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Phil Spector | |
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 Spector in 1965 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Harvey Philip Spector (1939-12-26)December 26, 1939 New York City, U.S. |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | January 16, 2021(2021-01-16) (aged 81) French Camp, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Works | |
| Years active | 1958–2009 |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of |
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Spouses | |
| Partner | Janis Zavala (1980s) |
| Children | 5 |
| Website | philspector |
Harvey Philip Spector (December 26, 1939 – January 16, 2021) was an American record producer who is known for pioneering recording practices in the 1960s, and for being tried andimprisoned for murder in 2009. Spector developed theWall of Sound, a production technique involving a denselytextured sound created through layeringtone colors, resulting in acompression[1] andchorusing effect not replicable through electronic means.[2] Considered the firstauteur of the music industry,[3]: 23 he is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures inpop music history[4][5] and one of the most successful producers of the 1960s.[6]: 1
Born inthe Bronx, Spector relocated to Los Angeles as a teenager and co-foundedthe Teddy Bears in 1958, writing their chart-topping single "To Know Him Is to Love Him". Mentored byJerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, by 1960, he co-establishedPhilles Records, becoming the youngest U.S. label owner at the time.[7] Dubbed the "First Tycoon of Teen",[3]: 5 [8] he exerted unprecedented control over recording sessions, collaborating with arrangerJack Nitzsche and engineerLarry Levine. His studio band, later known asthe Wrecking Crew, rose to industry prominence through his success with acts likethe Ronettes,the Crystals, andIke & Tina Turner. In the early 1970s, he producedthe Beatles'Let It Be and numerous other albums byJohn Lennon andGeorge Harrison. By 1980, following one-off productions forDion DiMucci (Born to Be with You),Leonard Cohen (Death of a Ladies' Man), and theRamones (End of the Century), Spector entered a period of semi-retirement.[9] He had produced eighteen U.S. Top 10 singles, including number-ones bythe Righteous Brothers ("You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"), the Beatles ("The Long and Winding Road"), and Harrison ("My Sweet Lord").
Spector influenced the role of thestudio as an instrument,[10]: 38 the integration ofpop art aesthetics into music (art pop),[11] and theart rock[3]: 25 anddream pop music genres.[12] His honors include the 1973Grammy Award for Album of the Year (for co-producing Harrison'sConcert for Bangladesh), a 1989 induction into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame, and a 1997 induction into theSongwriters Hall of Fame.[13] In 2004, Spector was ranked number 63 onRolling Stone's list of thegreatest artists in history.[14]
After the 1980s, Spector remained largely inactive amid a lifestyle of seclusion, drug use, and increasingly erratic behavior.[15] In 2009, he wasconvicted of murdering actressLana Clarkson in 2003 and sentenced to 19 years to life in prison, where he died in 2021.
Harvey Philip Spector[16] was born on December 26, 1939.[17]: 10 [nb 1] His was a first-generation immigrantRussian-Jewish family inthe Bronx, New York City.[6]: 12–14 [3]: 27 His mother Bertha had been born in France to Russian migrants George and Clara Spektor, who brought her to the United States in 1911 aged 9 months,[6]: 14 while his father Benjamin was born as Baruch in theRussian Empire to George and Bessie Spektus or Spektres, and brought to the United States by his parents in 1913 aged 10.[6]: 13 Both familiesanglicized their last names to "Spector" on theirnaturalization papers, both of which were witnessed by the same man, Isidore Spector.[6]: 14 The similarities in name and background of the grandfathers led Spector to believe that his parents were first cousins. He had a sister named Shirley, who was six years his senior; she died in 2004 inHemet, California, at the age of 70.[6]: 12
In April 1949, Spector's father, who was deeply in debt, died by suicide; on his gravestone were inscribed the words "Ben Spector. Father. Husband. To Know Him Was To Love Him".[17]: 12 [6]: 17 In 1953, Spector's mother moved the family to Los Angeles where she found work as a seamstress.[17]: 13 Spector attended John Burroughs Junior High School (now John Burroughs Middle School) on Wilshire Boulevard, then in 1955 attendedFairfax High School.[6]: 19 Having learned to play guitar, Spector performed "Rock Island Line" in a talent show at Fairfax High.[18]: {28 He joined a loose-knit community of aspiring musicians, includingLou Adler,Bruce Johnston,Steve Douglas, andSandy Nelson.[19] Spector formed a group,the Teddy Bears, with Nelson and three other friends,Marshall Leib, Harvey Goldstein andAnnette Kleinbard.[6]: 37 [17]: 26
During this period, record producer Stan Ross—co-owner ofGold Star Studios inHollywood—began to tutor Spector in record production and exerted a major influence on Spector's production style. In 1958, the Teddy Bears recorded the Spector-penned "Don't You Worry My Little Pet", and then signed a two to three singles recording deal withEra Records, with the promise of more if the singles did well.[6]: 37 [17]: 26
At their next session, they recorded another song Spector had written—this one inspired by theepitaph on Spector's father's tombstone. Released onEra's subsidiary label, Dore Records, "To Know Him Is to Love Him" reached number one onBillboard Hot 100 singles chart on December 1, 1958, selling over a million copies by year's end.[20] Following the success of their debut, the group signed withImperial Records.[6]: 44, 48 Their next single, "I Don't Need You Anymore", reached number 91. They released several more recordings, including an album,The Teddy Bears Sing!, but failed to reach the top 100 in US sales. The group disbanded in 1959.[20]
While recording the Teddy Bears' album, Spector metLester Sill, a former promotion man who was a mentor toJerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.[6]: 55 Sill and his partner,Lee Hazlewood supported Spector's next project, the Spectors Three.[21] In 1960, Sill arranged for Spector to work as an apprentice to Leiber and Stoller in New York.[6]: 55 Spector co-wrote theBen E. King Top 10 hit "Spanish Harlem" with Leiber and also worked as a session musician, playing the guitar solo onthe Drifters' song "On Broadway".[18]: 58, 98
Spector's first true recording artist and project as producer was Ronnie Crawford.[22] Spector's production work during this time included releases byLaVern Baker,Ruth Brown, and Billy Storm, as well as the Top Notes' original recording of "Twist and Shout".[23]: 286–88 Leiber and Stoller recommended Spector to produceRay Peterson's "Corrine, Corrina", which reached number 9 in January 1961. Later, he produced another major hit forCurtis Lee, "Pretty Little Angel Eyes", which made it to number 7. Returning to Hollywood, Spector agreed to produce one of Sill's acts. After bothLiberty Records andCapitol Records turned down the master of "Be My Boy" bythe Paris Sisters, Sill formed a new label,Gregmark Records, withLee Hazlewood, and released it. It reached only number 56, but the follow-up, "I Love How You Love Me", was a hit, reaching number 5.[24]
In late 1961, Spector formed a record company with Sill, who by this time had ended his business partnership with Hazlewood.Philles Records combined the first names of its two founders.[6]: 86 Through Hill and Range Publishers, Spector found three groups he wanted to produce: the Ducanes, the Creations, andthe Crystals. The first two signed with other companies, but Spector managed to secure the Crystals for his new label. Their first single, "There's No Other (Like My Baby)" was a success, hitting number 20. Their next release, "Uptown", made it to number 13.[25]
Spector continued to work freelance with other artists. In 1962, he produced "Second Hand Love" byConnie Francis, which reached number 7.[18]: 79 Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic paired Spector with futureBroadway starJean DuShon for "Talk to Me", theB-side of which was "Tired of Trying", written by DuShon.[26]
In 1962, Spector briefly took a job as anA&R producer for Liberty Records.[27] It was while working at Liberty that he heard a song written byGene Pitney, for whom he had produced a number 41 hit, "Every Breath I Take", a year earlier. "He's a Rebel" was due to be released on Liberty byVikki Carr, but Spector rushed into Gold Star Studios and recorded a cover version usingDarlene Love and the Blossoms on lead vocals. The record was released on Philles, attributed to the Crystals, and quickly rose to the top of the charts.
By the time "He's a Rebel" went to number 1, Lester Sill was out of the company, and Spector had Philles all to himself. He created a new act,Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans, featuring Darlene Love, Fanita James (a member of the Blossoms), and Bobby Sheen, a singer he had worked with at Liberty. The group had hits with "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" (number 8), "Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Heart" (number 38), and "Not Too Young to Get Married" (number 63). Spector also released solo material by Darlene Love in 1963. In the same year, he released "Be My Baby" bythe Ronettes, which went to number 2.
The first time Spector put the same amount of effort into an LP as he did into45s was when he utilized the full Philles roster and the Wrecking Crew to make what he felt would become a hit for the 1963 Christmas season.A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records was released a few days after theassassination of President Kennedy in November 1963.[28]
On September 28, 1963, the Ronettes appeared at theCow Palace, near San Francisco. Also on the bill were theRighteous Brothers. Spector, who was conducting the band for all the acts, was so impressed withBill Medley andBobby Hatfield that he bought their contract fromMoonglow Records and signed them to Philles. In early 1965, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" became the label's second number 1 single. Three more major hits with the duo followed: "Just Once in My Life" (number 9), "Unchained Melody" (number 4, originally the B-side of "Hung on You"), and "Ebb Tide" (number 5). Despite having hits, he lost interest in producing the Righteous Brothers and sold their contract and all their master recordings toVerve Records. However, the sound of the Righteous Brothers' singles was so distinctive that the act chose to replicate it after leaving Spector, notching a second number 1 hit in 1966 with theBill Medley–produced "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration".[29]
During this period, Spector formed another subsidiary label,Phi-Dan Records, partly created to keeppromoter Danny Davis occupied. The label released singles by artists includingBetty Willis,the Lovelites, andthe Ikettes. None of the recordings on Phi-Dan were produced by Spector.[6]: 184
The recording of "Unchained Melody", credited on some releases as a Spector production although Medley has consistently said he produced it originally as an album track,[30] had a second wave of popularity 25 years after its initial release, when it was featured prominently in the 1990 hit movieGhost. A re-release of the single re-charted on theBillboardHot 100, and went to number one on theAdult Contemporary charts. This also put Spector back on the U.S. Top 40 charts for the first time since his last appearance in 1971 withJohn Lennon's "Imagine", though he did have UK top 40 hits in the interim with theRamones.[31]
Spector's final signing to Philles was the husband-and-wife team ofIke & Tina Turner in April 1966.[32][33] Spector considered their single "River Deep – Mountain High" his best work,[34] but it failed to reach any higher than number 88 in the United States. The record, which actually featuredTina Turner withoutIke Turner, was successful in Britain, reaching number 3.
Spector released another single by Ike & Tina Turner, "I'll Never Need More Than This", while negotiating a deal to move Philles toA&M Records in 1967.[35] The deal did not materialize,[36] and Spector subsequently lost enthusiasm for his label and the recording industry. Already something of arecluse, he withdrew temporarily from the public eye, marryingVeronica "Ronnie" Bennett, lead singer of the Ronettes, in 1968. Spector emerged briefly for a cameo as himself in an episode ofI Dream of Jeannie (1967) and as a drug dealer in the filmEasy Rider (1969).[3]: 128–137
In 1969, Spector made a brief return to the music business by signing a production deal withA&M Records. A Ronettes single, "You Came, You Saw, You Conquered" flopped, but Spector returned to the Hot 100 with "Black Pearl", bySonny Charles and theCheckmates, Ltd., which reached number 13.[37]
In early 1970,Allen Klein, the new manager ofthe Beatles, brought Spector to England.[38]: 137 After impressing with his production ofJohn Lennon's solo single "Instant Karma!", which went to number 3,[23]: 2252 Spector was invited by Lennon andGeorge Harrison to take on the task of turning the Beatles' abandonedLet It Be recording sessions into a usable album.[39]: 136–137 He went to work using many of his production techniques, making significant changes to the arrangements and sound of some songs.[40] Released a month after the Beatles' break-up, the album topped the U.S. and UK charts. It also yielded the number 1 U.S. single "The Long and Winding Road".[6]: 254–255 Spector's overdubbing of "The Long and Winding Road" infuriated its composer,Paul McCartney.[40] In addition to McCartney, several music critics also criticized Spector's work onLet It Be. Spector claimed this was partly due to resentment that an American producer appeared to be "taking over" such a popular English band.[6]: 254–255 Lennon defended Spector, tellingJann Wenner ofRolling Stone: "he was given the shittiest load of badly recorded shit, with a lousy feeling toward it, ever. And he made something out of it. He did a great job."[41]
For Harrison's multiplatinum albumAll Things Must Pass (number 1, 1970), Spector helped provide a symphonic ambience,[42] although his health issues meant that after recording the basic tracks, he was absent from the project until the mixing stage.[43]: 427
Rolling Stone's reviewer lauded the album's sound, calling it "Wagnerian,Brucknerian, the music of mountain tops and vast horizons".[38]: 142 The triple LP yielded two major hits:[44]: 157–158 "My Sweet Lord" (number 1) and "What Is Life" (number 10). That same year, Spector co-produced Lennon'sPlastic Ono Band (number 6), a stark-sounding album devoid of any Wall of Sound extravagance.[23]: 2256 Through Harrison, he also produced the debut single byDerek and the Dominos, "Tell the Truth", but the band disliked the sound and had the record withdrawn.[23]: 257
Spector was made head of A&R forApple Records.[23]: 256 He held the post for only a year, during which he co-produced Lennon's 1971 single "Power to the People" (number 11) and his chart-topping albumImagine. The album'stitle track hit number 3. With Harrison, Spector co-produced Harrison's "Bangla Desh" (number 23)—rock's firstcharity single[44]: 158–159 —and wife Ronnie Spector's "Try Some, Buy Some" (number 77).[45]: 342 The latter was recorded for Ronnie's intended solo album on Apple Records, a project that stalled due to the same erratic, alcohol-fueled behavior from Spector that had hindered work onAll Things Must Pass.[45]: 342 [43]: 427, 434 Spector was convinced that the Harrison-written single would be a major hit,[3]: 162 and its poor commercial performance was one of the biggest disappointments of his career.[46][nb 2]
That same year Spector oversaw the live recording of the Harrison-organizedConcert for Bangladesh shows in New York City, which resulted in the number 1 triple albumThe Concert for Bangladesh.[3]: 163 The album won the "Album of the Year" award at the 1973Grammys. Despite being recorded live, Spector used up to 44 microphones simultaneously to create his trademark Wall of Sound.[49][50] Following Harrison's death in 2001, Spector said that the most creative period of his career was when he worked with Lennon and Harrison in the early 1970s, and he believed that this was true of Lennon and Harrison also, despite their achievements with the Beatles.[51]
Lennon retained Spector for the 1971 Christmas single "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" and the poorly reviewed 1972 albumSome Time in New York City (number 48), both collaborations withYoko Ono. In late 1972, Apple reissued Spector'sA Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records (asPhil Spector's Christmas Album),[45]: 342 bringing the recordings the commercial success and critical recognition that had originally eluded the 1963 release.[3]: 166 Lennon and Ono's "Happy Xmas" single similarly stalled in sales upon its initial release, but later became a fixture on radio station playlists around Christmas.[45]: 62
Harrison and Spector started work on Harrison'sLiving in the Material World album in October 1972, but Spector's unreliability soon led to Harrison dismissing him from the project.[45]: 254 Harrison recalled having to climb down into Spector's central London hotel room from the roof to get him to attend the sessions, and that his co-producer would then need "eighteen cherry brandies before he could get himself down to the studio".[52][nb 3]
In late 1973, Spector produced the initial recording sessions for what became Lennon's 1975 covers albumRock 'n' Roll (number 6).[38]: 175, 195 The sessions were held in Los Angeles, with Lennon allowing Spector free rein as producer for the first time,[38]: 175 but were characterized by substance abuse and chaotic arrangements.[53]: 210–211 Amid the party atmosphere, Spector brandished his handguns and at one point fired a shot while Lennon was recording.[43]: 90 [nb 4] In December, Lennon and Spector abandoned the collaboration.[43]: 91 Since the studio time had been booked by his production company, Spector withheld the tapes until June the following year, when Lennon reimbursed him throughCapitol Records.[45]: 98
As the 1970s progressed, Spector became increasingly reclusive. The most probable and significant reason for his withdrawal, according to biographerDave Thompson, was that in 1974 he was almost killed when he was thrown through the windshield of his car in a crash inHollywood.[54] He was admitted to theUCLA Medical Center on the night of March 31, suffering serious head injuries that required several hours of surgery, with over 300 stitches to his face and more than 400 to the back of his head.[55] His head injuries, Thompson suggests, were the reason that Spector began his habit of wearing outlandishwigs in later years.[56]
He established theWarner-Spector label withWarner Bros. Records, which undertook new Spector-produced recordings withCher, Darlene Love, Danny Potter, and Jerri Bo Keno, in addition to several reissues. A similar relationship with Britain'sPolydor Records led to the formation of the Phil Spector International label in 1975. When the Cher and Keno singles (the latter's recordings were only issued in Germany) foundered on the charts, Spector releasedDion DiMucci'sBorn to Be with You to little commercial fanfare in 1975; largely produced and recorded by Spector in 1974, it was subsequently disowned by the singer. In the 1990s and 2000s, the album enjoyed a resurgence among theindie rock cognoscenti.[57]
Spector began to reemerge later in the decade, producing and co-writing a controversial 1977 album byLeonard Cohen, titledDeath of a Ladies' Man. This angered many devout Cohen fans who preferred his stark acoustic sound to the orchestral and choral wall of sound that the album contains. The recording was fraught with difficulty. After Cohen had laid down practice vocal tracks, Spector mixed the album in studio sessions, rather than allowing Cohen to take a role in the mixing, as Cohen had previously done.[55] Cohen remarked that the result is "grotesque", but also "semi-virtuous"—for many years, he included a reworked version of the track "Memories" in live concerts.Bob Dylan andAllen Ginsberg also participated in the background vocals on "Don't Go Home with Your Hard-On".[58]
Spector also produced the much-publicizedRamones albumEnd of the Century in 1979. As with his work with Leonard Cohen,End of the Century received criticism from Ramones fans who were angered over its radio-friendly sound. However, it proved to be their highest-charting album, peaking at number 44 on theBillboard Hot 200. The album contains some of the band's best known and most successful Ramones singles, such as "Rock 'n' Roll High School", "Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?", and their cover of a previously released Spector song for the Ronettes, "Baby, I Love You".[3]: 180–182 [nb 5] GuitaristJohnny Ramone later commented on working with Spector on the recording of the album, "It really worked when he got to a slower song like "Danny Says"—the production really worked tremendously. For the harder stuff, it didn't work as well."[59]
Rumors circulated for years that Spector had threatened members of the Ramones with a gun during the sessions.Dee Dee Ramone claimed that Spector once pulled a gun on him when he tried to leave a session.[60] DrummerMarky Ramone recalled in 2008, "They [guns] were there but he had a license to carry. He never held us hostage. We could have left at any time."[61][62]
Spector remained inactive throughout most of the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. In early 1981, shortly after the death of John Lennon, he temporarily re-emerged to co-produceYoko Ono'sSeason of Glass.[63]
In 1989, Tina Turner inducted Spector into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer.[64]Rolling Stone reported, "Spector hit the stage bopping madly to the strains of the Ronettes' "Be My Baby", flanked by three beefy bodyguards who practically elbowed Tina out of the way. He mumbled a few incoherent words aboutGeorge H. W. Bush and thepresidential inauguration, and then his bodyguards carried him away again."[65] He was inducted into theSongwriters Hall of Fame in 1997 and he received theGrammy Trustees Award in 2000.[13][66]
In 1994, Spector wrote a letter to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's nominating committee to opposethe Ronettes being considered for induction. He argued that the group was not a proper recording act and did not contribute enough to music to merit an induction.[67] The Ronettes were eventually inducted into the Hall, but not until 2007.[67]
He attempted to work withCéline Dion on her albumFalling into You but fell out with her production team.[68] His last released project wasSilence Is Easy byStarsailor, in 2003. He was originally supposed to produce the entire album, but was fired owing to personal and creative differences. One of the two Spector-produced songs on the album,the title track, was a UK top 10 single (the other single being "White Dove").[69]
On February 3, 2003, Spector shot actressLana Clarkson in the mouth while in his mansion (the Pyrenees Castle) inAlhambra, California. Her body was found slumped in a chair with a single gunshot wound to her mouth.[70] Spector toldEsquire in July 2003 that Clarkson's death was an "accidental suicide" and that she "kissed the gun".[71] The emergency call from Spector's home, made by Spector's driver, Adriano de Souza, quotes Spector as saying, "I think I killed somebody."[71] De Souza added that he saw Spector come out of the back door of the house with a gun in his hand.[71]
Spector remained free on $1-million bail while awaiting trial.[72] In the meantime, Spector produced singer-songwriter Hargo Khalsa's track (known professionally as Hargo) "Crying for John Lennon", which originally appears on Hargo's 2006 albumIn Your Eyes.[73] On a visit to Spector's mansion for an interview for the Lennon tribute filmStrawberry Fields, Hargo played Spector the song and asked him to produce it.[74]
On March 19, 2007, Spector's murder trial began. Presiding Judge Larry Paul Fidler allowed the proceedings in Los AngelesSuperior Court to be televised.[72] On September 26, Fidler declared amistrial because of ahung jury (ten to two for conviction).[75][76]
Released in December 2007, the song "B Boy Baby" byMutya Buena andAmy Winehouse featured melodic and lyrical passages heavily influenced by "Be My Baby". As a result, Spector was given a songwriting credit on the single. The sections from "Be My Baby" were sung by Winehouse, not sampled from the mono single.[77] Winehouse referenced her admiration of Spector's work and often performed Spector's first hit song, "To Know Him Is to Love Him".[78] That same month, Spector attended the funeral ofIke Turner. In his eulogy, Spector criticizedTina Turner's autobiographyI, Tina—and its subsequent promotion byOprah Winfrey—as a "badly written" book that "demonized and vilified Ike". Spector commented that "Ike made Tina the jewel she was. When I went to see Ike play at the Cinegrill in the '90s ... there were at least five Tina Turners on the stage performing that night, and any one of them could have been the real Tina Turner."[79]
In mid-April 2008,BBC Two broadcast a special titledPhil Spector: The Agony and the Ecstasy, byVikram Jayanti. It consists of Spector's first screen interview—breaking a long period of media silence. During the conversation, images from the murder court case are juxtaposed with live appearances of his tracks on television programs from the 1960s and 1970s, along with subtitles giving critical interpretations of some of his song production values. While he does not directly try to clear his name, the court case proceedings shown try to give further explanation of the facts surrounding the murder charges leveled against him. He also speaks about the musical instincts that led him to create some of his most enduring hit records, from "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" to "River Deep, Mountain High", as well asLet It Be, along with criticisms he feels he has had to deal with throughout his life.[80]
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The retrial of Spector formurder in the second degree began on October 20, 2008,[81] with Judge Fidler again presiding; the retrial was not televised. Spector was once again represented by attorney Jennifer Lee Barringer.[82] The case went to the jury on March 26, 2009, and 18 days later, on April 13, the jury returned a guilty verdict.[83][84] Additionally, Spector was found guilty of using a firearm in the commission of a crime, which added four years to the sentence.[85]
He was immediately taken into custody and, on May 29, 2009, was sentenced to 19 years to life in theCalifornia state prison system.[86][87][88][89] Various attempted appeals—in 2011, 2012, and 2016—were unsuccessful.[90][91][92]
Spector's early musical influences includedLatin music in general, andLatin percussion in particular.[93] This is perceptible in many if not all of Spector's recordings, from the percussion in many of his hit songs: shakers, güiros (gourds), andmaracas in "Be My Baby" and theson montuno in "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" (heard clearly in the song's bridge, played by session bassistCarol Kaye, while the same repeating refrain is played on harpsichord byLarry Knechtel).
Spector's trademark during his recording career was the so-calledWall of Sound, a production technique yielding a dense, layered effect that reproduced well onAM radio andjukeboxes. To attain this signature sound, Spector gathered large groups of musicians (playing some instruments not generally used for ensemble playing, such aselectric andacoustic guitars) playing orchestrated parts—often doubling and tripling many instruments playing inunison—for a fuller sound. Spector himself called his technique "aWagnerian approach to rock & roll: little symphonies for the kids".[94]
Spector directed the overall sound of his recordings, using a core group that became known asthe Wrecking Crew, including session players such asHal Blaine,Larry Knechtel,Steve Douglas,Carol Kaye,Roy Caton,Glen Campbell, andLeon Russell. He delegated arrangements toJack Nitzsche and hadSonny Bono oversee the performances, viewing these two as his "lieutenants".[95] Spector frequently used songs from songwriters employed at theBrill Building (Trio Music) and at 1650 Broadway (Aldon Music), such as the teams ofEllie Greenwich andJeff Barry,Barry Mann andCynthia Weil, andGerry Goffin andCarole King. He often worked with the songwriters, receiving co-credit and publishing royalties for compositions.[96]
Despite the trend towards multichannel recording, Spector was vehemently opposed tostereo releases, saying that it took control of the record's sound away from the producer in favor of the listener.[97] Sometimes a pair of strings or horns would be double-tracked multiple times to sound like an entire string or horn section. But in the final product the background sometimes could not be distinguished as either horns or strings. Spector also greatly preferred singles to albums, describingLPs as "two hits and ten pieces of junk", reflecting both his commercial methods and those of many other producers at the time.[6]: 184–185 [better source needed]
According to guitaristStevie Van Zandt of theE Street Band, Spector was a "genius irredeemably conflicted". On Twitter, he wrote: "[Spector] was the ultimate example of the art always being better than the artist... [He] made some of the greatest records in history based on the salvation of love while remaining incapable of giving or receiving love his whole life."[98]
Spector is often called the firstauteur among musical artists[10]: 38 [99]: 103 for acting not only as a producer, but also the creative director, writing or choosing the material, supervising the arrangements, conducting the vocalists andsession musicians, and masterminding all phases of the recording process.[3]: 23 He helped pave the way forart rock,[3]: 25 and helped inspire the emergence of aesthetically oriented genres such asshoegaze[10]: 38 andnoise music.[10]: 158 PopMatters editor John Bergstrom credits the start ofdream pop to Spector's collaboration with George Harrison onAll Things Must Pass.[100]
His influence has been claimed by performers such asthe Beatles,the Beach Boys,[10]: 39 andthe Velvet Underground[101] alongside latter-day record producers such asBrian Eno andTony Visconti.[102][103]Alternative rock performersCocteau Twins,[104]My Bloody Valentine,[10]: 39 andthe Jesus and Mary Chain[10]: 39 have all cited Spector as an influence.Shoegaze, a British musical movement in the late 1980s to mid-1990s, was heavily influenced by the Wall of Sound.Jason Pierce ofSpiritualized has cited Spector as a major influence on hisLet It Come Down album.[105]Bobby Gillespie ofPrimal Scream andthe Jesus and Mary Chain has enthused about Spector, with the song "Just Like Honey" opening with an homage of the famous "Be My Baby" drum intro.[106]
Many have tried to emulate Spector's methods, andBrian Wilson of the Beach Boys—a fellow adherent of mono recording—considered Spector his main competition as a studio artist. In the 1960s, Wilson thought of Spector as "the single most influential producer. He's timeless. He makes a milestone whenever he goes into the studio."[107] Wilson's fascination with Spector's work has persisted for decades, with many different references to Spector and his work scattered around Wilson's songs with the Beach Boys and even his solo career. Of Spector-related productions, Wilson has been involved with covers of "Be My Baby", "Chapel of Love", "Just Once in My Life", "There's No Other (Like My Baby)", "Then He Kissed Me", "Talk to Me", "Why Don't They Let Us Fall in Love", "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", "Da Doo Ron Ron", "I Can Hear Music", and "This Could Be the Night".[108]
Johnny Franz's mid-1960s productions forDusty Springfield andthe Walker Brothers also employed a layered, symphonic "Wall of Sound" arrangement-and-recording style, heavily influenced by the Spector sound.[109] Another example is the Forum, a studio project ofLes Baxter, which produced a minor hit in 1967 with "The River Is Wide".Sonny Bono, a former associate of Spector's, developed a jangly, guitar-laden variation on the Spector sound, which is heard mainly in mid-1960s productions for his then-wifeCher, notably "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)".
Bruce Springsteen emulated the Wall of Sound technique in his recording of "Born to Run".[3]: 25 In 1973, the British bandWizzard, led byRoy Wood, had three Spector-influenced hits with "See My Baby Jive", "Angel Fingers (A Teen Ballad)", and "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday", the latter becoming a perennial Christmas hit.[3]: 25 Other contemporaries influenced by Spector includeGeorge Morton,Sonny & Cher,the Rolling Stones,the Four Tops,Mark Wirtz,the Lovin' Spoonful, andthe Beatles.[3]: 24 Swedish pop groupABBA cited Spector as an influence, and used similar Wall of Sound techniques in their early songs, including "Ring Ring", "Waterloo", and "Dancing Queen".[110] The Los Angeles-basednew wave bandWall of Voodoo takes their name from Spector's Wall of Sound.[111] Spector's influence is also felt in other areas of the world, especially Japan.City pop musicianEiichi Ohtaki has been influenced by Spector and the Wall of Sound.[112][113]
Spector's first marriage was in 1963 to Annette Merar, lead vocalist of the Spectors Three, a 1960s pop trio formed and produced by Spector. He named a record company after Merar, Annette Records.[114] Spector and Merar divorced in 1966.[3] While still married to Merar, he began having an affair with Ronnie Bennett, later known asRonnie Spector.[115] Bennett was the lead singer of the girl groupthe Ronettes (another group Spector managed and produced). They married in 1968 and adopted a son, Donté Phillip Spector.[116] As a Christmas present, Spector surprised her by adopting twins Louis Phillip Spector and Gary Phillip Spector.[116][117]
In her 1990 memoir,Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts And Madness, Bennett alleged that Spector had imprisoned her in his California mansion and subjected her to years of psychological torment. According to Bennett, Spector sabotaged her career by forbidding her to perform. She escaped from the mansion barefoot with the help of her mother in 1972.[117][118] In their 1974 divorce settlement, she forfeited all future record earnings and surrendered custody of their children. She alleged that this was because Spector threatened to hire ahitman to kill her.[119]
Spector's sons Gary and Donté both stated that their father "kept them captive" as children, and that they were "forced to perform simulated intercourse" with Spector's then-girlfriend. According to Gary, "I was blindfolded and sexually molested. Dad would say, 'You're going to meet someone,' and it would be a 'learning experience'."[120][121] Donté described himself as coming "from a very sick, twisted, dysfunctional family".[120]
In 1982, Spector had twin children with his girlfriend Janis Zavala: Nicole Audrey Spector and Phillip Spector Jr. Phillip Jr. died ofleukemia in 1991.[116][122] On September 1, 2006, while on bail and awaiting trial, Spector married his third wife Rachelle Short, who was 26 at the time (Spector was 67). Spector filed for divorce in April 2016, claimingirreconcilable differences.[123] They divorced in 2018.[124]
Spector testified in a 2005 court deposition that he had been treated forbipolar disorder for eight years, saying, "No sleep, depression, mood changes, mood swings, hard to live with, hard to concentrate, just hard—a hard time getting through life, I've been called a genius and I think a genius is not there all the time and has borderline insanity."[125]
In the first criminal trial for the Clarkson murder, defense expert andforensic pathologistVincent Di Maio said that Spector might be suffering fromParkinson's disease, stating, "Look at Mr. Spector. He has Parkinson's features. He trembles."[126]
California Department of Corrections photos from 2013 (released in September 2014) show evidence of a progressive deterioration in Spector's health, according to observers.[127][128] He had been an inmate at theCalifornia Health Care Facility (a prison hospital) inStockton since October 2013.[129] In September 2014, it was reported that Spector had lost his ability to speak, owing tolaryngeal papillomatosis.[129][130]
Spector was diagnosed withCOVID-19 in December 2020.[131] He was taken toSan Joaquin General Hospital inFrench Camp, California, on December 31, 2020, andintubated in January 2021.[131] He died in hospital on January 16 at the age of 81, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.[132][133][134][135] He would have been eligible for parole in 2024.[87] His daughter Nicole said that her father's death was caused by complications of COVID-19.
Some media outlets that reported on Spector's death were criticised for downplaying his murder conviction. The obituaries inThe New York Times andRolling Stone originally stated, respectively, that Spector's legacy "was marred by a murder conviction" and that his "life was upended" after being sentenced. These obituaries were revised following a social media backlash.[4]
Spector is one of a handful of producers to have number one records in three consecutive decades (1950s, 1960s and 1970s). Others in this group includeQuincy Jones (1960s, 1970s, and 1980s),George Martin (1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s),Michael Omartian (1970s, 1980s and 1990s),Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (1980s, 1990s, and 2000s), andMax Martin (1990s, 2000, 2010s, and 2020s).[145][146]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | George Harrison "My Sweet Lord" | Grammy Award for Record of the Year[66] | Nominated |
| 1972 | George HarrisonAll Things Must Pass | Grammy Award for Album of the Year[66] | Nominated |
| 1973 | George Harrison & FriendsThe Concert for Bangladesh | Grammy Award for Album of the Year[147] | Won |
| 1989 | Phil Spector | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame[64] | Inducted |
| 1997 | Phil Spector | Songwriter's Hall of Fame[13] | Inducted |
| 2000 | Phil Spector | Grammy Trustees Award[66] | Won |
Rankings
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rolling Stone | US | Greatest Artists of All Time | 2004, updated 2011 | 64 | [148] |
| The Washington Times | US | Greatest Record Producers of All Time | 2008 | 2 | [149] |
The music producer's conviction for the murder of Lana Clarkson in 2003 will not be overturned after court refuses to hear appeal ... The court let stand a California appeals court ruling last May that upheld Spector's conviction for the murder of Lana Clarkson in 2003. The court offered no comment on the case.
But while Spector made his mark as a revolutionary music producer, the stories of him waving guns at recording artists and being convicted of murder overshadowed his artistry.
Before he was transferred to a hospital, Spector had been an inmate at the California Health Care Facility in Stockton
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