On April 26, 1966, Dusty Springfield’s “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me” reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart. The song would eventually reach No. 4 in the United States, becoming one of the singer’s biggest hits on both sides of the Atlantic. A rewrite of the Italian song “Io che non vivo (senza te),” the number was notoriously difficult to sing. Dusty Springfield, a perfectionist, demanded 47 takes of the song until she was satisfied with her vocal performance — a huge number of takes in those days of quick recording sessions.
Jessica Wheeler is a columnist for AliveTampaBay.