Sunday, February 6, 2011

Untucked Shirt With Sweater

Dusty Springfield - Where Am I Going (1967) Renato


you ever be convinced someone to do something you never did it because absolutely not interested?
I am often the target of friends and do not accuse me of not wanting to do / feel / see something about bias or snobbery.
example, I have a friend who would like to see me at all costs FEVER BY HORSE, a film that is annoying me for a number of reasons that I am not here to enumerate. There's another (friend) stresses me because I do not want to watch movies of Dario Argento, a director who consider it an overrated beyond measure. He guessed
three films (the first) and then kind of output is disproportionate to the success of Deep Red which I personally consider a splatter in all respects and not so impressive.
In short, this friend showed me this afternoon Phenomena practically forced to see that previously I've always avoided seeing. A boring
: slow as it could be a drama Rai sixties, as a trivial and obvious American B movie, "already seen" because it resembles those SUSPIRIA location (there were in Germany, here in Switzerland, there in the academy and dance in a college here).
Among other things, that there was no suspense typical of this kind of movies ... pretty much a complete failure.
The soundtrack clashing with the rhythm (non-existent) of the film: a musical abortion half and half gothic heavy metal with the usual Claudio Simonetti now already devoid of any flash innovativo (se mai ne abbia avuto uno). Ho letto anche i nomi di Bill Wyman (?) e degli Iron Maiden. Cosa c'entrassero con il film in questione lo sa solo Dario Argento.
Questa sera mi sono voluto vedere DRAG ME TO HELL, un filmetto di Sam Raimi senza troppe pretese e senza grosso battage pubblicitario ma che invece è stato una sorpresa. Intendiamoci, niente di eccezionale (avevo già previsto l'epilogo finale in anticipo) ma qualcosa di più del solito banalissimo horror americano.
Questo per dirvi che il tanto osannato Dario Argento non vale un filmetto da due dollari ma con più idee e più azzeccate atmosfere.
Ho notato qualche incongruenza: esempio, persone con nomi ungheresi che parlano spangolo. Ma nell'enorme lexical ignorance of Americans, this is nothing.
I took up too much space in Orlando that I already pawing: This week we talk about long playing Dusty Springfield in 1967.
But at this point we were already there by yourself!


The question mark or question mark, has gone decidedly out of fashion in the titles (movies, books, songs) since, even since the days of MS-DOS, became a character forbidden "in the name of file as a "wildcard" character. We are thus deprived of a sign of expression sometimes indispensable "Paris Burning?" takes on another meaning when read "Paris burning" , is not it?

Equally essential is the question in the title of this album "Where Am I Going?" , because it reflects exactly the situation it was in the career of Dusty Springfield at the end of 1967. Less than four years since his sensational debut as a solo artist, British artist was at a crossroads after reaching the summit of success thanks to the record cover of I can not live without you and bringing in all its rankings next 45 laps (although in lower positions) at the end of 1966 had published a Golden Hits who was a recognition of its status as the most famous voice of the United Kingdom and was arrived at No 2 of the ranking of the 33 laps. [For the record, the number 1 was not Revolver Beatles, released shortly before, but the soundtrack of The Sound of Music , will remain in the charts continuously for three years between 1965 and 1968 ].

Meanwhile, Dusty was called by the BBC to lead six episodes of a show of his own and was then hired in the U.S. for a series of concerts in prestigious venues where he performed with partners from all over, including a big name in jazz as Buddy Rich .

the beginning of 1967 things changed: the first 45 laps of the year, Give me time (even a cover of an Italian song) reaches "only" il 24° posto della classifica inglese. Negli USA invece il disco viene "flippato" e viene promossa la facciata B, The Look of Love di Bacharach-David (colonna sonora di "James Bond 007 - Casino Royale" ) che diventa un classico. Il successivo What's it Gonna Be (con o senza interrogativo?), registrato in America, addirittura non entra in classifica in Gran Bretagna e la cantante, non sapendo più come gestire il suo talento (ricordiamoci che in realtà si è sempre "autoprodotta"), comincia a credere che il suo futuro sia sull'altra riva dell'Atlantico. È a questo punto che si colloca Where Am I Going? e l'interrogativo, come vedete, calza perfettamente.

Producer "official" record is Johnny Franz, but the twelve pieces are chosen directly from her, that not only sing, but actively participates in recording sessions and mixing beyond the glass, and fully deserved the title of pain in the ass now that all the experts had buckled. The choice is pretty kaleidoscopic and, although the excessive variety of the pieces was a feature of the time (in each LP is preferred to switch tracks in rhythm tracks from tile, changing genres and styles as possible to meet the tastes of the public) The album ends up suffering because it lacks a clear identity.

Bring It starts with Him Back a piece of Doc Pomus and Mort Schuman, authors of many of the Drifters hits with a catchy rhythmic style in Latin America, move to a cover of Aretha Franklin titled Do not Let Me Lose This Dream , in which stands out the sleek arrangement by Arthur Greenslade. Compared to the original version (included in "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You") comes out of a less "soul", but the support of the voices of two loyal Madeline Bell and Lesley Duncan is certainly interesting. I do not want this connection to the merits of the special relationship that existed at the time between Dusty and Madeline (platonic or not, matters little to a music blog), but I promise at an early opportunity to talk a bit 'more of this voice that, after and sing for his dear friend, made his debut as a soloist and later became part of Blue Mink.

Even I Can not Wait Until I See My Baby's Face is a song three years ago, written by Chip Taylor and Jerry Ragovoy for Justine "Baby" Washington. In the original version are included verbatim the arrangement and the vocals. I must say that the versions of Aretha Franklin (1964 on Columbia label), Dionne Warwick (1975 on Warner) and the same Madeline Bell (1965 on Philips label) are very similar in arrangement and how to interpret.

Take Me For a Little While was written by Trade Martin per un'artista oggi poco conosciuta. Il suo nome è Evie Sands, piaceva molto a Dusty Springfield, che volle anche renderle omaggio collaborando più tardi ad una sua incisione. Take Me For a Little While fu ripresa da molti nomi dell'epoca, da Cher ai Vanilla Fudge, e ognuno ne diede una versione differente. Nel nostro caso Ivor Raymonde, il musicista che aveva arrangiato I Only Want to Be with You , ci offre un arrangiamento stile Supremes, che immagino poi fosse l'effetto voluto da Dusty. Più delicato e sognante Chained to a Memory , arrangiato da Wally Stott (musicista donna, nulla a che vedere con Lally Stott).

La facciata A si chiude con una versione jazzata di Sunny Bobby Hebb. Also this song is plagued with hundreds of covers, so I ended up hating the song itself, especially after the releases "record" by Boney M and the subsequent remix in many different ways.

The first track on the other side is the famous Close to You Bacharach-David. Launched for the first time in the early '60s by Richard Chamberlain, a famous doctor television series "Dr. Kildare" and not yet the protagonist of the soap insulted Thorn Birds, the song ended in a 45 extremely rare. Bacharach was convinced of the potential of this piece and submitted it to various artists, trying to get the success it deserved. But success came unexpectedly in 1970 from only version of the Carpenters, a little more than U.S. duo debut, on which he declared that he would not bet a dollar. Today is one of the most popular songs of Bacharach entire career, was also cited occasionally in the animated The Simpsons and sing a little 'out of turn, for example at weddings, wedding anniversaries and in all these events that generally the Americans love to celebrate. After

Welcome Home, another Chip Taylor song backed by the choir of the two already mentioned before, we come to a sparkling rendition of Come Back To Me , which was part of the musical (and movie) "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (in Italian " The friend of the five and a half ") and that the film was sung by Yves Montand. Following the umpteenth version (but the first in English) of a Another song I hate, Ne me quitte pas (entitled If You Go Away).

Broken Blossoms is an adaptation of Tom Springfield signed a plea traditional for the antiwar theme, remember Where Have All the Flowers Gone (with or without question? see how often the problem recurs?).
The disc closes with the title track, which is also not unprecedented. Extracted from the musical "Sweet Charity" , which is nothing that the transposition American "Nights of Cabiria" , Where Am I Going? is interpreted exciting and heard by the Springfield, which transforms it into a real standard.

A word of appreciation on the cover, very significant example of the graphic 60-70, years in which the letters stood out titles one by one without the help of the computer, and a greeting to you all.

Orlando

WHERE AM I GOING? (1967)
01 Bring It Back (Pomus-Shuman)
02 Do not Let Me Lose This Dream (Franklin)
03 I Can not Wait unitl I See My Baby's Face (Taylor-Ragavoy)
04 Take Me For A Little While (Martin-Trader)
05 Chained To A Memory (Rogers-Ahlort)
06 Sunny (Bobby Hebb)
07 (They Long To Be) Close To You (David-Bacharach)
08 Welcome Home (Taylor)
09 Come Back To Me (Lerner-Lane)
10 If You Go Away (Brel-McKuen)
11 Broken Blossoms (adapt T.Springfield-Gray)
12 Where Am I Going (Fields-Coleman)

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