Just A Little Lovin'

The next time you're out in the stores looking for some new music and you feel you'd like to add something timeless to your CD or vinyl shelf, try the landmark 1969 album by Dusty Springfield, "Dusty In Memphis". Although its current status as a classic of white Soul and possibly, the definitive Dusty Springfield recording is indisputable, the album didn't do well on either side of the Atlantic when it was released, despite a successful single, effectively sticking a fork in Dusty's career. She would not have another hit until well into the 1980's when she joined up with the Pet Shop Boys for their single, "What Have I Done To Deserve This?". It was as if Dusty was asking that question herself.

The introduction of Southern Soul provided a near-total makeover of her well established, heavily orchestrated British Pop sound. Recorded in 1968, just five years after Springfield debuted on the British charts with "I Only Want To Be With You", this album is the sound of a 29 year old star on an early career fade, finding a new voice that was more true to herself. Dusty's appropriately titled previous album, "Where Am I Going?", had not been a hit, and she found herself being edged into the Easy Listening market. So she signed on with Atlantic Records, but with the provision that Jerry Wexler, Atlantic's Vice President and the man who may have coined the term 'Rhythm and Blues', would produce her next album. Dusty's contract named Wexler as a 'key man', meaning that if Wexler declined to produce the album, the deal was off. But Wexler was excited about the project and quickly agreed, unaware of the amount of work he was in for.

Dusty with Jerry Wexler, 1968

Wexler played Springfield nearly 80 acetates he'd compiled. She rejected all but two: "Just A Little Lovin'" and "Son Of A Preacher Man". A few weeks later, Wexler presented Springfield with a fresh batch of 20 songs. She loved every one. Oddly, Dusty didn't seem to catch that each of these 20 songs had been in the lot she'd previously rejected. But in her favor, there is such a thing as having too much to choose from; where everything becomes a blur and it's impossible to make solid decisions.

As it turned out, none of the "Dusty In Memphis" vocals were actually recorded in Memphis. Dusty was used to arriving at a studio to find the backing tracks already recorded. But in Memphis, she found herself recording in Wilson Pickett's vocal booth with Aretha Franklin's musicians right there in the room. An obsessive Soul fan herself, Springfield should have felt like a newly welcomed peer, but she hated it and had difficulty getting good vocal takes. Wexler felt she had a "gigantic inferiority complex". So the production moved to a New York studio with just Wexler, along with Tom Dowd and Arif Mardin present. Dusty would then insist on having so much of the backing track in her headphones that she could not hear her own vocals; a remarkable sign of her own insecurity and lack of self-confidence. But Dusty herself said "I had never recorded with just a rhythm track. I'm a shy singer; perhaps you might say, a reluctant singer, at the best of times. It takes a lot to get it out of me because of my studio nerves. I was treated with the utmost patience, kindness and care by Jerry, Tom and Arif through it all, even though they must have thought I was some kind of madwoman."

The album eventually limped to #99 on the US album charts, and never broke into the British Top 40. Only one single was issued, but what a great one: "Son Of A Preacher Man", backed with today's featured song, "Just A Little Lovin'" on the B-side. The single became an international hit, reaching #10 in the United States, and #9 in England.

The picture sleeve for the US single.

Jerry Wexler had this to say about "Dusty In Memphis": "The album wasn't totally ignored when it was released, but it certainly never came close to achieving the prominence with which time has imbued it. Of course, we had the good fortune to have a hit single, 'Son Of A Preacher Man', which gave it a little extra life and the chance to percolate over the years. Gradually the album came to the forefront to be regarded as a seminal record. Now, you couldn't kill it with a stick! Does it sound retro? No, not at all, it's very crisp. The rhythm tracks are beyond category or temporal marking. They were the very best of Southern Soul, so just like the original Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett tracks, they sound as good now as they did back then. How did Dusty compare with other artists? Oh my God! Read my memoirs!"

One very good thing did develop out of the sessions in Memphis. In November of 1968, Springfield casually suggested to Wexler that he might be interested in a newly formed band from England named Led Zeppelin. She knew their bassist, John Paul Jones, from his session work on her earlier albums. Without ever having seen them and mostly on her advice, Wexler eventually signed Led Zeppelin to a $200,000 deal with Atlantic, which, at the time, was a huge sum for a new band. That's the sort of trust between artist and management that you just don't see anymore.

Over the years, we've seen quite a few projects that go to the trouble of re-recording an entire classic album as a tribute of sorts. Most recently, there was the collaboration of Norah Jones and Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day that gave us "Foreverly", a near-perfect recreation of the Everly Brothers album, "Songs Our Daddy Taught Us". But sometimes, the best form of tribute to the repertoire or sound of an artist who influenced your own work is to abandon any attempt to replicate that music and simply filter that influence through yourself. That is the mark of a performer who is an artist in their own right.

Shelby Lynne is one of those artists. Although the album cover of "Just A Little Lovin'" clearly states that the project was 'inspired by Dusty Springfield', this is no overwrought attempt at equaling or duplicating Dusty's recordings. That would be like trying to fake Soul. It can't be done. It's there or it isn't. On this album, Lynne places her own mark on the Dusty Springfield songs she loves in a way that is not only musical, but is also intended to be listened to actively. It asks and deserves your full attention.

It's one thing to throw a CD on while you're doing whatever around the house, just to have some music on. But if you take the time to focus and really listen to this presentation, you will find yourself being rewarded by one of the best sounding albums of the past several years. I mean, this album sounds absolutely terrific! One glance at the CD jacket told me why, in two sentences: Produced by Phil Ramone; Recorded and Mixed by Al Schmitt. These two guys have four of the very best ears in the music business. Never mind the top flight studio cats playing on this recording. They're all great on their own, but Ramone and Schmitt know how to get truly outstanding performances out of everyone involved. Here's one brief review: "She's enough of a talent to serve up nine of Dusty's songs (plus one original) with reverence rather than mimicry, while avoiding the obvious. But the hook is the sound; it ranks with any audiophile LP you can name." Ken Kessler, Hi-Fi News, September 2012.

Listen to Shelby Lynne's seductive take on "Just A Little Lovin'". Those of you with really good speaker systems connected to your computers will be alright, but for those of you on laptops, I will recommend headphones. Just... listen. The space in this arrangement is just as important as the notes. It's so worth the 5 minutes.

"Just A Little Lovin'", or any of the other albums made by Shelby Lynne over the last 20-odd years are available at A-Mart, or your local independent emporium of musical delights. The CD sounds great, but I will give my highest possible recommendation that those of you who enjoy vinyl should avail yourself of the 200 gram pressing from QRP that's out now. Apparently, there were serious distortion issues with the original Lost Highway vinyl release that have now been corrected on the 200 gram edition.

"Dusty In Memphis" will likely never go entirely out of print. There's a perfectly serviceable 11 song edition that's available everywhere for cheap. The Rhino Deluxe edition from 1999 that has a whopping 14 bonus tracks from the Memphis/New York sessions on it that does appear to be out of print and climbing price-wise, but I'd bet you can find it locally, new or used, for a fair fee, like under $15. High quality vinyl is available too. There's also an excellent "Very Best Of..." CD out there that has all of Dusty's earlier hits.

Chaille Percival as Diane Dane

One more thing. Some of you sharp-eared Pop culture junkies who are fans of the movie "That Thing You Do" (like we are) will recognize the character of Play-Tone singer Diane Dane as a sketch of a pre-Memphis Dusty Springfield. Dane appears to be on the downside of her run on the charts and is portrayed as an aging near has-been. Even her featured song in the movie is titled "My World Is Over", which mimics the lush orchestrated sound of Dusty's early hits. So, I find it interesting that on the website of actress Chaille Percival, who played Diane Dane in the movie, it says that the character was modeled on singer-songwriter Jackie DeShannon. I'm not buying that. But if it's true, then my guess is that the production couldn't get clearance from Dusty, or her management, regarding the portrayal, and erring on the side of avoiding legal difficulties, took the official line that DeShannon was the inspiration. But that's just a guess. Only Tom Hanks knows for sure, and I'll bet he's not saying. Does anyone out there know different?