Search - Dusty Springfield :: Brand New Me

A BRAND NEW ME..SAME DUSTY, DIFFERENT SOUND

S. Sittig | Washington, D.C. | 07/17/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dusty Springfield can sing. No question about that. WHAT she sings is a different story altogether. For years, this icon of music has tried on every hat in the business. From Country to Italian Ballads to R & B to Funk to Techno and even Showtunes...if you can dream up a musical style, Dusty has sung in it. This LP, A BRAND NEW ME (1970), is particularly interesting because, when originally released, it was meant to usher in a "new" Dusty, void of the big panda-eyed make-up and the bouffant wigs. For the only time in her career, Dusty sang 10 songs (the original tracks, not including the bonus CD tracks), all written by the same composers, the Gamble & Huff team from Philadelphia that after this album would make the "Philly Sound" a hit. As always, Dusty was there first.Her rendtions of "Never Love Again", "Lost" "Let Me In Your Way", "Bad Case of The Blues", "Silly Silly Fool" an! d "A Brand New Me" are unparalleled by any other vocalist, black or white.The only problem with this LP is that Dusty has always been frenetically eclectic, and the music on this LP, while well assembled, is far too mundane and single minded for an artist of her range.Here is where the bonus tracks, taken from later sessions really spice up the CD and make it a MUST buy.` All 9 bonus tracks are special and make the CD completely worthwile. Especially outstanding among them is the fervent "What Do You Do When Love Dies?" and the gusto-filled "What Good Is I Love You?". She even tries her hand at some Ashford & Simpson with "I Can't Give Back The Love" (track title incorrect on AMAZON's listing) and she succeeds at making A & S sound less sappy than most, even A & S themselves.All in all, when I listen to this CD, I play the last 9 tracks more than anything else.If for no other reason, this CD should be purchased ! for Dusty's rendering of "A Brand New Me" which r! eached #24 in the top 40 Billboard charts when released. Aretha Franklin later recorded the song, after hearing Dusty's version. Her version did not chart. (the same occurred with the famous "Son of A Preacher Man") When a white woman outsings the Queen of Soul, it's time to sit up and listen."

Dusty Revisited

Music Maven | Southern California | 10/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It had been a long, long time since this writer last listened to this album. While attempting to remix and catalogue my record collection, I found myself knee-deep in vinyl. "Brand New Me" just happened to jump out at me as if it were begging for a relisten. And, relisten I did - over and over again.



Poor Dust - to have every other work she did compared with the masterpiece for the ages, "Dusty In Memphis", helped to kill her recording career for at least 17 years. It was like telling Michelangelo "that Pieta is nice but it's no David".



In many ways, "Brand New Me" is a much more "soulful" offering than "Dusty In Memphis" - just listen to "I Believe In You"; and, tell me Dust couldn't "get down". The Gamble-Huff touch makes a few more songs on this album outdistance several songs on "Dusty In Memphis" - "Joe"; "I Wanna Be A Free Girl"; and "Never Love Again" certainly dwarf the inane "Windmill Of Your Mind" from "Dusty In...". The lyrics by the late Linda Creed give the whole production a very nice woman's emotional perspective.



"Let's Get Together Soon" was later released as "Hope That We Can Get Together Soon" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. It's a nice track made interesting by the sound of Dusty clearning her throat at about 1:50 into it - go figure.



All in all, "Brand New Me" would have to qualify as Dusty's second best album - not too shabby for a singer of her calibre. There was only one Dusty Springfield and we lost her way too soon. Thankfully, she left us with her gift of music."

The White Queen of Philly Soul

Music Maven | 07/31/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A BRAND NEW MEAfter the critical acclaim shown to Dusty In Memphis, Atlantic Records decided to further Dusty Springfield's exploration of R&B stylings and suggested she work with the Gamble & Huff production and songwriting team. Dusty grabbed this opportunity since she was already familiar with and loved Gamble & Huff's music. Their sound would soon become known as the Philadelphia Sound (aka "Philly Soul").Whilst it's predecessor Dusty In Memphis had a connection to classic pop, A Brand New Me is very much a hip, 70s Philly Soul album. The musical arrangements from Thom Bell (who later arranged The Delfonics and The Stylistics) would make many of the tracks feel at home on a Quentin Tarentino soundtrack (check out tracks like I Wanna Be A Free Girl, Never Gonna Love Again and I Believe In You).Dusty's vocals are very impressive on this album - she combines her dynamic approach to 60s dramatic ballads with her R&B edge (most evide! nt on the sweet soul ballad called Joe).The album A Brand New Me was another commercial failure for Dusty, although the title track went into the US top twenty.In 1969, the Philadelphia Sound, was not yet the fountain of Soul music that it would later become. By the mid 70s, after working with legendary artists such as Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes, Patti Labelle, The O'Jays, Lou Rawls and The Three Degrees Gamble & Huff's would be hailed as legends on the Soul music landscape forever.But Britain's Dusty Springfield got there first !!Best played late at night after watching Tarentino's Jackie Brown.Regards,A Guy Called Michael"