Phil Spector pronounced dead

[Dave Baldwin]

Just read that Phil Spector was pronounced dead yesterday after being moved from prison
to an outside hospital. One source said "natural causes"...another said he had been suffering
from "COVID" (which could be any one of twenty stains of flu). Chances are it will be blamed
on the Chinese Sniffles if there's a payout to be had or a media narrative to be advanced.
Despite his mental/personality issues, I always liked his records and enjoyed the 'war stories'
of those who had interacted with him. People say that his 60s records didn't rock, but I
really dig 'You Can Get Him - Frankenstein' by The Castle Kings (which is Knickerbockers-
related). R.I.P. Phil...

The Castle Kings - You Can Get Him Frankenstein - Rock & Roll 45 - YouTube

 

[captainsalty]

in his prime, there was nobody that could equal him. the records he created back then sound like from another dimension.

 

[chas_kit]

From what I read, he was a nightmare to be around after '65.

 

[MopTopMike]

He produced the most over rated , boring 45 as well - "River Deep Mountain High". A deserved flop here in the U.S.

 

[chas_kit]

He produced the most over rated , boring 45 as well - "River Deep Mountain High". A deserved flop here in the U.S.

totally agree!

 

[captainsalty]

relax, guys.

the production may not be up to our beloved teenbeat standards, but it's a cool piece of music.

spector has damaged his legacy all by himself, so i won't pity him. but those 62-66 records.. phew!

on a side note: the hoffman board has censored all spector threads. what a crazy idea.

 

[Dave Baldwin]

From what I read, he was a nightmare to be around after '65.

Hence my 'war stories' comment...(lol)

 

[Dave Baldwin]

totally agree!

That's the accepted Rolling Stone Magazine consensus among Boomers. I always believed that,
and the reissues I'd heard bore that opinion out. I asked some of the Flamin' Groovies guys why they
had bothered to cover "River Deep-Mountain High" once and they raved about it and steered me towards
the U.K. mono first pressing 45 on London American. I found one and cranked that sucker up and I finally 'got
it'...what a monster sound with poor Tina sounding like she's screaming from the depths of Phil Spector's
own private hell, suspended over a fire-pit. Damn thing hit me like a solid Ike Turner right hook to the jaw.
Damn, man!

 

[Dave Baldwin]

He produced the most over rated , boring 45 as well - "River Deep Mountain High". A deserved flop here in the U.S.

Agree that the U.S. 45 pressing is right shite...as is the weak 'afterthought' stereo mix and all digital iterations.

 

[MopTopMike]

The performance of Miss T. aside , the actual song is shit. There are far better songs that express the topic in majestic form. A turd from King and Goffin.

 

[Frantic]

Sorry, it's one of those songs that could never sound any good by anyone. Unlike a song like EMPTY HEART which there are no bad versions, are there?

 

[MopTopMike]

Sorry, it's one of those songs that could never sound any good by anyone. Unlike a song like EMPTY HEART which there are no bad versions, are there?

MC-5 live rehersal version as seen on boobtube is my fave rendition

 

[captainsalty]

Ah come on, guys.

River Deep is a really good song and production. While it's not teenbeat, i can't fathom how one feels that the song is boring.

It's this rolling stone mag narrative that the song flopped and spec went into seclusion. There's certainly much more to the story.

This guy surely was a tormented soul. But people gotta separate between the work one creates and what his mental illness might bring about.

The press coverage on spector is laughable.

Even stuff like the leonard cohen LP are interesting. Ramones LP is not too hot because the band didn't bother to bring good songs.

i mean, really... basing River Deep BUT digging eddie fucking halen???

 

[Frantic]

Ah come on, guys.

River Deep is a really good song and production. While it's not teenbeat, i can't fathom how one feels that the song is boring.

It's this rolling stone mag narrative that the song flopped and spec went into seclusion. There's certainly much more to the story.

This guy surely was a tormented soul. But people gotta separate between the work one creates and what his mental illness might bring about.

The press coverage on spector is laughable.

Even stuff like the leonard cohen LP are interesting. Ramones LP is not too hot because the band didn't bother to bring good songs.

i mean, really... basing River Deep BUT digging eddie fucking halen???

OH..I just saw the light...NOT!

 

[MopTopMike]

I'm not arguing the genius of Spector's production techniques. By '66 hisdiscs were dated. And sorry, River Deep is boring compared to mostVan Halen tunes

 

[MopTopMike]

A much better song that borrows from Spector's sound is "All Strung Out" by Nino Tempo and April Stevens. A hit in late summer, 1966. It works because it is sublime. Unlike River Deep which is overwrought and bombastic paired with trite lyric. If ego could be siphoned into the audio chain, it sure comes across here. Again , a deserved flop in the states.

 

[Dave Baldwin]

I'm not arguing the genius of Spector's production techniques. By '66 hisdiscs were dated. And sorry, River Deep is boring compared to mostVan Halen tunes

Pedestrian song...powerful record. Phil was behind the curve on "youth" music by 1966. The fact that he never even released
the downright majestic "This Could Be The Night" by the MFQ (at the time) speaks to that disconnect.

 

[Dave Baldwin]

Sorry, it's one of those songs that could never sound any good by anyone. Unlike a song like EMPTY HEART which there are no bad versions, are there?

Only good live version of RD-MH I ever heard was by the 'three guitar' line-up of The Flamin' Groovies (with Mike Wilhelm) at a KFJC fundraiser circa 1981 or so. A 28-string Wall Of Sound...and I never realized that Chris Wilson could sing quite like that!

 

[Dave Baldwin]

Ah come on, guys.

River Deep is a really good song and production. While it's not teenbeat, i can't fathom how one feels that the song is boring.

It's this rolling stone mag narrative that the song flopped and spec went into seclusion. There's certainly much more to the story.

This guy surely was a tormented soul. But people gotta separate between the work one creates and what his mental illness might bring about.

The press coverage on spector is laughable.

Even stuff like the leonard cohen LP are interesting. Ramones LP is not too hot because the band didn't bother to bring good songs.

i mean, really... basing River Deep BUT digging eddie fucking halen???

"Chinese Rocks" is a pretty good song...but Spector 'pert near ruined it (lol).
I wonder if that had anything to do with why Phil pulled his piece on Dee Dee?

 

[captainsalty]

agreed, dave, this is a case of spector damaging a song.

others work well, though: rnr highschool, rnr radio, danny says (an ok song until spector sprinkles fairy dust on it).

btw, the story that he pulled a gun on the ramones and kept them from leaving are not true (according to marky ramone)