On That Note - The Wall

[MeanDean]

On That Note - The Wall (of Sound)

Welcome to another weekly post from your OTN hosts, @cyclones500, @CycloneRulzzz and me.

Due to the passing of legendary, yet extremely troubled (strange?) producer Phil Spector we've decided to make his productions the focus of this week's offering. He is known for his thick multi-layered recordings - know in the world of pop music as Phil Spector's Wall of Sound.

His Wikipedia page can be found here which includes a partial list of albums and hit singles for which he is responsible.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Spector

Last week's topic was about the various methods of music delivery and music media.

It can be found here: https://cyclonefanatic.com/forum/threads/on-that-note-go-right-to-the-source.261421/

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My first 3

the original version of Twist and Shout



my girl, Darlene Love singing lead as 'the Crystals.'

 

[cyclones500]

First song that came to me when we considered the topic.

Released July 12, 1963

 

[cyclones500]

Sometimes I wonder how this song would sound without the “slap-echo” reverb on the drums (the vocal effect is notable, too). Spector biographer Richard Williams, in 1972: "Spector used echo to make the drums reverberate like someone slapping a wet fish on a marble slab, and the voices sounded hollow and decayed."

Released Feb. 6, 1970

 

[cyclones500]

Spector produced the Ramones LP “End of the Century.”

Among the most "Spector-ized" of the Ramones’ original songs on the album.

(I had a few historic nuggets connected to this, I may post that later with an additional track from the album. Sorry. Long day.)

 

[MeanDean]

As on the Harrison cut I posted earlier - this is co-produced by Spector with the solo Beatle as the other co-producer

 

[cyclones500]

George Harrison's debut solo album, “All Things Must Pass,” was co-produced by Harrison and Spector .. they also collaborated to produce this, one of my favorite tracks from the album and from Harrison’s solo catalog.

 

[jdoggivjc]

Co-produced with John Lennon

 

[cyclones500]

Adding another Ramones sample (I used the song in last week’s OTN) ... from the Spector-produced "End of the Century" (clip below).

Group members weren’t exactly ecstatic about the Spector experience, on a personal/professional level. Dee Dee quote I found: "I think we can just go into a studio and do it and not be frustrated. Phil seemed to be frustrated with us … He tried to be friendly, but then he had his guns on him and he wouldn't let me out of his house for a couple of days."

Demonstrates the divergence between Spector's work and his persona (which eventually took a tragic turn).

There was a time when mixing Wall of Sound w/ Ramones might’ve seemed like an odd connection, but in hindsight, a lot of the group’s songs lent themselves well to an early-‘60s treatment.

 

[MeanDean]

I used to have this album. Can't remember if I still do or if I sold it somewhere along the line. Guess I'll have to check the cache when I get back to I O W A.

 

[MeanDean]

 

[cyclones500]

Spector also co-wrote this song co-produced the album w/ Ike

 

[Cydar]

The song that turned Rebecca Howe's "knees to butter" was produced by Phil Spector


This excerpt is from Wikipedia:
"Unchained Melody" was originally released as the 'B' side of the single "Hung On You" as the follow-up single to "Just Once in My Life". However, "Hung On You" failed to interest radio DJs who instead chose to play the 'B' side "Unchained Melody". According to Medley, producer Phil Spector, who would deliberately place a throwaway song that wasn't meant to be played on the 'B' side, was incensed that the DJs chose to play the 'B' side and started calling radio stations to get them to stop playing "Unchained Melody".[42] However, he failed, and the song reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 14 in the UK in 1965.

 

[cyclones500]

In a non-producer role, Spector played guitar on this.

 

[cyclones500]

Based on my (meager) research, I think this is the final single produced by Spector that was released as a single. (Edit: He was co-producer)

 

[cyclones500]

Spector as songwriter and group member. (I'm getting conflicting info if he was credited as producer).

Other versions of the song were recorded by Nancy Sinatra, Peter and Gordon, Bobby Vinton, Dolly Parton-Linda Ronstadt -Emmlyou Harris and The Beatles, some with the altered title “To Know You Is to Love You.”

 

[MeanDean]

Back when I first discovered the possibility of old records potentially being found at yard sales (Summer 1980 in Ames) this was in one of the very first batches I searched. Same light blue Philles label too.

 

[MeanDean]

A lot of people's favorite modern Christmas song. From the legendary 1963 "A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records."