The Vinyl Brew: Dusty Springfield - Dusty In Memphis

 Shiny Day Brewers,

This week we are going to take a trip with one of the greatest female vocalists of all time. A woman who at one point in her career was the biggest female British artist on both sides of the Atlantic. This album for me has led me on to find so many incredible female vocalists, although none as good as today’s act. Today we head back to 1969 and the instantly recognisable mezzo-soprano voice that belongs to Dusty Springfield and for today’s listening pleasure; Dusty in Memphis.

It’s hard looking back now to believe that Dusty Springfield’s release of Dusty in Memphis was not a commercial success. In fact, the album didn’t crack the top 15 in the UK and just barely scraped into the top 100 on the Billboard chart in the US. Shocking when you consider that in modern times it’s hard to find a greatest albums of all-time list that doesn’t have it mentioned somewhere. So much recognition has the album received that in 2001, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and in 2020 it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry.

Dusty was a massive fan of Soul and idolized Aretha Franklin. Although softer and sultrier, that Aretha sound and power are both clear to hear on ‘Dusty in Memphis’. What Dusty does so well is add a vulnerability to tracks; check out ‘Breakfast in Bed’ and ‘The Windmills of your Mind’. Although not a writer herself, Dusty had some amazing talent on show for the credits on this album including Randy Newman, Burt Bacharach and Carole King. We even have Dusty to thank for Led Zeppelin as she suggested to the heads of Atlantic Records that they should sign the new group having had bass player John Paul Jones play backing for her in several concerts.

Why should you pick this album up? Well, if you’re a fan of female artists, Soul music, or just amazing vocals, Dusty brings it all. Inducted into the US Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the UK Music Hall of Fame, Dusty Springfield’s music should contain a warning - once you’ve heard Dusty sing, you’ll then have to compare every female vocalist to her, and Dusty is a tough act to follow. ‘Dusty in Memphis’ for me is the one album that should be in every collection, a great starting point for a new collection or the perfect addition if for some reason you don’t own it already. So, we’ll let Dusty sing us out and back into our regular day and for me it has to be “Just A Little ‘Lovin”. Remember to give us your opinions over at @Vinyl8Records on Twitter.

“Just a little lovin'
When the world is yawnin'
Makes you wake up feeling
Good things are coming your way”

Till next Time,
T

Next Sunday's brew is Lou Reed's 'Transformer'. Why not add this gem to your collection so we can listen together next week!