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A Very Fine Love

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A Very Fine Love is the fifteenth studio album by singer Dusty Springfield, and thirteenth released. Recorded in 1994 and released in 1995 and produced by Tom Shapiro A Very Fine Love was a Columbia Records release, in both the US and UK, Springfield's first such simultaneous release since Living Without Your Love in 1979.


Background

The album was originally tentatively called Dusty in Nashville, to tie in with the 25th anniversary of Springfield's keynote work Dusty in Memphis, but her record company "decided against it, in the belief that it would lead audiences to mistakenly expect a country album.". A Very Fine Love was to be promoted by the TV documentary Full Circle, a 90 minute career retrospective featuring British comediennes Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French interviewing Springfield in their inimitably irreverent way - Springfield herself was a big fan of French & Saunders' and their goonish sense of humour - as well as interviews with friends, fans and colleagues like the Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant, Dionne Warwick, Burt Bacharach, Elvis Costello and Martha Reeves, and footage from the recording of the upcoming Nashville album.

During the three months of recording of the album, Springfield often had bouts of laryngitis and other undiagnosed health issues. Upon returning to England, she saw a specialist and was subsequently diagnosed with breast cancer. Upon learning Springfield was to undergo radiotherapy, her manager, Vicki Wickham, was able to convince Columbia Records to delay releasing A Very Fine Love until Springfield was well enough to do promotion work.

Springfield's cancer went into remission, and in June 1995, A Very Fine Love was released. It made little impact on the US album charts, but did reach #43 on the British charts. The title that got the best critical reception was the blues-tinged closing track "Where Is A Woman To Go?", featuring guest vocals by K.T. Oslin and Mary Chapin Carpenter. When promoting the album in the UK on TV-show Later With Jools Holland Springfield performed the track live, then instead with backing by two longtime fans of hers; Sinéad O'Connor and Alison Moyet. One track from the album "Wherever Would I Be?", a Diane Warren-penned duet with Daryl Hall was featured in the movie While You Were Sleeping, and was a minor chart hit in Britain, along with Will Jennings' gospel-flavoured "Roll Away", the last charting single of her lifetime.

Due to modest sales of the album, Springfield and Columbia Records decided not to renew the contract, and as the cancer recurred in late 1996, and Springfield died in 1999, it proved to be Springfield's final album.

Track listing

  1. "Roll Away (Will Jennings, Marlee Lebow) - 4:12
  2. "Very Fine Love" a.k.a. "Fine, Fine, Very Fine Love" (Bob DiPiero, Jim Photoglo) - 4:09
  3. "Wherever Would I Be?" (Diane Warren) - 3:58
  4. "Go Easy on Me" (Randy Goodrum, John Jarvis) - 5:36
  5. "You Are the Storm" (Matraca Berg, Ronnie Samoset) - 4:16
  6. "I Can't Help the Way I Don't Feel" (Tom Shapiro, Chris Waters, Michael Garvin) - 3:41
  7. "All I Have to Offer You Is Love" (Craig Wiseman) - 3:47
  8. "Lovin' Proof" (Diane Warren) - 3:40
  9. "Old Habits Die Hard" (Terry Britten, Graham Lyle) - 3:36
  10. "Where Is a Woman to Go?" (Jerry Gillespie, K.T. Oslin) - 4:08

Personnel

Production

  • Tom Shapiro - record producer, musical arranger
  • Brian Tankersley - associate producer, engineer, mixing
  • Jan Perry - assistant producer
  • Walter Afanasieff - arranger, co-producer ("Wherever Would I Be", Walter A. Mix)
  • Dana Jon Chappelle - sound engineer, mixing
  • Jay Healy - sound engineer
  • Greg Parker - assistant engineer
  • Bill O'Donovan - assistant engineer
  • Wayne Morgan - assistant engineer
  • Shawn McLean - assistant engineer
  • John Kliner - assistant engineer
  • Steve Ledet - assistant engineer
  • Mick Guzauski - mixing
  • David Gleeson - mixing assistant
  • Craig Silvey - mixing assistant
  • Mike Scott - mixing assistant
  • Hank Williams - mastering
  • John Geary - illustrations
  • Recorded at Javelina Recording Studios, The Bennett House, Recording Arts, Woodland Digital, Eleven Eleven Sound, GBT Studio (Nashville) & Schnee Studio (Hollywood), late January to early April 1994.

Sources

  • Howes, Paul (2001). The Complete Dusty Springfield. London: Reynolds & Hearn Ltd. ISBN 1 903111 24 2.
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