Wikipedia:The Springfields
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The following article is a local copy of the Wikipedia article at The Springfields. (more info)
| The Springfields | |
|---|---|
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Folk, Pop |
| Years active | 1960 to 1963 |
| Labels | Philips Records |
| Associated acts | The Seekers |
| Members | |
| Dusty Springfield Tom Springfield Tim Feild Mike Hurst |
|
The Springfields were a British pop-folk vocal trio in the early 1960s, who had success in the UK, USA and Ireland, but are now best remembered as the launch pad for singer Dusty Springfield.
The trio formed in 1960, when Mary "Dusty" O’Brien, who had been a member of all girl singing trio The Lana Sisters, joined her brother Dion O'Brien and Tim Feild, who had been working as a duo, "The Kensington Squares". Dion became Tom Springfield, and Mary became Dusty Springfield. Feild was later replaced by Mike Hurst.
Tom Springfield was a songwriter and arranger with a wide knowledge of folk music, and the group had strong vocal harmonies and Dusty’s powerful lead. They were signed to Philips Records and released their first single, "Dear John," in 1961, followed by two UK chart hits with "Breakaway" and "Bambino" – like their other records, produced by Johnny Franz.
The first recording contract the Springfields signed was offered by producer Johnny Franz at Philips Records in London. With early singles including "Breakaway" and "Bambino", and numerous television appearances, the trio soon became very popular in the UK. After Tim Feild left the group, he was replaced by Mike Hurst, and the Springfields became even more successful. "Island of Dreams" rose to the UK Top 5 at the end of 1962, and stayed in the charts for six months. In 1962, their version of "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" reached the US Top 20 (Billboard), #23 (Cashbox), the first single by a British group ever to do so (predating the Tornados’ “Telstar” by two months, and the Beatles by 15 months). The record also reached #1 in Australia. It featured lead guitar by Judd Proctor.
The follow-up, "Say I Won’t Be There", was also #5 in the UK chart. By this time, the Springfields were one of the most popular groups in the UK. The group had several chart hits and had recorded several foreign language records. However, Dusty Springfield felt increasingly hemmed in by the group's image as a folk act and Tom's lead role within the trio, and toward the end of 1963 decided to leave for a solo career.
Tom Springfield and Mike Hurst also developed successful careers in the music industry, while Tim Feild (as Reshad Feild) later became a prominent mystic and writer.
