Coverlettes Bring Back Spectorian Christmas 1963

SPECTOR CHRISTMAS ALBUM HOLDS UP WELL TODAY

Listen to Phil Spector, himself, as he introduces his famous Christmas album, circa 1963; then, watch and listen as some of those who actually worked on the album discuss the long hours they all put into it. Cher was one of them, a 16-year-old back-up singer on the album. Then, in the second video, listen to side one of the great Spector album, featuring with ‘White christmas’ like you’ve never heard it along with all the others… Phil Spector may be wallowing in jail today, but the his incredible music lives on and credit all those who played a part, ie the Wrecking Crew (Google ‘Wrecking Grew’ and learn a lot more and even subscribe to their updates.) They don’t make classic Christmas music anymore . Just think of all the songs we hear at Christmas time and they’re largely oldies, from these Spector classics to Brenda Lee’s ‘rockin ’round the Christmas Tree’ to Roy Orbison’s ‘Pretty Paper’ to Bobby Helm’s ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ and a lot more good ones from artists like the Beach boys, the Four Seasons, etc we don’t hear quite as much. Next, we hear and see the two most famous Spector artists, Ronnie Spector and Darlene Love, perform some of their classics in a recent live performance . Love still performs her Spector classics on David Letterman every Chrstmas and both continue to perform well in concert. And finaally, how’s about a vintage clip of the Crystals peforming the great Gene Pitney-penned ‘He’s a Rebel,’ not a Christmas song but a Spector / Girl Group classic. As for the Coverlettes, they are a local, San Francisco ‘cover’ group, as their name implies. Actually the three ‘girl’ singers are long-time band members of ‘Big Bang Beat’ and other Bay Area groups, who do especially well with the oldies and started up the goup as a Christmas sppof some years ago. This was the first year I was able to get tickets and the December 23 show did not disappoint. No, it wasn’t the wall of sound – it was a more sparce, yet effective arrangement with only two guitars, drums and piano as lead instrument. Check out the Coverlette’s Facebook pages for some of their music clips @ http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Coverlettes/127724880622754?sk=wall So, I Thouroughly enjoyed the show tonight at the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley (12-23-11). First time I’ve been able to catch the Christmas show. Enjoyed the classic Spectorian hits as welll as the more recent tunes like ‘Someday at Christmas.’ Nice sparce backing allowed the voices to stand out in a nice venue, again the first time I’d been there. Hope I don’t have to wait until next Christmas to hear this type of girl-group music again. How’s about the ‘Spector-ettes’ in the meantime. Great CD, too, and only $5.

51bxAnpUqRL. SL500 Coverlettes Bring Back Spectorian Christmas 1963 A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector

It was sure good to see and hear a good Christmas music show. For years I had gotten great joy seeing the great Charles Brown reprise his Christmas and blues songs of the 1950s era, until his passing five or six years back. Now I hope to make this a regular part of my Christmas, and highly recommend it to anyone who likes good Christmas music or oldies or both.

WILBURYS Tribute to Del Shannon, Orbison and Harrison – RUNAWAY, Elvis too

DEL SHANNON, ROY ORBISON, GENE PITNEY, ELVIS – The ROCK-POP ICONS of the early 60s… One of the ‘extra’ tracks Jeff Lynne and Company’s cover of the great Del Shanon masterpiece, Runaway, becomes a tribute to not only Shannon but Wilbury’s own Roy Orbison and George Harrison, who appear in the great home movies included in this video. Now , lets hear the real thing , the original iconic song from its creator – and nobody

will ever do it better than…and then, some covers by Del himself and Pitney of the great Oribson classic, Crying. DEL SHANNON, here in a rare 1982 performance and reminisce with Burton Cummings

AND none other than ELVIS doing with a rare, unreleased ‘chalypso’ version of Runaway

WILBURYS Tribute to Del Shannon,Orbison and Harrison – RUNAWAY

Del Shannon ‘sends this one out to Orbison’… great heavy version of Orbison’s Crying… wonderful, soulful, big beat live performance shortly after Roy’s bassing and not long before Shannon’s own untimely demise:

CLICK ON PICTURE

…and GENE PITNEY doing the first of his two cover versions of CRYING (‘Cryin’ on the later version) circa 1962

and Roy, himself, doing his own song. Del and Gene may give him a run but here’s the true original…from 1985 ‘Farm Aid’ Illinois concert

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PHIL SPECTOR CASE BRINGS MUSIC BACK WITH NEW DOCUMENTARY

GENE PITNEY – EVERY LITTLE BREATH I TAKE click here TINA TURNER – River Deep Mountain High

NEW FILM DOMUMENTARY: The Agony and Ecstacy of Phil Spector

Phil Spector is a pioneer of American music, a legendary producer to John Lennon and Tina Turner, and, as of April 13th 2009, a convicted murderer. Yet the Spector who appears in Vikram Jayanti’s documentary is not the severe, outlandishly coiffed defendant seen in sensationalistic accounts of his trial, but a charming, savvy music executive with a generous, but arguably accurate, estimation of his place in the history of popular music. (from Rafael Theater review, San Rafael CA)

PHIL SPECTOR – EDITOR’S NOTES:

After just losing 2 hours of writing my review of this film I saw last night, let me just say , that whatever you think of Phil Spector I would recommend seeing this film. For old rock and rollers or anyone iinterested in a good psychological drama, producer gives us a little bit of everything by juxtaposing Spector’s’ music with the court case and with , the highlight, excerpts from a rare interview he got with Spector just prior to the court case and eventual conviction.

Spector is now in jail for 18 years so critics can feel more comfortable watching this film knowing he IS paying his dues for an apparent accidental murder of girlfriend Lana Clarkson. Those with a psychological bent maybe able to get into the head of Spector , at least somewhat, to see if a miserable childhood with suicidal father may have contributed to Spector’s bizarre personality. At the same time, one must be able to separate this terrible crime from a brilliant music career that has been largely forgotten .

Whether it is because rock and roll never gained full respect until the Beatles came along in 1964 or because Spector’s behavior was so abhorent

to many, some great music may never have seen major exposure again without the criminal case. I know its sad that it often takes a crime to bring a talent back in the limelight. But take it for what it is. Ajanty has laid out 20 or so of of Spectors finest productions, featuring classics like Be My Baby by the Ronnettes and You’ve Lost That Lovin Feeling by The Righteous Brothers as a backdrop, or perhaps foredrop, to the ongoing trial excerpts and amazing S pector interview from 2007.

In the interview excerpts, chich account for about half the movie, Spector comes across as both sympathetic and perhaps sociopathic, as he has been labelled by many. His grandeous ego and seeming lack of wrongdoing goes along with the latter, yet one must consider Spectors actual statements – much more lucid than might expect – re the trial and the treatment he has received both recently and in his past. Spector talks about his father, who committed suicide (though Spector embellishes the story, saying that his Dad ‘ shot himself when Phil was five or six’ when , in fact, it was by gas asphyixiation when Spector was 10 or 11, according to the producer, who was in the audience opening night, in San Rafael, where he later tood questions.

Phil Spector’s landmark effort, River Deep Mountain High, by Tina Turner in 1966, is regarded by many pure music critics as his finest single effort; yet, by then Spector’s time may have run out. The recording failed inthe United States, though it was No. 1 in England. Spector blamed it on white DJs not wanting to play it because it was too black and black DJs not wanting to play it for whatever reason, I didn’t quite get… Few would have little to do with him and the Ramones actually fired him midway thru recording, to this writer’s memory.

Spector was given a second life, as it were when Beatles and then John Lennon and George Harrison hired him . Many top sellers came out of these sessions, including a the ‘Let It Be’ sessions, ‘My Sweet Lord’ for George Harrison, ‘Imagine’ for Lennon, a full album of classic rock and roll from Lennon and some rewrites including ‘The Long and Winding Road,’of which Spector had criticized the original as full of mistakes with John ‘playing wrong notes on bass, ‘ etc. It may be a wonder the Beatles kept Spector around as long as they did, thru 1972 and Lennon’s song ‘ Woman is the World’s Nigger.’ Buy then maybe they realized Spector knew what he was talking about. Spector always known for speaking his mind and speaking out; elsewhere in the film he criticized his wealthy and talented high school mates and teachers at Fairfax High in Los Angeles for NOT speaking out, saying he was the only one who did, and became ostricized for it. He was always a loner, he said, though music did give him a modicum of popularity.

The Agony and Exstacy of Phil Spector has a little bit of something for everyone. Music fan or not, you should find it compelling and one of the few films that combines psychological drama , great music and a rare, up close, candid interview, the likes of which you will probably never see again.

As a music person, I would like to see a second movie about Spector featuring the making of the ‘Wall of Sound,’ interviews with members of the ‘Wrecking Crew’ which backed many Spector productions, more of the lesser known gems produced by Spector, such as those by Ray Peterson and Gene Pitney (including the incomparable ‘Every Little Breath I Take’ which can be heard on this site) and the infamous ‘Christmas Album’ in 1962.’During the trial on Court TV we were treated to interviews with many of Spector’s cohorts such as Darlene Love(who sang on many of the sonbgs, regardless of group name, Carroll Connors, who sang lead on ‘To Know Him Is To Love Him,’ Spector’s first recording, on which he sang, with the Teddy Bears .

Phil Spector is crazy, brilliant, charming all in one and he is convicted of killing a woman for which he is paying his price.

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Still Missing from the Rock Hall of Fame – Neil Sedaka, Connie Francis, etc.

Here is the front page of a music magazine published almost 20 year ago, deriding the Rock Hall of Fame for overlooking key talents (clockwise, from top right GENE PITNEY, NEIL SEDAKA, DEL SHANNON, CONNIE FRANCIS, THE SHIRELLES and BRENDA LEE. Since that time, Pitney , Shannon, the Shirelles and Brenda Lee have finally been inducted, but , amazingly, Neil Sedaka – who had two separate careers, in the 60s and 70s – and Connie Francis , who is the second if not best -selling female singer of all time- are still left out of the Hall, along with many notable names like Neil Diamond, Chubby Checker Paul Anka, Jan and Dean, Nary Wells, The Ventures, Lesllie Gore and most of the attached list (at left) and others you could probably think of… It’s always been an issue as to ‘What is rock and roll? ‘, but if they’re now letting in rap artists and heavy metal,blues and country artists its high time they considered the pop-meisters. Afterall, pop was the rock and roll in the 50s and 60s as was much of country music. Many no longer take the Hall seriously once learning that it is run by the head of ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine, a publication that has never really recognized any music prior to 1968, it’s inception, with rare exception. Early RS publications , for example , idsmissed Roy Oribson as a lightweight who hid behind dark clothes and glasses – that is, until Orbison returned to fame in the 80s, playing with some of Rolling Stone’s faves like Elvis Costello and Bob Dylan. Unlike some of the sports hall of fames, which put some actual ‘science’ to the test in selected members, the Hall is largely a popularity contest of music writers and publishers, largely of younger age. Prior to being inducted into the hall, the late great Gene Pitney once suggested they not keep nominating him every year but give his slot to a younger artist more likely to get in. Same for Del Shannon, who some say was very depressed after being overlooked many times. Since then, the Hall has become a joke, except to those who may have been inducted or prefer newer music to older.