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latetoappreciate
Brand New Me
Australia
93 Posts |
 Posted - 13/10/2008 : 11:34:18
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Hello All,
What do members think of the book DUSTY SPRINGFIELD ~ written by LUCY O'BRIEN? Published in 2000 by Pan Books.
Is it factual, is it a good read, is it worth purchasing?
Regards,
Geoff
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Earthbound Gypsy
Something Special
USA
1334 Posts |
Posted - 13/10/2008 : 15:12:02
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I personally preferred DWD. Sorry folks! IMHO, Lucy's book was basically an edited version of DWD.
Marty |
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Carole R.
Higher and Higher
United Kingdom
13792 Posts |
Posted - 13/10/2008 : 19:19:11
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Hi Geoff... 
The Lucy O' Brien book was the first book I bought about Dusty, and I bought it soon after her death in 1999...
I wanted to find out about the Lady I had so admired in the sixties...
I needed to know what had gone on in her life in the intervening years...
I found that this book gave me a very good idea about her life, career and recordings.
This led me into buying most of her albums, as well.
It also got me 'here'..... 
To answer your question, I would say, buy it!.. Its a good intoduction into Dusty World.
The Dancing With Demons book was the one by Vicki Wickham(Dusty's ex Manager) and Penny Valentine(a journalist from The Sixties)..To make a long story short, many fans took offence at this book and considered it to be disrespectful to Dusty and focussed to much on the negative aspects of her life.
Other fans considered it to be very helpful in their understanding of Dusty.
There are other books as well, which I'll tell you about if you so wish..
Bottom line is:
' You pays your money and you take your choice'..
Carole R xx
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Edited by - Carole R. on 13/10/2008 19:21:12 |
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Memphis
Wishing And Hoping
United Kingdom
623 Posts |
Posted - 13/10/2008 : 19:48:31
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I agree with Carole - well kind of. The Lucy O'Brien book is worth buying but I recently looked it up to find out something as simple as where Dusty lived when she was a baby and found inaccuracies.
Dancing with Demons deals with Dusty's later years when she was suffering from depression. Now time has passed I'm finding this a valuable book because it includes information from people that knew Dusty at this time. However it's difficult to work out the chronology sometimes because there aren't enough references to dates and therefore it's a bit sloppy. It's turned out to be one of my best reference books despite the sloppiness but it almost broke my heart when I first read it.
Memphis
Ever since we met...
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Earthbound Gypsy
Something Special
USA
1334 Posts |
Posted - 13/10/2008 : 22:10:55
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Another thought here, the first book I read about Dusty was DWD, the second book was I read was Lucy O'Brien's book, which may have something to do with my preferance. I will say that at least one of these books is a must read for all Dusty fans. You probably need a larger box of tissues while reading DWD.
Marty |
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Memphis
Wishing And Hoping
United Kingdom
623 Posts |
Posted - 13/10/2008 : 23:46:34
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I should have said I agree with Marty too!
Is it time for 'Dancing With Demons' (despite the silly title) to be revalued and rehabilitated? I think it is. This is an essential read for anyone that is really interested in Dusty.
Memphis
Ever since we met...
PS This post has had 47 views but there are 4 people logged on!
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Edited by - Memphis on 13/10/2008 23:53:29 |
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Carole R.
Higher and Higher
United Kingdom
13792 Posts |
Posted - 13/10/2008 : 23:56:59
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quote:
Originally posted by Memphis
I should have said I agree with Marty too!
Is it time for 'Dancing With Demons' (despite the silly title) to be revalued and rehabilitated? I think it is.
Memphis
Ever since we met...
PS This post has had 47 views but there are 4 people logged on!
Yes, maybe as other books come out, and we are able to compare them all, DWD should be re-evaluated by us.
I'm not averse to that suggestion, Memphis!..
What do you think would be a more appropriate title, by the way?
Carole R xx
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Memphis
Wishing And Hoping
United Kingdom
623 Posts |
Posted - 14/10/2008 : 00:37:06
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Good question! Um......off the top of my head...
No Easy Way Down (my best shot)
Dusty Springfield: 1970-1996
Survivor (or Phoenix)
Someone To Watch Over Me
See All Her Faces
Dusty Springfield Vol 2 : Beautiful Soul (the first Vol would be about her fantastic rise in the 60s and it would be called Ev'ry Things Coming Up Dusty)
or more newsworthy...Dusty Springfield : Tortured Soul
or A Fast Buck
What do you or anyone else think would be good titles?
Memphis
Ever since we met...
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Edited by - Memphis on 14/10/2008 00:38:57 |
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Janie
Administrator
United Kingdom
6385 Posts |
Posted - 14/10/2008 : 00:59:34
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I think the Lucy O'Brien bio and DWD are good starting points, although neither are brilliant as stand alones. Not entirely sure at this stage of my reading what Sharon Davis' book adds to what is already out there. She seems to have set out to put what she perceives are the 'wrongs' written about Dusty 'right' (even although she has probably dropped a clanger or two herself along the way  ). I'll reserve absolute judgement on whether it is worth the time it takes to read it once I have completed the volume .
Janie  x55 |
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Memphis
Wishing And Hoping
United Kingdom
623 Posts |
Posted - 14/10/2008 : 01:09:23
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Oh where are the Sharon reviews?  Is it a duff book? Is it a groundbreaker? Does it add anything worthwhile? Is it too safe to be worthy?
Memphis
Ever since we met...
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latetoappreciate
Brand New Me
Australia
93 Posts |
Posted - 14/10/2008 : 10:23:01
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Thanks members for your thoughts. As a new convert to the music, life and times of the late Dusty I am learning a lot.
Regards,
Geoff |
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JMFabianoRPL
Brand New Me
90 Posts |
Posted - 17/10/2008 : 05:47:24
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I thought it was an OK overview...of course I haven't picked apart the book for inaccuracies. And since someone said Dusty hated it, I suppose I should hang my head in shame for being positive about it? ;-)
As for the one most of us just call "that book," I just can't try it out. I would just get mad and resentful, not at Dusty, but at the "authors" for not caring. Not about Dusty, not about her ENTIRE past, and not about the fans' feelings. I still feel if I read it, I'd be supporting people who are not real friends. And yeah, I'd worry about what if I look at Dusty as something to feel negative about? I'd rather remember her for her music and what SHE wanted us to know about her as a person. |
Edited by - JMFabianoRPL on 17/10/2008 05:50:46 |
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Earthbound Gypsy
Something Special
USA
1334 Posts |
Posted - 17/10/2008 : 08:01:18
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James, yes DWD did not portray Dusty as an angel sort of to speak, but it did portray her as being very human, which we all are. Reading the book only made me love her more. My mother said the same thing. IMO, if anyone reads this book and doesn't make you love her more, you just don't have a heart. My criticism with the book is that it lacked balance, I would like to have seen some more of the good times in her life. Her life hardly was all bad, just too short.
Marty |
Edited by - Earthbound Gypsy on 17/10/2008 08:03:40 |
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reputation
Something Special
United Kingdom
1538 Posts |
Posted - 17/10/2008 : 08:17:11
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quote:
Originally posted by Memphis
Oh where are the Sharon reviews? Is it a duff book? Is it a groundbreaker? Does it add anything worthwhile? Is it too safe to be worthy?
Memphis
Ever since we met...
This is a thread on Lucy O'Briens book, you ask where the reviews are on Sharon Davis - well there's a separate thread for her book and some of us have already spoken about it Memphis, check the other thread. |
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MICBO
Wishing And Hoping
United Kingdom
117 Posts |
Posted - 17/10/2008 : 10:25:16
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have a look at this folks:
http://www.simonbell.com/NEWSARCHIVE.html
It may have appeared on this site previously, however, I don't have all day to troll through the posts I am sorry to say...so apologies if this is a repetition.
Moi!
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JMFabianoRPL
Brand New Me
90 Posts |
Posted - 26/10/2008 : 23:45:07
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quote:
Originally posted by Earthbound Gypsy
James, yes DWD did not portray Dusty as an angel sort of to speak, but it did portray her as being very human, which we all are. Reading the book only made me love her more. My mother said the same thing. IMO, if anyone reads this book and doesn't make you love her more, you just don't have a heart. My criticism with the book is that it lacked balance, I would like to have seen some more of the good times in her life. Her life hardly was all bad, just too short.
Marty
I think some of you don't quite get it...the point is not so much about Dusty as it was how other people treated her memory and as a by-product, treated her fans. I still am not sure they cared. |
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Lucy O'Brien's book?
