On the Fringe

What artists' careers have encompassed the Countrypolitan style, either substantially or "On The Fringe?"
A different artist will be featured every month in this new series of articles.

Dusty Springfield


	Click on thumbnail image for enlarged photo. Photos borrowed from A Fan-Dedicated Website.				Dusty Springfield is recognised as one of the finest white soul singers of all time. Whilst her style only grazed `countrypolitan’, she certainly influenced the careers of future female `countrypolitan’ singers and opened doors for female singers of all genres. Born Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O’Brien in Hampstead, London, in 1939, she had her heart set on becoming a vocalist from an early age. Attending St.Anne’s School, Mary even told the Nuns that she wanted to be a blues singer and, at the age of 16, she threw off her schoolgirl image and adopted the `mod’ style, which was about to become prevalent for the times. After completing school Mary joined a pop group called `The Lana Sisters’. The group disbanded, even though they had released a number of single records. In 1960, Mary joined her brother, Tom, and Tim Field as a folk music singer in small clubs in London. The group was called `The Springfields’ and Mary adopted the stage name: Dusty Springfield. Essentially, she sang to earn a living. In 1962, The Springfields released the hit single `Silver Threads and Golden Needles’ which rode high on the charts in both Britain and the U.S.A. `Island of Dreams’was also a hit in the U.K.. However, the group also experienced a change of personnel: Mike Hurst replaced Tom Field. The Springfields gained an American following as many U.S. fans thought they were a U.S. country group. The group traveled to Nashville to record, and it was in the U.S. that Dusty was exposed to the Motown Sound which was to be a big influence on her style. However, the group disbanded so Dusty decided to chance it as a solo artist, and what success! Her debut single, `I Only Want To Be With You’ was very highly placed on both the U.K. and the U.S. charts. The single was the highest reaching British hit on the U.S. Charts, with the exception of The Beatles. Her follow up single `Stay Awhile’ also rated highly. Dusty adored both the Motown Sound and Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound and successfully attempted to bring a similar sound to her own recordings. Dusty also became enamoured of the works of Burt Bacharach and Hal David and recorded `I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself’, `All Cried Out’, and `Anyone Who Had A Heart’. Consequence: Dusty won the 1964 U.K. `Best Female Vocalist’. `Wishin’ and Hopin’’ , another Burt Bacharach and Hal David composition, was a major hit in the U.S.A. The same year Dusty toured South Africa but the tour ended in her deportation as her contract contained an anti-apartheid clause stipulating that she was to play before mixed race audiences only. Back in England, Dusty made frequent appearances on British T.V. show `Ready, Steady, Go’ and was then given her own T.V. Special to host - `The Sound of Motown’. Guests were Smokey Robinson, The Supremes, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, and Martha and The Vandellas. Influenced by the sound from across the Atlantic, many British artists began to change their style which then became more acceptable to American fans. One could say that this, in a way, did constitute a prelude to the British Invasion of the U.S. music scene, headed by The Beatles. Dusty’s recording success continued, predominantly in the Bacharach/David style. `You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me’ and `The Look of Love’ were both extremely well received on the international charts. However, Dusty’s success began to wane, as psychedelic and `hippie’ orientated music, led by The Beatles’ `Sgt. Pepper’ album, began to take over the music scene. Reacting to this, Dusty traveled to the U.S.A. to record `Dusty in Memphis’ with U.S. producer, Jerry Wexler’. The album received much critical acclaim, but sales were disappointing - it was not a commercial success. However, the resultant single, `Son of a Preacher Man’ was a huge hit internationally. The Memphis venture was possibly Dusty’s closest encounter with `countrypolitan’, but her influence would be heard many years later, in the songs of modern day artists whose style encompass the genre. Dusty felt she had gone as far as she could in Britain so, in 1973, she moved to Los Angeles. Her recordings, whilst still critically acclaimed, failed commercially. Dusty’s musical vision was not shared by the U.S. record companies. They wanted her to be something other than herself. One such company even tried to transform her into a Peggy Lee clone. Dusty was most unhappy. Her records didn’t sell well, the record companies were unable to classify her, she didn’t like Hollywood. Dusty sought solace in drink and drugs. Dusty’s musical contributions, at one stage, reduced to being a back-up singer for Anne Murray. This, of course, was a contribution to the `countrypolitan’ style. However, Dusty picked herself up. She released two more albums (albeit with limited success), worked on movie soundtracks, and had minor success with the hit `Baby Blue’. Dusty returned to the U.K. for a time, and worked on both continents, with some minor recording successes. In 1987, the `Phoenix rose from the ashes’. Dusty was contacted by her friend from `Ready, Steady, Go’, Vicki Wenham. It seemed that pop group, The Pet Shop Boys, wanted Dusty to record with them. The result: international hit `What Have I Done To Deserve This’. Dusty had returned to the international stage in style. This was followed up with the hit `Nothing Has Been Proved’ from the movie `Scandal’. Still, Dusty’s heart was still in soul. In 1995, she returned to Nashville to record `A Very Fine Love’, an album with considerable country influence. Production included contributions from such noted Nashville artists as K.T. Oslin and Mary Chapin Carpenter. However, Dusty’s musical projects were short lived as, during the times of the Nashville recording sessions, Dusty was diagnosed with breast cancer. Mary O’Brien’s spirit left this Earth on March 2, 1999. Her casket was transported by carriage through the streets of her home city to the strains of one of Dusty’s earlier hits:`Going Back’. But her legacy as Dusty Springfield continues. Dusty was a major force in the melding of the U.S. and British music which has continued to this day. Dusty’s efforts paved an easier road for future female artists entering the entertainment industry, particularly British acts. Whilst most of Dusty’s contributions have been in the area of `pop’ and `soul’ her influences on the `countrypolitan’ music scene have also been of substance. Her style has influenced a number of modern day country artists. It may be heard in the works of country divas Allison Moorer and Shelby Lynne. Both of Allison’s albums `The Hardest Part’ and `Alabama Song’ have had the influence noted by reviewers, particularly citing the `soul-tinged countrypolitan’ style of the former. Dusty’s influence has also been noted on the self-titled album by Allison’s talented sister, Shelby -`I Am Shelby Lynne’ Ten days after her demise, Dusty was inducted into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. She also received the Order of the British Empire from Queen Elizabeth II. Truly the world had lost a fine, fine artist - Pop, Rock, Blues and Soul particularly, whilst for `Countrypolitan’ it can truly be said - `On The Fringe’. *Written by Michael D'Arcy. March 2001, Countrypolitan.com.* Visit Dusty's Fan-Dedicated Website.

See who else has been "On The Fringe." Find past articles in our Archives.

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