Customer Reviews

White Heat

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After Dusty Springfield released two diverse sublime late 70's albums, the grand Diva was ready to go fresh in to studio early 80's to really show her stuff & record a riveting masterwork showing every angle of her incredible talent in a way never shown before. From opening exotic hot rhythm number "Donnez Moi", you know this collection is going to be something very different and uniquely magical from Dusty! Forget the weird liner notes in this amazing set as the writer clearly "didn't get it" what the great Dusty Springfield magnificent talent is all about, one time forcing myself through this strange odyssey actually gave me nausea reading dreadful drivel making no sense at all and never want to go there again...to compare and discuss Madonna in Dusty liner notes is so way off beam as Dusty possessed one of the greatest and most extraordinary singing voices ever, "White Heat" finds Dusty at the peak of her remarkable power as a singer and creative artist. Sting's "I Don't Think We Could Ever Be Friends", a real funk fest, is a magnificent gem with a funk-edged Dusty vocal that is absolute perfection and wildly soulful. All-time all over the map CLASSIC ROCK VOCAL is featured in mind-boggling "Blind Sheep", finding Dusty totally on fire in this classic hot rocking masterful track that amazes with an off the chart riveting vocal...definitely at the top of all-time great female rock vocal performances, Dusty should be given a posthumous "Grammy Award" for "Best Female Rock Vocal" as this tremendous & stunning performance is really that great! Get ready to use repeat mode over and over once you get into this mind-whirling powerful track! "Don't Call It Love" has a catchy rhythm hook, would have been a big hit if given single release as it has that radio-friendly sound yet we know strange radio programmers think they are too cool to play Dusty...totally wacked out & a big loss to the poor listening audience! Next is wondrous "Time And Time Again", glorious Dusty ballad smoldering then soaring to magnificent heights, becoming one of her most beautiful vocal performances ever as Dusty turns this glorious gem inside out. Every song is great and "Sooner Or Later", another totally infectious gem, will become another favorite from a singer on a level all her own who could always be counted on to put out albums so superb that each stand today as timeless masterpieces! Luckily Dusty appeared when "White Heat" was released at Los Angeles Greek Theatre in concert with Peter Allen and what a magical memorable night that was! Looking gorgeous in heels and an electric blue pleated skirt, Dusty doing those fiery rock numbers featured in "White Heat" was superb with music at its finest moment...having no peer, Dusty doing her tremendous standard classics drew many thunderous standing ovations that were heartfelt & well deserved for this awesome legendary singing & performing wonder...what a night! Dusty left way too soon but what a tremendous treasure chest of great works she left for all music lovers to savor & enjoy..."White Heat" was ahead of its time and one of Dusty's finest timeless musical treasures certain to be enjoyed over and over again for years to come...love and miss you Dusty & RIP

Long before Dusty Springfield had a huge comeback with The Pet Shop Boys, she recorded "White Heat" in Toronto, Canada. The album presented a very different Dusty. Released in early 1982, Dusty co-produced an album with a new techno-sound. The very first track, "Donnez Moi," sets the tone for the overall dance music and superb production. Even the cover presents a very different look for Dusty. A bold move for one of Britain's finest singers, this album should have done for Dusty what "Broken English" did for Marianne Faithfull--brought her back into serious recognition. Unfortunately, Casablanca did not promote the album and it went unnoticed.
Dusty may be gone but her music remains. Her fans who only want the so-called "Best of..." may not find this their cup of tea. For those who embraced "What Have I Done To Deserve This?" and her fantastic album, "Reputation and Other Rarities" will love "White Heat." I purchased "White Heat" when it first came out and have yet to tire of it. It is sublime! This is far from MOR. Dusty proved that she was innovative, up-to-date, and no cabaret act. If you missed out on this very fine album when it was initially released, now is the time to get it. It is so fine and Dusty is at her finest with "White Heat"!

Once you get past the absurdly over-the-top liner notes, put the CD in your CD player and work your way through the songs, you realise pretty quickly that 'White Heat' is a great and quintessential Dusty album.

Right from the start, Dusty's albums were always noted for their diversity of material- look at 1967's 'Where am I going?' for example- show tunes, torch songs, poppy numbers, jazz standards and blistering ballads all follow each other in quick succession. And the album holds up as one of her best. The material on this album certainly pushes the boundaries- sample the incredible change of mood from 'I don't think we could ever be friends' to 'Blind Sheep' to see what I mean. But Dusty, as ever, carries it off.

Once you've had time to get inside the songs and turn over the lyrics in your head you realise that 'White Heat' really had to be that way. Dusty lays herself bare on this album- there is anger, sarcasm, obsession, lust but also joy, ecstasy and plenty of wry humour. It's an incredibly honest piece of work. Moreover, it points the way ahead to her work with the Pet Shop Boys and her last albums. There is also a frank sexuality on this album that shines through in tracks like 'Don't call it love' and 'I'm Curious' which is perhaps not surprising when you notice that Carol Pope had a hand in the song writing. For these reasons I see 'White Heat' as a turning point for Dusty- an album that triumphantly throws off the shackles of the past while not denying it, wherein Dusty gives herself the pleasure of cutting loose in material we thought we'd never hear from her. It's a great album.

This album was a huge departure for Dusty at the time of its release in 1982. After her initial pop success in the Sixties, Dusty's albums in the 70's varied greatly in content and quality, and she'd been destined to be relegated to the elevator-music bins. "White Heat" takes all of those expectations and eviscerates them. Only "Don't Call It Love" could really be considered middle-of-the-road here. This is an eclectic, loud album, where she attacks funky, soulful synth-pop ("Donnez Moi" and "I Don't Think We Could Ever Be Friends") and Pat Benetar-style rockers ("Blind Sheep" and "Sooner or Later") with equal abandon. The only misstep here was a cover of an Elvis Costello song, "Losing You" (a shame, since Springfield singing any number of other Costello songs would have been a music lover's dream).

The pinnacle of the album is "Soft Core", a song co-written by Canadian singer-songwriter Carole Pope of the band Rough Trade. Dusty sounds angry and sad, positively poking fun at her diva image and sounding almost Dietrich-esque in the process.

Sadly, this fell through the cracks when it was originally issued because of record company issues. It's worth a listen now; if you liked Tina Turner's "Private Dancer", or Chaka Khan's "I Feel For You" albums, to name a few, I'd definitely recommend checking this out; those albums capture some of the same eclectic qualities.

Love it or loathe it, "White Heat" will always remain an essential part of Dusty's recording legacy. To begin with, it's a one off. No other Dusty album sounds like it. To fully appreciate its significance, you've got to keep the context in mind. Circa 1982, Dusty needed an entirely fresh approach to recording. Her attempt at a comeback with "It Begins Again" and "Living Without Your Love" in 1978 and 1979 didn't deliver the results she had hoped for. The music scene had changed and the soft r'b flavoured midnight soul sounds she was purveying wasn't making much of an impression.

So "White Heat" represented a radical departure from familar musical territories that would accompany the reinvention of a new pop/rock persona. For Dusty, it may have been less of a reinvention than simply a return to basics vocally. So out with her immaculately nuanced phrasing and in with a more direct vocal attack recalling her raunchy singing style from 1964/65. The producers even "treated" her vocals to give it a somewhat distorted and distancing effect. The extracted single, "Donnez Mois" and my favourite track on the album, the blistering "Gotta Get Used To You" illustrate this new vocal styling best.

Musically, heavily synthesized and programmed music replaced the tasteful orchestral soul sounds that came out of Hollywood recording studios. Dusty also cut the only heavy metal number she ever recorded ("Blind Sheep") by adopting rock mannerisms and sounding like the best of the breed.

Lyrically, it was also ground breaking, for Dusty never sang anything as overtly sexual or daring before as on "Donnez Mois" and "Soft Core".

Stylistically, the songs couldn't have been more diverse. Of course, Dusty couldn't divorce herself totally from soft soul staples like the delicious Detroit Spinners influenced "Don't Call It Love" or a straight home ballad like "Time And Time Again", in my opinion the album's least adventurous song but also a token reminder of Dusty's past in case the listener needed to remember who's singing. There was also dance ("Donnez Mois"), synthesised disco ("I Don't Think We Can Ever Be Friends"), more hard rock ("Sooner Or Later"), funk ("I Am Curious'), contemporary Brit rock balladry ("Losing You") and a pastiche of European decadence recalling Dietrich ("Soft Core").

Fans were understandably divided as to what they liked best about "White Heat". My own personal favourites are "Gotta Get Used To You", "Losing You", "Soft Core", "Don't Call It Love" and "Blind Sheep". There are two I don't care for, "Sooner Or Later" because it's the kind of tuneless dirge that should have no place in a Dusty album and "Time And Time Again" because it plays too safe, though Dusty sets a new watermark with her trademark breathy vocals. The rest I'll listen to if I'm in the mood.

"White Heat" is more than an interesting experiment. It is an essential chapter of Dusty's life in music. Serious fans will understand why it had to be made. At the time a US-only release, it's ironic that "White Heat" is available today only as a UK import.

White Heat, Dusty Springfield's lost masterpiece from 1982, is finally found! This highly charged album is sheer majesty. Although this electrified material was a real departure for Dusty Springfield, she rules over the fierce, funky and sexy songs like the genius that she was. Be prepared to be astounded. Blind Sheep stands among Dusty's most phenomenal recordings. An angry Dusty soars through the incredible lyrics, and you can feel the fire coming out of her nose. It is worth buying this album for this song alone, but the heat doesn't stop there. Soft Core, a stunning Marlene Dietrich style ballad written by Carole Pope and Kevan Staples, is a must hear. And there is still more lava. Every cut is molten gold. This knock out of an album erupts and arouses like nothing else I have ever heard. In my book, this is one of the best recordings ever made by anyone anywhere. A must have, but beware, it might ignite your cd player.

This 1983 album is a product totally unexpected from someone like Dusty Springfield. Perhaps best known as a ballad and pop singer, Dusty surprised everyone (and perhaps even herself) by recording one of the first BPM albums with a decidely funky, off the wall approach. With the help of Carole Pope and the Canadian group Rough Trade, Dusty manages to deliver a wildly erratic album.

This album is hard to categorize. It isn't purely hard rock, although in places it seems to be ("Blind Sheep" would fit comfortably in Ozzy Osbourne or Metallica's repertoire), it isn't purely dance/techno, although in places it seems to be ("Donnez-Moi" and "I Am Curious" seem to be precursors to what would emerge in techno in the later part of the 80s..)and it isn't purely pop, although songs like "Don't Call It Love" and "I Don't Think We Could Ever Be Friends" could easily have fit into the top 40 songlist of the time.

And then there's the final track, "Soft Core". Dusty as cabaret singer, as Marlene Dietrich meets Liza Minnelli, and she carries it off beautifully.

So no wonder listeners were confused. The songs and production are almost impossible to pin down. This perhaps is Dusty's hardest record to understand/fathom...and yet it is intriguing and somewhat addictive.

Vocally, Miss Springfield delivers 100%. She coos, she meows, she hints of desperation, anxiety, love, gentleness..all in under 60 minutes. I'm hard pressed to think of another singer that could have navigated the varied sized waves that this material throws at her as well as Dusty does. Once again, The White Queen of Soul proved that no matter what she was singing, she made it sound top notch.

This album should have been Dusty's real comeback. Comparison's to Marianne Faithfull's BROKEN ENGLISH are inevitable, but the difference is Dusty's voice was still mostly intact and she could outsing and outemote Miss Faithfull any day of the week. While Faithfull's effort comes off as desperate, WHITE HEAT comes off as erratic, but pulled together by Dusty's vocals.

On an interesting side note, Elvis Costello and Sting both contribute work, Costello contributes a song,"Losing You (Just A Memory)" and Sting contributes the lyrics on "I Don't Think We Could Ever Be Friends."

The album cover is one of my favorites.

White Heat is a fascinating album and a total departure from Dusty's usual style.Recorded in the early 80's it was originally only available in North America.

The album was made during Dusty's tempestous relationship with Carole Pope, the singer with the Canadian band, Rough Trade. It's hard edged, funky and angst ridden. From the synth laden Donnez Moi, the reggae influenced I Am Curious, the funk rock of Blind Sheep, this album probably reflects Dusty's true self more than any of her others.

The stand out track is the final one; Soft Core. Written by Carole Pope, it could only be about Dusty herself. Utterly brilliant and only Dusty could sing a song like that.

That VOICE is still there and thumps you in the chest like no other singerwill ever do.

This is not like Dusty In Memphis or as Dusty herself would put it "Big Ballady Things." However, I think it's one of her best and most honest albums.

If Dusty had done some of these songs intstead of the disco covers in her Albert hall concert,it would have been a vast improvement.
The sheer ferocity and emotional abandon on this lp transends a label,and Dusty takes a trip out on a limb to more than survive but...triumph!!! In the sexy Donnez Moi (Give It To Me), she earnestly pleads for lustful satisfaction.
I Don't Think We Could Ever Be Friends , is a rhythmic chant.
Blind Sheep resounds with a cynical dart,and is textured to perfection.
Don't Call It Love rings with pathos and resonates with emotion .
Time And Time Again,wistful and yearning, ,and is the most familliar Dusty ballad sound here.
The whole lp sounds modern even by current standards.The singing is just plain good!
I Am Curious sounds allot like Nona Hendrix fevered pitch in her gritty "Transformation" . Dusty once again blends earnest desire with a vengeance.
triumph!
There isn't one clunker,and this cd sounds the way dance music sounds when it becomes artful!
I rate this in my top 3 Dusty lps!
1. Dusty in Memphis
2.Dusty Definitly
3.White Heat
(in no real cemented order,all great!)

From the very first time I heard "No matter, no matter what you do, I only want to be with you...", I was hooked. Just hooked. Then I SAW her on TV - NOBODY looked like that!! Those gorgeous 'panda' eyes, that blonde hair, the body language -- WOW!! I was in love, and I'm proud to say I still am.
As time went on, I was thrilled to discover that Dusty could sing anything - anything at all, and that once she sang it, she OWNED it. After the Philips & Atlantic years, it was harder to find the new albums as they came (often with no promotion), but I almost always did. 'White Heat' was totally different, a new kind of sound, and I eagerly played it for friends, who mostly didn't "get it". One obviously did, and managed to steal the LP, which I tried in vain to replace. I missed the initial release of the CD, but recently remembered that it was missing from the collection.
It just arrived in the mail, and I'm listening to it once again as I write this, and the phrase that comes to mind is simply "Go, Baby, Go!!!" While not on a par with the majestic 'Dusty In Memphis', in it's way it may just be the most innovative album she ever recorded; most artists would never have had the guts. But that was the thing about Dusty...she wasn't afraid to go somewhere new or different...
This lady could truly knock you on your a** with her voice, and though she's gone, that voice is still with us; warm, cool, sweet, soulful...she rocked our world! DUSTY.