Phil Spector, the legendary record producer known for his ‘Wall of Sound’ is dead at 81 after contracting Covid-19.
While Spector was one of the greatest record producers of all time let us all not forget that he he died in jail as a convicted murderer.
Before talking about his production heights spare a thought for actress Lana Clarkson, who Spector shot in the mouth at his Alhambra, California mansion in 2003. Spector claimed Clarkson’s death was an “accidental suicide” but Spector was found guilty of murder and five years later in 2009 was sentenced to 19 years in prison. He died at the California Health Care Facility in Stockton, California. He would have been eligible for parole in 2024.
In the 1960s Spector developed a recording formula known as the Wall of Sound, a technic that made his recordings fuller in sound across the then thin audio technology of AM radio and Mono recordings.
The Wall of Sound was used to record Spector’s studio acts and gave us hits by The Crystals, The Ronettes and The Teddy Bears.
In 1966 Spector produced Ike and Tina Turner ‘River Deep Mountain High’.
As the 60s turned into the 70s Spector associated himself with The Beatles. He produced ‘Let It Be’ (which Paul McCartney hated and had reissued in 2003 minus Spector as ‘Let It Be … Naked’).
He worked closely with John Lennon and George Harrison co-producing George’s ‘All Things Must Pass’, ‘Living In The Material World’, and ‘The Concert for Bangla Desh’ and John’s ‘Plastic Ono Band’, ‘Imagine’. ‘Sometime In New York City’ and ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’ albums.
In the 1980s, Phil Spector produced The Ramones ‘End of the Century’ and Leonard Cohen’s ‘Death of a Ladies Man’.
His last album was for UK band Starsailor in 2003.
Spector had been in a bad state of health since 2013 and placed at the Health Care Facility, a prison hospital).
Follow Noise11 on Social Media
NEW: Noise11 on YouTube SUBSCRIBE
You’ll discover music news first following Noise11 on Twitter
Comment on the news of the day, join Noise11 on Facebook
