#0045: Dusty Springfield - A Girl Called Dusty [*****]

I wonder if the Simpsons ever did a gag with her name.  Like if there was a sandstorm or something.   Whatever.  This album blew my mind.

It is replete with real songs.  Each melody is disparate and recognisable.  Each fat, spacious arrangement is unique.  Okay, there has to be a full orchestra involved here.  The piano, for example, makes quite few appearances but when it does its presence is appropriate, necessary.  The backing singers have variety in what they're doing and they do it sparingly.  The strings are rich even when playing in high registers and it all serves to support Springfield's jaw dropping voice and piercing delivery.

There are so many classics on this record too.  I Only Wanna Be With You, You Don't Own Me, Can I Get A Witness, to name but 3.  New ones on me that have become instant favourites are I Wish I'd Never Loved You and He's Got Something.   Each of them with distinct character, both lyrically and melodically.  

Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa made me laugh.  In the Commitments - wow, I really should move that film into my top 5.  I seem to refer to it a lot.  In the beginning at the wedding reception, the band And And And* are playing but we only hear the first few bars and I never knew what it was.  I had assumed it was a hackneyed, worn out load of tits from some crooner like Andy Williams or Perry Como.  Turns out it's an excellent song being hacked to death with a blunt shovel by the gobshite in question. 

"Twenty Golden Greats".  How many times have you heard that expression on TV adverts for somebody's greatest hits collection?  How many times has it actually meant "two or three famous tunes and seventeen tracks of padding"?   With every song this states with simple confidence, "I am a greatest hits album in my own right and I claim my five stars." 

Take 'em, they're yours.

* - For those that want to reminisce or just want to establish what the fuck I'm on about.

JIMMY

What are you called?

OUTSPAN

And And And

JIMMY

And And fookin And?

OUTSPAN

We're thinking about putting an exclamation mark after the second 'And'.

JIMMY

What?

OUTSPAN

You think it should go at the end?

JIMMY

I think it should go up his arse.