The tall blond gal with one great song.
June 5, 2007 4:24 AM Subscribe
Two divas with tall, I mean tall platinum blond hair wigs at the height of their fame and vocal prowess sing the songs that made them legends. Ladies and gentlemen, blue-eyed soul queen Dusty Springfield, and the pride of Nashville, Tammy Wynette. And honorable mention to another top-heavy musical blond, purveyor of perky pedal-steel perfection Barbara Mandrell.
As Dolly Parton said "It costs a lot of money to look this cheap."
posted by three blind mice at 5:00 AM on June 5, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by three blind mice at 5:00 AM on June 5, 2007 [1 favorite]
Preacher Man is a terrific song. Thanks flapjax. The wikipedia article lists the staggering number of people that've covered it over the years.
posted by Rhomboid at 5:10 AM on June 5, 2007
posted by Rhomboid at 5:10 AM on June 5, 2007
I don't know what either one of them looks like, but I happened to listen to Springfield and Wynette at bedtime last night. And I dreamed of a large white dog.
posted by pracowity at 5:26 AM on June 5, 2007
posted by pracowity at 5:26 AM on June 5, 2007
Barbara Mandrell may be a great steel picker, but she's certainly not playing live in that second link.
posted by nonmyopicdave at 5:51 AM on June 5, 2007
posted by nonmyopicdave at 5:51 AM on June 5, 2007
Neat stuff. It came as a big surprise to hear that Dusty Springfield is English and not, say, from Georgia.
posted by boo_radley at 6:09 AM on June 5, 2007
posted by boo_radley at 6:09 AM on June 5, 2007
"but she's certainly not playing live in that second link."
Uh, nonmyopicdave, all due respect, but you need to get your eyes checked. You're not living up to your username, buddy! She is most definitely playing live, in both links.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:15 AM on June 5, 2007
Uh, nonmyopicdave, all due respect, but you need to get your eyes checked. You're not living up to your username, buddy! She is most definitely playing live, in both links.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:15 AM on June 5, 2007
Dusty Springfield was an amazing talent and a fascinating individual. She came out publically in 2003; I think her biography details the difficulties she endured due to non-acceptance of her lesbianism during her career.
posted by Morrigan at 6:19 AM on June 5, 2007
posted by Morrigan at 6:19 AM on June 5, 2007
I used to have a bootleg of Keith Richards singing Apartment #9, which oddly was what turned me on to Tammy Wynette.
I always lumped Barbra Mandrell in with the vapid 1970s Nashville crowd. Wasn't aware she had crazy pedal steel chops. But Dusty Springfield is lotsa great.
In fact, these artists are different enough that I think this FPP is about big blond beehive artists. Which is totally worthy.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 6:35 AM on June 5, 2007
I always lumped Barbra Mandrell in with the vapid 1970s Nashville crowd. Wasn't aware she had crazy pedal steel chops. But Dusty Springfield is lotsa great.
In fact, these artists are different enough that I think this FPP is about big blond beehive artists. Which is totally worthy.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 6:35 AM on June 5, 2007
I have to admit, after the first sentence, I was expecting a post involving Ru Paul.
posted by cosmicbandito at 6:49 AM on June 5, 2007
posted by cosmicbandito at 6:49 AM on June 5, 2007
Is the title of this post a reference to something? Suggesting that any of these women had only one great song is bizarrely blind to their legacy.
posted by jacquilynne at 7:00 AM on June 5, 2007
posted by jacquilynne at 7:00 AM on June 5, 2007
It came as a big surprise to hear that Dusty Springfield is English and not, say, from Georgia.
Dusty in Memphis belongs on everyone's list of top ten albums of all time.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 7:08 AM on June 5, 2007
Dusty in Memphis belongs on everyone's list of top ten albums of all time.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 7:08 AM on June 5, 2007
"Suggesting that any of these women had only one great song is bizarrely blind to their legacy."
jacquilynne, you're jumping to incorrect conclusions. The title of the post does not indicate that they had only one great song, though the songs they sing in these clips are, arguably, these singer's signature tunes, the ones that will always be most associated with them. It also refers to the fact that this FPP focuses on one song from each of the two singers. And to answer your question, yes, the title refers to this. And that's the main reason I came up with the title. And now you know! Ain't no bizarre blindness over here, my friend!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:11 AM on June 5, 2007
jacquilynne, you're jumping to incorrect conclusions. The title of the post does not indicate that they had only one great song, though the songs they sing in these clips are, arguably, these singer's signature tunes, the ones that will always be most associated with them. It also refers to the fact that this FPP focuses on one song from each of the two singers. And to answer your question, yes, the title refers to this. And that's the main reason I came up with the title. And now you know! Ain't no bizarre blindness over here, my friend!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:11 AM on June 5, 2007
Morrigan writes 'She came out publically in 2003'
It was fairly common knowledge among the general public long before then though. From Wikipedia:
"Throughout much of Springfield's career, her sexuality was a matter of speculation. In 1970, she disclosed that she was bisexual when she told Ray Connolly of The Evening Standard during an interview that "A lot of people say I'm bent, and I've heard it so many times that I've almost learned to accept it....I know I'm perfectly as capable of being swayed by a girl as by a boy."
posted by PeterMcDermott at 7:18 AM on June 5, 2007
It was fairly common knowledge among the general public long before then though. From Wikipedia:
"Throughout much of Springfield's career, her sexuality was a matter of speculation. In 1970, she disclosed that she was bisexual when she told Ray Connolly of The Evening Standard during an interview that "A lot of people say I'm bent, and I've heard it so many times that I've almost learned to accept it....I know I'm perfectly as capable of being swayed by a girl as by a boy."
posted by PeterMcDermott at 7:18 AM on June 5, 2007
"after the first sentence, I was expecting a post involving Ru Paul."
Obligatory link to a very large photo of Ru Paul, featuring the aforementioned tall blond hair. (Not as tall as that sported by the ladies in this FPP though...)
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:20 AM on June 5, 2007
Obligatory link to a very large photo of Ru Paul, featuring the aforementioned tall blond hair. (Not as tall as that sported by the ladies in this FPP though...)
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:20 AM on June 5, 2007
My own Dusty favourites are What's it Gonna Be (Dusty's is the second version in this link), and her cover of Jimmy Radcliffe's Long After Tonight Is All Over -- both massive Northern Soul tunes in the late sixties and early seventies.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 7:31 AM on June 5, 2007
posted by PeterMcDermott at 7:31 AM on June 5, 2007
time machine + cubit zirconium = hello, Mrs. Barabarah Mandrell Esdebah.
posted by es_de_bah at 7:32 AM on June 5, 2007
posted by es_de_bah at 7:32 AM on June 5, 2007
Oh these links went so well with a joint. Thank you.
posted by CautionToTheWind at 7:45 AM on June 5, 2007
posted by CautionToTheWind at 7:45 AM on June 5, 2007
Awesome songs, awesome babes, awesome wigs.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 8:30 AM on June 5, 2007
posted by otherwordlyglow at 8:30 AM on June 5, 2007
Watching that Dusty Springfield clip, I realize now where Axl Rose got his snake dance from.
posted by schleppo at 8:56 AM on June 5, 2007
posted by schleppo at 8:56 AM on June 5, 2007
Dusty in Memphis....playing it right now and feeling blue.
posted by doctorschlock at 9:14 AM on June 5, 2007
posted by doctorschlock at 9:14 AM on June 5, 2007
Uh, nonmyopicdave, all due respect, but you need to get your eyes checked
Is "myopicdave" taken? You're right. The sync must've been off or something. Maybe Youtube wasn't fully awake yet. This morning it looked totally faked to me.
...and nice post. I'm enjoying the Dusty stuff!
posted by nonmyopicdave at 9:50 AM on June 5, 2007
Is "myopicdave" taken? You're right. The sync must've been off or something. Maybe Youtube wasn't fully awake yet. This morning it looked totally faked to me.
...and nice post. I'm enjoying the Dusty stuff!
posted by nonmyopicdave at 9:50 AM on June 5, 2007
Seconding (Thirding?) the Dusty in Memphis recommendation. If you don't already own it, find the Rhino reissue that includes a whole bunch of outtakes and bonus tracks.
posted by Rangeboy at 10:43 AM on June 5, 2007
posted by Rangeboy at 10:43 AM on June 5, 2007
Is the Tammy Wynette clip definitely not lipsynched? She doesn't have a microphone anywhere near her, unless it's above her on a boom.
Enjoyed this post, and it brought to mind old memories of the Barbara Mandrell show that she did on TV with her 2 sisters. As a youngster here on this link, she reminded me a bit of a young (slightly subdued) Goldie Hawn.
posted by onlyconnect at 11:28 AM on June 5, 2007
Enjoyed this post, and it brought to mind old memories of the Barbara Mandrell show that she did on TV with her 2 sisters. As a youngster here on this link, she reminded me a bit of a young (slightly subdued) Goldie Hawn.
posted by onlyconnect at 11:28 AM on June 5, 2007
Rangeboy writes 'Seconding (Thirding?) the Dusty in Memphis recommendation.'
I dunno. Listening to it has induced a powerful thirst for a bit of Lorna Bennett and DJ Scotty's Skank in Bed, recalling vice-filled nights in Liverpool's old Somali Social Club. But there doesn't seem to be a copy on youtube.
Cut, cut, cut!
Tell me something?
You can't play bass?
You can't play drum?
Leave the studio man, leave the studio.
I don't want you in here.
Riddim! Come forward!
The closest thing I can find is the grossly inferior Chrissie Hynde/UB40 cover.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 12:36 PM on June 5, 2007
I dunno. Listening to it has induced a powerful thirst for a bit of Lorna Bennett and DJ Scotty's Skank in Bed, recalling vice-filled nights in Liverpool's old Somali Social Club. But there doesn't seem to be a copy on youtube.
Cut, cut, cut!
Tell me something?
You can't play bass?
You can't play drum?
Leave the studio man, leave the studio.
I don't want you in here.
Riddim! Come forward!
The closest thing I can find is the grossly inferior Chrissie Hynde/UB40 cover.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 12:36 PM on June 5, 2007
We sure don't see the politically incorrect much. I love this thanks. All of them but especially Tammy Wynette. I still like her way.......... after these very many years.
posted by Cedric at 1:23 PM on June 5, 2007
posted by Cedric at 1:23 PM on June 5, 2007
Is the Tammy Wynette clip definitely not lipsynched? She doesn't have a microphone anywhere near her, unless it's above her on a boom.
As someone almost absurdly familiar with the recorded version, I can tell you with complete certainty that it's not lip synched. Off-camera overhead boom mics were a very common feature of TV shows of that era. You'll see many, many examples of this, with no mic visible, if you start looking around at "vintage" cips from TV shows. For just one example, see the Bobbie Gentry clips I linked to a few days back.
And, yeah, now that you mention it, the young Mandrell does remind one of the young Goldie Hawn.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:18 PM on June 5, 2007
As someone almost absurdly familiar with the recorded version, I can tell you with complete certainty that it's not lip synched. Off-camera overhead boom mics were a very common feature of TV shows of that era. You'll see many, many examples of this, with no mic visible, if you start looking around at "vintage" cips from TV shows. For just one example, see the Bobbie Gentry clips I linked to a few days back.
And, yeah, now that you mention it, the young Mandrell does remind one of the young Goldie Hawn.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:18 PM on June 5, 2007
Tammy Wynette grew up picking cotton.
She was a goddess. Probably still is.
posted by spitbull at 4:57 AM on June 6, 2007
She was a goddess. Probably still is.
posted by spitbull at 4:57 AM on June 6, 2007
And she never needed lip synching or sweetening. She was one of the finest singers of the modern era in country music, some would say the single finest female singer of all (though there are 3 or 4 contenders).
posted by spitbull at 4:58 AM on June 6, 2007
posted by spitbull at 4:58 AM on June 6, 2007
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posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:31 AM on June 5, 2007