On November 8, 1968, Dusty Springfield released her signature song “Son of a Preacher Man” as a single. The song was written by songwriters John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins and was later included on Springfield’s fifth studio album “Dusty in Memphis”. In this article, we will dive into the story and legacy behind Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man”.
The Story Behind the Song
Despite being synonymous with Dusty Springfield, John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins initially wrote “Son of a Preacher Man” for Aretha Franklin. By 1967, the songwriters were a respected duo in the music industry and were invited by producer Jerry Wexler to work in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, which was a recording hotspot in the 1960s and 70s.
After Ronnie Wilkins played organ on an Aretha Franklin session, Jerry Wexler asked the duo if they could write a song for Franklin. Of course, the duo agreed. “A few days went by and John and I were in our writing room and were trying to come up with something,” Ronnie Wilkins told American Songwriter.
“We were thinking of Aretha, and her father was a preacher and both of my grandfathers were preachers. I said, ‘She’s the daughter of a preacher man and you might say I’m the son of a preacher man,’ and that’s how we came up with the title. It took us half an hour, maybe 45 minutes, to write the song.”
“Son of a Preacher Man” tells the story of a young woman’s romantic experiences with the son of a preacher man. The lyrics describe how the young woman and the preacher’s son, Billy Ray, sneaked away for romantic walks when he and his father would visit her house.
After finishing the song, John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins presented it to Jerry Wexler, who loved the song. Aretha Franklin, however, decided to pass on the song. According to Wexler, Franklin passed on the song because she felt it was disrespectful towards her father. Therefore, Wexler decided to give the song to Dusty Springfield, who was working with Wexler on her first Atlantic Records album.
Dusty Springfield recorded the song and released it as a single in November 1968. “Son of a Preacher Man” became a worldwide hit and reached the top 10 in the United Kingdom and the United States.
Pulp Fiction
In 1994, “Son of a Preacher Man” regained popularity when Quentin Tarantino decided to use the song in his movie Pulp Fiction. Tarantino stated he probably wouldn’t have used the scene if he wasn’t allowed to use the song. Pulp Fiction’s soundtrack eventually sold over 2 million copies and a re-release of “Son of a Preacher Man” reached number 1 in Iceland.
In an interview with The Robesonian, Ronnie Wilkins thanked Quentin Tarantino for using the song. “I’m not sure he knew how much money that made for me,” he funnily remarked. “I remember he called me up to ask about using it and then I more or less forgot about it. Later, I heard Siskel and Roper say the movie had a great soundtrack, and then I was blown away seeing how Quentin took it to a whole other level.”
The Legacy of Son of a Preacher Man
Over the years, “Son of a Preacher Man” became Dusty Springfield’s signature song and one of the most well-known songs of the 1960s. Aretha Franklin eventually regretted not recording the song and released a version of the song on her 1970 album This Girl’s in Love with You.
In 1996, Dusty Springfield revealed she initially didn’t like her version of the song and preferred Aretha Franklin’s version. “I hated it because I couldn’t be Aretha Franklin. I was someone who had come from thundering drums and Phil Spector, and I didn’t understand sparseness. I wanted to fill every space. When I got free of that I finally liked it, but it took me a long time… To this day I listen to Aretha Franklin’s phrasing and go, ‘Goddamit!’ That’s the way I should have done it.”
Despite preferring Aretha Franklin’s phrasing, “Son of a Preacher Man” will always be remembered as a Dusty Springfield classic.
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