The Windmills Of Your Mind – Dusty Springfield | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#31); 1969
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
Although today Dusty In Memphis is considered one of rock ‘n’ roll’s all-time classic albums, it was a commercial failure upon its release in 1969.
At that time, Dusty Springfield was set to record her first album for Atlantic, and Jerry Wexler believed that mating Dusty’s blue-eyed soul with the sound of Memphis R&B would be a perfect combination.
So Jerry took Dusty to the American Group Productions recording studio in Memphis: the place that kicked off its hit run in 1967 with The Letter by the Box Tops.
Jerry also brought his crack production team of Tom Dowd and Arif Martin, and paired Dusty with an A-team of session players and the Sweet Inspirations on backing vocals.
Among the songs they recorded were the sensual Son-Of-A Preacher Man and the Oscar-winning Windmills Of Your Mind. Although fellow-Brit Noel Harrison sung Windmills for The Thomas Crown Affair soundtrack, it was Dusty’s version that caught on with the Top 40 crowd.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Jimmy Bowen
Lyrics Written by:
- Alan
- Marilyn Bergman
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).