Dusty Springfield – Live At The BBC (Universal Music DVD/Hip-O Records)

 

Picture: C     Sound: C     Extras: C+     Main Program: B

 

 

Digging into the archives of the BBC, the most underrated asset continues to be that of classic, key music performances.  This time, the network and Universal Music have released a fine compilation entitled Dusty Springfield – Live At The BBC which features at its core, the entire Dusty TV show.  This ran nine episodes over two seasons and is essentially the singer doing wall to wall music and talking to the audience on occasion.  You get five to six songs, plus a closing song and the show ran from 1966 – 67.

 

These are all in black and white, with the 1.33 X 1 copies here a bit soft throughout, but they look about as good as they can and seem to be either taped or are partly 16mm saved to old PAL analog tape.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is good, but the Dolby 5.1 cannot boost, save or improve the old TV audio.  Still, it is Dusty at her peak and is very much worth issuing.

 

The extras have the same kind of audio and audio dilemma, though the newer clips are often in color.  There is How Can I Be Sure from the Morecambe & Wise Show, I am Woman (with the infamous, negating ‘I need my man’ ending) and Since I Fell For You from The Tom Jones Show in the early 1970s and Saturday Night Live At The Mill has an interview and performance of I’m Coming Home Again.  You get stills, then as a final extra, there are the 12 songs offered as an audio-only “jukebox” feature.  All in all, that is not bad, though the bonus paper pullout inside the DVD case with more programming info and a brief essay praising her helps.

 

 

For more of Dusty at her peak, from a 1979 concert, try this link:

 

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3886/Dusty+Springfield+–+Live

 

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo