Venus Zine Classic: Dusty Springfield Issue #39

Dusty in Memphis

By K Tighe
Published: March 1st, 2009 | 10:09am

After riding the British Invasion to transatlantic pop success, Dusty Springfield yearned for a genre with a little more grit. As a longtime advocate of American soul music, Springfield took a cue from her idol — Atlantic Records’ then-reigning diva, Aretha Franklin — and headed deep into the south to try her hand at R&B.

Backed by the Memphis Cats (who stood as the backbone to such high-wattage stars as Wilson Pickett and Elvis Presley), Springfield parked herself in a Memphis studio with a 1960s “Who’s Who” of recording elite. The team — headed by the legendary Jerry Wexler, who coined the term “rhythm and blues” and had more than a small part in the recording successes of Bob Dylan and Ray Charles — quickly learned that Ms. Springfield was impossible to please.

Despite her perfectionism, two tracks on the classic album did get a thumbs up: “Just a Little Lovin’” and the insanely popular, “Son of a Preacher Man.” As if ushering in the “blue-eyed soul” movement and cutting one of the most iconic albums of all time wasn’t enough of a legacy, it was during the recording of Dusty in Memphis that Springfield casually suggested to the Atlantic suits that they sign a new band she’d recently befriended — Led Zeppelin.

Duffy
England’s most recent pop export hit the scene last year as a modern-day incarnation of Springfield — right down to the platinum bouffant. When she begs for “Mercy,” Duffy’s melodic voice twists with the kind of commanding emotional resonance that became the signature of Dusty in Memphis.

Jenny Lewis
When the Rilo Kiley frontwoman toured in support of her 2006 solo debut, Rabbit Fur Coat, jaws across the indie circuit dropped. The album, a deeply soulful yet sparse effort that dripped with weary southern blues, spotlighted Lewis’ sultry voice, which rang as clear as Springfield’s before her.

Shelby Lynne
The Grammy-winning country vixen makes no bones about where her inspiration comes from — her 2008 album, Just a Little Lovin’ features nine scaled-down Springfield covers. Despite her affection for all things Dusty, Lynne vows never to attempt “Son of a Preacher Man,” because you just don’t mess with a classic.