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The Springfields
Biography
While Dusty Springfield is best remembered for the iconic pop singles she released in the '60s and her masterful 1969 album Dusty in Memphis, she first found fame with the trio the Springfields, whose canny blend of light pop and folk earned them a handful of hits in both Great Britain and the United States. The Springfields featured Mary O'Brien and her older brother Dion O'Brien; Mary began singing while a student at St. Anne's Convent in West London, and later became a member of the vocal group the Lana Sisters. Dion, meanwhile, played with a variety of groups while a student, and after a hitch in the British military he formed a folk duo with Tim Feild. Looking to expand the group's sound, Dion invited Mary to join the group, and they adopted new stage names; Mary became Dusty Springfield, while her brother became Tom Springfield. Harmonizing on folk standards with the accompaniment of two guitars and a set of conga drums (usually played by Feild), the group adopted the name the Springfields and soon found an appreciative audience playing the Butlins holiday camp circuit. The Springfields were spotted by an A&R man for Philips Records, and released their first single in 1961; "Dear John," adapted from an old folk tune with a pop-friendly arrangement, was a major chart hit, and by the end of the year the group had landed two more singles in the charts, "Breakaway" and "Bambino," as well as their own music series of BBC television.
Selected Discography