Over a roil of strings, drums and knotty guitar, Shelby Lynne sings "Your lies won't lea-eave me alone," attacking the line, belting, stretching the words like bungee cords.

The opening salvo of her 2000 album, I Am Shelby Lynne, "Your Lies" was a revelatory slice of classic pop R&B, the sound of emancipation, the coming-out of a singer who could bring the whole package: range, chops, precision and an intuitive way of drilling to the emotional core of a tune. On the surface, it was another angry love song, but scratch away some scar tissue and it was also a testy fuck-you to the country music machine that for more than a decade tried to turn Shelby Lynne into a polite little Nashville marionette.

Critics freaked over I Am. And the comparisons to Dusty came almost immediately. Shelby Lynne was 32 at the time and had only recently become a fan of Dusty Springfield, the soulful British pop singer of such hits as "Wishin' and Hopin'," "Son of a Preacher Man" and "I Only Want to Be With You" who had died in 1999.

Lynne still doesn't quite get the comparisons. "No way we sound alike at all," she drawls over the phone, every bit the native Alabaman. "I don't understand how people could say we sing alike."

Lynne pauses a beat, reflecting. "The only thing -- we're both emotional interpreters. We have to believe it in order to sing it. When I hear Dusty, I believe her."

In January, eight years and four albums after the release of the watershed I Am, Shelby Lynne dropped Just a Little Lovin' (Lost Highway), her renditions of nine classic Dusty tunes (and one Lynne original). The disc is a culmination of an idea that had percolated for a couple of years, an idea whose origins came via an e-mail from none other than Barry Manilow, a Shelby Lynne fan whom she met a few years earlier at a Grammy function.

Cover albums are often derided as marketing gimmicks or as way stations for blocked songwriters. Lynne sees her project differently. "I had to be daring, really had to be daring," she asserts. "I was walkin' on sacred ground. You don't want to do a karaoke record. That's the danger zone. But I thought, 'What the hell. I love Dusty. It gives me a chance to honor her.'"

Lynne enlisted storied producer Phil Ramone, who in turn assembled a bare-bones quartet of veteran session musicians. They gathered at Capitol Records Studio A in Los Angeles at around 11 on a Monday morning in January '07. The group had a "menu" of songs but no plan, no sense of how the interpretations would take shape. Lynne suggested they start with "Just a Little Lovin'," mainly because it happened to be the first title on the list.

Drummer Greg Field laid down a plaintive drum pattern at ballad tempo; the keyboardist, bassist and guitarist gradually joined in. "We didn't have any arrangements," Lynne explains. "We all knew the song; they found a key and a groove. I told 'em I'd start singin' when I was ready."

Lynne waited 26 bars before intoning, almost offhandedly, "Just a little lovin', early in the morning." Her vocal simmered through the first verse, and then a pause. For seven seconds she stayed silent as the instruments dissolved away. Exquisite. Daring. And then the chorus: "This old world, wouldn't be half as bad, it wouldn't be half as sad, if each and everybody in it had ..." she sang with a subdued radiance.

As soon as the first take was done, Lynne knew the album would be an artistic success. Whereas Dusty's 1969 version of the song was an uplifting testament to the benefits of sending your man off to work with a smile, Lynne's is a Sunday morning come-on that says, "Let's start slow; we could be here awhile."

The feel was set. The Dusty record would be an intimate, downtempo affair with restrained vocal performances. Singer and band breezed through "Anyone Who Had a Heart," "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me," "The Look of Love" and the rest, rarely requiring more than two or three takes. They cut a couple of songs a day for five days. "We'd get in there around 11 -- it's an L.A. session thing -- take a lunch in the afternoon, come back and work 'til about 6," she explains. "After that, we'd stand around and drink and listen 'til we got tired. We recorded live. We didn't fix anything [after the fact]. We cut the damn songs and there it was."

Just a Little Lovin' has stirred up the most buzz of any Shelby Lynne CD since I Am. It peaked at No. 41 on the Billboard 200 album chart, the highest position of her career. But that doesn't mean she intends to take another shot at stardom. Lynne's cult status and independence seem to suit her just fine as she nears her 40th year.

By now, her fans know the tragic story: She grew up Shelby Lynne Moorer in small-town Alabama. Her sister, Allison Moorer, also a recording artist, is four years younger. The girls sometimes sang with their father's local band on stage. When Shelby was 17, her father, an abusive alcoholic, shot and killed their mother and then himself.

After a one-year marriage to a hometown kid, Shelby lit out for Nashville, Allison in tow. It didn't take long for Shelby to get discovered. She signed with Epic Records' country division in 1988, and for a first single the label paired her with pompadoured country vet George Jones on "If I Could Bottle This Up." Over four years, Lynne released three Epic albums and a number of singles, none of which cracked the country Top 20. She increasingly chafed at the control freaks running Music City and wound up releasing two more discs in the '90s on smaller labels.

During the latter half of that decade, Lynne was mostly M.I.A. In 1998, she relocated to Palm Springs, Calif., and worked with songwriter/producer Bill Botrell on a whole new direction. The twang that had once been foisted on her gave way to a more suitable blues- and pop-oriented bent. I Am Shelby Lynne, while it only reached No. 165 on the Billboard 200, is an unmitigated classic.

The disc earned Lynne the Grammy for Best New Artist, curious at the time, considering it was her sixth full-length. Some newly minted fans, myself included, were indignant. Lynne gave a baffled acceptance speech. As the years pass by, though, the award makes more and more sense: With I Am, Shelby Lynne did in effect unveil herself as a new artist.

I wondered if she had come around to a similar realization. "I don't know if I feel any different about it now," she says. "I guess part of me thinks about it the same way you do, but number one: I don't make the rules. I'm just glad to have it."

At the turn of the millennium, suddenly hot, Shelby Lynne had a career decision to make. Her label, Island, figured that with her extraordinary voice, sultry looks and salty personality, she had the makings of a major star. Lynne admits to being "on board," but quickly adds, "I wasn't going to make any record I didn't want to make. It was still going to be a Shelby Lynne record."

Island paired her with Glen Ballard, the writer/producer who had steered Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill to mega-sales. On the cover photo of Love, Shelby, the singer poses on her knees in a cluttered bedroom, wearing unbuttoned Daisy Dukes and a tank top. Despite the questionable taste of the packaging, Love, Shelby was an estimable pop record, although most other critics did not see it that way. Neither did the public. The disc stalled at No. 109. But perhaps the public was distracted: Love, Shelby was released in mid-November 2001, when American minds weren't focused on embracing a new pop star.

Lynne's take? "The problem with that record, [people] wanted I Am Shelby Lynne again. That's all there is to it."

She's not about to repudiate Love, Shelby. "This is the thing: I love that record," she says. "I don't regret that record at all. It was my biggest effort at trying to be commercial, so I just don't think it's in me. You could put me with the most famous commercial producer out there, and it would wind up being fucked up."

Lynne switched to Capitol Records and released two far less commercial discs before the Just a Little Lovin' endeavor. Neither Identity Crisis nor Suit Yourself cracked 100 on the album survey. Then the label dropped Lynne from its roster, leaving the Dusty project in limbo until Lost Highway, home to Ryan Adams, Lucinda Williams and Van Morrison, scooped it up.

Shelby Lynne's days of grasping for the brass ring are over. "All I know is that I've been making records since I was 19, and I'm still making records at 40, and I've never had a hit single," she says without a trace of rue. "It's just as well. I would have to sing some silly little ditty every night that I probably wouldn't even like."

If all goes well, Shelby Lynne should enjoy a steady career for, oh, a few more decades. She's touring with a lean four-piece, the same instrumentation as that of Just a Little Lovin'. She'll also play songs from her other albums. Will her set at Tampa Theatre have the same torchy feel or will she mix it up? "No idea," she says. "We'll find out when we start playing."

Don’t trash crooner Barry Manilow in the presence of Shelby Lynne.

Although ’70s hit-maker Manilow, who famously crooned “Mandy” and “Copacabana,” is the target of some jokes, Lynne has nothing but respect for the man she met in 2006 and who encouraged her to record an album of Dusty Springfield covers. “Just a Little Lovin’ ” was released in January to positive reviews.

“I like people who I can believe what they’re saying,” Lynne said.

That sincerity is one quality that attracted Lynne to the material of British singer-songwriter Springfield, who is still revered by music insiders for her ’60s hits including “Son of a Preacher Man,” and “The Look of Love.”

“I loved her,” said Lynne of being a longtime Springfield fan. “Through her career she did a lot of different songs that [went with the various musical] eras then.”

That type of variety is appealing to Lynne, who famously moves among genres as divergent as country, pop and jazz. Her sixth album,“I Am Shelby Lynne,” received kudos after its 2000 U.S. release and earned Lynne a Grammy Award for “Best New Artist.” Despite those accolades, Lynne has continued to mix up her sound at the price of commercial success.

“I don’t want to be caught in a trap,” Lynne said. “I really like what I do, but I wanted to never be held to a certain thing. It’s a double-edged sword because it hasn’t gotten me a lot of hit records, but it has spiced up my music.”

That trap includes mimicking Springfield’s well-known vocal style. That restraint has earned Lynne kudos from many critics, including Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone magazine, who wrote that Lynne’s album is “just bare-bones interpretations that are more light jazz than country, including a gorgeous ‘Anyone Who Had a Heart.’ Daring it’s not, but it pays homage to a hero without getting indulgent or falling into rote imitation.”

Commercial success it’s not, but Lynne again stressed such positive reviews are enough to satisfy her.

“I do everything to make quality records, not hit records,” she said. “That’s the most important thing, to keep your dignity and music intact.”


Show Details
Shelby Lynne with Jim Bianco
Monday, July 14th at 7:00 PM

Rams Head On Stage
33 West St.
Annapolis

Tickets - $33
410-268-4545

There's a slight pause on the other end of the telephone line, the kind of pause that says, "Did you really just ask that?"

It seemed innocent enough. Shelby Lynne was asked who had the final say on song selection for her latest album, a Dusty Springfield tribute titled "Just a Little Lovin'": her or legendary producer Phil Ramone (Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Frank Sinatra).

After a few seconds that seem like hours, she answers, "Well, I suspect you know I did."

Lynne survived years of Nashville's failed attempts to make her a cookie-cutter country star only to emerge as a singular, follow-the-muse artist with 2000's "I Am Shelby Lynne." And she didn't get there by letting others lead her.

But still, Ramone has enough Grammys and gold and platinum records, he probably needs a separate mansion to house them.

"When we decided to do the record, I made a list of songs and he made a list, but ultimately I made the decisions," Lynne says.

"We swapped notes and determined I needed to do the songs I loved the most, the ones I felt I could make my own," she says.

Lynne did her homework for the album, immersing herself in the catalog of Springfield.

"I knew a lot of her stuff, but to do it right I had to reach back and listen to the whole body of work," Lynne says.

Springfield's career began with folk group The Springfields in the early '60s and includes hits such as "I Only Want to Be With You," "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself" and her 1987 collaboration with the Pet Shop Boys, "What Have I Done to Deserve This?"

It's a lot of material to work through, not to mention narrow down to the nine songs Lynne chose for the album.

"It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be," Lynne says.

Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man" was the definitive version, Lynne says, so it was out. So was "Wishin' and Hopin'," which Lynne tactfully describes as "not my favorite song."

Some of the choices were songs Lynne knew in other versions, such as "How Can I Be Sure," a hit for the Rascals, and "Willie and Laura Mae Jones," which Lynne knew from the original version by its writer, Tony Joe White.

Comparisons to Springfield, particularly her 1968 pop-soul classic "Dusty in Memphis," have been a constant for Lynne since "I Am Shelby Lynne." Diving this deeply into Springfield's music might have been treacherous, but Lynne does indeed turn familiar numbers into new experiences.

Part of that is due to the stripped-down arrangements, worked out in the studio by Lynne and a four-piece band.

"When we went in to make the record, we had no arrangements, no idea, just a list of songs," Lynne says. "We looked at the list and said, Well, hell, let's start with 'Just a Little Lovin'.'"

"It went down so organically," Lynne says. "We just got a beat and a groove and a key and let it happen. It started becoming a record.

"I don't like to plan too much," Lynne says. "I want the music to lead us."

The small combo emphasizes the differences between Lynne and Springfield. Where Springfield turned "Anyone Who Had a Heart" into an earth-shaking lament, Lynne sings it with a quiet ache.

Similarly, Lynne's version of "I Only Want to Be With You" turns Springfield's brash declaration into a subtle, seductive come-on.

There's one Lynne original on the album, "Pretend," cut with just Lynne on vocals and Dean Parks on guitar.

"We took a vote," Lynne says of the decision to put her song on the album. "If it's not good enough, it goes."

It stayed.

ON TOUR

Shelby Lynne

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Thursday

WHERE: Tampa Theatre, 711 Franklin St., Tampa

TICKETS: $30 and $39.50; box office, (813) 274-8982

The first thing you notice during a conversation with Shelby Lynne is her voice.

Simultaneously husky and soft, the Alabama native's southern drawl hits your ears like a purr rolling across gravel.

It, like her music, denies categorization. The 39-year-old singer has been called country, rhythm and blues, pop, rock, even jazz - sometimes all on the same album. But her genre-defying style is a boon to her career, she says.

"Because of that, I have the freedom to do pretty much anything I want," Lynne said in a phone interview recently from her home in Palm Desert, Calif. "I have the freedom to explore all the musical world out there. That's why I never know what I'm gonna do next."

What's "next" may be up for grabs, but what's "now" is a tour for her current album, "Just a Little Lovin.'" The tour will bring her to The State Theatre in State College for a concert at 8 p.m. Saturday.

"Just a Little Lovin'" is an album of Dusty Springfield covers that includes some of the late singer's greatest hits - "The Look of Love," "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" - as well as a few lesser known songs - the title track, Springfield's cover of "How Can I Be Sure." The album also has one original song, Lynne's "Pretend."

The idea for the record came from singer Barry Manilow.

In 2005, Manilow e-mailed Lynne and asked if she had ever thought about covering Springfield's work.

Lynne was promoting her album "Suit Yourself" at the time, but shelved the idea for future use.

She wasn't unfamiliar with the British soul singer's work. She first came across it a decade ago.

"Somebody gave me the 'Dusty in Memphis' record, and I loved it. I had never heard anything like it," Lynne said. "I was discovering a lot of new music at the time. I was really kinda searching for music that my soul was searching for.

"I discovered John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band, Al Green and Dusty all in the same week."

The music of all three appealed to her, particularly the sometimes sparse arrangements and production.

"Today, everything's so loud," Lynne said. "These records were (from) back when it was just 'Hey, that's enough.'"

Taking the hint from records like those, "Just a Little Lovin'" is a pared-down collection. Whereas Springfield's original versions of the songs were uptempo and jazzy, often full of strings and horns, Lynne took the same songs and cut out all the extra bits. At times, Lynne seems to be singing with no accompaniment at all.

The arrangement wasn't planned, but came naturally from the recording sessions.

"We just kinda got together on a Monday morning and I said, 'Let's just start at the top of the list," she explained. "We liked the vibe, it was really kind of mellow. The sparseness was really my favorite part about it. It was just comfortable to keep it really low key."

Shelby Lynne's album of (mostly) Dusty Springfield songs, "Just a Little Lovin','' was released in January to immediate acclaim, garnering four-star reviews from the likes of "USA Today'' and "Blender'' magazine and newspapers from coast to coast.

You would think she'd be thrilled to death reading all of the glowing reviews her homage to the late British singer has received, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

"I don't read them, but I hear that they're favorable," Lynne, 39, said in a recent phone interview from her Palm Springs, Calif., residence. "I'm very happy with it. I'm very proud of it and I'm glad I did it — as a Dusty fan and because I like having it on my resume."

Lynne, who plays the Fairfield Theatre Company Sunday night, July 6, has long been a critics' favorite, but that hasn't translated into the commercial success so many have predicted for her. Hopefully, "Just a Little Lovin' " has changed that, as it sold more than 16,000 copies in its first week of release, a career-high for the singer, and cracked the Top 50 on "Billboard'' magazine's albums chart.

Included on the new disc are Lynne's versions of classic songs such as "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "The Look of Love" — both written by the team of Burt Bacharach and Hal Davis — "How Can I Be Sure" by Eddie Brigati and Felix Cavaliere, and the title track, which was penned by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

Lynne wisely didn't even attempt "Son of a Preacher Man," feeling that she couldn't improve on Springfield's version.

The one song on "Just a Little Lovin' " that doesn't have a connection to Springfield is "Pretend," a Lynne original.

"Yeah, I got one of mine on there," Lynne said. "[Producer] Phil [Ramone] said, 'You got the good song, put it on there. It's suitable for this record.'

"It's really all I had that would work [with the album], something that really suited these songs and would fit, lyrically and melodically. These songs are the best there are, so I looked at it very closely before I [included 'Pretend']."

Lynne has always done her own thing, even when she was just starting out as a country singer.

"Even back in the country days, I started making records that I wanted to make," she said. "I've always had freedom to do what I wanted, I think, simply because I took it.

"I'm glad to still be here after all of those decisions because I don't think I've ever made an album that sounded like another album I made. . . . I just can't imagine doing the same thing over and over."

Lynne released five albums before breaking through with 1999's rock- and R&B-oriented "I Am Shelby Lynne,'' which won the singer a Grammy Award in the category of, strangely enough, best new artist.

"I thought it was great to have the nomination," Lynne said. "I don't know why that happened, but I'm glad it did. I think it may have changed the rules a bit, but I don't give a damn. I'm looking at it sitting over there on my bookshelf and that's all that counts. I'm very grateful."

Lynne, born Shelby Lynne Moorer, also was grateful that her younger sister, Allison Moorer, included one of her songs on her recent album of cover songs, "Mockingbird.''

"I was proud because I know my sister," Lynne said. "She doesn't do anything just to do it. She loved everything on that record and she didn't put my song on there just because it was mine.

"I was very proud and I'm proud of everything she does. She's just the love of my life."

Sticking with the cover-song theme, Lynne participated in 2007's "Forever Cool'' project, an album of modern singers doing "duets" with tapes of the late Dean Martin. Lynne worked with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy — and Martin, of course — on the song "You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You."

"When I was making this Dusty record . . . one of the guys that was in charge of the project happened to be a fan of mine and dropped by the studio," Lynne recalled. "He told me what he was doing and I said, 'Oh, please. May I try? May I try?' I'm a big Dean Martin fan and always have been."

"The night before, I stayed up until five in the morning with Peter Wolf drinking [bourbon], so I stumbled into the studio to sing with Dean Martin," she added with a laugh. "But it was a blast, to say the least. It was a killer track."

Lynne also has dabbled in acting, portraying Johnny Cash's mother, Carrie, in the biopic about country legend, "Walk the Line."

"Yeah, dabbling is the right word," she said with a chuckle. "If I had a great part, something I really fell in love with, I would really dedicate myself to it, but I don't seek it out. I'm a singer and I try to write songs and make good records and perform.

"I enjoyed the experience a great deal and I learned a lot. It was a challenge. I thought the film was great and I enjoyed seeing that whole process. It was pretty educational to see how different it was from rock 'n' roll."

Shelby Lynne performs Sunday night, July 6, at 7:30 at the Fairfield Theatre Company, 70 Sanford St., Fairfield. Jim Bianco opens the show. For tickets ($42, $32 FTC members) or more details, call 259-1036 or visit www.fairfieldtheatre.org.

"I think I almost got arrested in Jersey," Shelby Lynne told us during a recent phone interview.

OK, that got our attention.

"Well, I was singing on the airplane and somebody complained," Lynne said. "I think I’d had some cocktails. I was having a good time, and when I got off the airplane, they called [security]. And they weren’t too friendly."

Lynne is touring in support of her latest album, "Just a Little Lovin,’ÿ" a collection of Dusty Springfield covers. Lynne said she first got into Springfield in 1998, just one year before the British singer died. Someone slipped her a copy of one of Springfield’s albums. One spin and Lynne was hooked.

She said she tries to avoid covers in general, so the decision to put out this 10-track album — with no original material — didn’t come easy.

"I really put a lot of thought into it," Lynne said. "I’m glad I did it. I’m glad I did it out of respect for her."

The decision is paying dividends. According to Billboard.com, the album peaked at No. 41 on the Billboard 200, making it one of Lynne’s highest-charting discs of all time.

"Well, I don’t know anything about charts," Lynne said. "I’m really happy with it. I guess it’s doing OK. People seem to like it."

Storytelling, according to Lynne, is a big reason why she fell for Springfield’s work. Like Sinatra, Springfield is a "great interpreter." Lynne said she makes you believe what she’s selling.

When asked if she worried that covering someone else’s work would draw inevitable, unfavorable comparisons to the original material, Lynne got defiant.

"Well, I don’t think that that’s an issue," Lynne said.

There are still plenty of issues that ruffle Lynne’s feathers. She mouthed off during a performance at Stagecoach, a music festival in California, upset that the stage was so far from the crowd ("When I walked onstage, the people were two football fields away"). And as the line between country and pop becomes more blurry with each passing year, Lynne doesn’t know if she fits under the country umbrella anymore ("I don’t really consider country music what they consider country").

But Lynne loves playing live. And at Blend, she’ll have a much more intimate venue than the platform she had at Stagecoach.

"The most important thing about live performance is the audience," Lynne said. "And when the audience cannot be involved, then what’s the point of having it?"

Here's a conundrum: What's a musician to do when the two driving forces in her artistic life are perpetually at odds? This is Shelby Lynne's burden, and she's carried it with various degrees of grace and bitterness (depending on when you catch her) for 20 years.

From the beginning, Lynne has craved commercial success. She's unabashed about wanting platinum records and masses of fans. At the same time, Lynne has resisted jumping through the hoops that might make her dreams of stardom come true. She's refused to settle into a sound, or even pursue a musical direction.

But when the stars align just so - and they did during a phone conversation a few weeks ago - the singer and songwriter steps back, takes stock, and sounds downright content with her lot.

"I live in a beautiful house in a beautiful place and make the records I want to make," says Lynne from her home in Palm Springs, Calif. "I don't have to be repeating a particular style, because I've never had a hit record. Sometimes I'm satisfied and sometimes I go 'Damn.' Yeah, I get frustrated. But I've accepted that things are what they're supposed to be. I'm very grateful for my career."

Lynne's winding musical road began in Nashville, in 1988. The singer was 18, already married and divorced, and her killer way with a country song (not to mention blues, Southern soul, Western swing, and jazz) earned her plenty of respect. But Lynne's strong will didn't inspire much affection on notoriously patriarchal Music Row. Ten years and several high-profile brushes with the law later, Lynne returned to her home state of Alabama to regroup, in the bargain reinventing herself as a roots-rock singer-songwriter.

It seems somehow emblematic that in 2000 "I Am Shelby Lynne" - the artist's sixth album - earned her the Best New Artist Grammy. She was finally in control, which meant the second decade of Lynne's career would be as eclectic, critically lauded, and hard to market as the first: She's made a slick rock album, a self-penned survey of American popular music (aptly titled "Identity Crisis"), a set of loose, intimate demos, and this year's "Just a Little Lovin', " a lean, elegant reworking of songs recorded by the great white soul singer Dusty Springfield. Lynne will perform Wednesday at the Somerville Theatre.

"I'm a fan of singers who make me believe. That's what got me about Dusty," says Lynne. "She's so vulnerable and so strong, too. That's what makes a great woman, and especially a great woman singer. It takes a lot of strength to tell those heartbreaking stories and to live that kind of life."

Living life and telling the stories come naturally to Lynne; the trick was to turn a collection of iconic songs made famous by one of pop's most revered vocalists into a Shelby Lynne album. She spent a year mulling over the idea, suggested by her Palm Springs neighbor Barry Manilow. The prospect was daunting, Lynne says, but she relishes a challenge. When the time came to choose a producer, Lynne turned to veteran Phil Ramone, best known for landmark pop-rock projects with Paul Simon, Billy Joel, and Barbra Streisand.

In addition to assembling a seasoned session band and shaping the album's spare, genteel arrangements - which couldn't be more different from the lush orchestrations on Springfield's records - Ramone "held us all together. He held me together," says Lynne, who has a reputation as a notoriously prickly artist.

"Shelby doesn't throw tantrums," Ramone says. "She gets very sullen and goes off into the corner and curls up with the dog and looks at me. There's a sadness in both girls, but in Dusty's case it was covered up in glitz and lights and large orchestras. With Shelby, you have to sit and talk, to gain trust and confidence long before the work begins, and create an atmosphere where pride and ego isn't threatened. She's as critical of her work as anyone. When things didn't feel right we just moved on."

Moving on is a theme that has resonated through Lynne's life, which may explain why she speaks about her longtime audience with reverence. Her set list is composed with her fans' preferences in mind, and she frets about the burden high gas prices add to the cost of a concert ticket.

"I give them all of the songs they want to hear, an hour-and-a-half or two hours if they still want to listen," Lynne says. "I've got loyalty that's unheard of. People have stuck with me for 20 years, through thick and thin, and like any relationship it goes both ways."

And yet the big splash that Lynne, now 39, has been poised to make at so many points along the way hasn't materialized. Still, Ramone believes the future looks bright.

"I think our lives go in funny cycles," he says. "Sometimes you burn it up, do really well in the first 10 years, and then are doing reruns. I think hers is yet to come."

Meanwhile, Lynne is writing voraciously and brainstorming about what she might do next. "Just a Little Lovin' " is without a doubt her most fluid, cogent album yet. But consistency isn't her strong suit. Asked what sounds she's drawn to these days, the answer is: all of them.

"It comes out just a big, confusing melodrama. Nothing matches. It's all over the place and I have to wrangle it. That's the hard part," Lynne says. "How do I wrap up this package?"

There have been at least two defining moments in the career of Shelby Lynne, the sweet-singing country-soul singer from Alabama, where musical reinvention has launched her into new and uncharted musical waters.

The first metamorphosis came with the 2000 release of "I Am Shelby Lynne," which earned the singer a Grammy award for Best New Artist, despite her having recorded five albums on a minor record deal she received in Nashville at the age of 19.

The title of "Best New Artist" was appropriate, in some ways, as the album represented a departure from mainstream country music with Ms. Lynne beginning to draw on more of her soul and R&B influences—a move critics said made her seem more loose and at ease.

Around the same time, Ms. Lynne moved from the country music capital of Nashville to Palm Springs, California.

Ms. Lynne’s latest reincarnation, released earlier this year by Lost Highway Records, is titled "Just A Little Lovin’" and brings to life the music of British pop singer Dusty Springfield, who died in 1999 after a wildly successful career defined by soulful, emotionally charged recordings.

Ms. Lynne, 39, who will perform at the Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett on Thursday, July 3, said in a recent interview that her tribute to Ms. Springfield has been both exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. After a three-year journey filled with challenges and, ultimately, triumph, the album was released in January to critical acclaim, with one writer from The New York Times calling it "one fine singer’s homage to another."

"I didn’t mind the challenge because that’s what made it so much fun," Ms. Lynne said. "I think the first thing I had to do was to make sure the songs I chose were some of my favorite songs, because there’s a lot of responsibly when you’re cutting covers."

Produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Phil Ramone, "Just a Little Lovin’" is a compilation of nine of Ms. Springfield’s songs, drawn  mainly from the classic 1960s albums, "Dusty in Memphis" and "A Girl Called Dusty."

Lynne introduces a fresh approach to classics such as "Anyone Who Had A Heart," "Breakfast In Bed" and "You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me." Both singers brought a similar depth of emotion to the songs, but the overall sound of Ms. Lynne’s album represents a departure from the elaborate production layering of Ms. Springfield’s music. Ms. Lynne even included an original song, titled "Pretend," which blends perfectly into the album and serves as a reminder that Ms. Lynne is also very much an original.

"I think that if you put on my record and then put on a Dusty Springfield record there will be no need to compare," said Ms. Lynne said, who was first encouraged to record the album by her good friend, Barry Manilow.

Ms. Lynne said she was thrilled with the straightforward, almost quiet arrangements that Mr. Ramone helped craft for the album. The singer’s country roots are still very evident in the overall sound, and according to dozens of glowing reviews over the past six months, Ms. Springfield’s songs, written by such legends as Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil and Felix Cavaliere, come across in all their emotional complexity, only with the indisputable stamp of Ms. Lynne’s soulful voice and style leading the way.

"I can guarantee I will never do this again," Ms. Lynne said, laughing, but also completely serious at the same time. "I’m glad I did it, I’m proud I did it and I love the album. But I think every career is good for only one cover record, and this is it for me. It’s really kind of stressful."

Ms. Lynne will spend the next three months on the road, a place she finds much less nerve-racking. She will perform across the Northeast before heading south for concerts in Florida and Tennessee. The tour will end, appropriately, in Ms. Springfield’s home country of England.

"She’s the queen over there, but all I give a damn about is if they like the record," Ms. Lynne said. "I would hate to get the whole ‘who do you think you are?’ routine. But I think they understand I’ve made this record out of complete respect."

What is certain is that Ms. Lynne will be welcomed with open arms in Amagansett next weekend, at a venue where she’s played annually since 2000, the same year the heat turned up on her career for the first time with the release of "I Am Shelby Lynne."

"I’ve been there enough times to know it’s a wonderful place," Ms. Lynne said of the Talkhouse. "I love Amagansett and I love playing there. Without a doubt, it’s one of the favorite places for everyone in the band."

Shelby Lynne performs at the Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett on Thursday, July 3. For reservations or further information, call 267-3117.

After twelve years in the record business, Shelby Lynne won Best New Artist at the Grammys with a record that didn’t seem to fit country or any music genre. Eight years later she is with a new label, Lost Highway Records, promoting her latest album of Dusty Springfield covers and living in California listening to vinyl—and learning about wine along the way.

Nashville Wine Press (NWP): As a resident of California, do you ever make it up to Wine Country?

Shelby Lynne (SL): Oh, yeah. I was just there and played a show in Napa and it was wonderful. I had a day off so I did some tastings. I have friends there.I love it. My goal is to have a house there one day.

NWP: What makes you love it?

SL: Well, the wine culture is a whole different thing. I love the country—the trees, the woods, the outdoors. It’s generally a good feeling being up there. And then you get the wine, too—kind of a great world!

NWP: How were you introduced to wine?

SL: When I moved to California about ten years ago, I met some people who were wine drinkers. I didn’t know many wine drinkers when I lived in Tennessee or the South where I grew up. So when I moved here and made the I Am Shelby Lynne record, which was in northern California, I started meeting some people who took wine seriously. So I got into it.

NWP: Was there one particular wine producer who made you want to learn more?

SL: No, I really just started understanding the difference between the good stuff and the not-so-good stuff. When you begin to go into wine stores and start recognizing wines you like, then you go to Napa and Sonoma and you do the tastings—you start getting a palate for it. So it’s something I enjoy doing. I don’t claim to be an expert, but I know what I like.

NWP: Do you prefer whites or reds and is there one particular grape that you have taken to?

SL: Well, it all depends. I have a friend right on the line of Napa and Sonoma who has a small vineyard. He mainly grows Merlot. During the season, he’ll share grapes with other vineyards and come up with different blends. I mean, it’s such an art. There is so much to learn and know about it.

NWP: Are you strict on pairing wine with food or do you just open up a bottle on the patio with friends?

SL: Well, I do both. I don’t eat meat so it’s a funny thing because I love red wine. Big red wine generally goes with steak but it’s also good by itself. I have no problem having a great bottle of red wine with some cheese. I’ve just recently acquired a taste for white wine. I do love the Russian River Pinots and the Cabernets out of Napa. I love all that stuff. There are some great little wineries popping up. It’s always fun to discover them.

NWP: Do you have a wine cellar?

SL: I don’t have a cellar; I’m working on that. Just last night I was in my—I guess you’d call it my wine closet—and I’m working on getting one of those temperature controlled units because when we went to Napa this past trip we loaded up on some stuff. I have to figure out something…it gets so dang hot. So I gotta take care of it.

NWP: I was speaking with a winemaker today and when I told him that you were the artist in the next issue, he wanted to send you some wine through your Public Relations department. He saw your show in Napa and loved it. So, some free wine is coming your way.

SL: Oh wonderful, that’s great! I played in Napa at the little opera house. It’s been there since the twenties, then it was closed down for a few years. Now they’ve fixed it up real nice. It’s a small venue but just to be able to play in Napa, who would think, ya know? It’s a fun place to go but the fact that I get to play a cool gig at the little opera house is a delight.

NWP: There was an article in a British publication about the effect music has on a person’s wine experience. So let’s say that you are opening one of those Russian River Pinots you love. What vinyl do you put on the turntable?

SL: [laughs] Oh, let’s see. It’s such a good wine you know. Probably some Nancy Wilson [American Jazz legend].

NWP: As a vinyl fanatic, what are you listening to at home or on the road?

SL: I’ve got a stack of records in there now that is such a mix. I’ve got old Ray Price, that Nancy Wilson I mentioned. I found some Count Basie that a friend brought back from Spain for me. You know the old, cleaning up the record and making it sound like new. I dig it all, man.

NWP: Has your record company, Lost Highway, given you a renewed hope in the industry?

SL: They’re a great label and I can’t imagine being anywhere else. I think after twenty years in the business, I finally found a home. They understand me. There’s an artistic freedom there that a lot of labels have lost because it’s so money driven—and so hit driven—whereas Lost Highway promotes the artist and the album. It’s not necessarily about hit records and not an emphasis on radio. They believe in the organic way of getting a record out there…old-fashioned touring and doing the press. And letting the people discover the music. It’s really what you have to rely on if you’re someone like me who just wants to make a great album.

NWP: Your current release Just a Little Lovin’ is a record covering songs from British artist Dusty Springfield. How did you come up with that idea?

SL: I’ve been a Dusty fan for a lot of years and I know a lot of people who are. I’d never made a cover album before and I thought if I’m going to do great cover songs I might as well make it a little more known by throwin’ Dusty in there. She was one of the great pop singers. The idea actually came from another friend of mine, Barry Manilow, who suggested it.

NWP: Did you send him a copy of the project?

SL: Oh yeah, he loves it!

NWP: You were insistent on getting legendary producer Phil Ramone [Billy Joel, Frank Sinatra] and engineer Al Schmitt [Steely Dan, Ray Charles] to be a part of this project. Describe that experience.

SL: If you’re gonna do something, you have to do it right. I didn’t make the decision to do this album lightly. But I thought if I am going to do this thing right I have to bring in the best in the business. I called Phil and we had worked together in the past. I always wanted to work with Al Schmitt and they have been working together for years. And it just worked out.

NWP: And you insisted on recording on two-inch tape.

SL: I have nothing against the digital vibe. I just prefer tape. I think it sounds better. I don’t get inspired by looking at computer screens. A two-inch tape machine is a turn-on for me. I’ve used it on all my records.

NWP: You seem to be the “so much talent, yet record companies don’t know what to do” type of artist. Has that been frustrating?

SL: No, I just don’t look at it that way. I look at it as having the freedom to do what I want to do without any boundaries.

NWP: What advice do you have for some struggling artist who is in a position of compromising their art for commercialism?

SL: You have to be strong. It never worked for me to be told what to do. You have to know who you are and where you’re headed. Sometimes it takes a while to find those things out.

NWP: How is life working for you right now after doing a record you wanted to do?

SL: It’s great. I love living in California and I’m having the time of my life. I’m proud of my record. It’s good to be out on the road and play music for the people. I love my band. No complaints!

Playing the Fillmore can have a strange effect on people. On Thursday, Shelby Lynne seemed genuinely overwhelmed by all the history lining the walls of the room. "We've never been in here before, so I'm really, really happy to be here right now," the 39-year-old country-soul siren said.

It made sense. Her music is deeply steeped in rock 'n' roll history, pulling equally from Al Green, Hank Williams, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley and Tammy Wynette. So it was OK that she kept telling the audience how thrilled she was to be there, even when she got a little carried away and gushed, "I'm a Fillmore virgin!"

Lynne's latest album, "Just a Little Lovin'," pays tribute to songs made famous by big-haired British chanteuse Dusty Springfield. Inspired by an e-mail from Barry Manilow, it was recorded live to tape at the Capitol Records studios in Hollywood with a crack four-piece band and veteran producer Phil Ramone. On Thursday, she effortlessly re-created the album's exquisite down-tempo takes on classics like "Anyone Who Had a Heart," "Breakfast in Bed" and "I Only Want to Be With You."

The disc should conceivably give Lynne, who has been in the business for 20 years, a long-awaited push into the mainstream, putting her in the same league as coffeehouse superstars like Norah Jones and Feist. But ever since the album came out in January, things haven't quite worked out that way. There were plenty of empty patches on the floor at the Fillmore.

That's just her luck. When Lynne was 17, she and her sister Allison Moorer watched as their estranged father shot and killed their mother, then himself. The next year, Lynne got hitched and spent a decade trying to conform to life as a Nashville new-country drone. After five permed and primped albums, she found starched white shirts, tight blue jeans and Southern matrimony too constricting and retreated to her native Alabama, where she teamed up with producer Bill Bottrell (Sheryl Crow, Michael Jackson) and purged her soul on the country-soul classic "I Am Shelby Lynne." The disc belatedly won her a best new artist Grammy in 2001, but the albums that followed failed to cash in on the buzz.

But it was the songs from these largely ignored albums - songs that tremble with turmoil and lust, bruised emotion and blind hope - that fueled Thursday's extended set. Each one drew Lynne further out of the dignified headspace reserved for the Dusty material and put her more at ease with her intimidating surroundings. She did moody late-night ballads, ruminative retro soul and a few songs so mammoth they simply defied words. Or maybe not.

"This is the kind of song you write when you get your heart stomped on," she said, introducing "Your Lies."

The set went way past schedule, and Lynne's appreciation for the small but faithful crowd was palpable. "There's a lot of lovin' up in here," she said. "Twenty years of making records, and this is my favorite year."

Read the review of Shelby's performance at Antones, click here!

Shelby Lynne made an auspicious announcement on Friday night, roughly halfway through her concert at the New York Society for Ethical Culture. “I’m going to do one of my own songs,” she said. As she must have hoped, this simplest of statements was met with cheers and vigorous applause.

Ms. Lynne had just eased her way through most of the songs on “Just a Little Lovin’ ” (Lost Highway), her recent tribute to the British soul singer Dusty Springfield. Her band, a sharp-honed four-piece, had created an atmosphere of subtle twang. And as she sang this material — extracted mainly from a pair of classic 1960s albums, “Dusty in Memphis” and “A Girl Called Dusty” — Ms. Lynne gave the impression of diligent restraint along with a sort of professional civility. It had all been lovely, and a bit tedious.

This was partly the fault of the same stripped-down arrangements employed on Ms. Lynne’s album. There they serve a clear strategic purpose. Songs like “Anyone Who Had a Heart” and “Breakfast in Bed,” in their original incarnations, presented Ms. Springfield’s voice as a ruby on a velvet cushion. By going for something more austere, Ms. Lynne (and her record producer, Phil Ramone) emphasized an air of cloistered intimacy and naked vulnerability. But onstage the effort succumbed to monotony.

So there was good reason for the applause as Ms. Lynne shifted gears, reaching for an electric guitar. The first of her own songs, “Telephone,” landed with a welcome jolt; something opened up and loosened in her voice, and she seemed infinitely more at ease. This calm self-assurance made the rest of the evening feel almost like a different show.

Ms. Lynne drew from a few of her previous releases, notably “I Am Shelby Lynne,” her major-label breakthrough from 2000. At one point she performed three in a row from that album, beginning with “Where I’m From,” a love letter to her home state of Alabama. On “Your Lies,” an anthem of hurt and indignation, she belted the chorus in tight harmony with three members of her band, to urgent and electrifying effect.

She preceded that, though, with another song from “Just a Little Lovin’.” It was “Pretend,” an original ballad that Ms. Lynne included on the album, she said, because she could imagine Ms. Springfield singing it. Here the arrangement was simplicity itself — just John Jackson fingerpicking an acoustic guitar and Brian Harrison playing an unobtrusive bass line — and Ms. Lynne delivered her lyrics almost in a whisper.

“I don’t hate to beg you for your empty arms, if that’s all I can get,” she sang in the voice of a desperate lover struggling to hang on. Her first refrain — “Hurt me one more night/Pretend you love me” — was devastating in its quietude. However easy it was to imagine Ms. Springfield handling the song, there was no reason. Ms. Lynne owned it, utterly and incomparably.

NEW YORK -- Shelby Lynne admitted, during her Friday night show at the Concert Hall at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, that there was some selfishness behind her decision to record a Dusty Springfield tribute album.

Yes, she wanted to honor Springfield, who died in 1999. But also, "they're some of the greatest songs ever written," said Lynne.

The album --"Just a Little Lovin'," released in January -- proved that Lynne, 39, had more on her mind than paying tribute. She rarely evoked Springfield's brassiness, but approached the songs with a low-key, emotionally direct country/soul/torch style of her own.

That's the way she delivered the songs in concert, too. Appearing with a four-piece band (guitarist John Jackson, keyboardist Randy Leago, bassist Brian Harrison, drummer Bryan Owings), she stood at her mike stand, without her usual guitar, for the "Just a Little Lovin'" numbers. Often, she twisted her body or repeatedly flexed her hands, as if grappling with the emotional complexity of a song like "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "I Don't Want To Hear It Anymore." The band usually played softly, favoring subtle accents and, sometimes, using silence for dramatic effect.

"I Only Want to Be With You" veered a little too close to lounge-pop territory, but Lynne and the band were flawless on songs like "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" and "Breakfast in Bed," reinventing them, basically, by stripping them down to their essence.

After performing seven of the 10 "Just a Little Lovin'" songs, she strapped on her guitar and sang some of her own country-rock material. She sang about Johnny Cash, in "Johnny Met June," and her Alabama youth (with the "crickets spreadin' rumors by the shoreline") in "Where I'm From."

She showcased her own torch song, "Black Light Blue," with Leago creating a string effect on synthesizer. For "Pretend," her one self-written song on "Just a Little Lovin'," she was backed by just Jackson and Harrison. The set ended with its loudest, most cathartic songs: "Your Lies" and "Jesus on a Greyhound."

Lynne and the band jammed a bit on the first encore, a funky version of "Thought It Would Be Easier." Jackson took a long solo, as did Leago, though after she asked him to "Play some of that synthesizer stuff" and he did, she changed her mind. "That sounds like 'Jump' -- don't play that," she said, apparently referring to the Van Halen song.'"

Next came her sweetest love song, "Iced Tea" ("You're the cornbread and iced tea of life," she sang). And then, as the final encore, one last "Just a Little Lovin'" number, "How Can I Be Sure."

More people associate that song with the Young Rascals, who had a hit with it in 1967, rather than Springfield, who also recorded it. But with its yearning lyrics, tricky rhythm and graceful melody, it made a fine closing track for the album, and a perfect closer for the concert, too.

It also emphasized the point that the album didn't just honor Springfield; it also paid tribute to the writers responsible for her material. People like Burt Bacharach and Hal David ("Anyone Who Had a Heart"), Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil ("Just a Little Lovin'"), Randy Newman ("I Don't Want to Hear It Anymore") and Eddie Brigati and Felix Cavaliere ("How Can I Be Sure"). The songs had lives of their own before Springfield found them. And, thanks to people like Lynne, they continue to evolve.

Between songs, Lynne chatted casually. Since the show was taking place at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, she playfully vowed that she wouldn't "cuss"; after she inadvertently let a four-letter word slip, moments later, she covered her mouth with her hand, as if embarrassed.

She also held up a vinyl copy of "Just a Little Lovin'," and talked about how happy she was that the album is available that way. She grew up listening to vinyl, of course, but her previous nine albums have been CD-only. "It took me 20 years to get on vinyl," she said.

From Newhouse Wire:

Shelby Lynne: A subtle splendor all her own

Shelby Lynne doesn't like comparisons.

She can get downright feisty when the subject comes up. But ever
since her incredibly soulful breakthrough album "I Am Shelby Lynne," and her
subsequent 2001 Grammy Award for Best New Recording Artist, like it or not,
Lynne has earned some extremely favorable comparisons to another
passionately soulful singer, the late great British pop star Dusty
Springfield.

So it's not surprising that Lynne finally got around to singing some
music from the Springfield repertoire on her own exceptional new album "Just
a Little Lovin'." It features distinctive, stripped-down renditions of nine
songs Springfield recorded - several of them classics - as well as a new
Lynne original. The album is drawing justifiable raves for Lynne's subtle
splendor, her dynamic approach to the material and producer Phil Ramone's
understated arrangements.

As she was about to embark on a cross-country tour, Lynne recently
spoke about the album, her influences, her acting career and more from her
home in California.

Q: Barry Manilow was apparently the person who first asked you about
recording an album of Dusty Springfield songs. Some people might think you
and Barry are from two very different worlds. How did you get to know each
other?

A: We met at a party and hit it off. He's a friend of mine ... He's
beyond talented.

Q: When you eventually decided on recording the album you selected
veteran producer Phil Ramone to work with. Why Phil, and what specifically
did he bring to the project?

A: Well, Phil Ramone has made so many incredible records. I was
lucky enough to work with him on some live situations. He does this thing
called "MusicCares" every year. He asked me to be a part of that a couple of
times, so we knew each other. So then when I got to be serious about doing
this record, I needed a cat who understood that this is not a tribute
record, this is a Shelby Lynne record, all the while being inspired by Dusty
Springfield. So I needed to make these songs mine. I knew he would
understand that language, so I called him and he said, "Let's go." (Laughs)

Q: Did he do a lot storytelling during the sessions? Phil's lived a
pretty amazing life.

A: Oh God, it's just an endless journey of incredible stories.
Truly, in between the storytelling we somehow figured out how to get a
record made. I've got to tell you, colorful is not the word, he's just a
great cool gentleman and he allowed me to be as crazy as I need to be.

Q: Certainly around the time of "I Am Shelby Lynne," and perhaps
even before, there were comparisons between you and Dusty Springfield. Was
she a huge influence on your style, or was it more subliminal?

A: No, absolutely not. I don't understand the comparisons, I don't
like the comparisons.

Q: I think it was just the soulfulness.

A: Comparisons I find cheap, and usually there's an inability to
come up with anything else. But the name has come up for years, and I've
been a fan of Dusty's for a long time. But I never grew up with Dusty. I had
made six records before I really even knew about Dusty ... And then, of
course when I heard it, I fell in love. I thought, oh my God why have I been
so sheltered? I fell in love and made the "I Am" (Shelby Lynne) record.

When I heard the "Dusty in Memphis" record I thought, well, God
that's what I want to do I want to do: Al Green, Dusty Springfield and
Plastic Ono Band. That's the record I want to make. And I made the "I Am"
record. And then the comparisons started popping up. But it's not like we
sound alike, but the passion's probably there. That's what people probably
feel, the emotions, so there you go.

Q: I don't know if there's anyone else who could pull off the a
capella beginning to "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me." It sounds like you
used it to add a rich dynamic to the arrangement. Why did you choose to
start that off alone?

A: It just was one of those moments where the piano player plays a
chord and I thought, well just give me the chord and I'll start it and y'all
come in on the verse.

Y'know really that's how music is made if you do it the way I do it.
Everybody knows the song we're playing, everybody knows the key we're in and
we kind of know the groove in which we're gonna go. Let me just start this
thing out, let's just pretend we're on a bandstand somewhere and then I'll
give you a cue and y'all come in. That's how I made this record ...

Let me tell you about "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me." Because
I'm a true dyed-in-the-wool Elvis Presley fan and I heard him sing this song
before I heard Dusty sing this song. So after I was going through Dusty's 40
years of a career trying to choose the correct things, I found that she had
done this song. I knew it for years by listening to Elvis do it. So it gave
me an excuse to sing it.

Elvis is where I learned it first but when I heard her (version), I
just kind of fell down. Every time Dusty sings, I believe her and that's
what I love about Dusty.

Q: Had you ever sung any of these songs on stage before?

A: Never.

Q: Two of the songs "Anyone Who Had a Heart," and "The Look of
Love," are classics from Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Tell me what those
songs mean to you.

A: Well, I think "The Look of Love" is the best record. That's the
only one I wish I had left off of this record.

Q: Why?

A: I've never told anyone that. I don't know. Her version is as
definitive as any version and I probably should have left that alone. It's
not bad, don't get me wrong, I like my version, but her version's better.

Q: Some people may be surprised to hear "How Can I Be Sure," on this
album because it's most often associated with the Young Rascals. But Dusty
Springfield covered that herself in 1973. How did you stumble onto that one?

A: I love her version. It had that beautiful French accordion thing
going and kind of a waltz, a real romantic record. I thought about that when
I was choosing the songs, am I going to bring in that accordion? And I
thought, hell no, she already did, you gotta make it your own girl. That's
how I stand on this record.

Q: You included one of your own songs on the album "Pretend." It
definitely fits the mood of the set but did you have reservations about
including it?

A: Absolutely. I took a vote. Phil wanted me to put one of my songs
on the record. And I said "Well I don't even have but one song and I've had
it for years."

I've had many opportunities to write something but I just didn't
feel like it. So I offered this song and this song only. And I said,
"Everyone in the studio involved with this record has to take a vote. And I
know you're all going to be honest. If it's good it stays. If it's not, it
goes and we'll cut something else."

The vote was it stays. And then Dean Parks came up with the
beautiful guitar arrangement for it. I think it fits in there OK, I can't
complain.

Q: You also went through a label change between the time you
recorded the album for Capitol, in Capitol's Studio A, and the time you
released it on Lost Highway. Was that a difficult thing, especially since
you had the album sitting for awhile waiting to be released?

A: No, because you know the week we made the record they (Capitol)
decided to fall apart. I told Betty, my manager, "Let's get on the phone and
call (chairman and CEO of Lost Highway Records) Luke Lewis. He's gonna get
this record, he's gonna understand what we're doing and I'm not waiting on
these (expletive) to get their (expletive) together. So that's how it
happened.

I'm not pulling any punches on this thing. I knew I had this cool
record. I was not gonna sit around and wait on a bunch of paper crap to ruin
it for me, and for the world. So I told Betty, "Call Luke and send him a
copy of this because it's got to be resolved in a hurry and that's that."

Q: Have you read much about Dusty Springfield's life?

A: I read about it, but I don't know if I believe it. She's not here
to defend herself, so I don't have anything to say about that.

Q: Is it true you were 28 when you first heard Dusty Springfield?

A: Around the same time I heard "Dusty in Memphis," (I heard) Al
Green and "Plastic Ono Band," about the same week. When I decided to leave
Nashville I started trying to learn about really great music.

I was really a pretty sheltered soul, I was already 28 years old -
too old to really learn anything - and I had been making records for years.
I discovered those records about the same time. I went on to make the "I
Am," record and I'm still discovering great records.

Q: The first time I saw you live was at the Lennon tribute at Radio
City where you sang "Mother." That was great.

A: Thank you man, that was a cool night.

Q: What was it like acting and playing the role of Johnny Cash's
mother in "Walk the Line"? I know you've done a little more acting, would
you like to do more of that?

A: I would do it if it were the right thing. I'm not an actor but I
enjoyed the experience. It was great to escape to a place that didn't have
anything to do with me.

To play such an iconic figure, someone who meant so much to Johnny
Cash's life, his own mother. I sought out that role. I wanted to be part of
that picture.

I'm honored still, always will be to have played that part is really
cool. I had to wear makeup and kind of funky clothes and stuff but I think
that's a great movie ... The whole thing was really authentic.

Q: A lot of people forget, or in some cases never knew, that you had
been recording for a decade before "I Am Shelby Lynne," and before you won
the Grammy Award as Best New Artist. Looking back now, how do you look back
on your music from those early years?

A: Well I feel like now I not only do what I want, I do what is
necessary. I realize the importance of doing records that mean something.

I started when I was a kid, 19 or something. It's just a bare bones
business. You're one thing, and everything around you is another.

I've learned to just do what I do musically and don't worry about
the other things. Just be a musician.

Shelby Lynne doesn't sing the Dusty Springfield classics on Just a Little Lovin' because they're easy. Nope. It's because she loves these songs. That's what she told her adoring Nashville crowd last Friday night (March 29). Sure, I enjoy the seductive songs about being in love, like "Breakfast in Bed" and "The Look of Love," but when she sings about not being loved back - that's the good stuff right there. Of course, "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" is a classic in that genre, and I appreciate the understated reading she gives it here. The cool thing about this album is, regardless of whether or not you're in love, you'll find some music that you can relate to. And wow, what a singer.

The girl called Shelby Lynne is on the phone, and I'm having fun at her expense, poking at the feisty Alabama chanteuse from a safe distance. Having released an album of songs made famous by Dusty Springfield, the country soulstress is ready to support it with a tour that brings her to Toronto's Mod Club tonight and Richard's on Richards in Vancouver on April 26. As the late, great British soul and sixties-pop diva was known for her rather kitschy look, one wonders if Lynne plans on swooping her own hair up, beehive-like, on stage. "Well, now, whatta you think," she says, after a dead-weight pause. How about a sparkly dress and a little panda-bear eye makeup, then? "Now, whatta you think," she counters again, her eyes perhaps narrowed in Clint Eastwood's gunfighter squint. "I suppose you won't," is my sheepish reply. The game is over.

There will be no costumes then for Lynne, a willful blonde who has tried on more than one musical fashion over the course of a two-decade career that has seen her turned out in main-street Nashville (1990's Tough All Over), big-band western swing (1993's Temptation, as a redhead), declarative Grammy-winning roots-rock (2000's I Am Shelby Lynne), poppier fare (2001's Love, Shelby) and the stellar, sultry Identity Crisis from 2003.

Now, acting on an idea from pop singer Barry Manilow, Lynne, a singer-songwriter who considers herself a singer first, presents Just a Little Lovin', an album that collects the various eras of Springfield in one suave package. Don't call it a tribute album, though. The subtitle "Inspired by Dusty Springfield" puts the current artist first on the bill. "It's a Shelby Lynne record," says Lynne.

Lynne, for her smoke-and-honey torch moments, has been likened to Springfield in the past, enough that she was a little wary of pushing the association any further. "I've never been much for comparisons, but, yeah, I knew they were there," she says.

Shelby Lynne has been likened to Dusty Springfield in the past. ‘I’ve never been much for comparisons, but, yeah, I knew they were there,’ she says.

"Dusty kept coming up in my life, and then when Barry suggested it, I thought, well, you know, maybe people wanna be reminded of how great Dusty was again."

The reminders are coming, and not just from Lynne. New albums from young mono-named British singers Duffy (Rockferry) and Adele (19) are invoking Springfield memories too. Lynne has competition in the overall covers-album department as well. Alison Krauss and Robert Plant's Raising Sand from late last year - "Love it," says Lynne, "love it" - superbly reworks psychedelic roots music. The bluesy southerner Chan (Cat Power) Marshall also has her Jukebox plugged in, but Marshall's way with a cover is different, choosing to rip the original songs down and build them back up in a unique form. Her most radical reworking is a chorus-less Jagger-Richards (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction on 2000's The Covers Record.

Asked if she were tempted to go the deconstructionist route herself, Lynne is quick with an answer. "Not once," she says. "It's not my style."

Lynne's style is a headstrong one, her various record-label bosses over the years would agree. (Her breakup with CBS/Epic in the early nineties was a highly mutual one.) The album's concept may have been Manilow's idea originally, but the 39-year-old singer knew precisely what she was after once the Dusty project was green-lit by the now defunct Capitol Records. She wanted legendary producer Phil Ramone and stalwart sound engineer Al Schmitt, and she wanted them on the two-inch tape machine at Los Angeles's Capital Studio A - "one of the greatest temples in sound ever," assesses Lynne.

Ramone had worked with impetuous singers before - Springfield, on the icy The Look of Love in 1967, for one - and his old-school stewardship stood him well with Lynne. "I had my nervous times; I sure did," she recalls.

"Thank God for Phil, because he has a very calm energy." Even with Ramone and the small band she wanted, the burden of Springfield's legacy was daunting. "I pulled it off," says Lynne, "but I'm not going to say it wasn't pressurized at times." But remember that the recording of Springfield's classic Dusty in Memphis album in 1969 was anything but tame, involving tossed ashtrays and cancelled sessions. Pressure in a creative environment isn't necessarily a bad thing. "No, it's not," Lynne agrees. "I really rely on nerves to do what I do."

The result is a laid-back, stripped-down album, despite whatever tension might have existed in the studio. An inflated pop classic like I Only Want to Be With You is brought down to a bossa nova-lounge setting.

Country-soul numbers Breakfast in Bed and I Don't Want to Hear It Anymore are sublime - graceful and unhurried.

Lynne's not taking all the credit. "The songs do the work; they're that powerful," she says. "I'm just a tool. That's what a singer's job is to do, to sell the song. So, it's Ramone, it's Schmitt on the soundboard, it's [Springfield's] songs by Tony Joe White, Randy Newman and Burt Bacharach and Hal David." It's that, and more than just a little Shelby.

Just A Little Lovin' - 4 STARS

Dusty Springfield was a superhumanly nuanced British soul singer so driver by perfectionism and insecurity that she’d often record one syllable at a time. Shelby Lynne is a similarly expressive country crooner who rejected Nashville glitz in favor of increasingly stark, seemingly offhand naturalism. Here she takes on the Springfield songbook, replacing both the garish pop filigree of the 60’s diva’s London recordings and the Southern grit of Dusty In Memphis with bluesy boudoir jazz that as intimate as pillow talk on stained sheets. Veteran producer Phil Ramone helps Lynne emphasize the loneliness of “You Don’t Have to Stay You Love Me” and linger in the sensual transgressions of “Breakfast in Bed” until this drastically rearranged but delicately rendered tribute feels like a candid self-portrait painted in watercolors and tears.

“I love these songs!”

Thus spoke Shelby Lynne onstage during her 9:30 p.m. show Friday at the Austin Music Hall. Her tone of voice sounded as though she were caught up in the revelatory moment for the first time. In point of fact, she has been living with the songs from her new album, “Just A Little Lovin’,” for some time now.

But the album’s music — songs, for the most part, made famous by Dusty Springfield — seems to still touch Lynne in ways that are as fresh, invigorating and unexpected to her as they are to the audience.

Lynne seems less to cover Springfield — her arrangements and vocal approach differ significantly from Springfield’s recordings — than to channel her. “I decided to make this record as a fun adventure, but I truly think she’s here with us,” Lynne said at one point.

If so, Springfield’s shade must surely have been applauding. Lynne’s rendition of “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me,” “I Only Want To Be With You,” Randy Newman’s “I Don’t Want To Hear It Anymore” and other songs from the late singer’s canon were cool, smoky, sexy marvels.

Hiding mostly behind her mane of blonde hair, backlit through a scrim of artificial smoke until she almost seemed ghostlike herself, Lynne seemed to be singing from some inner landscape of emotion that many musicians never approach.

“I was terrified when I made this record. I thought it would be either the beginning or the end, because these songs were so amazing,” she said. Well, never mind. After voyaging across an ocean of uncertainty, Lynne has arrived on the distant shore safe and sound. Her stellar performance Friday night was proof of that.

Folks were surely aware that Shelby Lynne would be showcasing the songs from her new disc, Just a Little Lovin' (Lost Highway), her homage to Dusty Springfield. It's an intimate, late-night kind of tribute that demands attention. So why did so many of them come to talk while she was onstage? Fortunately, the rudeness of the audience didn't seem to phase Lynne. Performing almost all of Just a Little Lovin', she inhabited each tune with her essence. Yes, she was singing someone else's songs, but she was hell-bent on making them her own as best she could and succeeded more than not. Lynne's voice, the night's main instrument, was smoky perfection, especially on "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" and "Breakfast in Bed," which positively oozed Southern charm. The slender blonde exclaimed: "I truly think Dusty's here with us tonight. I love these songs!" "Willie and Lauramae Jones" picked up the pace a bit and featured a stylish solo from guitarist John Jackson, whose light-fingered touch mesmerized throughout the 40-minute set. Lynne closed with "Pretend," the album's sole original. The tune fit in neatly with the mellow soul that preceded it, a testament to the fact that the singer's writing talents match her abilities as a vocalist.

Shelby Lynne loves vinyl records. She savors the ritual, waiting for the moment to flip a 12-inch disc to its second side and the conversations that spring up as the needle floats on the grooves

"It's a different experience. You have to almost commit to puttin' on a record. There's no fast-forward," Lynne said in a recent telephone interview from her home in Rancho Mirage. "It's fun to get together and listen to records, drink wine and talk. It really causes more talk about the musical experience you're on, you know?"

Her love of vinyl isn't surprising considering her latest record, "Just a Little Lovin,' " reworks nine Dusty Springfield classics.

She'll be playing some of those tracks and others from her 20-year career, which has touched on everything from country to rock to jazz to pop, at the Stagecoach Country Music Festival in Indio at the Empire Polo Field on May 2.

Growing up in Alabama, Lynne says music has been one of the constant threads for her over the years.

"My whole life is a musical memory," she said in her twangy speaking voice. "It's just what I do."

When she was 20, Lynne packed up and went to Nashville, and for the past 10 years she has lived in the Coachella Valley.

"I love the desert," she said.

Lynne said her Stagecoach performance would be her first time attending the country-music festival or its alternative-music cousin, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which takes place at the Polo Field the weekend prior, because of her touring schedule.

She won't be able to attend the full three days because of her tour to support the new album.

Lynne got the idea for cutting some of Springfield's tracks courtesy of fellow Coachella Valley resident Barry Manilow.

The pair met at the Grammys a few years ago and became friends. Three years ago, he e-mailed Lynne, asking if she had ever considered covering the Dusty Springfield songbook.

"She's one of those great singers who can tear your heart out," Lynne said.

Lynne let the idea percolate before ending up in the studio in January 2007 with producer Phil Ramone. The recording was made inside the Capitol Records building in Los Angeles, where she sang into a microphone Frank Sinatra used.

"That's what they told me. They may have told me that just to get me to sing," she said, laughing.

Lynne said she really kept the songs simple and didn't go into the studio with arrangements.

"We got together as a band and found a key and a good-feeling groove there and put it down," she said.

The musician doesn't like to overdo things, noting that the studio can be a wonderful thing or a place that offers so many attitudes that a record can become perfect. That isn't what Lynne is after, similar to her love for the scratches and imperfections on a vinyl record.

"My idea of perfect is a little ragged around the edges," she said.

Shelby Lynne was featured in NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday.  To read the piece and listen to more, please visit this link.

Shelby Lynne trades in her signature "spitfire and spark for torch and soul" on Just a Little Lovin', said Dan Ouellette in Billboard. The tough-cookie country singer from Nashville has always made music on her terms. As she nears 40, the singer-songwriter remains as brazen as ever, but this album--a "seductively heartfelt homage" to Dusty Springfield--finds Lynne with her guard down, exposed and utterly devastating. 

The blue-eyed Springfield was, like Lynne, a "husky-voiced singer who liked to traverse the borderlands" between country and other musical landscapes, said Marc Weingarten in Entertainment Weekly.  Stripped down and sensual, Just a Little Lovin' is Lynne's Dusty in Memphis. 

Producer Phil Ramone keeps it simple and soft, gently trailing her voice with piano, acoustic guitars, and lightly brushed drums.  Sweetly embracing each word, Lynne invites the listener to come hither "by virtue of her impeccably laconic phrasing, the well-placed lilt, or the knowing sneer at the end of a phrase."  Too smart and too headstrong to deliver faithful covers, Lynne "pulls it back" and makes Springfield's songbook her own.  Her stark, emphatic covers could hardly differ more from the blustery originals, said Bill Friskics-Warren in the Nashville Tennessean. In reimagining these tales of love, Lynne accentuates the "vulnerability and desperation at the core" of Springfield's songs.

"Shelby Lynne elects to hold her breath and let the feeling soak in deep. The pace is more relaxed and the accompaniment spare. Her version starts like a slow leak in a cask of aged wine, first the simplest, rolling strokes on drum kit, then, drip by drip, the sensual sway of gently rubbed guitar, bass and Fender Rhodes.  Most striking are the moments when Lynne lets the song sing into a silent ellipsis or lets her rounded, natural singing hang out there while the bands ebbs away.  It's her way of getting vulnerable with a song that calls for deep feeling."

To read the entire rave feature from American Songwriter, please click here.

Shelby Lynne's latest is made up of songs associated with the late pop great Dusty Springfield (plus one Shelby original), but it's a lot more than a throwaway tribute--this is an artistic statement as valid and complete as any she's ever made.  Master producer Phil Ramone makes no attempt to replicate the full, buoyant sound of the classic versions, opting to strip the songs down to their sinewy essence. Similarly, Shelby never tries to imitate Dusty, and instead comes to each songs on its own terms. Just A Little Lovin' is a sweet, savory seduction.

"...that Shelby Lynne is, at bottom, a serious fan who is both aware of and comfortable celebrating the gifts of a singer she obviously counts as an influence and a model."

To read this article in its entirety, please visit this link.

Visit this link to view the Shelby Lynne segment from CNN's Headline News