Something For Nothing.. MFSB and Dusty.

[Carole R.]

I originally posted this on the 'you tube' thread..
Corinna said she hadn't seen it before. I think its pretty interesting, and didn't want it to get lost.
So here it is:

Without Dusty:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTtm7O5qKeg[/youtube]

With Dusty:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4if9bGECDsM[/youtube]

A quick precis of what 'the bible' says:
'A full blown orchestral version of SFN was released three yrs after Dusty recorded this song for Gamble-Huff(1969)...It was recorded by the Philly House Band MFSB (Mother Father, Sister, Brother) ..if listened to carefullyDusty can be heard on the intro to the track .
Without doubt they used the same backing track as Dustys recording so maybe one day an enthusiastic engineer at Atlantic will sync up the two versions to create a more satisfying final mix.

Lets hope so...

CR xx

[daydreamer]

I'll have to ask Paul to tell me exactly where Dusty's voice is! He has much better equipment than I do, maybe that's the problem I think that Something for Nothing is one of those tracks that you forget about after a while, just because there are so many that are better.

[Corinna]

This has really made my day, CR!

I've listened carefully (like the bible instructed) but couldn't hear Dusty on MFSB...

[Cardiff Bluesgirl]

well I must have worse cloth ears than I thought I cant hear it no moreeeee
I know the song from the love songs cd nice but not in my head.

[mnmcv1]

I'll have to ask Paul to tell me exactly where Dusty's voice is! He has much better equipment than I do, maybe that's the problem I think that Something for Nothing is one of those tracks that you forget about after a while, just because there are so many that are better.

I just discovered "Something For Nothing" recently, and it's quickly become a favorite out of all the post-A Brand New Me tracks that Dusty returned to Philly to do with the Gamble & Huff crew, I actually think this is bested only by "I Wanna Be a Free Girl" and "Goodbye". I think it's very atmospheric, and Dusty sounds lovely. The modulation (key change) at the end is a little jarring, but I'm still a fan. I won't be forgetting it anytime soon, Carole.


PS- if you listen between :12 and :20 in the MFSB version, you can VERY faintly hear Dusty, particularly the "S" sound at the beginning of the word "something"...turn up your volumes!

[paula]

uhmmmm..never mind hearing Dusty..I can't even hear MFSB on the MFSB version has my hearing followed my eyesight that much??
good song...another case of Dusty being ahead of the game. She teamed up w/ Gamble & Huff just when they were starting up with the whole Sound O Philadelphia ...should have been more recognition for the material she recorded w/ them.
paula x

[Starlight]

I cant hear anything now played first one it crashed my computer now I have no sound at all?? agggghhh

[jeffery]

well I must have worse cloth ears than I thought I cant hear it no moreeeee
I know the song from the love songs cd nice but not in my head.

Your Love Songs CD has a better play list than the Rhino release here stateside.
You're lucky to get the good stuff.

[mnmcv1]

uhmmmm..never mind hearing Dusty..I can't even hear MFSB on the MFSB version has my hearing followed my eyesight that much??
good song...another case of Dusty being ahead of the game. She teamed up w/ Gamble & Huff just when they were starting up with the whole Sound O Philadelphia ...should have been more recognition for the material she recorded w/ them.
paula x

PAULA! girl, your hearing is fine. It's an instrumental.
MFSB was technically just Gamble & Huff's stable of musicians and the label started releasing stuff from the band under that moniker. Don't forget on their biggest hit, "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)", the only vocals ("let's get it ooooooooon...it's time to get DOWN") were actually done by the Three Degrees...

[mnmcv1]

I'm beside myself- ?uestlove, drummer for the Hip Hop band THE ROOTS tweeted about this song last week and posted a link for people to listen. He discovered it because Jay-Z sampled the MFSB version on his song "What More Can I Say", and I guess he stumbled across Dusty's version. He said he was probably gonna have Dusty's version on repeat for 9 hours, and then said:

"this ain't even about the sample anymore. She KILLING THIS"

(trust me, that's a compliment)

I posted more details on the "Is Dusty still relevant?" thread, as to me, it's proof-positive that she IS.

[daydreamer]

Good find Marcus, I recognise that as a compliment

[Corinna]

?uestlove has drawn a lot of people to the YT clip also. Well done for promoting our gal!

Funny how it all should tie in with our "relevance" discussion, isn't it?

Still, SFN is not really a 'given' for a collection of 'love songs'....???? Might need to get that one now, though (if it's still available).

[mnmcv1]

it doesn't scream "love song" to me either, Cor.
those compilations seem to always have some unusual, left field choice for inclusion. Still a good song, though.

I played SFN for my lil brother yesterday and explained ?uestlove's Twitter rave.
he's a big Hip Hop head, so he knew Jay-Z's "What More Can I Say"
(I was gonna post the song here, but it's a bit on the profane side, so I decided against it).
and he loves the song! "She really could sing, huh?"
Although, more than once he's confused Dusty with "the girl who sang Downtown..."

[humboldt]

Remix now has it's own thread.

http://www.dustyspringfield.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1608

[allherfaces]

Well, I really enjoyed it! Many thanks to your friend for doing this, and for sharing it with LTD first.

[allherfaces]

How about giving it its own thread?

[humboldt]

Done Nancy.

http://www.dustyspringfield.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1608

[allherfaces]

Variation on a theme.

[Kyles Beguiles]

Such fun! Still hoping that someday an Atlantic engineer heeds the advice of Paul Howes and syncs Dusty's vocal with the full-blown MFSB orchestral version

[jeffery]

I'm reaching out here for an assist to my failing ears.
I can hear the refrain "something for nothing etc.", but she is singing in a range so high that I can not discern the rest of the lyrics. I've searched for them in print, but can't find them. Help !
It's a song much like "The Man With The Child In His Eyes". She's singing way, way up there. Like a bird.
Lucky though I can find those lyrics 'cause I can barely hear them. I have hearing loss, and just can't make out what's being sung up that high in register. Those MFSB youtube clips have been pulled. In the meantime I'll keep searching for them.
Any lyric masters here ?

[mnmcv1]

Here you are, Jeffery:

Can't get something for nothing, nothing
Can't get nothing for something, something
Can't get something for nothing
When nothing's what we've got, ooh...

I guess you thought you could
Steal a little bit of my love
But you misunderstood
Why I treasured all of my love
You can get most anything that you want
As long as you pay the price
For what you think you bought
I tell you...

Repeat Chorus

I guess you thought I'd be
Another weak minded fool
I need your love so bad
That I forget about the rules
Why should you give a little and get a lot
Why should you take a piece
When you can get all the love I got
Oh baby...

Repeat Chorus

Why should you give a little and get a lot
Why should you take a piece
When you can get all the love I got

Repeat Chorus Twice

[Carole R.]

The chorus to this song has definite earworm tendencies.

Thanks for the full lyrics Markus

Carole R xx

[Corinna]

Thanks Markus! I never quite understood them, either.

[jeffery]

Thank you Markus !
You're so dependable. I don't know how you do it all, but I appreciate it.
The only thing I was making out was "Why take a piece when you can get a lot", and even that wasn't quite right. I searched lyrics sites till my eyes where raw. NO LUCK ! I listened with my headphones, but couldn't get it. I have to say I envy your undiminished hearing.
The past few weeks have been on the down side, and I needed this lift.

[Dancer]

I see references to Something for Nothing as part of the "A Brand New Me" album.
But when I look at the list of songs on the album cover, this song isn't listed.
Can anybody tell me what I'm misssing?

And it's a great song, and I believe way, way ahead of it's time. To me, is sounds like a contender for one of the first disco songs. That's a compliment by the way, it's quite danceable!

[Clive]

I see references to Something for Nothing as part of the "A Brand New Me" album.
But when I look at the list of songs on the album cover, this song isn't listed.
Can anybody tell me what I'm misssing?

And it's a great song, and I believe way, way ahead of it's time. To me, is sounds like a contender for one of the first disco songs. That's a compliment by the way, it's quite danceable!

welcome to the forum Mel, the song wasn't on the original Brand New Me album but was included as a bonus track on the remastered CD issued last year. The remastered CD is called Brand New Me-The Complete Philadelphia Sessions