<THE ESSENTIAL DUSTY DVDs>

DUSTY SPRINGFIELD
WOMAN of REPUTE

THE ESSENTIAL DUSTY

DVDs

On March 13, Universal Pictures in the UK released the 1994 BBC documentary Dusty Springfield: Full Circle on DVD format (catalogue number: 8234170).

Full Circle is unique in that it is the only documentary to which Dusty herself contributed, primarily in the form of an extended interview, filmed in London in December 1993, with comediennes Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. One month later, Dusty traveled to Nashville to begin recording what would be her last album, A Very Fine Love (1995). The documentary concludes with a brief segment of Dusty in a Nashville recording studio, looking markedly tired and drawn in comparison to her appearance in the London footage. It was later revealed that while recording in Nashville, Dusty first experienced the effects of the cancer that would claim her six years later on March 2, 1999.

Previously available on video, Dusty Springfield: Full Circle is, according to music critic Sam Sutherland, "an affable documentary offer[ing] a broad view of the oddly self-effacing yet emotive stylist's career." He goes on to note that "a bumper crop of vintage British television clips from [Dusty's] appearances on her own shows will offer retro-surfers a delirious array of wigs, eyelashes, and couture that may be cause enough for viewing. Yet Springfield's vocal poise and superb taste in songs is borne out on a more serious level by interviews with Martha Reeves (for whom she was an honorary Vandella, and whose best early Motown sides are triumphantly covered in vintage Springfield clips), Burt Bacharach, Elvis Costello, Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant, and producer Jerry Wexler. Giving the hour-long documentary an irreverent spin are interviewers Jennifer Saunders (of Absolutely Fabulous) and Dawn French, who lampoon celebrity worship and reverent pop biographies."

In August 2000, Stuart Maconie, writing in the British music magazine Q, gave the VHS version of Full Circle three out of five stars, and noted that "without . . . exaggeration, there is music and singing here as good as anything pop music has or will ever produce." For Maconie's complete review, click here.

From left to right: The Australian, British, and U.S. versions of the first-ever Dusty DVD.

Quantum Leap released the first-ever Dusty DVD in the UK on September 15, 2003. Entitled My Very Best, Love Dusty, this DVD is also available in the United States and Australia as Dusty Springfield: Reflections.

White Star Video released Dusty Springfield: Reflections in the US and Canada (in both DVD and VHS format) on September 30, 2003. In Australia, the DVD was released by Chaos Music on October 13, 2003.

The shared tracklisting of all three versions of this first-ever Dusty DVD is comprised of full video performance clips of the following songs:

Wishin' And Hopin'
I Only Want To Be With You
Losing You
What's It Gonna Be?
I Think It's Going To Rain Today
Son Of A Preacher Man
You Don't Have To Say You Love Me
Brand New Me
I Close My Eyes And Count To Ten
Since I Fell For You
How Can I Be Sure?
Ain't No Mountain High Enough (a duet with Engelbert Humperdinck)
Spooky
I Wanna Be A Free Girl
Lost
People Get Ready
The Look Of Love
Closing Credits/Wishin'And Hopin' (Audio only)

The clips come from variety of sources, mainly ITC and the 1971 Dutch Just Dusty special, but also from the Ed Sullivan, Rod McKuen and Bobby Darin TV shows of the late '60s. The songs are interspersed with Dusty interview clips and with commentaries by Petula Clark and B.J. Thomas.

My Very Best, Love Dusty also contains a biography and US and UK discographies, while the Australian DVD contains two bonus clips--"Upside Down" and "Quiet Please There's A Lady On Stage." Both of these clips are taken from The Tom Jones Show from 1981.

Dusty Springfield Live at the Royal Albert Hall is a rare and fascinating look at Dusty the live entertainer. The DVD documents her celebrated December 1979 appearance at London's Royal Albert Hall. The DVD of this concert was issued in both the United Kingdom and the United States in December 2005 by Eagle Rock Entertainment.

Contrary to initial reports, the DVD contains what is known as the "edited for TV" version of the concert. In the November 2005 issue of the Dusty Springfield Bulletin, editor Paul Howes notes that the reason for this is that apparently "the quality of the original unedited masters has deteriorated so much over the years that they are beyond restoration, whereas the TV version has survived in pristine condition."

Along with the actual concert, the Royal Albert Hall DVD also includes touching and insightful interviews with Dusty's friend and former manager Vicki Wickham, longtime friend and secretary Pat Rhodes, friend and colleague Madeline Bell, and friend and backup vocalist Simon Bell.

Liner notes for the DVD are provided by Warren Zanes, author of Dusty in Memphis, part of Continuum Press' 33 1/3 series on landmark albums.

Zanes acknowledges that the concert has a "decided looseness" about it, owing to the fact that there had not been "a whole lot of rehearsal." Yet, that said, Zanes is adamant that "there is no question that the imperfections of the performance contribute to the value of the document. The band falters at a few spots and Dusty's vocal is sometimes too low for her between song patter to be heard. Yet something important emerges. The Dusty who brought her listeners close through song but otherwise kept people at a distance seems more exposed here, more willing to let us catch a glimpse. Even if it's just a moment in which Dusty cannot help but giggle mid-song, and there are a few (see "The Look of Love"!), there's a sense that in this performance she has let her guard down in ways that, at least purportedly, she rarely did. At times it feels like the joy of the event gets under her skin in the best ways. At times it proves infectious."

Brian Henderson's Bandstand presents Dusty Springfield is an essential Dusty DVD exclusively available to members of the Dusty Springfield Bulletin (DSB).

Notes Paul Howes, editor of the Bulletin and author of The Complete Dusty Springfield, "For fourteen years the prime pop TV show in Australia was Bandstand, hosted by Brian Henderson. A special edition of the show was produced in 1967 and Henderson had this to say about it: 'In my opinion . . . the Bandstand you're about to see is probably the best thing we've done in the last few years, and perhaps the most polished and professional Bandstand we've ever made.' The star of that Bandstand? None other than Dusty Springfield."

Dusty recorded the special edition of the show during a working trip to Australia. As was common at that time on shows such as Bandstand, she lip-synched most of her hits (including "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me," "I Only Want To Be With You," "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself," "All I See Is You," and "What's It Gonna Be?") and a number of her album tracks (including "My Colouring Book," and a surreal visual presentation of "Twenty-Four Hours From Tulsa" - complete with cowgirls and a Salvador Dali-inspired set!)

Also on the special were American singer Freddie Paris and Australian percussionist John Sangster, with whom Dusty duetted. Additionally, Dusty is interviewed at one point in the show by host Brian Henderson.

As far as can be ascertained, the show has only ever been broadcast once and has never been seen outside Australia. Until now, that is, with DSB's exclusive DVD of this great show. The program is available on DVD only, yet in a format that is playable on all DVD players, regardless of country. A portion of the sale of this DVD is being donated to the Royal Marsden Hospital Charity.

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