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!

Wide screen, epic Dusty. Absolutely perfect.

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

“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.

Wow, what a woman!

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

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!

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.

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.

Love this!

Classic oldie. Some great songs.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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 is onece again artists that I have heard a lot, but mostly in some compilations or soundtracks. Anyway I have liked what I hear every time. It was a very pleasant experience to listen the whole album this time. So ten points.

An incredible voice. Great R&B with a mid sixties Motown feel. Amazing she was not more popular in the US.

Love her voice so much!

So many classics that I had no idea were from her. Great voice that she puts to use in multiple ways.

Very good album

Quintessential oldies jams.

Outstanding

Nice Soul/60 Pop Sound 9/10

Had never listened to this album before. Loved it!

It turns out I’m a real dingus. I went into this album thinking that Dusty Springfield was a country singer. I was wrong. She is an R&B would singer and a fantastic one at that. Prior to this, I’d have been at a loss if you asked me to name any tracks by Dusty, but when I listened to this album I found I was already very familiar with six of them. I think maybe when I was a kid, my mum might have played music like this at my birthdays because it’s (maybe) what she heard when she was a kid. Either way, this brought a lot of nostalgia. I love this album a lot and it will be in regular rotation from here on.

This is such a great album. Nice lyrics, nice music. Just a real classic

Great album, would be great for sampling for music production

Great album from a great singer

White girl’s got soul. You can’t not like this. 5/5 Highlights: Mama Said You Don’t Own Me My Colouring Book Every Day I Have to Cry Can I Get a Witness Summer Is Over

This was awesome. Gorgeous voice, songs by turn catchy and romantic. It really makes you want to sing along

I love Dusty. I had a massive Dusty period around the early 2000s.

I love this oldies sound. Oh! You Doin't Own Me is on this album. I like that one, man that was a whole other time the 60s. These songs are happy and all about love. So many hits on this album. Will you Love Me Tomorrow, Wishin and Hopin, I think I'll give this one 5 stars

Love her!

This album is filled with great old timey classics and it was a very fun and enjoyable listen.

A Girl called Dusty beweist auf diesem Album ihre Vielfalt, ihr Können und zeigt Stimme und Meinung. Sehr beeindruckend und melodisch. Mir gefällt das.

Love love love this, love Dusty. Iconic lesbian 🧡🤍🩷

I thought Dusty was a country singer! This midmodern pop masterpeice is really beautifully done.

Unsurprisingly loved this as I have been a huge Dusty Springfield fan for a very long time. Didn't know this album but knew about half the tracks from various compilations. Rest was equally excellent. Dusty's version of Twenty-Four hours from Tulsa is now my new favorite version of that song (previously that had been the much slower Mari Wilson version).

Sultry

Love it!

This was a really fun throwback. Quintessential doo wop album

Very good, heard many songs before but didn't realise they were covers lol

Thought this was the strongest album i have heard yet - likely because I was not expecting it to be so good.

Classic although it’s crazy how shredded she will let her voice get compared to say son of a preacher man

So glad I got this album! I had previously gotten “Dusty in Memphis” and was kind of disappointed. This album she really seems to be at her best. And it totally helps to have a cadre of all-time great songwriters supplying the material. I think the compositions are so much better here, and she absolutely crushes these songs.

This shit is a 5 star for Mockingbird

Very very good

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

Great album. Forgot what a talent she was.

Lol, mintha fallout t lenne

I did not know that she's British!

This album was awesome.

Fuck yeah, Dusty, sing it girl! She is the OG bad bitch of pop music and this debut is full of all-time great pop staples sung the Dusty way! The voice, the style, the ballin' take no prisoners attitude. I love her. She's a strong Aries woman, like me, so game recognize and respect game. We don't ever let men tell us what to do. It's a damn shame she lived in such a closed-minded closeted time, but she was a fighter and always true to herself. She was fierce and fabulous, the two things I love best in a pop diva. Icon!

Ah, the EARLY sixties. What was great music before the psychedelics temporarily took over? Strong women before Helen Reddy? Strong female singers thy name is Dusty. That voice. What can't it do. The range could have been a great crossover with an operatic mezzo voice.And how can you not fall in love with the vulnerability but strength of You Don't Own Me.Highly consistent repertoire, not a clunker in the bunch.

Felt good about this from the start. Really glad I listened to it and looking forward to listening to many of this again. Very much into Dusty's voice.

what. a. vocal.

incredible

yeah

Wow! Everyone says Dusty in Memphis is the record to own but damn this set jumped out of my speakers!

A classic, of course! It was interesting to get additional songs on the remastered (reissued?) album version that I eventually found via YouTube (the YouTube Music album link was broken), but I'm not sure whether the extra songs should count in this project (but nice to hear them nonetheless).

Hell yeah, Dusty's last album was awesome. Looking forward to this one. Fantastic voice and nice instrumentals throughout. Such an enjoyable, uplifting listen. Went into this hoping to match Dusty in Memphis, but this surpassed it (from what I remember). Lovelight Starts Shining is an absolute bop. Listened to this twice in a row as I couldn't decide if it deserved the bump from 4 to 5. I think Dusty deserves it.

Dusty Springfield - A Girl Named Dusty Dusty Springfield's debut album. I've listened to and own Dusty in Memphis but hadn't taken time to listen to this one, until today. She was a member of a few girl groups before she decided to go solo. In the really 60s, she was touring the US and was exposed to soul music, which would have a massive effect on her career. Released in 1964, this album is a mix of mostly pop songs and some Motown influenced numbers. In the usual manner, in regards to UK stars, this album was not released in the US. Instead they released a compilation of songs and titled it Stay Awhile/I Only Want to Be with You, named after her two hits. It was later released as Dusty (a second version) with a different track listing and different tracks. This is a good introduction to Dusty, and you do get glimpses of what's to come (Dusty in Memphis). 5/5

Wow, wow, wow!!!

Must have! And the Silver Collection album!

Excellent stuff

Very nice! Love it. Real music.

What a fun album. It's got pop, doowop, soul...Dusty sings from the heart. She walked so Amy Winehouse could run. That 60s Wrecking Crew and Phil Spector Wall of Sound in full force

This was actually pretty good! I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the album. I was expecting way more country, this felt like some ‘50s rock and jazzy hits. Overall really good

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

Very good, always liked several of these songs!

All covers, all good ones

I really liked this album--upbeat and enjoyable. I was surprised how many songs I knew from this album :)

i love Dusty Springfield!

Fantastic! Loved you vocals and the backing band is amazing.

Nice

Great

Fun! Recognizable. Funk influence?

Loved this album. Didn’t realize mockingbird from dumb & dumber was referencing Dusty! One of my all-time great audition songs is a Dusty Springfield song. Dusty was the Taylor swift of the 1960’s. The iconic “break up song” girl!

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.

Several great songs I didn't know she sang! Very bluesy and soulful.

Amazing album, didn't realize she was who she was. A very empowering voice & album!

Gwan the Irish!

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

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

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

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.

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

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