"Complete A and B Sides 1963-1970" by DUSTY SPRINGFIELD – All A-sides on Disc 1 with Their B-sides on Disc 2 (July 2006 EU-UK Mercury/Eclipse Archive Series 2CD Compilation of 41-Mono 45-Single Mix Remasters)

 

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"…I Only Want To Be With You…"

 

A clever idea and a superb compilation put together with real affection by BOB STANLEY of SAINT ETINNE - this remastered 41-track 2CD retrospective (part of the Eclipse Archive Series: Music From The Universal Vaults) pretty much does what it says on the tin. 

 

It lumps together in one cheap and cheerful package all of Dusty Springfield's British 45s on Philips from 1963 right through to 1970. You get the original MONO mixes with the A-sides on Disc 1 and the B's on Disc 2. 

 

Here are the Mary Quant mascara lines, Carnaby Street short skirts and perfectly coiffed hairdos…

 

EU-UK released July 2006 - "Complete A And B Sides 1963-1970" by DUSTY SPRINGFIELD on Mercury/Eclipse Archive Series 0-06024-9838528-9 (Barcode 602498385289) is a 2CD 41-Mono-Tracks Compilation and breaks down as follows:

 

Disc 1 – The A-Sides - 59:26 minutes:

1. I Only Want To Be With You (November 1963, Philips BF 1292, A)

2. Stay Awhile (February 1964, Philips BF 1313, A)

3. I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself (June 1964, Philips BF 1348, A)

4. Losing You (October 1964, Philips BF 1369, A)

5. Your Hurtin' Kinda Love (February 1965, Philips BF 1396, A)

6. In The Middle Of Nowhere (June 1965, Philips BF 1418, A)

7. Some Of Your Lovin' (September 1965, Philips BF 1430, A)

8. Little By Little (January 1966, Philips BF 1466, A)

9. You Don't Have To Say You Love Me (March 1966, Philips BF 1482, A)

10. Goin' Back (July 1966, Philips BF 1502, A)

11. All I See Is You (September 1966, Philips BF 1510, A)

12. I'll Try Anything (February 1967, Philips BF 1553, A)

13. Give Me Time (May 1967, Philips BF 1577, A)

14. What's It Gonna Be? (September 1967, Philips BF 1608, A)

15. I Close My Eyes And Count To Ten (June 1968, Philips BF 1682, A)

16. I Will Come To You (September 1968, Philips BF 1706, A)

17. Son-Of-A Preacher Man (November 1968, Philips BF 1730, A)

18. And I The Same Girl (September 1969, Philips BF 1811, A)

19. Brand New Me (November 1969, Philips BF 1826, A)

20. Morning Please Don't Come (February 1970, Philips BF 1835, A)

21. How Can I Be Sure (September 1970, Philips 6006 045, A)

Note: "Morning Please Don't Come" credited to Dusty and Tom Springfield

 

Disc 2 – The B-Sides – 52:11 minutes:

1. Once Upon A Time

2. Something Special

3. My Colouring Book

4. Summer Is Over

5. Don't Say It Baby

6. Baby Don't You Know

7. I'll Love You For A While

8. If It Hadn't Been For You

9. Every Ounce Of Strength

10. I'm Gonna Leave You

11. Go Ahead On

12. The Corrupt Ones

13. The Look Of Love

14. Small Town Girl

15. No Stranger Am I

16. The Colour Of Your Eyes

17. Just A Little Lovin'

18. Earthbound Gypsy

19. Bad Case Of The Blues

20. Spooky

Tracks 1 to 20 above are the B-sides of 1 to 19 and 21 on Disc 1. The B-side of Track 20 on Disc 1 is called "Charley" and is a Tom Springfield solo number – hence it's not included on this compilation.

 

The 16-page booklet has great Bob Stanley liner notes, period photos of our hero in black and white and colour (the centre shot is a winner), trade adverts, rare picture sleeves and tracks lists (without discography). It doesn't say who remastered the tracks, but the project was co-ordinated by DARYL EASLEA who is a name familiar to me (he's done loads of compilations for Universal). These Mono mixes pack a punch. It has to be said they take some getting used to after all these years of Stereo versions – but this set is aimed at collectors – and the original mixes are unavailable to my knowledge anywhere else – so a job well done.

 

Once you get past the overly-familiar hits - "I Only Want To Be With You", "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself" and "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" (and their laden Phil Spector productions) – you start to hit those lesser heard nuggets like the Bacharach/David vibe of "Losing You" and the truly gorgeous Goffin/King duo of classics "Goin' Back" and "Some Of Your Lovin'" - all of them imbibed with a wonderful soulfulness. It's almost so impressive to feel her smarts - the underlying love she has for US 60ts Soul and Rhythm 'n' Blues - clever cover versions of great artists like Baby Washington, Carla and Erma Thomas and so many more. 

 

There's clever lyrical spats too in "I'm in the middle of nowhere…getting nowhere with you…" - while big hankies and even bigger strings dominate the likes of "All I See Is You", "Give Me Time" and "I Can Close My Eyes And Count To Ten" – pleading tearjerkers par excellence (most written by Clive Westlake).

 

Musical change was on the horizon and wisely Dusty moved forward. There's a better groove to the Jerry Ragovoy-penned "What’s It Gonna Be?" – but the 45-single masterpiece here (at least one of them anyway) is of course "Son-Of-A Preacher Man". The strings are gone – the kitchen-sink melodrama ditched - smartly replaced with slinky keys and the Memphis Horns. I must admit that after years of hearing Rhino STEREO versions – the Mono mix feels a tad bare – but the punch is still as great and the song just never dates. 

 

Back to Dusty doing Soul when we get a fabulous cover of "Am I The Same Girl" –a song made famous by Barbara Acklin on Brunswick in March 1969. "Am I The Same Girl" (penned in part by Eugene Record of The Chi-Lites) is a vocal version of a superb instrumental "Soulful Strut" released December 1968 on Brunswick by The Young-Holt Unlimited. Dusty takes that great groove and gives it a British Female Voice – seduction and class effortlessly combined.

 

Sticking with the genre of choice for her, there's a Northern Soul strut to both "Little By Little" and "What's It Gonna Be" (sought after singles for this reason). A good pick is Jerry Butler's "A Brand New Me" which Aretha would also cover on her "Young, Gifted & Black" album on Atlantic in 1972. Dusty keeps that same easy Soulful feel – lovely stuff. Things go all Folk with "Morning Please Don't Come" – credited to Dusty and Tom Springfield (written by Tom) – more wimp than champ I'm afraid. Disc 1 ends on a far better note (and beautiful production) – "How Can I Be Sure" has an accordion in Paris vibe and makes you wonder will this catchy ditty turn up in a movie real soon.

 

Her own composition "Something Special" is the first of many discoveries on the B-Sides Disc 2. We get all Dixie Cups with "Baby Don't You Know" featuring a great vocal from Dusty and suiting her style – we get a Goffin/King mid-tempo bopper "I'll Love You For A While" that lifts proceedings up considerably. Soul fans will love the Cropper/Hayes/Porter composition "Every Ounce Of Strength" while "I'm Gonna Leave You" is the kind of classy flip you'd expect from a sophisticated lady (it was also an early songwriting credit for Lesley Duncan). 

 

Written by Madeline Bell and Dusty – the Motownesque "Go Ahead On" has long been a dancehall B-side killer. Burt Bacharach's "The Look Of Love" is typically gorgeous, while "The Colour Of Your Eyes" is probably one of the loveliest inclusions here. "Just A Little Lovin' (Early In The Morning)" is the ace B-side of a "Son-Of-A Preacher Man" making for a perfect 45. Best is kept until last – a slinky cover of "Spooky" – the 1968 Classics IV hit.

 

To the point, well remastered and tastefully presented – and best of all – less than a five spot from most retailers for a whole boatload of classy Dusty. Quality and quantity, and I'll wash my highlights in that sink any day of the week…