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Dusty Springfield, the greatest blue-eyed soulstress Britain ever produced, would have been 70 this month. When Penny Valentine interviewed her for Disc and Music Echo in late October 1968, the lady already five years of diva glory behind her. In their conversation, she looks back on her pop achievements to date.--Barney Hoskyns, Editorial Director, Rock's Backpages

On November 5, 1968, Dusty Springfield celebrates five years as a solo star. In that time she has travelled over 360,000 miles; worn over 50 special dresses at £250 each; made 16 singles and four LPs; appeared before the most super-critical audiences in the world--and come to terms with life.

Although she denies it, she's worked harder in a concentrated period of time than any other British singer. And in the five years she has gained a reputation for being witty, charming, difficult, fussy and stubborn.

She has made a lot of money and she has had a lot of strain and worry. She is very emotional and, on her own admission, now cries about once a day out of sheer exhaustion.

Being on your own isn't so bad

Dusty left the Springfields in 1963.

"I was frightened when I split. Not because of any extra responsibility--I didn't lean on the boys as much as people thought, in fact most of the time I had to get them organized--but because it's quite a thing to suddenly split away from a successful team.

"Being on your own isn't so bad. You can say 'I'll be at this place at such and such a time,' and know you will be. You don't turn up wondering if everyone else will make it in time to go on stage."

Since then Dusty has done cabaret in Australia, New York, Las Vegas, Germany, France, Belgium, Holland, Canada; two appearances at Talk Of The Town in London; Royal Variety Performances; London Palladium; countless TV's and endless slogs round the Northern cabaret circuits.

But this year has been the effort to beat all others--including the now famous recording sessions with Atlantic records in Memphis.

"I'm sure I've worked as hard as I have this year but it wasn't so pressurized. The past few months have been very hard. To say I cry once a day sounds sloppy but it can be more--it's just the strain. You have to have a release.

"Half of it is self-inflicted. I get in a ridiculous panic over things that always get done eventually. It's just when I look at what must be done I think 'Oh there's no time and flap like mad.

"And I still have this fear of losing my voice. I can go on and on and win through as long as that doesn't happen. If my voice does go it's the end--I get very demoralized and I'm finished. The reason it goes is because I use it the wrong way on stage. I have no technique and I breathe very badly.

"People like Aretha Franklin can sing forever because they've had church or operatic training. I can be in the middle of my act and realize I'm not breathing properly, but I'm so intent in getting over to the audience I forget about it."

In five years Dusty considers she has learned by her mistakes. The outcome is that she is wary of what she says and that she has a very large suspicion of what she calls "Pop politics."

"I don't think the public realizes how much pressure is put on artists by certain parts of the management.

"Eventually you have to comply with this business of being 'a good girl.' I've probably complied a lot less than many other poor singers in the business. The whole set up is terrible and in America it's even worse.

"For instance I did a pantomime in Liverpool which I really didn't want to do because they said 'If you do the pantomime you can do this,' and 'This' happened to be my first 'Talk Of The Town' season which I knew I really needed for my career.

I've dug my heels in a lot

"I have dug my heels in an awful lot. I think people have this impression of me as being soft and malleable, which I'm not. I can be very difficult if I really want to.

"I don't see why 20 weeks in the summer at Blackpool should be dangled in front of your nose like a carrot as a great reward. It isn't. I really resent this treatment--it's very bad for one's pride.

"But after five years you are increasingly able to turn a blind eye to it. Sometimes I get disgusted with myself for doing this. It used to make me fume--but you give up after a while. And I'm lucky to have a good agent like Dick Katz who will really sit down and discuss with me the things I want to do."

Earlier this year Dusty made the surprise decision of splitting with her manager Vic Billings. She now has sole responsibility for her career.

"Now I'm worried by petty things I wasn't before. Like bills and stupidity--five people ringing from the BBC one after the other asking exactly the same thing.

"I like only having to answer to myself for what I do but I find the financial side a strain. Of course I want to make money--but I don't like those pieces of paper they keep throwing at me!"

In the pop business a girl out on her own always has to have what the business calls an "image." Cilla and Lulu have a jolly "girl next door" one, Sandie works on her sex angle, Dusty, more sophisticated, has one that has fallen, for some reason almost despite herself, into the "Hollywood Star" category.

The panda-eyed image has stuck

"It bothers me that this panda-eyed, immovable bee-hive image has stuck with me from the beginning--even though it's not true anymore.

"And because of what people have written about me I've become, against my will, much less open and frank with most people. It upsets me because I've become suspicious.

"I often wonder if in five years time Julie Driscoll, who has been saying some very frank and open things lately, will suffer by having something she's said now in a joke taken from the files and used seriously and out of all proportion.

"I don't want to be tight fisted--it's stupid. I want to be honest very much. The image of me being a sad neurotic lady worries me. Of course I have sadness in me--everyone does. But I'm not as neurotic as people imagine.

"You know I can remember when, after nearly every interview, I used to plead: 'Please don't make me sound sad and moody.' Because really--I'm not."

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