I’ve been reading a Phil Spector biography and naturally had to dig out his ‘Back To Mono’ box set from 1991 and give it another listen for the first time in quite a while.
His ‘Wall Of Sound’ production methods were groundbreaking and my first musical memory is hearing his girl groups on the radio, along with four young lads from Liverpool and a swivel-hipped young hound dog from America.
You couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to the world of music.
Has there ever been a more wonderful pop song than this piece of perfection?
It’s an absolute cracker. I love how the sound filtered through the pop sensibilities of some essential rock bands like Ramones and Jesus And Mary Chain.
I just posted asking about Geese and was told there had been some discussion. I am a little like you although I think the vocals are intrinsically linked to the sound. Like Dylan in many ways. I find at times his vocals are reminiscent of early David Byrne and a tiny bit of Julian Casablancas.
I’m going to persist because there are moments that are quite exhilarating. The question is are there enough of those to warrant, as you say, the media hype
Another Spector snippet I discovered while reading this book was that his father took his own life when Phil was only nine years old. His gravestone bore the simple inscription “To Know Him Was To Love Him”.
Phil took that phrase and wrote a song that was a huge hit for his first and only band, The Teddy Bears. in 1958. That’s him on the right playing the guitar.
The song has since been covered several times by a wide range of artists.
Third and final Spector-related trivia (I promise!).
The singer in The Teddy Bears, Annette Kleinbard, was a mere 15 years old when the song was recorded. She later changed her name to Carol Connors and became a songwriter, specialising for a time in hot rod songs.
She later co-wrote the lyrics for Bill Conti’s “Gonna Fly Now” (aka “Theme From Rocky”) which was utilised as a rev-up song for countless sporting teams in the 70s and 80s. Mind blown!!
