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I Only Want To Be With You
Dusty Springfield
Dusty was hailed as one of the finest singers to come out of Britain and the extent of her international fame is such that many people think she must have been American. Never confined to a genre, her voice was as suited to jazz as it was to Pet Shop Boys' electronica. |  Song facts | | Composer | Mike Hawker/Ivor Raymond | | | Genre | Pop | | | Album | A Girl Called Dusty | | | Released | 1963 | | | UK Chart | 4 |
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But it was as the queen of white soul that she was acclaimed.
Mike Hawker had had success a couple of years earlier with 'Walking Back to Happiness' with a 15-year-old Helen Shapiro. He wrote 'I Only Want To Be With You' with Ivor Raymond and a slightly older Dusty, 24, took it to No. 4 in the UK in November 1963. Not bad for a debut, it marked the start of a 40-year career for its vocalist.
The lyrics of 'I Only Want to be With You' recall the initial buzz of falling in love or, more probably, the intensity of a teenage crush. "Look what has happened with just one kiss, I never knew that I could be in love like this." A classic early '60s girl-meets-boy narrative, though the reality is more likely some unsuspecting fella has asked a girl to dance and now she's utterly besotted and wants to spend every moment of the day with him.
Hawker and Raymond only further wrote 'Stay Awhile' for Dusty, which also appeared on the album A Girl Called Dusty. She went on to worldwide fame with songs penned by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and, following a downturn in the '70s, won a new generation of fans when she teamed with the Pet Shop Boys in 1987 for 'What Have I Done to Deserve This?'
Susan McFarland
Dusty on her musical upbringing | |
Many of Dusty's songs were chosen from across the Atlantic. Taking songs that wouldn't be released in the UK and making them her own.
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Other versions | |
 Before the Eurythmics Annie and Dave Stewart formed the Tourists and had success with this single. It went to no. 4 in the UK charts in 1979.
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Songwriting tips Working with other songwriters can expand your skills and bring new inspiration. More in The Songwriting GuidesBefore going into the studio is as important as when you are in it. More in The Songwriting Guides
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