Connie Fisher
- Sergio Franchi - on his 1963 RCA Victor Red Seal album Broadway, I Love You[1]
- Judy Garland
- Eydie Gormé - Sings Great Songs from the Sound of Music (2003)
- Buddy Greco
- Joni James (1962)
- Anita Kerr (1963)
- Bonnie Langford (1994)
- Steve Lawrence
- Liberace
- Patti LuPone
- Mantovani
- Ann-Margret
- Andrea McArdle
- Matt Monro
- Vaughn Monroe
- Matthew Morrison - Where It All Began (2013)
- Peter Nero
- Gene Pitney
- Jodie Prenger (London revival cast) (2009)
- Frankie Randall
- Lea Salonga
- Kate Smith (1963)
- Sally Ann Triplett
- Sarah Vaughan
- Shani Wallis (Film Soundtrack) (1968)
- Kimberley Walsh – Centre Stage (2013)
- Dionne Warwick - Dionne Warwick's Greatest Motion Picture Hits (1969)
- Marti Webb (2003)
- Nancy Wilson - The Best of Nancy Wilson (2002)
- Barbara Windsor
- Susan Boyle
- Kerry Ellis
The song has been performed by contestants Nadia Turner (2005) and Melinda Doolittle (2007) on American Idol. It was released as a studio recorded track by Doolittle, and sold as a downloadable song on the American Idol website.