Customer Reviews

Dusty Springfield: Live at the BBC

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Wow... how to put this into words...

When this arrived I threw it on just to quickly check the image quality, intending to watch it when I had some free time. Almost two hours later, unable to turn it off at any point, I'm compelled to sit at the keys for a quick review...

I've never bought into the label of Greatest British Female Vocalist as applied to Dusty. To me, quite clearly and beyond argument, she was and remains the Greatest Female Vocalist of All Time, period, and this superbly crafted DVD I think frames that conclusion in gold and hangs it so high on the wall that it can't be reached.

This is Dusty naked - no interviews interrupting old clips, no guest stars, no bogus sets, and every note is sung and played live. Just Dusty, three backup singers and a great orchestra offstage, and crazy, very receptive audiences.

Dusty is in great spirits, she's funny, clever, very playful, chatty and Dear God could this woman sing. From that breathy intimate voice that sounds like it's coming from the pillow next to you... to that rockin', belting, jazz drenched powerhouse voice that knocks every ball out of the park be it Motown or supper club standards... this girl could seemingly do anything.

Only the extras are in color - the central body of the disc is in glorious, crystal clear and razor sharp black and white, and she's never looked better. That hair, those eyes, that smile... she's simply stunning. Still photos never did her justice - Dusty was a beautiful woman.

Great camerawork thoughout, with tons of lingering closeups and a genuine understanding of what the slower songs are all about.

This leaves all the other Dusty DVD's far behind. It's the one you've been waiting for, it really is. If you're a serious Dusty fan, imagine what you'd want in a live disc... well, this is better. You'll laugh, a few songs may put a tear in your eye, but you'll mostly be reminded of what a gigantic talent this woman was. Sit in the dark and watch her sing "If You Go Away"... and you may find the earth stops turning for a couple of minutes.

I put the DVD on and was immediately transfixed by Dusty singing an amazing variety of songs at the height of her vocal prowess. I was a preteen when I discovered Dusty & her music with the release of "Dusty in Memphis". To have access to these earlier recordings is truly miraculous especially since they were supposed to have been destroyed! What a rare talent. The sheer beauty, range, and power of her voice is something so rare. The quality of this product is outstanding from the packaging to the sound. Thanks to Universal and the BBC for this DVD.

This is Dusty at her best! Look beyond the wigs and black eyeliner etc. and just WATCH her! This video shows what a gifted musician she really was. Her timing, pitch, feeling were perfect. Thank goodness this footage was salvaged - you have to see this woman to really appreciate her remarkable talent.

Ooh, to have been a teenager in the 1960's! For those of you young enough at heart to remember, here's a whopping two hours (more including the extras) trip down memory lane. For those of you young enough to have only just heard of Dusty Springfield and wondering what all the fuss was about, take a look at this, allow yourself to be entranced, and wonder no more.
Recorded during 1966-'67, the main part of the DVD is what's left of the Dusty shows performed for the BBC. Only a handful of her hits are included, but, oh boy, did she know how to pick a tune! As well as entertaining us with everything from soul and jazz, songs from musicals, a hit here and there, Dusty also included a few traditional songs such as "Poor Wayfaring Stranger"/ "The Water Is Wide"/ "You Better Run" and the beautiful "My Lagan Love". For those of you who love a sweet little ballad or two, there is none better than the sweet little lady herself to smooch you through songs like; "Some Of Your Lovin'"/ "To Love And Be Loved"/ "If You Go Away"/ "Time After Time" and "I Wish You Love", and to see Dusty singing "Call Me Irresponsible" with such ease and enjoyment, you would be forgiven for thinking you had just seen an angel.
For someone who was famously shy and private off stage, whilst performing you would be hard pushed to name another singer who could deliver the song to their audience with so much warmth and passion, and the pleasure of doing so, was evidently all Dusty's.
We also get to see her gentle cheekiness in songs like; "Gonna Build A Mountain"/ "Peel Me A Grape" and "If My Friends Could See Me Now", and in the 22nd September '66 episode there's a fair bit of funny and friendly banter with Dusty and a few fans.
Sometimes it seems, the musicians in the band didn't know how to end the tune, this is especially obvious at the end of 5th September '67 episode, even when the audience tried to help Dusty by applauding loudly, still the guys played on, you have to smile, though it's not very funny to see the poor girl trying to keep dancing like a lemon when the lyrics are over.
If i had to pick just one favourite for the occasions when i only have enough time for one song, if would have to be "Anna". Dusty sings this in Spanish whilst playing the guitar, and with humour and enjoyment she makes an absolutely superb job of it, then there's the thrill at the end when you hear how her audience very nearly bring the house down! As they do also, on many of the songs.
A run through the extras menu shows us a few '70's performances on various shows, and a revealingly frank and funny interview on 'Saturday Night Live At The Mill' from 1979, it's interesting to hear what Dusty herself had to say about her time in the States. Finally, when we can draw breath enough to look through the jukebox section, there's a delightful handful of hits, not included in the actual shows, and a few tracks that are.
Dusty Springfield, one of the most mesmerising singers EVER, and the eighth wonder of the world.....how lucky i feel to have discovered this DVD. They don't come any better than this.

A must for Dusty fans. Rare footage of Dusty at her best -- and an extended interview of her at her most vulnerable.

Worth it all for the clip of her singing, "I Am Woman" with the ludicrously corporate amended lyric about how much she loves men.

This is must if you are a fan like me. I was brought up in this era, and remember seeing all these shows, and I have most of the songs. I was very fortunate to see her live on stage twice, before she died too young at only 59. A sensational peformer, this DVD is a celebration of her early years of solo stardom and is well worth the 5 stars I gave it

If you are a Dusty fan, you owe it to yourself to see these live performances. If you like her recordings, you will love seeing her "live" and in her prime. Dusty was at her best when she was singing for a live audience. It's too bad that the BBC didn't keep an archive that would prove to be the ultimate memorial to a true music legend.

This DVD is of Dusty's solo performances. Unfortunately, there were some great duets and skits from the show that didn't make it to the DVD. I said "unfortunately" because some of these bits were great fun to watch.

What a great DVD release. I've been a Dusty fan for quite a while and have seen most of the compilation / documentary videos of her that are out there, much of which consists of either lip-synced performances or clutzily-edited snippets. Finally, we have what we've been waiting for and what she deserves; excerpts from her late 60s eponymous BBC show. Here we get to see Dusty Springfield looking and sounding her very best. For those who remember and love her from this period or for young people who should be introduced to a gifted song stylist, who didn't need backup dancers or jarring camera and light effects to mesmerize an audience, you can't go wrong buying this very generous (more than two-and-a-half hours) DVD which shows off Dusty's ability to sing almost any genre of popular music better than just about anyone. Best of all, there's no unwanted filler to have to click past; it's all Dusty and it's all good.

The DVD extras, all from shows of the 70s, are real gems too, demonstrating how a truly great singer, even as time and cigarettes diminish her instrument, can become an even greater interpreter of song. I only wish the sound and picture could have been better (more like the old Judy Garland TV show DVDs, recorded several years earlier but with obviously much better technology), but we're fortunate to have this invaluable document of a superb talent who faded too quickly and left us too soon.

The main content here is black and white transcriptions of 1966 and 1967 BBC TV Shows, spotlight on Dusty Springfield, except when her excellent female chorus is also shown.

She sings hits (including a great rendition of "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me"), and offers up a highly eclectic A & R also comprising tunes which showcase her guitar playing and ability singing in non-English languages; her Portuguese folksong is really astonishing.

A super standout is the lesser-known Aretha Franklin song, "Don't Let Me Lose This Dream"; something for fans only comes out of nowhere: an arrangement of a tune written by her Brother, at age nine.

Springfield is a stylist-singer, fairly controlled, very conservative in stage attire; her gestures are more Cabaret than Rock and Roll, but that's okay - we focus a bit more on her expressive and powerful voice.

In that area, we must put her in the same class as Tom Jones - of course, he's a more flamboyant, full-force belter but Dusty can also bring up the decibel level when the time is right. Interesting that she, too, had a TV show from England which included some Rock and Soul.

The black and white shows are quite monochromatic, even with staging and costuming. This classic Diva appears to have two outfits...fashioned from living room curtains. But, again, it's the music that endures...still sounds fresh, although the fidelity on this DVD is rather flat.

Extras are in color, including a tune from the Tom Jones Show (listed as in 1972) and Saturday Night at The Mill, a British interview show with a 1979 visit with Dusty. She candidly discusses her disappointing, current comeback tour and life in L.A.

Would have been helpful to use graphics of exact telecast dates on the early shows.

I have been a fan of Dusty from the time of the initial British invasion of the 60's thru the Pet Shop Boys of the 80's and was saddened to hear of her death in 1999, however I knew little about her so I purchased the DVD out of curiosity and it was a marvelous investment. It further motivated me to research her personal life. Unfortunately, the technology of the day is what it was, but it nonetheless left me wanting to hear more. A good investment for any fan.