Dusty Springfield: the Francis Bacon years

That frame around her is totally Francis Bacon crossed with Bill Culbert. Television set designers were artier then.

The B-side of Springfield’s 1970 single “How Can I Be Sure” is a cover of the 1968 Classics IV hit “Spooky”. That band re-recorded it in in 1979 as the Atlanta Rhythm Section, whom no one remembers now but were really good even by the standards of 1970s Southern bands.

Classics IV did it in F minor, thereby terrifying the guitarist; Dusty did it in A minor. Played double-time, it is pretty much “The Carlos Santana Secret Chord Progression”, which Frank Zappa played in G minor. This version, one of many, is from Shut Up ’ N Play Yer Guitar and recorded in 1980 with Vinnie Colaiuta on drums. The piece is basically a duet for electric guitar and drums, so the versions with Chad Wackerman are, like, OMG awesome. Takes the piss out of Santana, in a good way.