I have been
listening to “Dusty in Memphis” for a long time. My dad
may have been the first person to tell me to listen to her, but I’m not sure. I
remember hearing her singles a lot, but this is the first full album I
purchased of hers. It is definitely a classic,
and one of my favorites, but I don’t really hear a lot of people talk about it,
except for “Son of a Preacher Man.”
There is not a bad song on here, which is understandable because most
are written by either Gerry Goffin and Carol King; Burt Bacharach and Hal
David; or Randy Newman.
The Randy Newman
songs are the most quirky of the bunch. “Just One Smile” starts off with some picked and then strummed nylon string guitar
that is very pleasant. Dusty’s delivery
on this song is wonderful, especially considering the subject matter. I find the idea of a person begging their lover
for “just one smile” so they can have “a little dream to build my world upon” to
be an interesting perspective. It’s the dream
of love that they are feeling, not anything real. The same concept is explored by The Turtles
in “Happy Together.” It’s easy to forget
(especially with that wonderfully classic Turtle’s chorus) that the first words
to the song are “Imagine me and you…” Randy
Newman also throws in some great chord changes that really make the transition
from verse to chorus very dramatic.
“The Windmills of
your Mind” is also great. I took a trip
to Chicago with my buddies Telly and Chris when I was about 24. We were lucky enough to fine a very cool jazz
club one night. The two songs the band played that left the greatest
impression that night were “Birdland” and “The Windmills
of Your Mind.” I actually went over and
talked to the drummer that night and told him how impressed I was that they
threw that song in. I had never heard it
live before that night, and I have not since.
It was awesome to connect with someone over such an obscure song. I don’t know why it stuck with me so much,
but it was a defining moment on an already great trip.
“Just a Little
Lovin’” is also a pretty great way to start to the record. There is a sly sexuality to this song that I
have always enjoyed. And ain’t it the
truth? Wouldn’t the world a be all the
better if we all had a little lovin’ early in the morning. I feel like this song reflects some of the hippie pathos of 1969 without being in your face about it. I also like that she sings “when the world is
yawnin’.” It makes the world sound sleepy,
not her. This is an important element to
the song.
Over the years, my
relationship to this album has changed a lot.
With its smooth melancholy strings and subdued rhythm section, it
actually makes a very nice sounding Christmas record. For going on 7 years, my wife and I have made
it a tradition to listen to “Dusty in Memphis” while we decorate our Christmas
tree. I highly recommend you give this
record a spin in this context. It’s very
pleasant and satisfying.
Tones: Dusty’s voice is powerful
and hazy at the same time. When she hits
the big notes in “Don’t Forget About Me” you really see what a talent she
is. She can whisper and she can
belt. She also sounds like a cigarette
smoker, which I’m sorry folks, is incredibly cool. Maybe not in the long run, but defiantly in
an ephemeral way. Also, check out the
tiny touch of reverb on Dusty’s voice.
It’s perfect: anymore and you would lose presence, and any less you
would dry up and float away. There are
also softly spoken Motown style background vocals on “I Don’t Want to Hear It”
that are not done by Dusty. They
actually put off a really cool attitude that contrasts nicely with Dusty’s
delivery.
Price Paid: This was an Ebay
purchase and was bundled with a “Best of the Supreme’s” record for some reason. I don’t remember paying more than $15.00 for
both. Dusty’s record is definitely the rarer
of the two.
Cover Note: Dusty stares
directly into you with those penetrating, smoky eyes. When I was a younger man, I found it hard not
to stare back. I really wanted to hear
this record. It just looks like a record
that’s always been in your collection. Her
dress is also ornate in a way that you would never see nowadays. I have always been intrigued by those
fingernails too. No woman I ever met had
‘em shaped like that.
Bottom Line: It’s a wonderful
record without a bad song. This is the place to start with if you want to
get into Dusty Springfield. It’s not a
rare record, but it did not sell as well as expected, and sellers know it is a
classic. $10-$12 is fair. There is also a re-mastered CD version that is great. It includes a massive 14 extra
bonus tracks. The original album only
had 11 songs to start. That’s a steal.
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