Phil Spector

The Phil Spector anthology album, Back to Mono.

Harvey Phillip Spector (born December 26, 1940) is an American record producer of the 1960s and 1970s. The originator of the "Wall of Sound" production technique, Spector first rose to prominence as one of the inventors of the 1960s girl group sound. Later he worked with varied artists, including The Beatles and The Ramones. In 2003 Spector returned to the public eye when he was indicted for murder.

Early life and career

Phil Spector was born into a lower-middle class Jewish family in the Bronx, New York. In 2003, he would reveal in an interview with the Daily Telegraph journalist Mick Brown that his parents were first cousins. "I don't know, genetically, whether or not that had something to do with what I am or who I became," he said. His father Ben committed suicide because of family indebtedness in 1949, and Spector and his family moved to Los Angeles, California in 1953.

Despite his shyness, Spector became involved in the local music scene. With some friends from high school he formed a group, the Teddy Bears, in which he had songwriting and guitar-playing duties and was one of three vocalists. The Teddy Bears, fronted by lead singer Annette Kleinbard (who later changed her name to Carol Connors), had one major hit, "To Know Him is to Love Him", which sold more than 5 million copies after its release in 1958. The title of the song was taken from the epitaph on Spector's father's tombstone: "To Know Him Was To Love Him."

Record producer

"To Know Him, Is to Love Him" was the first record that Phil Spector ever produced. After the Teddy Bears split up in 1959, Spector's career quickly moved from performing to songwriting to production. Having perfect pitch, he learned how to use a studio, first as an apprentice to Lester Sill and Lee Hazlewood in Arizona and, after returning to New York in 1960, with Leiber and Stoller. It was while working with Leiber and Stoller that he was commissioned to produce Ray Peterson's "Corrina, Corrina," which became a major hit in December 1960.

In early 1961 a song he co-wrote, "Spanish Harlem," became a major hit for Ben E. King, and he produced major hits for Curtis Lee ("Pretty Little Angel Eyes") and the Paris Sisters ("I Love How You Love Me"). Later that year he returned to L.A., and formed his own record label, Philles Records, in partnership with Sill.

In early 1962 Spector produced yet another major hit, "Second Hand Love," for Connie Francis. He also briefly took a job as head of A & R for Liberty Records.

Although Spector worked at first with established artists, he soon found his vision easier to fulfill through girl groups of his own devising. The groups — including The Crystals, Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans, and The Ronettes — were often wholly interchangeable, with lineups based on who was available and whose voice he thought would fit the material (though mainly with Darlene Love, a particular favorite). With these acts, Spector produced a string of major hits for Philles Records in 1962 and 1963: "He's a Rebel," "Zip-a-dee Doo-dah," "Da Doo Ron Ron," "Then He Kissed Me," and "Be My Baby." Although predominantly singles-based, Spector's groups did record at least one classic album, A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector in 1963.

The Wall of Sound

File:Xmas phil spector.jpg

A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector

A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector was poorly received on its initial release in 1963. Spector's trademark during that era was the so-called Wall of Sound, a production technique yielding a dense, layered effect that was carried well on AM radio and jukeboxes. To attain this signature sound, Spector gathered large groups of musicians (playing some instruments not generally used for ensemble playing, such as electric and acoustic guitars) playing orchestrated parts — often using many instruments playing in unison — for a fuller sound. Spector himself called his technique “a Wagnerian approach to rock & roll: little symphonies for the kids.”

While Spector directed the overall sound of his recordings, he took a relatively hands-off approach to working with the musicians themselves (usually a core group that became known as The Wrecking Crew, including session players such as Hal Blaine, Carol Kaye, Mac Rebennack, (a.k.a. "Dr. John"), Cher, Glen Campbell and Leon Russell), delegating arrangement duties to Jack Nitzsche and having Sonny Bono oversee the performances, viewing these two as his "lieutenants".

Spector used songs from songwriters employed at The Brill Building, such as the teams of Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Gerry Goffin and Carole King, Spector often receiving co-credit for compositions.

Spector was already known as a temperamental and quirky personality with strong, often unconventional ideas about musical and recording techniques. Despite the trend towards multi-channel recording, Spector was also vehemently opposed to stereo releases, claiming that it took control of the record's sound away from the producer in favor of the listener. Spector also greatly preferred singles to albums, describing LPs as "two hits and ten pieces of junk".

The first time Spector put the same amount of effort into an LP as he had for 45s was when utilizing the full Philles roster and the Wrecking Crew, to produce what he felt would become a hit for the Christmas season. A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector arrived in the shops the day of the assassination of President Kennedy, November 22 1963. While eventually recognized for its quality over the course of time, the mood of the country in late 1963 most likely contributed to Christmas Gift being a flop in its initial release.

After a string of girl-group hits, Spector began working with The Righteous Brothers. "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" became yet another million-seller in early 1965. Three more major hits with the group followed: "Just Once in My Life," "Unchained Melody," and "Ebb Tide."

By then Spector had become embroiled in record-company wrangles, fighting Lester Sill for control of Philles Records and managing his own Phil Spector Records (under contractual agreement with Sill, this label only issued singles recorded by Veronica "Ronnie" Bennett of the Ronettes).

Amidst these conflicts and reports of increasingly eccentric behavior, Spector produced "River Deep - Mountain High" for Ike and Tina Turner in 1966, a recording he considered his best work. A hit in the UK, the song failed to catch on in the U.S., and Spector announced a self-described "retirement" at age 25.

Already something of a recluse, Spector withdrew almost entirely from the public eye, marrying Ronnie Bennett in 1968 and emerging briefly for a cameo as a drug dealer in the film Easy Rider (1969).

Comeback

In 1970, Allen Klein, manager of the Beatles, brought Spector to England to possibly record with the group, or produce for their label Apple Records. (Spector had met the Beatles on their first visit to the US in 1964.)

His own labels issued covers of "Hold Me Tight" by The Imaginations and the Treasures (who included future Ringo Starr collaborator Vini Poncia), a soul version of Buck Owens' "Act Naturally" by Betty Willis (covered by The Beatles on Help!), and an instrumental of Yesterday by Al de Lory. The Beatles themselves had recorded the Teddy Bears' "To Know Him Is to Love Him", Spector's first hit, with a change of gender, for their failed Decca Records audition.

After producing "Instant Karma" for John Lennon, Spector was invited by Lennon and George Harrison to take on the task of turning the tapes from the abandoned "Get Back" recording sessions into a usable album. Spector went to work using many of his production techniques to significantly change the sound of the songs. While this project was viewed as a major comeback for Spector, it is also often cited as contributing to the contentious break-up of The Beatles, as Spector added what many considered inappropriate choir and orchestral arrangements to Lennon's "Across the Universe" and Harrison's "I Me Mine". His alteration of "The Long and Winding Road" infuriated its composer Paul McCartney, especially since the work had been done allegedly without his knowledge or opportunity to assess the results.

The album, now known as Let It Be, was not a typical Spector production. Apart from the reworkings of the abovementioned cuts, he also added vocal asides, most likely at the request of Lennon, and short song takes between the complete songs on the album. For the most part, Spector left the other performances on Let It Be alone - the initial goal of the Beatles producing an album without their usual production values, or as Lennon would put it jiggery-pokery, surviving in the live feel Spector managed to impart to the songs that escaped orchestration. Nonetheless, McCartney succeeded in 2003 with the release of Let It Be... Naked, to have the album stripped of Spector's techniques.

Through the 1970s Spector continued a pattern of reclusiveness interrupted by occasional production projects, working on albums for Lennon, Harrison, Leonard Cohen, and The Ramones. For George Harrison's multi-platinum album All Things Must Pass (1970), he provided a cathedral-like sonic ambience, complete with ornate orchestrations and gospel choirs. The same year he produced John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band album, the sound of which was bare guitar, bass, drums, piano and vocal. In 1971, he co-produced the music for The Concert for Bangla Desh with Harrison and co-produced Lennon's Imagine album. Lennon retained him for the 1971 Christmas single "Happy Xmas (War is Over)," the 1972 album Some Time in New York City and the 1973 sessions for the album Rock 'n' Roll. Spector's relationship with Lennon ended after the producer suffered a breakdown in the studio, brandishing a gun and disappearing with the Rock 'n' Roll tapes. After several months, Lennon retrieved the tapes and finished the album himself.

In 1975, he created Phil Spector International, which supplied the recording facilities for artists such as Dion, Harry Nilsson, Dusty Springfield, Tina Turner and Darlene Love. He also re-teamed with Yoko Ono in 1981 to co-produce Season of Glass, her first work after her husband's death.

Spector remained inactive throughout most of the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. He attempted to work with Celine Dion on her album Falling Into You, but that fell through. His most recent released project has been "Silence Is Easy" by Starsailor, released in 2003. He was originally supposed to produce the entire album, but was fired due to personal and creative differences. Plans to work with The Vines were halted due to his murder trial.

Influence

Many producers attempted to emulate the Wall of Sound, while Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys—a fellow adherent of mono recording—considered Spector his main competition. Bruce Springsteen emulated the Wall of Sound technique in his recording of "Born to Run". Shoegazing, a brief musical movement in the late 1980s and early 1990s, was heavily influenced by the Wall of Sound. For his contributions to the music industry, Spector was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. Much of Phil's early musical influences was latin music in general and latin percussion in particular. This is heralded in many of his hit sings: shakers, guiros (gourds) and maracas in "Be My Baby" and the son montuno in "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" heard clearly in the song's bridge. Phil would visit Spanish Harlem clubs and schools to hone his listening and practical skills. He'd ask his pre-teen coffee boy from "El Barrio", Roberto Tirado, to borrow his parent's best Puerto Rican and Spanish LPs in order to listen to these at odd times. Unknowingly, Phil instilled some of his musical influence on little Roberto as he also became enmeshed in the music field later as an adult. But the latin influence is keenly perceptible in most, if not all, of Spector's recordings. Session bassist Carole Kaye plays the haunting son montuno in "You've Lost..." while the same repeating refrain is played on harpsichord by keyboardist Larry Knechtel.

Eccentricity

Spector has descended into many conflicts with the artists, songwriters, and promoters that he worked with. Stories include his discharging a firearm while in the studio with John Lennon during the recording of his cover album Rock 'n' Roll and placing a loaded pistol at Leonard Cohen's head during the sessions for Death of a Ladies' Man (1977). Dee Dee Ramone also reported that Spector threatened his bandmates during their recording sessions with The Ramones, going so far as to make Dee Dee play bass at gunpoint.

Shortly after Lester Sill's departure from Philles Records, Spector wrote, and had The Crystals record, a single entitled "(Let's Dance) The Screw". Six minutes long and completely lacking Spector's customary Wall of Sound production techniques, "The Screw" was neither releasable (by 1963 music industry standards) nor intended for general release. Indeed, only a handful of copies of the single were pressed, one of which Spector had delivered to Sill as a parting shot at his former partner. (Legend has it that the recording of "The Screw" served a second purpose: to cheat Sill out of royalties due him from sales of the next Philles recording. However, this claim has never been verified.) [1]

Phil and Ronnie Spector divorced in 1974. In 2000, Ronnie Spector successfully sued him for over $2 million for breach of contract over unpaid royalties to the Ronettes.

Murder charges

On February 3, 2003, Spector was arrested for murder after the body of 40-year-old starlet Lana Clarkson of Los Angeles was found at his faux-castle mansion (called Pyrenees Castle) in Alhambra, California. Police responded to a 9-1-1 phone call from one of Spector's neighbors and discovered Clarkson, who had been shot and was pronounced dead at the scene. On November 20, 2003, Spector was indicted for Clarkson's murder.

Four weeks prior to the death of Clarkson, Spector had admitted in an interview with the British Daily Telegraph that he suffers from bipolar disorder and that he considered himself "relatively insane".

In September 2004 he was ordered to stand trial in Los Angeles.

On October 28, 2005, a judge ruled that potentially damning statements Spector allegedly made to police may be used against him at trial. Spector's lawyers had sought to suppress an apparent statement made by Spector after Clarkson was found dead. Spector allegedly said, "I didn't mean to shoot her." His lawyer argued that comments attributed to the music producer should be thrown out because he was suffering from prescription-drug withdrawal symptoms at the time. The judge has also ruled that transcripts from a deposition taken of Spector several months before Clarkson's death may also be introduced by the prosecution at trial.

So far Spector has gone through three attorneys. Defense attorney Robert Shapiro represented Spector at his arraignment and early pretrial hearings, and arranged for his release on bail. He was later replaced by Leslie Abramson and Marcia Morrissey. They, in turn, were later replaced by Bruce Cutler, the former lawyer of John Gotti. Spector is also involved in a civil suit against Shapiro, who refused to return his $1 million retainer.

Phil Spector, currently free on $1 million bail, had been scheduled to stand trial on April 24, 2006. It was announced April 25, 2006 that due to scheduling conflicts, the judge involved has postponed the date of the trial until January 16, 2007. Spector additionally faces a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Lana Clarkson's mother, Donna Clarkson, but it won't go ahead until after the criminal trial proceedings.

Hit records produced or co-produced by Phil Spector

• “To Know Him, Is to Love Him,” Teddy Bears (12/01/58, #1)
• “I Don’t Need You Anymore,” Teddy Bears (2/16/59, #91)
• “Oh Why,” Teddy Bears (3/16/59, #98)
• “Corrina, Corrina,” Ray Peterson (1/09/61, #9)
• “Be My Boy,” Paris Sisters (5/15/61, #56)
• “Pretty Little Angel Eyes,” Curtis Lee (8/07/61, #7)
• “Every Breath I Take,” Gene Pitney (9/11/61, #42)
• “I Love How You Love Me,” Paris Sisters (10/30/61, #5)
• “Under The Moon of Love,” Curtis Lee (11/27/61, #46)
• “There’s No Other (Like My Baby),” Crystals (1/06/62, #20)
• “I Could Have Loved You So Well,” Ray Peterson (1/27/62, #57)
• “He Knows I Love Him Too Much,” Paris Sisters (3/10/62, #34)
• “Uptown,” Crystals (5/26/62, #13)
• “Let Me Be the One,” Paris Sisters (5/26/62, #87)
• “Second Hand Love,” Connie Francis (6/09/62, #7)
• “He’s a Rebel,” Crystals (11/03/62, #1)
• “Zip-a-dee Doo-dah,” Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans (1/12/63, #8)
• “He’s Sure the Boy I Love,” Crystals (2/16/63, #11)
• “Puddin N’ Tain (Ask Me Again, I’ll Tell You the Same),” Alley Cats (2/16/63, #43)
• “Why Do Lovers Break Each Other’s Hearts,” Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans (3/30/63, #38)
• “(Today I Met) The Boy I’m Gonna Marry,” Darlene Love (5/11/63, #39)
• “Da Doo Ron Ron,” Crystals (6/08/63, #3)
• “Not Too Young to Get Married,” Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans (7/13/63, #63)
• “Wait ’Til My Bobby Gets Home,” Darlene Love (9/07/63, #26)
• “Then He Kissed Me,” Crystals (9/14/63, #6)
• “Be My Baby,” Ronettes (10/12/63, #2)
• “A Fine Fine Boy,” Darlene Love (11/23/63, #53)
• “Baby, I Love You,” Ronettes (2/01/64, #24)
• “Little Boy,” Crystals (2/08/64, #92)
• “(The Best Part of) Breakin’ Up,” Ronettes (5/16/64, #39)
• “Do I Love You?,” Ronettes (8/01/64, #34)
• “All Grown Up,” Crystals (8/01/64, #98)
• “Walking In the Rain,” Ronettes (12/05/64, #23)
• “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” Righteous Brothers (2/06/65, #1)
• “Born to Be Together,” Ronettes (3/06/65, #52)
• “Just Once in My Life,” Righteous Brothers (5/15/65, #9)
• “Is This What I Get for Loving You?,” Ronettes (6/12/65, #75)
• “Hung on You” Righteous Brothers (8/21/65, #47)
• “Unchained Melody” Righteous Brothers (8/28/65, #4)
• “Ebb Tide,” Righteous Brothers (1/08/66, #5)
• “River Deep - Mountain High,” Ike and Tina Turner (6/18/66, #88)
• “Love Is All I Have to Give,” Checkmates, Ltd. (5/03/69, #65)
• “Black Pearl,” Sonny Charles and the Checkmates, Ltd. (7/05/69, #13)
• “Proud Mary,” Checkmates, Ltd. (11/01/69, #69)
• “Instant Karma (We All Shine On),” John Ono Lennon (3/28/70, #3)
• “The Long and Winding Road” / “For You Blue,” Beatles (6/13/70, #1)
• “My Sweet Lord” / “Isn’t It a Pity,” George Harrison (12/26/70, #1)
• “Mother,” John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band (1/20/71, #43)
• “What Is Life,” George Harrison (3/27/71, #10)
• “Power to the People,” John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band (5/15/71, #11)
• “Try Some, Buy Some” Ronnie Spector (5/22/71, #77)
• “Bangla-Desh” / “Deep Blue,” George Harrison (9/11/71, #23)
• “Imagine,” John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band (11/13/71, #3)
• “Woman Is the Nigger of the World,” John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band with Elephants Memory (6/10/72, #57)
• "The Beatles' Movie Medley," Beatles (5/08/82, #12)
• “Jealous Guy,” John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band (10/22/88, #80)
• “Unchained Melody,” Righteous Brothers (reissue) (10/20/90, #13)

Selected discography

• Back to Mono (1958-1969), a 4-CD box set encompassing all of Spector's important work of that period, including 1963's A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector in its entirety.

Further reading

• He's a Rebel: The Truth About Phil Spector – Rock and Roll's Legendary Madman, by Mark Ribowsky (biography). ISBN 0-306-81471-4.
• "The First Tycoon of Teen", Tom Wolfe (magazine article reprinted in The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby, ISBN 0-553-38058-3, and in the Back to Mono liner notes.)
• Out of His Head, by Richard Williams (biography). ISBN 0-7119-9864-7
• Wall of Pain: The Biography of Phil Spector, by Dave Thompson. ISBN 1-86074-543-1

See also

• Joe Meek – British music producer and contemporary of Spector's, who like Spector was immensely gifted, influential, and tragically eccentric.

External links

• Music related:
  • Phil Spector at the All Music Guide
  • A select guide to Phil Spector compact discs
  • Snopes article: "(Let's Dance) The Screw"
• Legal related:
  • Tabloid Column news about Phil Spector
  • Search warrant and affidavit at The Smoking Gun.