DUSTY SPRINGFIELD

"Son of a Preacher Man" live


SHORT BIOGRAPHY:

Dusty Springfield, who was born Mary Isobel Catherine O'Brien April 16, 1939 was a very popular British singer whose career spanned more than four decades. She achieved her most notable success during the 1960s, with a successful comeback in the late 80's

At the age of 11 she went into a local record shop in Ealing and made her first record, an amateur recording of the Irving Berlin song "When The Midnight Choo Choo Leaves For Alabama". Her first professional musical experience was with the British vocal group the Lana Sisters, which she joined in 1958; the group recorded several singles with over the next two years. In 1960 she joined her brother Dion O'Brien and Tim Feild, who were a double act calling themselves "The Kensington Squares". The act was now renamed The Springfields. According to Tim Feild, they picked the name when practising in a field in Somerset in the spring that year. Mary took the name Dusty Springfield after forming the group, and her brother Dion took the name Tom Springfield. They signed their first contract with Philips Records. After Tim Feild left the group, he was replaced by Mike Hurst and the trio became even more successful. Soon, the Springfields became a very popular act in Britain with singles such as "Breakaway", "Bambino" and their biggest hit "Island of Dreams". By 1962, the Springfields had had some success in the United States with "Silver Threads and Golden Needles". Pre-Beatles, this was a very unusual achievement for a British act.

In late 1963, she left The Springfields to establish herself as a solo singer. Her brother and Mike Hurst both gave up performing and moved into production. Tom Springfield scored major hits in the UK, USA and Australia as producer (and also primary songwriter) for the UK-based Australian folk-pop band The Seekers.

Her first single came only a few months after her departure from the Springfields. The song, "I Only Want To Be With You", became a success in both Britain and the United States. It was followed by a series of successful singles, including "Stay Awhile", "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself", and "Losing You". Springfield recorded a number of Bacharach-David compositions, including "Wishin' and Hopin'", which was a top ten hit for her in 1964. Another Bacharach-David song, which was noteworthy and which was specifically written for her was "The Look of Love".

By 1964, Springfield was one of the biggest solo artists of her day. Other popular Springfield singles included "Your Hurtin' Kinda Love" and "In the Middle of Nowhere", culminating in her biggest hit, and her first (and only) UK #1 single, "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me". Springfield's UK success led to her starring in her own BBC television series, Dusty (1966-7), followed by an ITV series "It Must Be Dusty" in 1968. She returned to the BBC for her final series "Definitely Dusty" in 1969. Her shows featured many leading stars of the day as guests. One of the most memorable was Jimi Hendrix, who appeared in a duet with Springfield on the song "Mockingbird". (The master videotape of this appearance was later erased, although a brief fragment of Hendrix's performance on the show, filmed directly off the TV screen by a fan, has survived.)

Like so many other solo singers who did not write their own material, Springfield's recording career was dependent on the quality of the material she could obtain, and by the end of the decade, top-notch material was becoming harder to find: Carole King, who had written two of her biggest hits, "Some of Your Lovin'" and "Goin' Back", was embarking on a singing career, and the chart-busting Bacharach-David partnership was foundering. In the late 1960s she found herself becoming "unhip" at a time when hipness was necessary for musical success.

In hope to revive her career she signed with Atlantic Records and began recording an album in Memphis, Tennessee with producers Jerry Wexler, Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd. The Memphis sessions were a challenge for Wexler, who was astounded by Springfield's infamous perfectionism, which she later attributed to her deep insecurity and her very real anxiety about being compared with the soul greats who had recorded there. In the end, the Memphis tracking sessions were completed without any major work being done on the vocals -- in fact, almost all her vocals were cut some weeks later in at a studio in New York. Despite the problems with its production, the album, Dusty in Memphis is considered Springfield's definitive work; it has appeared in several "best of all time" lists. The album is best known for "Son of a Preacher Man", which was a hit in both the United Kingdom and the United States, though the album itself was a commercial disappointment.

In the same year, From Dusty With Love (1970) was just as unsuccessful commercially as Dusty in Memphis. A third album for the Atlantic label, produced by Jeff Barry, was abandoned because of unsuccessful single releases. The masters were later destroyed in a fire, but Barry had kept copies of the intended final mixes, and most of the material surfaces on 1999's Deluxe reissue of "Memphis" (Rhino Records). Her next album, See All Her Faces (1972), released only in Britain, was a mix of tracks recorded between 1969 and 1971, which resulted in a lack of the cohesive feeling that her previous two albums possessed. In 1973 Springfield signed to the ABC Dunhill Records label: this resulted in the album Cameo in (1973).

The following year she began to record another album, with the working title of Elements, later re-titled Longing, to be produced by Brooks Arthur, who had produced several hit records by singer-songwriters such as Janis Ian. During these sessions, Springfield cut a rendition of Ian's "In the Winter" that is among her most critically acclaimed recordings. Longing was eventually abandoned due to Springfield's failing mental health, but much of the material from it was later released on the 2001 compilation Beautiful Soul. She continued to release critically lauded but commercially unsuccessful albums and singles throughout the late 1970s for the United Artists Records label, resulting in the albums It Begins Again (1978) and Living Without Your Love (1979). During this time Springfield rarely charted and soon drifted from popular view.

She then endured a string of bad luck with record companies. She released two final singles for her British label Mercury Records. The first was "Baby Blue", which reached the top 70. The other was "Your Love Still Brings Me to My Knees", which was the singer's swan song for Phonogram. She signed a deal with 20th Century Records, which resulted in an unsuccessful single, a cover of "It Goes Like It Goes" from Norma Rae. She then began to record an album for Twentieth Century Fox entitled White Heat (1982). The label was then bought by Casablanca, which temporarily hindered the project. The album was a departure from Springfield's sound, and featured music and lyrics similar in style and substance to the New Wave genre. The album was critically acclaimed; however, the LP was put on limited release in the USA and Canada only. Not long after its release, the Casablanca Records label also folded, and "White Heat" was eventually absorbed into the Universal Music Group along with Dusty's Phonogram recordings. Springfield tried again in 1985 by signing to Peter Stringfellow's Hippodrome Records label, which resulted in a single called "Sometimes Like Butterflies".


Springfield's fortunes finally changed in 1987, when she was approached by the British pop duo Pet Shop Boys to collaborate with them on a song called "What Have I Done to Deserve This?", which was a huge chart success in Britain (#2) and the USA (also #2). The song subsequently appeared on the Pet Shop Boys album Actually and both of their greatest hits compilations, as well as Dusty's first-ever U.S. anthology, titled..."the Dusty Springfield Anthology" in 1997. Also in 1987, Springfield provided vocals on Richard Carpenter's single "Something In Your Eyes," which was a #12 Adult Contemporary hit in the U.S. A new greatest hits collection "The Silver Collection" was released in 1988 and charted on the strength of the renewed interest in her music. The following year she was approached once again by the Pet Shop Boys to sing the theme song from the film Scandal, about the 1960's British political scandal known as the Profumo Affair. That track, "Nothing Has Been Proved", was also a Top 20 hit in the UK and was followed by a further Top 20 single, the up-beat "In Private", also written and produced by the Pet Shop Boys.


She capitalized on this success by recording an album, released in 1990, Reputation, which also reached the Top 20, with the single of the same name reaching number 38 in the charts. The album was partially written and produced by the Pet Shop Boys (In Private and Nothing Has Been Proved being included on the album) as well as other contributors such as Dan Hartman. These successes persuaded Springfield that the time was right to leave California and return back to Buckinghamshire, England. In 1993, she was invited to record a duet with her former 60's rival and friend Cilla Black ("Heart And Soul"), which appeared on Cilla's "Through the Years" album on the Sony label and was released as a single. This led to the offer of a recording contract with Sony Records and the making of what was to be her final album, "A Very Fine Love". Though Springfield was emphatic that 'A Very Fine Love' was not a country album, it did include several songs by well-known Nashville songwriters, and arrangments typical of the genre. Springfield's last ever recording would be a rendition of "Someone To Watch Over Me". It was intended for use in an insurance ad campaign, and saw release on "Simply Dusty", an extensive anthology of her career which she had helped to plan but would not live to see released.


source: wikipedia +



Discography:


1. A Girl Called Dusty - Philips 1964

Tracks:
1. Mama Said / 2. You Don't Own Me / 3. Do Rei Mi / 4. When The Lovelight Starts Shining Thru His Eyes / 5. My Colouring Book / 6. Mockingbird / 7. Twenty-Four Hour From Tulsa / 8. Nothing / 9. Anyone Who Had A Heart / 10. Will You Love Me Tomorrow / 11. Wishin' And Hopin' / 12. Don't You Know / 13. I Only Want To Be With You (Alt.) * / 14. He's Got Something * / 15. Every Day I Have To Cry* / 16. Can I Get A Witness* / 17. All Cried Out* / 18. I Wish I'd Never Loved You* / 19. Once Upon A Time* / 20. Summer Is Over
Rating : 7


2. Everything's Coming Up Dusty - Philpis 1965

Tracks:
1. Won't Be Long / 2. Oh No! Not My Baby / 3. Long After Tonight Is Over / 4. La Bamba / 5. Who Can I Turn To? / 6. Doodlin' / 7. If It Don't Work Out / 8. That's How Heartaches Are Made / 9. It Was Easier To Hurt Him / 10. I've Been Wrong Before / 11. I Can't Hear You / 12. I Had A Talk With My Man Last Night / 13. Packin' Up / 14. Live It Up* / 15. I Wanna Make You Happy* / 16. I Want Your Love Tonight* / 17. Now That You're My Baby* / 18. Guess Who?* / 19. If Wishes Could Be Kisses* / 20. Don't Say It Baby* / 21. Here She Comes*
Rating : 4


3. Golden Hits ( comp.) - Philips 1966

Tracks:
1. I Only Want To Be With You / 2. I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself / 3. In The Middle Of Nowhere / 4. Losing You / 5. All Cried Out / 6. Some Of Your Lovin' / 7. Wishin' And Hopin' / 8. My Colouring Book / 9. Little By Little / 10. You Don't Have To Say You Love Me / 11. Goin' Back / 12. All I See Is You
Rating : 4


4. Where Am I Going - Philips 1967

Tracks:
1. Bring Him Back / 2. Don't Let Me Lose This Dream / 3. I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face / 4. Take Me For A Little While / 5. Chained To A Memory / 6. Sunny / 7. They Long To Be Close To You / 8. Welcome Home / 9. Come Back To Me / 10. If You Go Away / 11. Broken Blossoms / 12. Where Am I Going / 13. I've Got A Good Thing* / 14. Don't Forget About Me* / 15. Time After Time*
Rating : 4


5. The Look of Love - Philips 1967 (US)

Tracks:
1. What´s it Gonna Be / 2. The Look of Love / 3. I Give me Time / 4. They Long to Be Close to You / 5. If You Go Away / 6. Sunny / 7. Come Back to Me / 8. Welcome Home / 9. Small Time Girl / 10. Take Me For a Little While / 11. Chained to a Memory
Rating : 5


6. Dusty Definitely - Philips 1968

Tracks:
1. Ain't No Sunshine Since You've Been Gone / 2. Piece Of My Heart / 3. Another Night / 4. Mr Dream Merchant / 5. I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You / 6. Love Power / 7. This Girl's In Love With You / 8. I Only Wanna Laugh / 9. Who (Will Take My Place) / 10. I Think It's Going To Rain Today / 11. Morning (Bom Dia) / 12. Second Time Around / 13. No Stranger Am I* / 14. Meditation* / 15. Colour Of Your Eyes* / 16. Spooky*
Rating : 7


7. Dusty in Memphis - Atlantic 1969

Tracks:
1. Just A Little Lovin' / 2. So Much Love / 3. Son Of A Preacher Man / 4. I Don't Want To Hear It Anymore / 5. Don't Forget About Me / 6. Breakfast In Bed / 7. Just One Smile / 8. The Windmills Of Your Mind / 9. In The Land Of Make Believe / 10. No Easy Way Down / 11. I Can't Make It Alone / 12. What Do You Do When Love Dies* / 13. Willie & Laura Mae Jones * / 14. That Old Sweet Roll* / 15. Cherished* / 16. Goodbye* / 17. Make It With You* / 18. Love Shine Down* / 19. Live Here With You* / 20. Natchez Trace* / 21. All The King's Horses* / 22. I'll Be Faithful* / 23. Have A Good Life Baby* / 24. You've Got A Friend* / 25. I Found My Way*
Rating : 8


8. Brand New Me / From Dusty With Love - Atlantic 1970

Tracks:
1. Lost / 2. Bad Case Of The Blues / 3. Never Love Again / 4. Let Me In Your Way / 5. Let's Get Together Soon / 6. Brand New Me / 7. Joe / 8. Silly, Silly, Fool / 9. The Star Of My Show / 10. Let's Talk It Over / 11. I Wanna Be A Free Girl* / 12. What Good Is I Love You* / 13. What Do You Do When Love Dies* / 14. Haunted* / 15. Nothing Is Forever* / 16. Someone Who Cares* / 17. I Believe In You* / 18. I'll Be Faithful* / 19. I Can't Give Back The Love
Rating :


9. See All Her Faces - Philips 1972

Tracks:
1. Mixed Up Girl / 2. Crumbs Off The Table / 3. Let Me Down Easy / 4. Come For A Dream / 5. Girls Can't Do What The Guys Do / 6. I Start Counting / 7. Yesterday When I Was Young / 8. Girls It Ain't Easy / 9. What Good Is I Love You? / 10. Willie & Laura Mae Jones / 11. Someone Who Cares / 12. Nothing Is Forever / 13. See All Her Faces / 14. That Old Sweet Roll / 15. Haunted* / 16. Have A Good Life Baby* / 17. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life*
Rating :


10. Cameo - Philips 1973

Tracks:
1. Who Gets Your Life / 2. Breakin' Up A Happy Home / 3. Easy Evil / 4. Mama's Little Girl / 5. The Other Side Of Life / 6. Comin' And Goin' / 7. I Just Wanna Be There / 8. Who Could Be Lovin' You Other Than Me? / 9. Tupelo honey / 10. Of All The Things / 11. How Can I Learn to Say Goodbye
Rating :


11. Longing - Abc Dunhill 1974 (Unrelesed) - tracks on comp. "Beautiful Soul"

Tracks:
1. Exclusively For Me / 2. Turn Me Around / 3. In The Winter / 4. I Am Your Child / 5. A Love Like Yours / 6. Home To Myself / 7. Make The Man Love Me / 8. Angels / 9. Beautiful Soul
Rating :


12. It Begins Again - Mercury 1978

Tracks:
1. Turn Me Around / 2. Checkmate / 3. I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love / 4. A Love Like Yours / 5. Love Me By Name / 6. Sandra / 7. Found Love With you / 8. Hollywood Movie Girls / 9. That's The Kind Of Love I've Got For You / 10. That's The Kind Of Love I've Got For You (12" Extended Mix)*
Rating : 3


13. Living Without Your Love - Mercury 1979

Tracks:
1. You've Really Got A Hold On Me / 2. You Can Do It / 3. Be Somebody / 4. Closet Man / 5. Living Without Your Love / 6. Save Me, Save Me / 7. Get Yourself To Love / 8. I Just Fall In Love Again / 9. Dream On / 10. I'm Coming Home Again
Rating : 2


14. White Heat - Polygram 1982

Tracks:
1. Donnez Moi / 2. I Don't Think We Could Ever Be Friends / 3. Blind Sheep / 4. Don't Call It Love / 5. Time And Time Again / 6. I Am Curious / 7. Sooner Or Later / 8. Losing You / 9. Gotta Get Used To You / 10. Soft Core
Rating :


15. Reputation - EMI 1990

Tracks:
1. Reputation / 2. Send It To Me / 3. Arrested By You / 4. Time Waits For No One / 5. Born This Way / 6. In Private / 7. Daydreaming / 8. Nothing Has Been Proved / 9. I Want To Stay Here / 10. Occupy Your Mind / 11. Any Other Foo*l / 12. When Love Turns Blue* / 13. Getting It Right* / 14. In Private (12in Version)*
Rating :

16. A Very Fine Love - Sony 1995

Tracks:
1. It Wasn't Me / 2. Run Joe / 3. Every Day We Rock And Roll / 4. One For My Baby / 5. Sad Day, Long Night / 6. It's My Own Business / 7. Right Off Rampart Street / 8. Vaya Con Dios / 9. Merrily We Roll Along / 10. My Mustang Ford / 11. Ain't That Just Like A Woman / 12. Wee Hours Blues.
Rating : 6


17. Faithful - Real Gone Music 2015 (1971 Atlantic recordings )


Tracks:
1. I'll Be Faithful / 2. Live Here With You / 3. Haunted / 4. Someone Who Cares / 5. Make It With You / 6. Love Shine Down / 7. I Believe In You / 8. Have A Good Life Baby / 9. Natchez Trace/ 10. All The King's Horses/ 11. You've Got A Friend / 12. I Found My Way Through The Darkness / 13. Nothing Is Forever
Rating : 7


Essential Albums!

Original albums as listed and rated on “Rate Your Music” - February 12 - 2007

9 Dusty in Memphis - 1969
54 A Girl Called Dusty - 1964
116 Everything´s Coming Up Dusty - 1965
296 Where Am I Going - 1967
301 Brand New Me - 1970
428 Dusty Definitely - 1968
508 Reputation - 1990
514 Cameo - 1973
533 White Heat - 1982
651 It Begins Again - 1978
876 Living Without Your Love - 1979
946 See All Her Faces - 1972
Check and Rate Here!

February 12 - "rateyourmusic.com"


My Suggestion For a 80 minutes (app.) Best Of Compilation:


1. Son of a Preacher Man ( Hurley/Wilkins ) Dusty in Memphis
2. I Think It´s Gonna Rain Today ( Newman ) Dusty Definitely
3. Mockingbírd ( Foxx ) A Girl Called Dusty
4. I Only Want to Be With You ( Hawker/Raymonde ) Golden Hits
5. This Girl´s in Love With You ( Bacharach/David ) Dusty Definitely
6. Mama Said ( Dixon ) A Girl Called Dusty
7. You Don´t Own Me ( Madara/White ) A Girl Called Dusty
8. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow ( Goffin/King ) A Girl Called Dusty
9. Goin Back ( Goffin/King ) Golden Hits
10. Take Another Pice of My Heart ( Berns/Pagovoy ) Dusty Definitely
11. Breakfast in Bed ( Fritts/Hinton ) Dusty in Memphis
12. Summer is Over ( Springfield/Westlake) A Girl Called Dusty*
13. Some of Your Lovin´ ( Goffin/King ) Golden Hits
14. Do Re Mi ( King ) A Girl Called Dusty
15. Anyone Who Had a Heart ( Bacharach/David ) A Girl Called Dusty
16. Wishin` and Hoping ( Berry ) A Girl Called Dusty
17. I Just Don´t Know What to Do With Myself ( Bacharach/David ) Golden Hits
18. They Long to Be Close to You ( Bacharach/David ) Where Am I Going
19. Morning ( Kaymmi/Gill/Tanega ) Dusty Definitely
20. Don´t Forget About Me ( Goffin/King ) Dusty in Memphis
21. Just One Smile ( Newman ) Dusty in Memphis
22. The Windmills of Your Mind ( Legrand ) Dusty in Memphis
23. No Easy Way Down ( Goffin/King) Dusty in Memphis
24. I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten( Westlake ) Single 1970
25. Oh No, Not My Baby ( Goffin/King ) Everything´s Coming Up Dusty
26. If You Go Away ( Brel/McKuen ) Where Am I Going
27. The Look of Love ( Bacharach/David ) The Look of Love
28. Spooky ( Cobb/Buie/Middlebrooks/Shapiro ) Dusty Definitely*
29. It Was Easier to Hurt ( Ragovoy/Russell ) Everything´s Coming Up Dusty
30. You´ve Got a Friend ( King ) Dusty in Memphis*
31. How Can I Be Sure ( Brigati/Cavaliere ) Single 1970
32. I Can´t Make it Alone ( Goffin/King ) Dusty in Memphis
33. Broken Blossoms ( Arr. Springfield/ ) Where Am I Going
34. Here With You ( Slavin/Soles ) Faithful
35. I'll Be Faithful ( Albright/Soles/Soles ) Faithful
36. All the King's Horses ( Goldberg/Renzetti ) Faithful
37. I Found My Way Through the Darkness ( Slavin/Soles ) Faithful

LINKS:

Dusty Devotedly

Discography


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Morten Vindberg

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