Manny P. here…
“`Phil Spector should be remembered as one of the best music producers in pop music history. Unfortunately, he will also be known as a convicted felon for murder and he died as an inmate in prison.
“`Spector attended Fairfax High, located in a Jewish neighborhood on the edge of Hollywood. For decades, the school has been the source of future musical talent. He was reserved, but his abilities were obvious. Spector had perfect pitch and learned to play several instruments. He performed in talent shows and formed a group called The Teddy Bears with his pals. They recorded a tune written and produced by Phil that would become a pop classic. To Know Him is to Love Him was inspired from the inscription on his father’s tombstone. PHIL SPECTOR –>
“`He began working with composers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Ultimately, he found a niche in producing. Spector also co-wrote the hit song Spanish Harlem with Ben E. King, and played lead guitar on The Drifters’ On Broadway.
“`He had his own production company Philles Records with partner Lester Silles, where he developed his signature Wall of Sound. He assembled respected studio musicians: Arranger Jack Nitzsche, guitarist Tommy Tedesco, pianist Leon Russell, and drummer Hal Blaine. Phil provided early breaks to Glen Campbell, Sonny Bono, and Cher.
“`The Wall of Sound merged vocal harmonies with lavish orchestral arrangements. Spector produced such pop monuments as Da Doo Ron Ron, Be My Baby, and He’s a Rebel. You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling became his biggest hit. The secret to the sound… An overdubbed onslaught of instruments, vocals and sound effects that changed the way pop records were recorded. When River Deep-Mountain High, a 1966 release featuring Tina Turner, failed to catch on, Phil shut down his record label and withdrew from the business for three years.
“`In 1969, Spector salvaged The Beatles’ Let It Be album, the troubled production marked by dissension within the band. Although John Lennon praised his efforts, partner Paul McCartney was enraged, especially when Spector added strings and a choir to McCartney’s The Long and Winding Road. Years later, McCartney would oversee a remixed Let it Be, removing Spector’s contributions. By the mid-1970s, Spector had largely retreated from the music business.
“`The fullness of Spector’s productions reflected a dark side he could barely contain even at his peak. He was temperamental, remembered bitterly by Darlene Love, Ronnie Spector (his former wife), and others collaborating with him. After The Ronettes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007, Spector sent his congratulations. But in an acceptance speech by his ex-wife, she never mentioned him while thanking numerous other people.
“`Spector was convicted of murdering actress Lana Clarkson in 2003 at his castle-like mansion on the edge of Los Angeles. After a trial in 2009, he was sentenced to nineteen years to life.
“`Phil Spector was eighty-one.
Until next time> “never forget”
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