In this singular performance, attended by Britain’s late Princess Margaret, Springfield is a consummate entertainer, ripping through a breakneck medley of her 60s hits (many composed by masterful pop songwriting duo Burt Bacharach and Hal David) and wringing every bit of soulfulness out of “We Are Family” and “This Will Be.” The DVD also includes bonus interviews with confidantes like fellow singer Madeline Bell, manager Vicki Wickham, secretary Pat Rhodes and background singer Simon Bell expanding on Springfield’s private life, perfectionism and her indomitable voice.

Born in 1939, Mary O’Brien first came to prominence as a member of the folk trio The Springfields, which was the biggest act in Britain immediately prior to the Beatles—she renamed herself at this time. By the mid 60s, Springfield was exposed to MoTown and American girl groups, and recorded a series of singles as a solo artist that were the only credible British versions of those genres, such as “I Only Wanna Be With You.” Around this time, she cut “Wishin’ and Hopin’,” her first stab at a Bacharach/David tune, which would be followed by “The Look of Love,” a landmark song for those songwriters and for Springfield.

But her highwater mark was 1969’s “Son of A Preacher Man,” the key track from Dusty in Memphis, one of the great soul albums of the 60s. If no album or single she recorded afterwards ever achieved the same heights (her 1987 collaboration with the Pet Shop Boys, “What Have I Done to Deserve This?” came close), Springfield would forever be regarded as a diva and gay icon to rival Cher. She died of cancer at the age of 59 in 1999; ten days later, she was inducted into the Crock and Roll Hall of Fame.

DVD Track Listing
1) “I Close My Eyes And Count To Ten”
2) “We Are Family”
3) “Lose Again”
4) “All I See Is You”
5) “This Will Be”
6) Hits Medley: “Goin’ Back” / “I Only Want To Be With You” / “Stay A While” / “Just A Little Lovin’ (Early In The Morning)” / “Some Of Your Lovin’” / “The Look Of Love” / “Wishin’ And Hopin’” / “I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself” / “Losing You”
7) “Son Of A Preacher Man”
8) “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me”
9) “Quiet Please There’s A Lady On Stage”
10) “Put Your Hands Together”

CD Track Listing