Here’s another in the new British Invasion DVD series that also features The Small Faces (who are also reviewed on the 13th Floor). This Dusty Springfield overview features 20 complete performances from her “golden era” of the mid-to-late sixties. Along with big hits like I Only Want To Be With You, You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me and Son Of A Preacher Man are lesser known gems like All Cried Out and Some Of Your Lovin’. Most of the performance footage is live, rather than lip-synced, so you really get a feel for what a fine vocalist Dusty was.
Also included are newly-recorded interviews with Burt Bacharach, and backing vocalists Simon Bell and Madeline Bell (no relation). Madeline’s contributions are the most interesting. She toured and recorded with Dusty from 1965-1969 and her articulate comments on how Dusty approached her vocals shed new light on the artist. There are also two archival interviews, recorded in the 70s, with Dusty herself.
This DVD doesn’t attempt to cover Springfield’s entire career or her life outside of music…there are other DVDs available that do that…but it does give a very good account of Dusty Springfield, the vocalist, in her prime.
Marty Duda
