Did anyone really think it wouldn’t come to this unless somehow some slick lawyers could make it the second coming of the O.J. Simpson trial?
Today, record producer, Phil Spector, was found guilty of second degree murder in the death of actress, Lana Clarkson. Spector, 69 years old, faces eighteen years to life for the crime almost certain to die a prisoner if the sentence is carried out.
No one better personifies the notion of a mad genius better than Phil Spector. Since going into seclusion seldom working in the music industry since the 1970’s, Spector spent most of his time holed up in his Alhambra mansion apparently quite a bizarre environment behind its walls. Spector had often been cited for rough behavior with women particularly threatening some with a gun who threatened to leave him.
As far back as 1973, Phil Spector’s violent behavior abruptly ended his professional relationship with John Lennon who contracted Spector as his producer for his solo albums up to that point. After recording Plastic Ono Band, Imagine, and Some Time in New York and producing singles “Instant Karma,” “Power to the People,” and “Happy Christmas (War is Over),” John Lennon was working on a retro album performing his versions of old rock and roll standards with Spector sitting in. These were the days John Lennon called his “lost weekend” hanging out in Los Angeles with singer, Harry Nilsson, Who drummer, Keith Moon, and at times, Ringo Starr, where their behavior was drunken and out of control often being bounced discreetly out of hot LA night spots. During one recording session things got out of hand, and gun shots were fired. Details are sketchy, but Spector would never work with John Lennon again. Lennon would eventually finish the album Rock and Roll producing the remaining numbers himself.
Phil Spector was both one of the music industry’s most influential and controversial figures during his first wave of success in the early 1960’s. His first hit was with a band called the Teddy Bears written in memory of his late father, “To Know Him is to Love Him.” Soon, the hits exploded from Ben E. King’s classic to bands like the Crystals (“Da Do Ron Ron”), the Ronettes (“Be My Baby”) but perhaps his greatest triumph was introducing the Righteous Brothers with their hits “You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling” and “Unchained Melody.”
Spector was known for inventing the “wall of sound,” a reverb laden sound with lavish instrumental arrangements all crafted to create a big dramatic sound that could project almost Wagnerian drama from a 6x9 car speaker. Not only were his front line acts noteworthy but the session musicians included a virtual who’s who of the Los Angeles music scene. Known as “The Wrecking Crew” figures like Glen Campbell, Leon Russell, and Sonny Bono were key players in the Spector studio.
Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys’ creative genius, was especially influenced by Phil Spector’s production techniques as the Beach Boys sound became more complex with rich harmonies and elegantly textured instrumental arrangements. From 1965 forward, the Beach Boys became two entities – a touring band without Brian, and a studio phenomenon backed primarily by musicians from the wrecking crew aside from Carl Wilson adding some guitar work, the rest of the Beach Boys were mostly just singers in the studio. The Beach Boys recorded a Spector hit for their album Summer Days (and Summer Nights), “Then I Kissed Her” their adaptation of “Then He Kissed Me,” the Crystals hit.
Other hit makers from Spector’s studio included Darlene Love, Bob B. Sox and the Blue Jeans, Curtis lee, and the Paris Sisters. Even Gene Pitney and Ike and Tina Turner recorded with Spector during his golden years.
By the end of 1966 still a young producer, Phil Spector retired.. He’d resurface as producer of the madly reverberated John Lennon single, “Instant Karma,” just weeks before being seen as part of the controversy that tore the Beatles apart.
The George Martin produced version of “Let it Be” shot up the charts as the often delayed album initially to be titled Get Back which was supposed to be the Beatles reverting to straight forward band play devoid of all the studio gizmos and magic tricks that had become a staple of their albums from Revolver forward. Film crews entered the studio to chronicle the Beatles making an album. The initial product of these efforts were released a single, a year earlier, “Get Back” and “Don’t Let Me Down” both produced by George Martin. The work from these sessions remained in the can while the Beatles entered the studio for what would turn out to be the last album they’d record as band, Abbey Road, released in September, 1969. Meanwhile, famed London engineer, Glyn Johns who worked with the Rolling Stones and Who attempted to create a finished album from these sessions.
As the conflicts between Lennon, Harrison, and McCartney grew more intense over financial management and creative direction, John Lennon brought Phil Spector in to finish the sessions to create an album which could accompany the release of the movie. While some of the songs were produced to present the live in the studio sound complete with banter between the band members, Spector’s approach was bold and heavy handed on four songs working quite favorably with Harrison’s “I Me Mine” and a new mix of Lennon’s “Across the Universe” previously released as part of Prince Charles charity efforts for wildlife preservation. Then there were two Paul McCartney’s compositions, “Let it Be” and “The Long and Winding Road.” Working with the same take as the already released single of “Let it Be,” Spector added brass, mixed up loud percussion, and found an additional shrill horrible guitar solo which played over the gentle Telecaster solo Harrison performed in the initial release. Paul McCartney’s gentle gospel influenced ballad written in memory of his mother was turned into a noisy mess. For “The Long and Winding Road,” Spector selected a take not used in the movie primarily just Paul accompanying himself on piano with some light guitar work in the background. Spector enlisted orchestral arranger Richard Hewson to score a lush, overwhelming string and brass arrangement that all but drowned out any instrumentation played by the Beatles themselves from start to finish even going so far as to add a melodramatic female choir on backing vocals. The results outraged McCartney as the band’s breakup was at hand.
First came McCartney’s declaration of independence and release of his first solo album, McCartney. Soon thereafter came the release of Let it Be. The Beatles would never record as a foursome again.
Quickly John Lennon and George Harrison were at work behind the walls of Abbey Road studios with Phil Spector at the controls flowing back and forth with Ringo Starr and Klaus Voorman working on John Lennon’s lean and mean, psycho drama, Plastic Ono Band, while Phil Spector employed every trick in his repertoire producing the sprawling, heavily produced two album solo project to kick off George Harrison’s solo career, All Things Must Pass. Discussing the recording of All Things Must Pass in 2000 while preparing the definitive remaster of the 30th anniversary release of his famous album, George Harrison confided he felt tempted to liberate the music from the heavy handed Spector treatment.. Harrison would work with Spector again working with the tapes from his two benefit concerts for Bangladesh to assemble a professionally produced live album from the massive rock all-star orchestra assembled for the occasion.
After his services were no longer requested by Harrison or Lennon, Spector resurfaced again to produce the Ramones and also worked with Leonard Cohen and Celine Dion.
Even as far back as his days harnessing the collective talents of the Wrecking Crew behind his stable of artists, the mad genius seemed like a runaway train out of control with no one knowing for sure when he’d crash and who might get sucked into the disaster. As horrible and tragic the murder of Lana Clarkson is, the warning signs of something like her fate was bound to happen.
A man who once stood atop the world of pop music in LA making millions in his 20’s will live out the rest of his life in prison. His legacy will be of his madness not his musical genius.
Today, record producer, Phil Spector, was found guilty of second degree murder in the death of actress, Lana Clarkson. Spector, 69 years old, faces eighteen years to life for the crime almost certain to die a prisoner if the sentence is carried out.
No one better personifies the notion of a mad genius better than Phil Spector. Since going into seclusion seldom working in the music industry since the 1970’s, Spector spent most of his time holed up in his Alhambra mansion apparently quite a bizarre environment behind its walls. Spector had often been cited for rough behavior with women particularly threatening some with a gun who threatened to leave him.
As far back as 1973, Phil Spector’s violent behavior abruptly ended his professional relationship with John Lennon who contracted Spector as his producer for his solo albums up to that point. After recording Plastic Ono Band, Imagine, and Some Time in New York and producing singles “Instant Karma,” “Power to the People,” and “Happy Christmas (War is Over),” John Lennon was working on a retro album performing his versions of old rock and roll standards with Spector sitting in. These were the days John Lennon called his “lost weekend” hanging out in Los Angeles with singer, Harry Nilsson, Who drummer, Keith Moon, and at times, Ringo Starr, where their behavior was drunken and out of control often being bounced discreetly out of hot LA night spots. During one recording session things got out of hand, and gun shots were fired. Details are sketchy, but Spector would never work with John Lennon again. Lennon would eventually finish the album Rock and Roll producing the remaining numbers himself.
Phil Spector was both one of the music industry’s most influential and controversial figures during his first wave of success in the early 1960’s. His first hit was with a band called the Teddy Bears written in memory of his late father, “To Know Him is to Love Him.” Soon, the hits exploded from Ben E. King’s classic to bands like the Crystals (“Da Do Ron Ron”), the Ronettes (“Be My Baby”) but perhaps his greatest triumph was introducing the Righteous Brothers with their hits “You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling” and “Unchained Melody.”
Spector was known for inventing the “wall of sound,” a reverb laden sound with lavish instrumental arrangements all crafted to create a big dramatic sound that could project almost Wagnerian drama from a 6x9 car speaker. Not only were his front line acts noteworthy but the session musicians included a virtual who’s who of the Los Angeles music scene. Known as “The Wrecking Crew” figures like Glen Campbell, Leon Russell, and Sonny Bono were key players in the Spector studio.
Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys’ creative genius, was especially influenced by Phil Spector’s production techniques as the Beach Boys sound became more complex with rich harmonies and elegantly textured instrumental arrangements. From 1965 forward, the Beach Boys became two entities – a touring band without Brian, and a studio phenomenon backed primarily by musicians from the wrecking crew aside from Carl Wilson adding some guitar work, the rest of the Beach Boys were mostly just singers in the studio. The Beach Boys recorded a Spector hit for their album Summer Days (and Summer Nights), “Then I Kissed Her” their adaptation of “Then He Kissed Me,” the Crystals hit.
Other hit makers from Spector’s studio included Darlene Love, Bob B. Sox and the Blue Jeans, Curtis lee, and the Paris Sisters. Even Gene Pitney and Ike and Tina Turner recorded with Spector during his golden years.
By the end of 1966 still a young producer, Phil Spector retired.. He’d resurface as producer of the madly reverberated John Lennon single, “Instant Karma,” just weeks before being seen as part of the controversy that tore the Beatles apart.
The George Martin produced version of “Let it Be” shot up the charts as the often delayed album initially to be titled Get Back which was supposed to be the Beatles reverting to straight forward band play devoid of all the studio gizmos and magic tricks that had become a staple of their albums from Revolver forward. Film crews entered the studio to chronicle the Beatles making an album. The initial product of these efforts were released a single, a year earlier, “Get Back” and “Don’t Let Me Down” both produced by George Martin. The work from these sessions remained in the can while the Beatles entered the studio for what would turn out to be the last album they’d record as band, Abbey Road, released in September, 1969. Meanwhile, famed London engineer, Glyn Johns who worked with the Rolling Stones and Who attempted to create a finished album from these sessions.
As the conflicts between Lennon, Harrison, and McCartney grew more intense over financial management and creative direction, John Lennon brought Phil Spector in to finish the sessions to create an album which could accompany the release of the movie. While some of the songs were produced to present the live in the studio sound complete with banter between the band members, Spector’s approach was bold and heavy handed on four songs working quite favorably with Harrison’s “I Me Mine” and a new mix of Lennon’s “Across the Universe” previously released as part of Prince Charles charity efforts for wildlife preservation. Then there were two Paul McCartney’s compositions, “Let it Be” and “The Long and Winding Road.” Working with the same take as the already released single of “Let it Be,” Spector added brass, mixed up loud percussion, and found an additional shrill horrible guitar solo which played over the gentle Telecaster solo Harrison performed in the initial release. Paul McCartney’s gentle gospel influenced ballad written in memory of his mother was turned into a noisy mess. For “The Long and Winding Road,” Spector selected a take not used in the movie primarily just Paul accompanying himself on piano with some light guitar work in the background. Spector enlisted orchestral arranger Richard Hewson to score a lush, overwhelming string and brass arrangement that all but drowned out any instrumentation played by the Beatles themselves from start to finish even going so far as to add a melodramatic female choir on backing vocals. The results outraged McCartney as the band’s breakup was at hand.
First came McCartney’s declaration of independence and release of his first solo album, McCartney. Soon thereafter came the release of Let it Be. The Beatles would never record as a foursome again.
Quickly John Lennon and George Harrison were at work behind the walls of Abbey Road studios with Phil Spector at the controls flowing back and forth with Ringo Starr and Klaus Voorman working on John Lennon’s lean and mean, psycho drama, Plastic Ono Band, while Phil Spector employed every trick in his repertoire producing the sprawling, heavily produced two album solo project to kick off George Harrison’s solo career, All Things Must Pass. Discussing the recording of All Things Must Pass in 2000 while preparing the definitive remaster of the 30th anniversary release of his famous album, George Harrison confided he felt tempted to liberate the music from the heavy handed Spector treatment.. Harrison would work with Spector again working with the tapes from his two benefit concerts for Bangladesh to assemble a professionally produced live album from the massive rock all-star orchestra assembled for the occasion.
After his services were no longer requested by Harrison or Lennon, Spector resurfaced again to produce the Ramones and also worked with Leonard Cohen and Celine Dion.
Even as far back as his days harnessing the collective talents of the Wrecking Crew behind his stable of artists, the mad genius seemed like a runaway train out of control with no one knowing for sure when he’d crash and who might get sucked into the disaster. As horrible and tragic the murder of Lana Clarkson is, the warning signs of something like her fate was bound to happen.
A man who once stood atop the world of pop music in LA making millions in his 20’s will live out the rest of his life in prison. His legacy will be of his madness not his musical genius.
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