Dusty Springfield - Live At The BBC

The Beeb were once very keen on the top female stars of the day having their own prime time TV shows, but whereas Cilla and Lulu would contrast musical numbers with corny comedy routines, Dusty was always about the songs. The best of her two series of half-hour programmes from 1966 and ’67 are here, brilliantly illustrating the range of her talents. Surprisingly, perhaps, Springfield’s own hits are few and far between, sacrificed in favour of spirited Motown covers (Get Ready, Heatwave, Nowhere To Run), traditional folk numbers (My Lagan Love, Poor Wayfaring Stranger) or selections from Broadway and the Great American Songbook (If My Friends Could See Me Now, Call Me Irresponsible). There are also performances in Italian, Spanish and Portugese, a likeably shy Dusty occasionally apologising if her phonetic pronunciation doesn’t do the material justice. Her unassuming and self-effacing charm seems at odds with the magnificence of the voice, be it in full belt on the likes of Gonna Build A Mountain, or subdued and sincere on Jacques Brel’s If You Go Away. Her diversity is breathtaking, covering a broader spectrum of moods and styles in two hours than most 21st Century chanteuses could manage in a lifetime.