Dusty In Memphis. It was recorded at the famous American Sound Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, with Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd, and Arif Mardin.
They pushed Springfield’s soulful vocal to the fore rather than have it compete with heavy string arrangements, as it had done on some of her earlier work.“Son Of A Preacher Man” was written by John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins.
They initially thought about giving it to Aretha Franklin. However, Wexler heard it and suggested giving it to Springfield instead.
Lyrically, although about a boy-girl coupling, the song is about an illicit, secret love. Springfield sings about falling for Billy Ray, the son of a preacher man who would visit her family.