Dusty Springfield sings "Wishin' and Hopin' "
One of my favorite iconic songs from the early 1960's.
Simple, sexist (by today's standards), bouncy, very melodic. Everyone could (and did) sing along. The clear, yet understated signature trumpet riff (which sounds more like a flugelhorn) at the beginning of the song turned everyone's heads right toward the giant jukebox at the pizzeria, the luncheonette or the malt shoppe.
There were more, wonderful, distinctive trumpet riffs between the verses -- it was as if the trumpet were answering her. The song's unforgettable finale is that magic trumpet playing a reprise (a la ritardando) of the motif of the first verse. Simple can indeed be eloquent.
Dusty's voice was ebullient, coming right from her heart (metaphorically speaking, of course), and filled with a romantic, optimistic enthusiasm that was pervasive across my America -- the "land of the free/ and the home of the brave," where and when I believed that nothing was impossible, and that life would forever be filled with opportunities, adventures and the pure fascination of magnificent discoveries every day.
"Wishin' and hopin' and thinkin' and prayin'..." Nobody missed the 'G' s at the tail ends of those verbs. We were captured by the melody and the swinging, see-saw chant of the unforgettable lyrics. The song remains a treasure, and has been featured in numerous movies many years since its original release.
Dusty Springfield had a number of Top 40 Hits, and I would suggest that after you have either clicked on the link or on the video player below to enjoy this classic, you go to http://www.youtube.com/ and put 'Dusty Springfield' in to the search box at the top of the page.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycbgHM1mI0k&feature=related
Radio DAZZ: Produced by Douglas Castle.
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