A Method to the Madness: The Music of Phil Spector

As an aspiring filmmaker and musician, and as somewhat of a writer and creator, I tend to admire directors more than actors, songwriters more than singers, and music producers more than performers. After all, who are the real geniuses in those relationships? I know people could easily argue with me about that, and even I sometimes switch back and forth concerning this, but one can't deny that the Beatles would not have been as big as they were if it were not for George Martin. What would Nancy Sinatra be if it weren't for Lee Hazlewood? And let's face it, Hitchcock might've been a real dick to his actors (I believe he referred to them as "cattle"), but Vertigo would not have been the same without him, even if Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak had still participated.

That being said, I do believe that sometimes one must separate the art from the artist. We all know Van Gogh was a little nuts, but his art remains important and inspiring, and most importantly, one must allow it to stand on its own. It's true that he threatened Paul Gauguin with a razor blade, but one has to forget that when admiring his works of art, because really who cares about the other thing? I know it's sometimes difficult to make this separation, to make a distinction between the creator's character and his creations, I'm completely aware. But sometimes, just sometimes, the creation itself is so beautiful and incredibly awe-inspiring that one is forced to forget about the person(s) behind it. This can be said about Phil Spector. Now regardless of what you may think of the guy, you have to admit...the guy was kind of a musical genius. This is why I am going to focus on his best songs, most notably the ones using his famous, revolutionary Wall of Sound technique.

Understandably, I know many people don't agree with his "back to mono" philosophy. The human ear hears things in stereo, and yet Spector has shot down multi-channels many a time. One has to understand that back in the late 50s and early 60s, mono recordings reproduced very well on AM radio, something stereo recordings just couldn't do yet. And although some may find Spector's productions a bit overly-produced, I can't help but fall in love with the lush sounds of hits like "Be My Baby" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin.'" For those of you who don't quite understand the said Wall of Sound technique, let me summarize it in the simplest way I can: The "Wall of Sound" is when many instruments are layered to create the illusion of there being a lot more instruments than there actually are. There is lots of reverb and the layers are very dense and rich. An echo chamber is most certainly utilized and musicians play the same parts in unison. To be exact, several guitarists will perform the same part simultaneously, and then the part will be layered on top of the same part a few times. Orchestral instruments are often used, such as strings and percussion not usually found in typical pop/rock recordings of the time. So in short, dense layers, lots of echo, and large ensembles of musicians. Many artists have tried to replicate this technique in their own recordings, including Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, who is an incredible producer in his own right.

Here are my top 5 Spector-produced singles (the guy loved his singles, he hated albums):

5. John Lennon - "Jealous Guy"



Why out of all the great songs Lennon put out during his decade-long solo career would I include this particular one, you might ask? Because I feel that it represents Spector's later Wall of Sound technique fairly well, and because quite frankly, it's one of John Lennon's better songs. However, it's important to know that there are TWO versions of this song out there. One sounds cleaner, more polished, quieter, and I have to say, it is not my favorite, though it is the one that most people know. I prefer the alternate outtake. There are more layers and it's quintessential Spector, and of course that's the one I've included in this post.

4. Ike and Tina Turner - "River Deep-Mountain High"

Interestingly enough, this single flopped in the US upon its initial release in 1966. It was later re-released and it did considerably better after Eric Burdon and the Animals had covered it. This is also the song that drove Spector up the wall after its initial reception was disappointing and he dropped out of the music business for 2 years, slowly becoming somewhat of a recluse. And could one really blame him? The single cost a little more than $20,000 (which was unheard of back in those days), and it required (or rather, he required) over 20 session musicians and over 20 backing vocalists. Of course this song could never be replicated live in all of its perfection.

3. George Harrison - "What is Life"

The lyrics are so beautifully simple, and the horns make this song. Spector produced Harrison's entire All Things Must Pass album, but it is a bit sad that with the passage of time, Harrison seemed to have somewhat regretted seeking the assistance of Spector for the album. In a statement he made 30 years after the album was released, he is known as having said, "Too much echo." Whether there is too much echo or not in this particular single, it's still an amazing song.

2. The Ronettes - "Be My Baby"

You hear the opening drum beat of this song and you instantly recognize what you're hearing. That same opening drum beat has been used in several other songs in one form or another. It is said that The Beach Boys' "Don't Worry Baby" was inspired by the Ronettes hit, with Brian Wilson going so far as to call it the "male answer" to "Be My Baby."

1. The Righteous Brothers - "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"

Indisputably Phil Spector's masterpiece, this single has become iconic and incredibly influential. With the help of the Wrecking Crew, Spector turned what could've been a good love song into an AMAZING love song. The backing vocals tug at your heart strings, that simple, drawn-out "baby" affects the listener like no other "baby." Bill Medley's baritone is perfect and expressive, and the quasi-gospel bridge with Medley and Hatfield brings the song to a wonderful climax. The tambourine is such a simple instrument, but it CARRIES this song, it almost owns it. And the false ending makes things a bit more interesting. At the time of its release, Spector was pleasantly surprised by its success. He lied about the running time of the track because it was considered too long to become a hit before it was released. This song has had more radio play than any other song, according to several sources, and one need only listen to its sheer beauty to know why.

Honorary mention: The Ronettes - "Sleigh Ride"

Could you really call Christmas Christmas without a little "Sleigh Ride"?