Customer Reviews

A Girl Called Dusty

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it's interesting to hear this album after some of her later works. for a 60s female debut album, this has some excellent tracks that can and has stood the test of time. dusty's voice is huge on most of these tracks, and although at this point she hasn't gained full control of her voice, it's still great to listen to because it captures a dusty springfield that is younger, more innocent and giddy, quite lovable actually, although even at this point her interpretation of songs are generally considered beyond her years (she was 25 when she recorded this album). in any case, there are some really swinging tunes in this one. personal fave is "mockingbird" (where she kind of duets with herself) and the 4th track with the really long name. it's very swingin'.

After leaving the Springfield's in the early 60's, Dusty Springfield sought out to make her own brand of blue eyed soul and the result is her debut album A GIRL CALLED DUSTY, which was released in 1964. I have no problem saying this is certainly the best pop album of that decade. It set the stage for Dusty, showing a soulful woman with much talent. Highlights among the album include the strong and upfront first single "I Only Want To Be With You". She does a wonderful cover of Carole King's "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", the lighthearted "Wishin' and Hopin", a country tinged "Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa", and dramatic songs like "I Wish I'd Never Loved You", "All Cried Out", "Anyone Who Had A Heart", and more. There's also a few remixes and some bonus tracks for added value, but its the true album which is the gem, and definately a good jumping point to start your Dusty Springfield collection, to get a feeling of where her solo career began.

This is the 1997 remaster of Dusty Springfield's breakthrough 1964 debut A GIRL CALLED DUSTY. The album features many bonus tracks, which were recorded around the same time as the album. Some of the bonus tracks are more contemporary like "Everyday I Have to Cry," " "Can I Get a Witness," and "All Cried Out," along with slightly less familiar songs such as the "I Wish I'd Never Loved You," "Once Upon a Time," and "Summer Is Over."

Those songs, coupled with the original album tracks, make for an impressive release. The big hit from the album was "I Only Wanna Be With You", which was Dusty's first hit. The album features a diverse group of cover songs including "My Coloring Book" (Barbra Streisand), "Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa" (Gene Pitney), "You Don't Own Me" (Lesley Gore), "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (Carole King), and others.

The songs on this album are timeless, and Dusty made them her own. Some highlights include "I Only Wanna Be With You", "Mockingbird", "You Don't Own Me", "Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa", "Nothing", "Anyone Who Had A Heart", "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", and many others. Her first album, and one of the best of her entire career.

Not soul in the bump-and-grind "unh! good god!" manner, and not this look how good I can sing manner favored by today's songstresses (Toni Braxton and Christina Aguilera couldn't hold a single note steady if their careers depended on it). DUsty can knock 'em dead. Points off for so much of the "top of the pops" of the time...who needs to hear "You Don't Own Me" again? Some of the choices are inspired, though...her version of Lee Dorsey's "DO-Re-Mi" is an unexpected surprise, and her hits "Wishin' and Hopin'", "I Only Want to Be WIth You" (in a different mix) and "All Cried OUt" are here.

Dusty was lead singer of the Springfields, a folk-pop trio whose complete recordings can be found on Over the hills and far away (which I've already reviewed). Dusty wanted to record pop and R+B music so the trio disbanded. This CD contains all the tracks from Dusty's first album, plus bonus tracks recorded at around the same time. On this re-issue, many of the tracks have been re-mixed but they sound fine to me. You must make up your own mind about the re-mixing.

The big hit here is I only want to be with you, which provided Dusty with her first solo hit. In the seventies, the Bay City Rollers and the Tourists both covered it and each had a UK hit with it.

Anyone who had a heart was an American hit for Dionne Warwick, a British hit for Cilla Black and a French hit (sung in French) for Petula Clark. I don't think Dusty's version was released as a single in any country, but it's every bit as good as the hit versions.

Other covers here include You don't own me (Lesley Gore), My coloring book (Barbra Streisand), Mockingbird (Charlie and Inez Foxx), Twenty four hours from Tulsa (Gene Pitney), Will you love me tomorrow (Shirelles) and Can I get a witness (Marvin Gaye).

This is a wonderful album, very different from Dusty's music with the Springfields, which clearly signalled the way her solo career would go.

Debut album by famous UK pop icon who just broke free from her cheerful home-spun trio "The Springfields" and decided to continue on her own.
No surprise,as she was the most interesting voice in trio anyway and clearly prefered Motown sound more than multi-lingual ditties her brother wanted them to record - not so long ago,they were singing "Svahili Papa" and such but when Springfield visited USA and heard The Exciters single "Tell him" blasting on the street from some record shop,it was like revelation,THIS is what she wanted to do.
On her first solo album she didn't exactly go wild - she was proper british girl,after all - but cleverly turned to US originals and sang them with her own twist and it shows that she always recognized good songs from the start - Shireless,Supremes,Marving Gaye and even Ray Charles are here together with some strong material already recorded by Gene Pitney and Dionne Warwick.
In her own way,Springfield was introducing US artists to UK audience and if some find musicianship a little too clumsy or stately,just imagine how frustrated Springfield herself must have felt because she had clear vision what she wanted,but british studio musicians didn't get it. Had she been a guy nobody would find it unusual,but being a strong-willed girl she got reputation as difficult in the studio and it would take almost a decade until she finds right sound in Memphis,but until that point she would prefect her whispery sound and sound like different singer completely.
When compared to other british girl singers of the time,she was clearly far more interesting and if you don't believe,just check the others (Billie Davis,Cilla Black,Lulu,Sandie Shaw,Julie Grant,Helen Shapiro) to hear why Springfield was so highly regarded.Closest singer to that particular sound was not her favourite Baby Washington (who had deep,booming voice and gospel background) but Dionne Warwick sophisticated and slightly detached voice and soon enough these two will became best singers of Burt Bacharach songs.
Here,in 1964. she was still at the beginning and probably the happiest Dusty Springfield on the record.
Very good but the best is yet to come.

If I were putting a time capsule together and could only put in one female pop/soul album representing the decade of the sixties, this would be my choice. No offense to Aretha Franklin, but Dusty Springfield's debut album "A Girl Called Dusty", which was released in 1964, is without question, the most important female pop/soul debut ever waxed during that decade. Dusty Springfield's soulful pipes dominate throughout, as she blends a mixture of pop melody and soulful overtones that very few could ever match. Her takes on "Mamma Said", "Mocking Bird", "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" and "Can I Get A Witness', are as good and in some cases much superior to the originals. She tackles Leslie Gores "You Don't Own Me", with a spooky soulfulness that is so good, it makes you realize why she was truly one of a kind. The cd contains 20 tracks, including 8 bonus tracks compiled from her 1960's ep's. The monster hits 'Wishin And Hopin", and an alternate take on the hit "I Only Want To Be With You", are simply fabulous. The hard to find Dusty classic "Twenty- Four Hours From Tulsa", written by Burt Bacharach, which doesn't appear on many best of collections is here as well. Many people consider Dusty, England's answer to the legendary Aretha Franklin, but the truth is Dusty was riding high on the charts, before Aretha started on her long and successful ride on top of the billboard charts. Dusty Springfield passed away in 1999 at the age of 59, but she leaves behind a recorded catolog. that is clear evidence of her greatness, as one of the iconic vocalists of the modern rock era. This cd comes with my highest recommendation to one and all, both young and old, who want to experience what may well be the best pop debut album ever, complete with remastered sound and a great price. Not to be missed!

there is a great deal of fun on this disc!

first of all, there are many of dusty springfield's first hits like 'i only want to be with you' and 'all cried out'. then there are wonderful covers of well known tunes 'ike 'anyone who had a heart' and 'when the lovelight...' that give new classics a different twist.

lastly, there is a wealth of music i had never heard like 'do re mi' and 'summer is over' that i had never heard and i am so happy i can hear them now!

This was one of the first Dusty cds for me. Some highlights on this one are Anyone Who Had a Heart, Will you Love Me Tomorrow and You Don't Own Me. If you are new to Dusty and think she was merely a cover artist, listen up! This is one of the original record releases. Other Dusty essentials are Ev'rything's Coming Up Dusty and, of course, Dusty in Memphis. I hate to see all the re-packaging of her recordings with the same photo used and re-used with different titles. If I had the money, I would purchase her catalog of work as a very good investment.

I always try and find the best possible recordings/transfers,by this I mean the tracks must be stereo where possible and properly remastered,this is sadly often not the case with older pop music.

This album,from the UK,is very interesting because when the engineers tied to put it together,they could not find some of the original stereo master tapes,so they used what tapes they could find and remixed them into stereo.This means some of the tracks are slightly different from the original 60's hits versions.Listen to "I Only Want To Be With You",Dusty's voice is not like the original,it's better if anything because all the double tracking and screechy echo effect on the 60's version is not there.Dusty's voice is so great,it does not benifit from gimmicks,only people that cannot sing need such effects.

This CD is one of very few that has stereo versions of her first hits.All tracks are stereo except for track 20,The Summer Is Over and the quality is excellent for tracks approaching 50 years old.

The only alternative I have found is a quite rare CD issued in USA,it's the USA equivalent so it has similar(not identical) tracks, "Stay Awhile-I Only Want to Be with You/Dusty",HOWEVER YOU NEED THE 1997 TARAGON VERSION,WHICH IS ALL STEREO,NOT THE 1999 PHILIPS VERSION,as it appears between these two dates the stereo master tapes went missing,so the later Philips version is not all stereo.I found my copy on Amazon.com (I live in the UK))

For more info on Dusty's albums I suggest you visit a well known online free encyclopedia,you will find the correct info with a quick google.

To sum up,either of the CD's mentioned here are thoroughly recommended,but try the mp3 samples and make up your own mind.