Sunday 26 July 2009

The elusive 45 - How Can I Be Sure?

How can I (really) be sure I'll ever end up with this one final 45 to complete my 1963-1970 Dusty Springfield 45 & EP records released in the UK.

This 45 with How Can I Be Sure on side A & Spooky on the B is eluding me.
Sure, I can get it if I'm prepared to pay $30-60 when it does show up online but, oh really, I don't think so. If a 45 is going to cost that much... well, that's a good dinner out...it would have to be factory sealed and unplayed and another record entirely - I'd have to think about that - I have and I don't think there is one...

It gets me wondering what it is about this particular record that makes it so collectible - there are rarer ones about that sell for reasonable prices...

I am wondering about the popularity of this particular 45 - it may be all due to the B-side:
Could it be that Spooky was used in the soundtrack of that Guy Ritchie film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

Haven't seen that film yet - will probably get round to it when it's back on telly and I notice it is, maybe but it has once again made Dusty cool and hip...

Could it be that in the film clip of Spooky, Dusty Springfield is wearing an Ossie Clark frock (called "Traffic Light Gown")
One of these frocks sold in 2006 for GBP600 - here it is in my Millers Collectables:




Ossie Clark (9 June 1942–6 August 1996) was a big fashion designer in the 1960s through to about 1974, disappeared into obscurity in the 1980s (not surprising - fashion in the 80s was often horrid) and was in the media again in 1996 after being murdered in his Kensington Council flat by a younger ex-lover whose mind had gone off the rails.

It could simply be that not many 45s of this were pressed in the UK (it wasn't released in the USA)- it reached 36 in the charts after 4 weeks in.

I dunno... I've also read the song was used to sell beer in the UK on telly in 2006.

What I do know is Dusty Springfield was an excellent live singer - there are many TV performances around to prove that - but she was a pretty hopeless lip-sync performer as can be seen here wearing said frock:

** postscript 25 September 2009- I don't believe it - some scabby corporate has taken this off Youtube - I dont think anyone is selling your video mate... in fact it may generate some legit sales - crusty scabby unfair - I'll find a photo & upload it soon - ahh, but I found a link with it - I wonder how long it will last.
so, here it is again:




==
and here she is singing the A-side live - not in an Ossie frock - this frock - it's a silk dress by Eric Plant for Darnell of London - is not such a good look in the frock sense but an excellent live performance (on the Morcambe and Wise show)
- the carnival-style sound with accordion mid-way is good stuff on the studio recorded version.




I have the A side on CD and an LP & the B side on CD only. As far as I can find out, was only released on record that one time - that may be the answer there on why this 45 still eludes me.

I do enjoy watching hard core buyers on ebay having a bun fight over this one and when they all have their own copy, I'll pop in and get a bargain*...

(*Postscript - and I did - in very near mint condition - nnyah nnyah)

No comments: