Harvey Philip Spector, December 26, 1940, The Bronx, New York, NY
Genres:
Rock and Roll, Girl group, Pop-rock, Pop
Phil Spector's contributions to music:
- Considered by many to be the greatest rock and roll producer of all time
- In the early Sixties, created the famous "Wall of Sound" technique that inspired countless musicians and producers
- Put girl group music on the map with hits by The Ronettes and The Crystals
- Brought a dramatic, orchestral flair to teen pop that was unheard of at the time
- Called on to salvage The Beatles' Let It Be album, he went on to produce John Lennon and George Harrison's most famous solo work
- Created the persona of rock producer as auteur
Success:
Spector couldn't keep his group, The Teddy Bears, together after that smash, and subsequent solo records failed. But by then Phil was already making a name for himself as the city's producer to beat, racking up hit after hit and eventually creating his famous "Wall of Sound" at L.A.'s Gold Star Studios by recording orchestras of guitars and bass, adding strings and brass, feeding it all through an echo chamber abetted by cinderblocks placed in strategic locations, and then recording that echo back onto tape. From 1961 to 1965, Phil Spector was arguably the most important producer rock had ever seen.
Other Phil Spector facts:
- The son of Russian Jewish immigrants, his family's original last name was Spekter
- Took the phrase "To Know Him Is To Love Him" from his father's gravestone
- "Teen Beat" drummer Sandy Nelson plays on "To Know Him"
- Nearly died in a horrific car crash in March 1974
- Famously dubbed "The First Tycoon of Teen" by author Tom Wolfe
- Served as the inspiration for Ronnie "Z-Man" Barzell in the film "Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls" (1970)
- Infamously barricaded wife (and Ronettes vocalist) Ronnie Spector in his L.A. "castle" in the '70s, refusing to let her out
- Was scheduled to work with modern garage-rockers The Vines before his arrest
Awards/Honors:
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1991)
- GRAMMY Award (1970)
- GRAMMY Hall of Fame (1998, 1999, 2000)
Top 10 hits:
Pop:
Ray Peterson, "Corinna, Corinna" (1961)
Curtis Lee, "Pretty Little Angel Eyes" (1961)
The Paris Sisters, "I Love How You Love Me" (1961)
Connie Francis, "Second Hand Love" (1962)
Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans, "Zip-a-dee Doo-dah" (1963)
The Crystals, "Da Doo Ron Ron" (1963)
The Crystals, "Then He Kissed Me" (1963)
The Ronettes, "Be My Baby" (1963)
The Righteous Brothers, "Just Once In My Life" (1965)
The Righteous Brothers, "Unchained Melody" (1965)
The Righteous Brothers, "Ebb Tide" (1966)
John Lennon, "Instant Karma!" (1970)
George Harrison, "What Is Life" (1970)
John Lennon, "Imagine" (1971)
R&B:
The Crystals, "There’s No Other (Like My Baby)" (1962)
The Crystals, "He's A Rebel" (1962)
The Crystals, "Then He Kissed Me" (1963)
The Crystals, "Da Doo Ron Ron" (1963)
The Ronettes, "Be My Baby" (1963)
The Righteous Brothers, "Just Once In My Life" (1965)
The Righteous Brothers, "Unchained Melody" (1965)
No comments:
Post a Comment