The Springfields

The Springfields

Company type	Vocal ensemble
Industry	Music
Founded	1960
Defunct	1963
Headquarters	London , England
Area served	United Kingdom, Australia, United States, Ireland
Key people	Dusty Springfield, Tom Springfield, Tim Feild, Mike Hurst
Products	Music recordings, singles, albums

The Springfields were a British folk-pop vocal ensemble active between 1960 and 1963, gaining recognition in the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, and Ireland. The lineup consisted of vocalist Dusty Springfield, her brother and songwriter Tom Springfield, alongside Tim Feild initially, who was later succeeded by Mike Hurst.

Career

Established in 1960, the group brought together Dusty Springfield (previously part of the female trio the Lana Sisters), Tom Springfield (formerly known as Dion O'Brien), and Tim Feild (who had been a member of the duo Kensington Squares). Their tours in Ireland featured a backing band with trumpet, drums, and saxophone. Tom Springfield's background in folk music enriched the group with skilled songwriting and arrangements that complemented Dusty's commanding lead vocals. Under the guidance of producer Johnny Franz at Philips Records, their initial releases included "Dear John" (which did not chart), followed by UK charting singles "Breakaway" (reaching No. 31) and the holiday favorite "Bambino" (peaking at No. 16).

The band's growing acclaim was supported by television appearances and their own BBC music program in 1961. After Tim Feild departed in late 1961 for personal reasons, Mike Hurst joined the ensemble early in 1962. Hurst observed that Dusty was the primary creative influence while Tom handled songwriting and business affairs; performances were carefully rehearsed under Dusty's leadership.

In September 1962, their rendition of "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" climbed to No. 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, marking the first time a British group’s single entered the US top 20—preceding both the Tornados' "Telstar" and the Beatles' breakthrough in America. This track also reached number one in Australia and sold over one million copies, earning a gold certification from the RIAA.

December 1962 saw Tom's composition "Island of Dreams" enter the UK Singles Chart, eventually peaking at No. 5 after a 16-week run. Its successor, "Say I Won't Be There," also achieved a No. 5 position in early 1963. By this point, The Springfields had become one of the most popular UK groups with multiple charting hits and recordings in various languages. Nevertheless, Dusty aspired to pursue a solo career to move away from the folk genre and Tom’s leadership role. The group officially concluded their activities during an appearance on Sunday Night at the London Palladium in October 1963.

Following the split, Tom Springfield penned successful songs for Australian pop-folk group the Seekers, including UK chart-toppers "I'll Never Find Another You" and "The Carnival Is Over", as well as the Oscar-nominated "Georgy Girl." Mike Hurst shifted his focus to production work with artists such as Marc Bolan and Cat Stevens. In the early 1970s, he co-founded Springfield Revival alongside former Seeker Keith Potger; although they released albums, commercial success eluded them. Members Donna Jones and Mick Flinn later became part of the New Seekers.

Personnel

The Springfields personnel

(1960–1961)	Dusty Springfield – vocals Tom Springfield – vocals, guitar Tim Feild – vocals, guitar
(1962–1963)	Dusty Springfield – vocals Tom Springfield – vocals, guitar Mike Hurst – vocals, guitar
(2017–present)	Alice Pitt-Carter – vocals Andy Marlow – 12 string guitar Mike Hurst – vocals, guitar

Studio Albums

Year	Title	US	Record Label
1962	Kinda Folksy	—	Philips
1962	Silver Threads and Golden Needles (released only in the US)	91
1963	Folk Songs from the Hills	–

Extended Plays (EPs)

Year	Title	US	Record Label
1961	The Springfields	–	Philips
1962	Kinda Folksy Number One	–
	Kinda Folksy Number Two	–
	Kinda Folksy Number Three	–
	Christmas with the Springfields	–	Woman's Own
1963	Hit Sounds	–	Philips
	Christmas with the Springfields	–

Singles

Year	Single Title	Chart Rankings							Associated Album
		UK	New Musical Express	Melody Maker	Australia	Irish Charts	US	US Country
1961	"Dear John"	—	_	_	_	_	—	—	singles only
	"Breakaway"	31	23	31	_	_	—	—
	"Bambino"	16	25	17	_	_	—	—
1962	"Goodnight Irene"	"—"	"_"|"_"|"_"|"—"|"—"
	"Silver Threads and Golden Needles"	"_"|"_"|"1"|"_"|"20"|"16"
	"Dear Hearts and Gentle People"	"_"|"_"|"_"|"_"|"95"|"—"
	"Gotta Travel On"	"_"|"_"|"_"|"_"|"114"|"—"
	"Island of Dreams"	"7"|"6"|"_"|"2"|"129"|"—"
"Say I Won't Be There"	"5"|"4"|"_"|"_"|"—"|"—"
"Come on Home"	"30"|"31"|"_"|"_"|"—"|"—"
"If I Was Down And Out"	"_"|"_"|"_"|"_"|"—"|"—"
"Oh Holy Child"	"_"|"_"|"_"|"_"#"—"#"—"

External links

• [ AMG biography]