Spector, Phil
(Harvey Philip), 1939-2021, American record producer, b. Bronx, NY. The
child of Russian Jewish immigrants, Spector’s father passed away when
he was young, and his mother relocated the family to Los Angeles. He first
achieved fame as a member of the teen vocal group, The Teddy Bears, with his
song, “To Know Him Is to Love Him” (1958). The group disbanded
and Spector went to work in New York for producer Lester Sill, who
introduced him to songwriters Leiber and Stoller, who employed him as an
assistant on their sessions. On returning to LA, Spector partnered with Sill
to start Philles Records (combining their two first names). Spector became
known for using a large group of LA session players, often doubling or
tripling the usual instrumental backup, to create what he called a
“wall of sound.” He signed the group The Crystals, scoring
major hits with “There’s No Other (Like My Baby)”
(1961), “Uptown” (1962), “He’s A Rebel”
(1962) “Da Doo Ron” (1963), and “Then He Kissed
Me” (1964). Spector also shepherded to success the Ronettes, a trio
of girls from Harlem led by Veronica Yvette (“Ronnie
Spector”) Bennett (1943-2022). They scored five top 40
hits in the ‘60s, most notably “Be My Baby (1963).”
Ronnie married Spector in 1968, but they divorced six years later following
her allegations of physical and mental abuse. Spector’s last major
hits of the period came with the Righteous Brothers (“You’ve
Lost that Lovin’ Feelin’,” 1964) and Ike and Tina
Turner (“River Deep, Mountain High, 1966”), both often cited
as ultimate examples of Spector’s production skills. Both John Lennon
and George Harrison admired Spector’s productions of the ‘60s
and were drawn to working with him after the breakup of the Beatles. Spector oversaw the final
production on the group’s last album, Let It Be
(1970), and then worked with Lennon on his best-selling album
Imagine (1971) and Harrison’s three-record set,
All Things Must Pass (1970). His final collaboration
with Lennon, on sessions in 1973 for what would become the album
Rock ‘n’ Roll (1975), were marked by
Spector’s increasingly erratic behavior. Spector’s final major
work came with Leonard Cohen
(Death of a Ladies’ Man, 1977) and the Ramones
(End of the Century, 1980). Spector’s career
enjoyed a brief revival in 1989 when he was inducted into the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame. This was followed by the boxed set, Phil Spector: Back
to Mono, in 1991, a definitive collection of his greatest work
from 1958 to 1969. Increasingly reclusive, Spector spent most of his time
alone in his heavily guarded mansion. In 2003, following a night of drinking
at LA’s House of Blues, Spector brought home the club’s
hostess, Lana Clarkson, who he subsequently shot. After a first trial that
ended in a hung jury, Spector was sentenced to 19 years to life in 2009. He
died of COVID-19 in prison serving his term.
See biographies by M. Ribowsky (1989), R. Williams, D. Thompson (2004), M. Brown (2007).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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