This article was originally produced in January 2021.
Over the weekend a musical production prodigy died. Phil Spector shaped modern music as we know it today. The imprint he left in popular music can only be matched by the people who gave us digital recording or amplifying sound. Unfortunately, his early years had been overshadowed by what happened towards the end of his career. Spending what most people would call their retirement years in prison. This week the Beat Marches On to 16th January 2021.
The last 11 years of Spector’s life have been spent behind bars. He was convicted of killing actress Lana Clarkson in 2009 when he was showing a gun to her and it went off. It had been known for a long time that he was gun-obsessed with plenty of musicians verifying the fact. Former Beatle John Lennon attested to this during a recording session in 1973 when Spector almost shot him in the head. As his ears were ringing Lennon was quoted as saying “If you’re going to kill me, kill me, don’t fuck with my ears, I need ‘em” This wasn’t the only artist he pulled a gun on.
It’s Stories like this that earned Spector the nickname ‘The Mad Genius’. It wasn’t always this way though. He first entered the scene in 1958 with a number-one hit with his band the Teddy Bears called ‘To Know Him Is To Love Him’. The follow-up single didn’t chart, and the band ended as quickly as it started. After the demise of The Teddy Bears, he decided to concentrate on producing rather than performing.
Spector started to produce for a variety of different artists throughout the first half of the 1960s which resulted in 25 top 40 hits. He also developed a wall of sound technique with his session musicians ‘The Wrecking Crew’. This technique was an orchestral approach to recording pop music which was considered ground-breaking in a still relatively new type of music.
For example, if you and your band go into the studio to record a song. There would normally be a drummer, a bass player one or two guitarists maybe someone on keyboards and a singer. Spector and the Wrecking Crew’s wall of sound approach was to have multiple of the same instrument as in an Orchestra i.e., multiple Violins, Cellos, etc, etc. The effect of this is a bigger and deeper sound of music prevalent on the recording. The existing technology at this time was still new and analogue, however, Spector found a way of making the recordings sound loud without distortion. He described it as “A Wagnerian approach to rock and roll”
The reputation he gained from the Wall of Sound made Spector the music producer every artist wanted. He made his name with The Ronettes (lead singer Ronnie who he later married) then went on to record with The Righteous Brothers, Ike and Tina Turner, Ben E. King, The Beatles, The Ramones, Blondie, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr among others. Brian Wilson hired the Wrecking Crew for the Pet Sounds album over his own band, the Beach Boys. Brian Wilson described ‘Pet Sounds’ as an interpretation of Spector’s wall of sound technique.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Phil Spector became a recluse. He bought a mansion just outside of Los Angeles and called it the Pyrenees Castle and stayed there. From multiple accounts, he seemed to turn his life around. He stopped drinking and became a family man. He started to venture out a bit more and eventually fell back off the wagon.
Then in 2003, he would go out for a night that would go down in infamy. He went to the world-famous Sunset Strip in LA. Amid a heavy drinking session, he pulled up at the House of Blues where Lana Clarkson (who was in between acting jobs) was matrie’d. He carried on the session in the VIP area of the club and in the early hours of February 3, 2003, Spector asked Clarkson to come back to the castle. This would be the last ride she took.
Spector’s driver stayed in the car while the two entered the Castle. He remained in the car for about an hour then he heard a bang that sounded like a gunshot. He called the police claiming his boss had shot someone. Spector claimed it was an accidental suicide. The only thing known for sure was Lana Clarkson was dead. The police booked him on suspicion of murder later that morning.
It wasn’t until 2007 that Phil Spector was put on trial for murder. The first was televised and due to a hung jury was deemed a mistrial. A new trial was set for 2009 and this time he was found guilty. Sentenced to 19 years Phil Spector would spend the rest of his life in prison.
People who were close to Spector knew it was only a matter of time before he would kill someone. Get a few drinks in him and the guns would come out. Holding guns to the temple of artists like Deborah Harry and Leonard Cohen in the studio with half a bottle of whiskey. Ex-wives and children were imprisoned in their homes while living with him. The curtains were drawn all day and all night. He mentioned to people he was bipolar throughout the years. It seemed that alcohol was the only medication he was willing to take for the condition which is never a good sign.
The last 20 years of Phil Spector’s life have certainly outweighed the previous 40. The producer that launched and revamped many careers, gave us a new way of listening to music and showed us the importance of good production. That career was now somewhat forgotten in a night of hazy drunkenness. He went from the Teen Tycoon to a convicted murderer. With the constant recency bias, the media shows he might be forgotten with the likes of the pioneering DJ or the first person to electrify an instrument. It’s a disappointment but he only had himself to blame.
The Beat Marches On is a music blog written by Jimmy Whitehead. Jimmy has been blogging for three years specialising in Sports (especially American Football). If you want to follow Jimmy on Twitter: @Jimmy_W1987
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If anyone reading this would like to read more about this story, there is a documentary series on the magazine Vanity Fair featuring their most-famous articles available on Amazon Prime Video. An episode in the first season is on Phil Spector. The websites used for research were:
Phil Spector – Death, Songs & Facts – Biography
Phil Spector Biography | The Official Phil Spector Site
There also is a podcast on Spector’s career which I recommend called Blood on The Tracks by Double Elvis Media available where all podcasts are available.
If you want to request a story for The Beat Marches On blog, then you can contact jwhiteheadjournalism@gmail.com. We cannot guarantee that the story will be published but will be considered.