Phil Spector and Darlene Love
"I'm feeling a range of different emotions right now. I feel a sigh of relief but emptiness too. Another chapter in my life has come to an end. A truly sad ending to a brilliant music pioneer. I will say, if it weren't for Phil, there would never be a Darlene Love." - Darlene Love
"It's a sad day for music and a sad day for me. When I was working with Phil Spector, watching him create in the recording studio, I knew I was working with the very best. He was in complete control, directing everyone. So much to love about those days. Meeting him and falling in love was like a fairytale. The magical music we were able to make together was inspired by our love. I loved him madly and gave my heart and soul to him. As I said many times while he was alive, he was a brilliant producer but a lousy husband. Unfortunately, Phil was not able to live and function outside of the recording studio. Darkness set in, many lives were damaged. I still smile whenever I hear the music we made together, and always will. The music will be forever." - Ronnie Spector
Consider the enormous grace of the two women above - two women who knew Phil Spector better than most and suffered abuse at his hands: in Love's case, of the financial kind, and in his ex-wife Ronnie's case, verbal and psychological assault. Yet, when eulogizing the late producer who died on Sunday at 81 after being transferred from his prison cell to a hospital, both offered kind words and warm memories about the musical legacy they shared. Harvey Phillip Spector was the stuff of rock and roll dreams until he became the stuff of rock and roll nightmares. At the time of his death (reportedly from complications due to COVID-19), the man who practically defined the concept of the modern-day music producer was serving 19 years to life for the 2003 murder of Lana Clarkson.
It's difficult - nay, impossible - to discuss the musical impact of Phil Spector without acknowledging the destructive and violent behavior that took the life of Lana Clarkson. His story is one of rampant ego, substance abuse, guns, money, and mental illness. How to reconcile that man with the joyous and innovative music he created? It's important to remember that the music of Phil Spector didn't - and doesn't - belong solely to him. The Wall of Sound was sculpted in equal measure by arrangers such as Jack Nitzsche and Arnold Goland; veteran session musicians including Hal Blaine, Carol Kaye, Glen Campbell, Steve Douglas, Barney Kessel, Larry Knechtel, Bill Pitman, Ray Pohlman, Leon Russell, Tommy Tedesco, and Nino Tempo; Gold Star Studios and its talented engineers, Larry Levine and Stan Ross; and the vocalists who soared above those dense, multi-tracked orchestrations, among them Ronnie, Darlene, Tina Turner, Bobby Sheen, La La Brooks, Bill Medley, and Bobby Hatfield. And where would the Wall of Sound have been if not for the songwriters who provided the raw material of Spector's grandiose, made-for-AM mono productions? Think of Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, and Peter Anders and Vini Poncia, to name a few. Their work has become part of the tapestry of all of our lives.
Close your eyes for a moment now. Think of Hal Blaine's thunderous drum phrase that inspired everyone from Brian Wilson to Billy Joel and The Jesus and Mary Chain, followed by Ronnie Spector's commanding wail of Whoa-oh, a-whoa-oh-oh-oh! Chances are the memory of those sounds take you back to a pivotal moment in your life. "Be My Baby" spoke directly to America's teenagers. The Ronettes, alternately vulnerable and defiant, were little more than girls when they began putting their voices to the "little symphonies for the kids" being crafted at Philles Records. These records were filled with ebullient abandon and devastating heartbreak, all in three minutes or less. They tapped into uncharted territory. Cole Porter and Irving Berlin weren't writing songs about teenagers. Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil were. They were barely out of their teen years themselves. The poignant songs they created at Philles Records were of a distinct time, but have since been recognized as timeless. Indeed, their universal emotions still ring true. These songs belong to all of them and to all of us.
In his later life, Phil Spector struggled to recapture the magic of those early years, battling mental illness and helming efforts by the collective and solo Beatles as well as Dion DiMucci, Leonard Cohen, Ramones, Yoko Ono, Starsailor, and the pairing of Cher and Harry Nilsson. His arrest followed decades of threats and abuse frequently aimed towards women and also at fellow artists such as Cohen and the Ramones.
It's difficult - perhaps impossible - to "separate the art from the artist." Phil Spector was a conduit through which some of the most significant and beautiful music of the latter half of the 20th century emerged. He also was a deeply troubled individual whose actions caused irrevocable damage and shattered lives. Our thoughts today are foremost with the family of Lana Clarkson. They're also with Ronnie Spector, Darlene Love, and the other inspiring talents with whom Phil Spector shared an association. Our sympathies, too, go to Phil Spector's family and children. One doesn't have to celebrate the man to delight in the innocence of "To Know Him Is to Love Him," the euphoria of "Pretty Little Angel Eyes," the exuberance of "Da Doo Ron Ron," the passion of "River Deep-Mountain High," the wistfulness of "Walking in the Rain," the anguish of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," the urgency of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," the wisdom of "All Things Must Pass," or the majesty of "The Long and Winding Road." If only life were as simple as any one of those so-called little symphonies.
Do you remember rock 'n' roll radio? If you do, you remember the artists, musicians, and songwriters who formed the bricks in the Wall of Sound. Their remarkable art can't be, and won't be, forgotten.
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Awesome tribute, capturing the dichotomy of his genius vs his madness, while pointing out the essential contributions of arrangers, composers, singers and musicians. Thanks!
Thank you, Steve.
Thanks for the homage to PS’s rich musical legacy.
It was a tough one to write, Earl, that's for sure.
I am truly sorry for the pain and abuse that Ronnie Spector, Darlene Love and others suffered from their time with Phil Spector. But I hope they can take comfort in the unending joy that those magical records bring to millions to this day.
I believe that they do, Kent. They're inspirational as artists and people.
The best summation I’ve read about him.
Thanks so much, Jim.
RIP Lana Clarkson.
Your best piece, Joe. Thanks.
Much appreciated, Ed.
Excellent piece. Congratulations!
Thank you, Ricardo.
Joe: That was a fantastic summation and as a proud Spector fan (was before the murder and after) I find it disturbing that people will try to diminish his achievements. Phil was obviously mentally ill, either from the drugs and booze, or the accident. I’m not saying that’s an excuse for what he did, but he did not get the help he needed. Honestly, he probably should’ve been locked up in a facility years before the murder, go figure, power, money and “yes men” lead to another tragedy. I too, feel bad for all involved and hope that he is at peace, finally now. He was brilliant at what he did musically and I will continue to celebrate that.
Thanks for the kind words, Brad.
I've been a fan of Phil Spector's work (especially the Ronettes) since I was 13 years old and have struggled at times keeping his musical accomplishments and his misdeeds compartmentalized. This piece has to be the best reconciliation of Spector and his music that I've ever read. My eyes actually teared up while reading it. Thank you for the insight and philosophy, which I will adopt from this time forward.
Many thanks for your very kind words, Charles. It means a lot that the piece resonated with you.
I guess that's there's always going to be the dilemma of "Should we enjoy and buy good music made by bad people?" and this is true whether it is the late Mr.Spector or other deceased musicians such as drummer John Bonham, and crooner Frank Sinatra or still-living performers such as singer/songwriter Chrissie Hynde.
There is no simple answer to this question. It could be said that music was the only redeeming quality that these people had. Or, as British folk singer Beverly Martyn once said and about her late ex-husband and music partner John Martyn , "Yes, much of his music was brilliant, but that doesn't excuse how he treated people."
Can torment,cruelty and madness inspire great art or music? I don't know. It is certainly not neccessary.
That's a tough one. Does great art transcend the artist? I've asked myself that a few times, especially recently with artists becoming more and more outspoken and offering their (often unasked for) opinions. Or does art come from elsewhere outside of them, being channeled? It's hard to say.
One thing I did read in the last few years was a biography of Freddie Mercury which had a quote by Simon Napier-Bell, who reckons every artist is somehow damaged, if you look for it.
--QUOTE--
"“Being an artist is a cry for help,” insists Simon Napier-Bell, the industry’s most infamous rock and pop manager, who should know: he wrote hits for Dusty Springfield, made household names of Marc Bolan, the Yardbirds, and Japan, invented Wham!, and transformed George Michael into a solo superstar. Simon never minces his words, especially not on this subject.
“All artists are terribly insecure people. They are desperate to be noticed. They are constantly seeking an audience. They are forced to be commercial, which they hate, but which I think makes their ‘art’ all the better. They all have the same story, too, which is key. Take Eric Clapton: when I first saw him, I thought, He isn’t an artist, he’s just a musician. In John Mayall’s band, he played with his back to the audience, he was so shy. But as he evolved, I saw that he was an artist. He had the missing father, a sister who was really his mother, a grandma he thought was his mum. Artists always have an abusive childhood—at least in terms of emotional deprivation. So they have this desperation to succeed, to get love and attention.
There is a certain psychological damage which runs through every one of them. I guarantee that if you look through their childhoods, you will find it. What else makes you so desperate to win applause and adulation? So desperate that you’ll lead a lousy life you can never really call your own? No normal person would ever want to be a star. Not for any money.”
--QUOTE--
Overrated. I find many of his records overproduced, particularly All thing must pass by a certain Beatle. Thanks god it's coming out this year de-spectorized. Have heard one of the remixes and it's SOOO much better. As for his criminal act, he's proof the rich can get away with murder. Literally. Any other regular Joe would get the death sentence.
Just seconding what others have said. This was a nuanced, skillfully poised tribute to a great artist who did awful things. It should serve as a model of balance and generosity for writers who want to acknowledge both the art and the artist's victims. Thank you.
there was only ONE phil spector.to know himis to love him.
even if he was a convicted murderer?
He maintained his innocence until the end. You weren’t there, I wasn’t there, it’s not for us to judge. There was definitely some conflicting evidence in that case, as it was tried twice. If I was a betting man, I would say it was some kind of kinky sex thing gone wrong, which would’ve been involuntary manslaughter but again the only two that REALLY know what happened are dead. You cannot deny the man’s influence and accomplishments.
not as a person but he did do something in music between 62 and 65 that hadnt been done before. independant label which sadly could not collect the money from the one stops that had sold the vinyl. the breaking up of lester sill and phil all this contributed to the demise of the label . .phil did it his way good or bad. and just look at the musicians he employed who went on to copy /steal his sound( sonny bono ) comes to mind. we werent there that night but it was well know he had a gun fixation.ask any one who worked with him.
Beautifully balanced, Joe. A very commendable take on a complex man and tortured soul. Lana was a wonderful and gracious girl, and I miss her most when I think of the evenings when I'd be at House Of Blues/Sunset Strip and just chatting with her after hours. Now the venue is gone, she is gone, and Phil is gone. Think I'll just close on that note and hold on to my memories.
Thank you for your kind, moving words as well as your beautiful memory of a beautiful soul gone far too soon. May you always hold those tight.