Customer Reviews

Complete a & B Sides 1963-1970

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Do we need yet another Dusty compilation when the market is already flooded with them ? Well, the short answer is a resounding YES because Mercury finally gets it right by putting out a truly essential compilation with a theme - her Complete A & B sides released in the UK between 1963 and 1970 and the result is simply smashing. There's no messing about. The singles are in strict chronological order with the A sides on one disc and the B sides on another. They are also in rare mono - the original singles mix - unless the tapes are unavailable, in which case the familiar stereo mixes are used (eg, Losing You and Little By Little). Some of the hits are aurally very different in mono (eg, Goin' Back) and a special treat. Some of the fades also run on longer than usual (eg, In The Middle Of Nowhere and Some Of Your Lovin').

Dusty's glorious non-stop run of hits (plus a couple of unconscionable misses such as the funky Northern Soul classic, What's It Gonna Be and Clive Westlake's excellent I Will Follow You) on Disc 1 simply leaves you breathless and giddy with joy and admiration at how in the 60s Dusty was faultless in her selection of original material for singles. Songs tucked away on the B sides were almost as good. Four were even written or co-written by her (Once Upon A Time, Something Special, I'm Gonna Leave You and Go Ahead On). My own personal favourite is the little known Goffin & King girl group beat number I'll Love You For A While, given a real punchy treatment here.

And you can't ask for more in terms of packaging. Eclipse has used a gorgeous photo of a sooty-eyed Dusty circa 1965 for the front cover and it's just fabulous ! Complete A & B Sides 1963-1970 is truly an essential buy. Hurry, grab yourself a copy.

Practically every one of Dusty Springfield's singles from 1963 to 1970, the hits and the "obscurities". An omission is her US hit "Wishin' and Hopin'" - but then, this 2 CD set only claims to include "all the British singles from her goldern era". This distinction reminds us that seldom did her record company choose the same A&B sides for the States as had been released in the UK. For example, her hauntingly fragile rendition of Carole King's "Goin' Back" was unbelievably never released in the States as a single - despite its top ten status in Britain.

What a strong testimony this 2 CD set is to her unequalled grasp of the Phil Spectorish girl-group sound, R&B, Motown and soul. Compiled by Saint Etienne, with well-detailed liner notes by Bob Stanley, this set gives us the mono mixes, so there's no attempt made to dress up the classic mono sound. Stand out hits are: "I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten" and "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself" - this latter hit just keeps getting better with the passing of time. Stand out obscurities are: "I'm Gonna Leave You" (one of the few times Dusty wrote a song; this time sharing the credits with Madeline Bell and Lesley Duncan) and "Don't Say It Baby". These latter two songs ache with compelling sadness and add to the already solid case for Dusty's place as the best British female singer ever!

Excellent compilation of Dusty's A & B sides, most in their original mono form. Ace sound and presentation. The best introduction to Dusty on the market.

In a lot of ways, the digital age has brought back the "Top 40" pop singles-driven mindset that those of us who grew up in the late 50's and 60's experienced. Unlike instant access of mp3 downloads of today, however, wanting to own a song you really liked meant going to the record store or department store or discount store to physically obtain that double-sided 7-inches of pure musical joy. The B-sides often would be as enjoyable as the hit side - and of course a TSW (two-sided winner with both sides charting) was not only extra enjoyable, it was a bargain as well.
I was an avid singles collector within the limits of my allowance and part-time after school job (and trying to save for college). I discovered Dusty Springfield through her singles and later bought just about all of her Phillips LPs. If the album had follow-up singles I would often skip getting the 45 to stretch those teen dollars. But many times the mono single verions were different that stereo LP versions. And some of the B-sides never showed up on the LPs. This collection offers everything and completes those missing 45 tracks in my Dusty collection. As many others have noted, this chronology covers the UK not the U.S. releases so one of her biggest Amwerican hits "Wishin' & Hopin'" is not here.
The accompanying booklet shares insights to the selection process and is a great bonus. To hear those mono radio mixes once again brought back many memories. This CD set is a must for hard core fans or for those who want to hear Dusty at the height of her popularity.