A new musical setting
Dusty Springfield’s move to Atlantic brought the collaboration with Jerry Wexler that she wanted. For Dusty in Memphis, American Sound’s rhythm section supplied the foundation, with Wexler, Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd producing. Released in 1969, the album placed her voice alongside musicians whose shared language had developed through countless sessions.
Memphis tells only part of the story. Work began there, while vocals and orchestral elements were developed further in New York. The record draws on both environments rather than documenting one uninterrupted visit to a single studio.
The weight of a phrase
“Son of a Preacher Man” is the familiar doorway. But “Just a Little Lovin’” and “So Much Love” already reveal the care behind the repertoire. Songs by Goffin and King, Randy Newman, and Bacharach and David sit alongside “The Windmills of Your Mind”. Springfield’s interpretation gives these different writers a common voice.
Listen to how she starts a phrase and where its emphasis eventually falls. Expression does not depend only on volume. A slight delay or the way a note ends can change the relationship between singer and accompaniment. These are details worth returning to after the melody has become familiar.
The musicians behind the songs
Reggie Young plays guitar, Tommy Cogbill bass, Bobby Emmons and Bobby Wood keyboards, and Gene Chrisman drums. The Sweet Inspirations add another vocal dimension. Knowing those roles opens a second listening route through the arrangements.
With “Breakfast in Bed”, follow Springfield first and then listen for the instrumental responses. “No Easy Way Down” provides another perspective on the Goffin/King material. The famous single belongs to a considered album sequence with many other points of entry.
The edition with three bonus tracks
AAPA 017-45 is the Atlantic 75 release on two 180-gram records at 45 RPM. The publisher credits Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio with mastering from the original master tape and specifies QRP and a Stoughton tip-on gatefold jacket. Side D adds “Willie and Laura Mae Jones”, “That Old Sweet Roll (Hi-De-Ho)” and “What Do You Do When Love Dies” to the eleven original tracks. These three additions distinguish it from the earlier Analogue Productions double LP.
You order from Michael 45 in Germany. We arrange the US import and dispatch from Hilden.
Also on SACD: Dusty In Memphis
Also in another edition: Dusty In Memphis
Customer questions: Atlantic 75: which titles are worth buying? · Buying Analogue Productions records in Europe
Series: Atlantic 75 Series – all 75 albums, time journey and the people behind Atlantic
Musicians
Documented selection of participating musicians. Personnel may vary by track; this list does not claim to be complete.
| Name | Instrument / role |
|---|---|
| Dusty Springfield | Vocals |
| The Sweet Inspirations | Backing vocals |
| Reggie Young | Guitar, Sitar |
| Tommy Cogbill | Electric bass, Guitar |
| Bobby Emmons | Electric piano, Congas, Organ |
| Bobby Wood | Piano |
| Gene Chrisman | Drums |
| Mike Leech | Congas |
How Michael hears this edition
Listening impression · paraphrased from the video
Michael compares the Atlantic 75 edition with AP’s 2011 45 RPM release. He hears no differences worth mentioning and notes Kevin Gray’s mastering on both editions. According to this comparison, owners of the older edition do not need the newer one for sound alone.
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