A Girl Called Dusty

Alright, so here's an album that was released in the mid-60s but sounds like it's from the 50s for the most part. A lot of the records on this list are ahead of their times but that's not the case here. Dusty gets points for some really great recordings of really great songs but they're mostly rips of other people's work. That was common for the time (especially among white performers covering songs by black artists) but it still makes me wonder why this was included in the list. It was enjoyable but nothing groundbreaking. Hence the 3 star rating.

Well-sang album. Unsure why an album composed solely of covers can be included in a list like this. I get it was commonplace in the 50s and 60s, but it's not exactly a spectacular composition.

I'm a sucker for the chanteuse who can make covering any song sound so easy. This album is but a foretaste of the feast to come regarding Dusty. But overall this one still grabs me, even if no one can really agree on song sequencing or even which songs appear on which version (American or British). The first time I ever heard of Dusty Springfield was when the Pet Shop Boys song, "What Have I Done To Deserve This" came on the car radio, and one of my high school friends said, "Ooh! Dusty!" and turned up the radio. I'm still not completely convinced he had any idea who Dusty Springfield was. Or the Pet Shop Boys for that matter.

Incredibly generic early 60s cover album. I have no strong feelings one way or the other.

Wowee! Range is the word for this album. Songs cover a wide range of styles: there are a few covers of tunes made popular by American "girl groups" like The Shirelles and The Supremes, three Bacharach/David numbers, one written by Ray Charles, and one by Kander & Ebb. But Springfield also demonstrates remarkable vocal range, from a deep growl to a chill-inducing soulful belt to a lovely light head voice. (My husband kept asking, "Is this the same person?") The lyrics display sexual and romantic power that must have been unusual in 1964. Even Wishin' and Hopin', which advises us to give one's true self up to get a man ("Do the things he likes to do. Wear your hair just for him."), also encourages us to make the first move since it won't happen if we just sit passively wishing and hoping, etc. And it's fascinating to note the shift in tone when some of these songs, clearly written for men, are sung from a woman's perspective --- Twenty-Four Hours from Tulsa hits me very differently sung by Dusty Springfield than sung by Gene Pitney. I absolutely love this album. Can't get enough!

A perfect Sunday listening album!

Woah. This was not at all what I was expecting. Ended up loving it.

Wide screen, epic Dusty. Absolutely perfect.

Wow, what a woman!

“MOCK-yeah ING-yeah BIRD-yeah” -Lloyd Christmas Exceeded expectations. Very enjoyable.

Pure singers on this list are susceptible to my stubborn prejudice that paints them as karaoke rather than interpreters - the singer-songwriter indoctrination in me is deep. Dusty Springfield's meticulous, intelligent and virtuoso delivery is a remedy: she's besotted with every word. I'm not sure I need the tunes: she could vocalise in a Beckettian void and still mesmerise. This is a good contrast to the Laura Nyro album I cowered under last week, relentlessly belted out. At the two minute mark of "Twenty-Four Hours From Tulsa", Springfield does something to the word "and" that briefly cracks the world open. A close listen reveals moments like this on many, maybe most of these songs. I'd read that she sometimes practiced singing a single word over and over again, and I can hear it despite my blithe ignorance of the vocalist's art. She can make "love you" sound newly minted, meant. Sometimes, her voice presses you softly against a pillow, muffles the pistol shot. Sometimes when she hits the loud notes, it's at a distance - the volume is because she really wants her voice to reach you, not to overwhelm you. Sometimes she just sounds like she's having the best time of anyone's life. The tunes suffer from over-familiarity, and I don't believe this is my prejudice piping up: the famous songs all have arguably more well-known versions that intrude. This record needs a close listen. It doesn't work for me in the background, becomes a pleasant soul impression, rather than a tumult of inflection, enunciation and flow.

Not bad, Dusty is a great singer, but I feel like I've heard most of these songs done better by other people.

great voice, songs are not worthy of it

Loved Dusty ever since that scene in Pulp Fiction - Go make yourself a drink and I'll be down in two shakes of a lambs tail. Summer Is Over makes me feel like I'm riding off into a desert sunset after victory at a high noon duel.

Sounds massively modern for 1964. A blueprint for all modern female soul/pop/RnB singers. Think Adele but in the 60s. This album must have been a revelation at the time. Best song: When the love light starts shining thru his eyes.

This was really, really, really good! Her voice is just amazing, the songs are all good and there’s some absolute belters in there too that I didn’t even know was Dusty! Absolutely tremendous album and will definitely be purchased in the future! Loved it!

Love this!

Classic oldie. Some great songs.

Even if it’s comprised of covers of already well known songs, A Girl Named Dusty is an impressive showcase for Springfield’s vocal talent.

The last Dusty album we reviewed  ]had "Son of a Preacher Man" which is a song that can positively influence your rating and cover up a lot of blemishes. For this LP,  we will find out what we really think of her. When this starts, I can't help but think she was influenced by white musicians from the Bobby Sox era. There are some songs where she tries to embrace Motown influences but she sure does sound white when she does this. If she wants to venture to Motown, shouldn't she get a guitar player and someone who can play either the trombone or sax rather than continuing with the orchestra?  It's hard to pull off a Motown sound when you're relying on a dude in a suit with a baton.  For perspective, this LP was released in 1964 and the Beatles didn't release albums with their first covers of Smokey Robinson until 1963/64 so it's not like there was a lot of guidance on how to adopt the sound. While I can cut her a bit of slack, there is no excuse for the baton still being in the house.  Side 1: Anyway, "You Don't Own Me" is a very good song and there is no denying how good her voice is. The LP then moves onto the second tier songs. "Do Re Mi" and "When the Love Light . . ." have decent melodies although it's hard not to label Do Re Mi a weiner song. "My Colouring Book" put me to sleep but "Mockingbird" is fun.  Side 2: The song "Nothing" is quite good and demonstrates she can sing songs that are uptempo and loud (by Dusty standards). "Wishing and Hoping" validates my point on her needing to move on from the suit with the baton. "Don't Ya Know", the Ray Charles cover that concludes the album,  is fabulous and the best song on the LP.  She is accompanied by band that can play this type of music and they sound like they are having a whack of fun.  Final thought: She wasn't born with the name "Dusty Springfield"; she picked it and it's an incredibly cool name. How could she pick a name that cool and a hairstyle that lame?  Ringo looked cool with that hairstyle but Dusty, not so much.  My feelings about this album are really mixed. She has a great voice and I really want to like her more.

Dusty had a great voice: powerful, but always with a slight edge of melancholy. As with all cover albums, everything hinges on how well that voice suits the material. There's a whole bunch of tracks on Side B I already knew and loved through cultural osmosis: Twenty-Four Hours from Tulsa, Anyone Who Had a Had a Heart, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, Wishin' and Hopin'. Nothing else really hits in the same way, despite the fantastically stereotypically groovy early-60s orchestra and backing vocals.

Fantastic! Those pipes are legendary, can't wait for more Dusty.

Sometimes pretty but ultimately forgettable.

The album format has been viewed as a format that really began to flourish with the Beatles who kicked off a really concerted effort to craft entire bodies of work that express a consistent theme or quality. A Girl Called Dusty is not one of those albums. An anemic and loose collection of covers that makes me question why it was included on this project. Dusty's voice is phenomenal, bristling with passion, sincerity and a frankly intimidating depth of range that is let down by a scattershot selection of covers. The emotive heights of Twenty-Four Hours from Tulsa and Mama Said are let down by doldrums of songs and standards that have understandably not stood up to the test of time. while the producer is noted to be inspired by Phil Spector's eponymous 'Wall of Sound', this is rather a poor, cluttered imitation that sounds more jangly and hollow than transformational. There are moments where it shines through, but even then it suggests b-sides of Spector than really standing on its own. As is often the case from records from the 40's-60's, a generational talent and impressive set of pipes that Dusty possesses doesn't save a rather pedestrian sounding album and ends up as a milquetoast arrangement of songs. 4/10, worth listening to pick out a couple of favorites and disposing the rest here

Maybe it’s a generational thing, but this one wasn’t my favorite. She definitely has a beautiful, soulful voice, but all the songs sound the same to me.

I can't finish describing what it was like to listen to this album. It has been frustrating and horrible. I expected something better. Only 5 songs out of 20 seemed pleasant enough to me. I think it was a waste of time listening to it and I wouldn't recommend it. I don't think Dusty has a bad voice, but with each song that passed, I got more bored. The dull and lackluster way she sings, as if she had been forced to do 20 covers of songs from the time. And I think that makes it worse that it's an entire album of covers. Notable songs: You Don't Own Me, Do Re Mi, When The Love Light Starts Shining Thru His Eyes, Nothing and Anyone Who Had A Heart.

Dusty Springfield's debut album "A Girl Called Dusty" was released in 1964 and helped establish her reputation as a talented solo artist. The album features a mix of genres, including pop, soul, R&B, and show tunes. The album's tracklist includes "Mama Said," "You Don't Own Me," "Do Re Mi," "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Thru His Eyes," "My Colouring Book," "Mockingbird," "Twenty-Four Hours from Tulsa," "Nothing," "Anyone Who Had a Heart," "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," "Wishin' and Hopin'," and "Don't You Know." The album was produced by Johnny Franz and features Dusty's powerful and expressive voice. The album has stood the test of time and remains an important piece of British popular music history. The album's lyrics were not written by Dusty Springfield, but she was known to draw from her personal experiences and the emotional landscapes of her relationships while writing her songs. The album's influence can be seen in the work of many artists, including Adele, Amy Winehouse, and Duffy. The album is a classic and a testament to Dusty Springfield's talent as a singer and songwriter. The album's pros include: A mix of genres that showcase Dusty's versatility as a singer Powerful and expressive vocals from Dusty Memorable covers of popular songs A classic and important piece of British popular music history The album's cons include: Some covers may not live up to the original versions The album may not appeal to those who do not enjoy the genres featured

It was really good!! I don’t know I expected less. But I found this super.

That was fun. Love Dusty Springfield.

A very fun album that I was not expecting, so far my favorite. Ended up liking a lot of the songs that didn’t have over 20k streams. Nothing is a bop and I loved every second of it. Added 4 songs, skipped 0, and definitely will be back to check out more.

banger after banger after banger after banger

J'ai trouvé ca vraiment trpo bon, mais je m'y attendais j'aimais déjà beaucoup cette chanteuse 5

30th album of 1001 challenge. (Oct.11, 2021). Great!

Wow! Excellent album. Half of these songs are classics. Dusty feels so unique in her voice and musicality.

Love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love

Dusty slaps 5/5

Takes me back to 4th Grade. I listened to all the girl singers then. This record is very fun to listen to.

I liked this album it was fun and upbeat. Gave me the feeling i was sitting in an old diner somewhere in the south

Absolutely loved this. Classic sixties pop and I just love the voice throughout. The production is just enough to carry everything, and this is a great set. Surprise here was the version of 24 Hours, one of my favourite songs. Not quite up there with Pitney's version, but great nonetheless. An amazing debut.

PopR&Bblue-eyed soul. You Don't Own Me

Amazing record.

Love this album. Didn’t realize how many songs I knew by Dusty.

PopR&Bblue-eyed soul. You Don't Own Me.

Sultry and soulful and just a touch raw, to keep it real, and the real deal this very much is: “My Coloring Book,” “Anyone Who Had a Heart,” and “Twenty-Four Hours to Tulsa" and “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” are all excellent.

Dusty is the best of the best - incomparable

It was surprisingly easy to listen to and I knew many of the songs.

Classic. Love it.

Fucking incredible

Wow good! I had no idea. She nails every one of these great songs.

Rating: 10/10

Love Dusty! Almost forgot how many hits she had back in the 60s. But her joint project with the Pet Shop Boys was the best.

Exceptional. No notes.

Ble Dusty Springfield-fan gjennom dette albumet. Herlig, rå, hvit soul med Dustys karakteristiske stemme. Kjente igjen mange klassikere, fx Son of a preacher man". Ikke visste jeg at vi hadde en hvit Aretha Franklin!

At first, I didn't get the depth and emotion and individuality here that I got listening to Dusty in Memphis. It seemed to sound very much like other 60s girl groups (which is not in any way a negative, mind you!). However, listening again, many of the songs being classics with well-known performances by others, I really got to appreciate the debut of a real talent. I really loved her performances of the classic songs, noting that I'm not sure I could pick Dusty or Dionne when it comes to Bacharach/David. (They both win!) It was "Don't You Know," though, that her singing really blew me away. I could listen to this one over and over and over.

I love Dusty Springfield, and this album is chock-full of great songs done in her fantastic style. What’s not to love?

Well this is extraordinary. Definitely one of the best.

MFATGG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsT7riYDQGo My Best Friend's Wedding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXTK1-aDSBk MFATGG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRU4wJkMjZo

Gold. I thought I was heterosexual when I started this journey, but two Dusty Springfield albums and an Elton John later and the algorithm appears to have spoken. Another five star listen.

Another fantastic album from Dusty

2nd album 03022021

Good stuff

Classics, especially the songs written by Carole King. Joyful music

Holy cow so good

PopR&Bblue-eyed soul. You Don't Own Me.

Love her voice. Absolutely iconic.

What a wonderful album and I want to do a cross reference on which of these were covers or originals. Beautiful songs in here and her voice is marvellous

Utterly glorious 'egg poaching on a Sunday morning' music

This album is brilliant. Every song is its own soundtrack. Fun songs, sad songs, serious songs, love songs. Brilliant vocals too. I can listen to this but also works as background music (if you want to feel like a positive Tarantino scene). Big fan.

Jaa ik hou van haar energie en haar stem. You don't own me, kende ik natuurlijk al maar heel het album is echt sterk met vooral een sterk middenstuk. Ik hoor graag meer van haar en van dit genre.

Chill

This album was a treat. It contains all of the Dusty Springfield songs I already knew, plus some additional gems.

another classicss

A revelation.

I love this. Fun and sad and happy and sweet. Distinctive voice. Great classic songs with Dusty’s touch. Loved every minute.

Such a soulful voice.. Loved it

I was wowed!!

One of the GOATs

So I know some Dusty Springfield songs, from here and there, but never listened to a full album. I thoroughly enjoyed it - lots of character, strongly reminiscent of the era. Simple instrumentation allowing her voice to drive the songs. You Don't Owe Me has a great sinister vibe. Twenty-Four Hours From Tulsa strongly reminds me of There's Always Something There To Remind Me. Very few fillers on the album. I had no idea she was English either. A solid 4.5, but I think I've been miserly recently, so I'll round up.

Fantastic

I just cannot get enough of this. The album is not a 5 Its very repetitive and the closing tracks are a little dull But god I'm all for that cute 60s love music. You Don't Own Me and My Colouring Book are really good

My type of music!

bloody hell this is good. i didn't realise half of this was her. this is the 60s at its best, skittish drums, brass, strings, backing singers and melodies.

Loved this, even better than the other album even though that has the most well known tune. could listen again and again

Great!

It's Dusty Springfield, she was a hero.

This was a blast to listen to!

Yndisleg plata. Dusty var einstök!

Actually really love this. 60s. Some covers of songs I've heard before. Super catchy!

GOD

love!

Gwan the Irish!

I fell in love with Dusty Springfield while listening to "Dusty In Memphis," and while that album has a particular magic of its own, this album, "A Girl Called Dusty," is no less amazing. Some truly iconic songs here. She puts so much into every song. If you're in the US and want to listen to the original UK tracklisting on Spotify, try this playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/502kIR00kWHE9mhHS1EnFd?si=kpLMLADVRIO_tDZRKGz9kg&utm_source=copy-link This track order is far superior to what was released in the US.

Wow. Pure joy blasting out the speakers. They don’t make them like this anymore. I love how hard the drums are on a lot of these songs. Everything on here is gold but “Twenty-Four Hours From Tulsa” wrecked me. Also, she can really wail! "Don't You Know" in particular has some fantastic, soulful vocals in the second half. (I had to stream that one on the album "Dusty" for some reason.)

Superb cool mellow listening - What a voice she had ! So resonant, smooth yet with just enough emotion in it to believe what she was telling you. Totally recommended.

Great.

03/15/2022 Okay, Dusty! Go off!!!

Tight, polished, and chock full of excellent songwriting.

Soulful, liked it much better than I expected. Favorite songs were You Don't Own Me, Summer is Over

I listened to this album on headphones during the car ride from Buffalo to Chicago, which was the perfect way to hear the buttery quality of Dusty's voice. I've heard a few of the songs before, but it was special to listen to a whole album of her. I haven't thought of the song "You Don't Own Me" in awhile and think its a beautiful mix of sweet and creepy. I loved the arrangement of "Mockingbird", with the backing vocals being as loud as the lead vocals. "Can I Get a Witness" really showcased her vocal range and I loved the screamy bits at the end!

This is Dusty Springfield at her best, and listening to this I couldn't help but think that you don't get from Doris Day to Patty Smythe without Dusty to build the bridge.