Album: Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica
Year: 1963
. . .
So, as always, the usual disclaimer about Phil Spector: he was an abuser and a murderer and by pretty much all accounts, an incredibly shitty person. And Ronnie Spector, who sang “Be My Baby” bore far more of his abuse than any person should have to endure. So, in conclusion, fuck Phil Spector.
That said, “Be My Baby” is a helluva record, and Spector gets credit for co-writing it and producing it, though one suspects that the bulk of the writing was done by Jeff Barry & Ellie Greenwich and the bulk of the arranging was by Jack Nitzche. And, at least from my standpoint, the success of “Be My Baby” is down to two people: the aforementioned Ronnie and drummer Hal Blaine, who powers the song with one of the greatest drum performances on any pop record.
[Read more…] about Certain Songs #2109: The Ronettes – “Be My Baby”