Bill H. Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 I'm not sure I can put an RIP on this one... just noting because if his huge influence on the music I listened to while growing up. After remembering the songs... yeah I guess I can. RIP Phil. I hope you find peace. https://www.tmz.com/2021/01/17/phil-spector-dead-dies-81/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Schmieder Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 Not so sure I want him to find peace. He harmed a lot of people, and it's a miracle he didn't kill more than he did. John Lennon for one. And Ronnie Spector. Quote Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1, Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldwin Funster Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 C'mon, without Phil we would have had no Brian Wilson. The ripple effect of that down through time would be a world altering tragedy. RIP Phil. Quote FunMachine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MathOfInsects Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 I think the news is more that he died of COVID, than that he died. We post-mortemed his career as a producer when he was revealed to be a woman-abusing murderer. But we're still allowed to take those incredible sounds in for what they were, either way. Quote Now out! "Mind the Gap," a 24-song album of new material. www.joshweinstein.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Docbop Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 Growing up were I did ran into a lot of people both civilians (non-musicians) and musicians that had been around Phil and lots of wild stories. I've mentioned it before I got, in more like snuck in to a John Lennon recording session, it was one of the Phil Spector sessions. I had to slip behind Phil at the console to get around the board and sit on the couch in front of the board. Never laughed so much listening to Lennon's one-liners and Spector trying to get things his way. Somewhere I think still have one of the buttons Phil made a case of for those sessions that said "Back To Mono". Later I went to a talk Spector gave on why his records were a hit. It was partially tongue-in-cheek and part how Phil produced. Again was a lot of laughs. Where I live now I was just down the road from bassist Carol Kaye and friends with her son a great drummer. So I got to meet and be around Carol some and her stories about Phil. Carol has since moved back closer to L.A. So I've been in the fringes around Spector and loved his early records. Have heard lots of Spector stories from people who were around him and say he was crazy. I can easily believe the one of Phil's crazy acting out finally killed someone. But he did left us will a lot of great music from his early days, recording approaches, and could be funny. So for the music thank you Phil and hope you can finally relax. RIP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outkaster Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 I loved what he did with The Ronettes sound. Bruce was really influenced by that, especially with Born to Ron and all the tracks on that album. Quote "Danny, ci manchi a tutti. La E-Street Band non e' la stessa senza di te. Riposa in pace, fratello" noblevibes.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Schmieder Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 Oh, he had a monumental impact on pop music, no doubt, and it's a tragedy that he was such an unstable person. But that doesn't excuse what he did. Surprisingly, Fox seems to have the most complete life story: https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/phil-spector-dead-music-producer-convicted-murder A few tidbits I didn't know, but mostly stuff we've read over the years but never together in a cohesive context. It further accentuates the tragedy of what he became, yet also doesn't seem to explain it in any way. Quote Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1, Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LX88 Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 If he wanted to win that court case it might have helped to avoid those wigs he wore to court. What was that about? Hal Blaine the famous session drummer who was a close friend claimed Spector was innocent. His daughter worked as an assistant to Spector. People change over time especially if alcohol and drugs are involved. His glory days were long over. It's amazing to me that the woman went home with him at all...think about that. Something wasn't right on either side of that question.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wd8dky Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 Good riddance. Quote http://www.weisersound.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outkaster Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 Check out Darlene Love's interview on Rolling Stone. People are going crazy on Twitter about him now. He treated Ronnie Spector like shit. It's too bad mental health was so misunderstood back then. I am not excusing what he did. Quote "Danny, ci manchi a tutti. La E-Street Band non e' la stessa senza di te. Riposa in pace, fratello" noblevibes.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KuruPrionz Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 As an influence on the sound of recorded music, he stands tall on his own mountain. As a human being, he was a total disaster. He is gone, no more. I haven't the energy to summon anger over what is long since over. Rest In Peace Phil, thanks for the music. Quote It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 All of us Boomers that were players were around a shitload of booze and drugs and the vast majority of us wouldn"t think of behaving like that. I saw the same thing in Chess where people tie someone"s value as a person to their over the board rating. We are defined by our behavior. Quote "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiefDanG Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Can"t help but wonder if he"s in God"s recording studio or inside Satan"s bagpipes. Quote Professional musician = great source of poverty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KuruPrionz Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 All of us Boomers that were players were around a shitload of booze and drugs and the vast majority of us wouldn"t think of behaving like that. I saw the same thing in Chess where people tie someone"s value as a person to their over the board rating. We are defined by our behavior. Indeed, and I did say "As a human being, he was a total disaster." I do remember the party days, other than irresponsible driving most everybody I knew kept things pretty well under control. I've heard "The Phil Spector sound" as a term bandied about many times. I don't recall ever hearing anybody say "The George Martin sound", just for one and I can't think of a single modern producer who would get that level of accolade. There is "The Motown Sound" but that was a reference to a sum of many parts, a bit different. Adolf Hitler passed the first anti-pollution laws preventing factories from spewing their toxic waste into Germany's rivers. That is a fine accomplishment but when we compare Phil to Adolf, Phil comes out as nearly angelic. I did not and will not defend Phil Spector as a human being but it does not nullify his accomplishments. I'm far from perfect but I hope those who knew me will say "Rest In Peace" when I am gone, despite my defects. Quote It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzpiano88 Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 . Quote J a z z P i a n o 8 8 -- Yamaha C7D Montage M8x | CP300 | CP4 | SK1-73 | OB6 | Seven K8.2 | 3300 | CPSv.3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RudyS Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 ? Quote Rudy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadslayer Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Oddly, the news around here says he died of natural causes. No mention of COVID that I've seen. Quote Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. -Mark Twain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Schmieder Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Yeah, the COVID part was omitted in later reports that I saw as well. I saw a British obit that mentions he almost shot Leonard Cohen and members of Blondie to add to his trophy wall. Quote Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1, Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adan Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Many great artists were not good people. But what do you do with that information? Do you try to conduct some sort of apples-to-oranges comparison in you mind and decide whether, on balance, you should either enjoy or shun that person's art? Do you enjoy the art but always and only with a mental asterisk? Are you somehow condoning (or worse, being complicit) if you unreservedly enjoy the art of a bad person? How bad does an artist have to be before you take the extreme step of mental boycotting? Is there something arbitrary in saying Elvis is ok but Spector is on the other side of that line? In Spector's case, the thought process is even harder because, since his art was to be in the background helping others make art, how do you even begin to weigh the bad against the good? I think there's more than one valid way to answer these questions. My own view is to as much as possible separate the thought processes of enjoying art and judging the behavior of the artists. Picasso's paintings are not any less inspiring because of his misogynism. But I have to acknowledge these issues hit me a little differently when the artist is still alive and capable of doing evil. For instance, I might have a hard time listening to R.Kelly due to what he's done and is still capable of doing. In that case, the issue is moot since I don't have any attraction to his music. Quote Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro Home: Vintage Vibe 64 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outkaster Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 [video:youtube] Quote "Danny, ci manchi a tutti. La E-Street Band non e' la stessa senza di te. Riposa in pace, fratello" noblevibes.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoken6 Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Many great artists were not good people. But what do you do with that information? Do you try to conduct some sort of apples-to-oranges comparison in you mind and decide whether, on balance, you should either enjoy or shun that person's art? Do you enjoy the art but always and only with a mental asterisk? Are you somehow condoning (or worse, being complicit) if you unreservedly enjoy the art of a bad person? How bad does an artist have to be before you take the extreme step of mental boycotting? Is there something arbitrary in saying Elvis is ok but Spector is on the other side of that line? In Spector's case, the thought process is even harder because, since his art was to be in the background helping others make art, how do you even begin to weigh the bad against the good? I think there's more than one valid way to answer these questions. My own view is to as much as possible separate the thought processes of enjoying art and judging the behavior of the artists. Picasso's paintings are not any less inspiring because of his misogynism. But I have to acknowledge these issues hit me a little differently when the artist is still alive and capable of doing evil. For instance, I might have a hard time listening to R.Kelly due to what he's done and is still capable of doing. In that case, the issue is moot since I don't have any attraction to his music.The Wagner conundrum. Should the fact that David Bowie slept with an underage girl change they way I interpret his music? And plenty more examples... Cheers, Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MathOfInsects Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 . I saw it. I laughed. Quote Now out! "Mind the Gap," a 24-song album of new material. www.joshweinstein.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MathOfInsects Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Many great artists were not good people. But what do you do with that information? Do you try to conduct some sort of apples-to-oranges comparison in you mind and decide whether, on balance, you should either enjoy or shun that person's art? Do you enjoy the art but always and only with a mental asterisk? Are you somehow condoning (or worse, being complicit) if you unreservedly enjoy the art of a bad person? How bad does an artist have to be before you take the extreme step of mental boycotting? Is there something arbitrary in saying Elvis is ok but Spector is on the other side of that line? In Spector's case, the thought process is even harder because, since his art was to be in the background helping others make art, how do you even begin to weigh the bad against the good? I think there's more than one valid way to answer these questions. My own view is to as much as possible separate the thought processes of enjoying art and judging the behavior of the artists. Picasso's paintings are not any less inspiring because of his misogynism. But I have to acknowledge these issues hit me a little differently when the artist is still alive and capable of doing evil. For instance, I might have a hard time listening to R.Kelly due to what he's done and is still capable of doing. In that case, the issue is moot since I don't have any attraction to his music.The Wagner conundrum. Should the fact that David Bowie slept with an underage girl change they way I interpret his music? And plenty more examples... Cheers, Mike. It's a side-effect of the age of information. No one asks if the architect of their house ever used a gay slur or the person who designed the anti-collision warning on their car was racist. But we tend to consider entertainers and sports figures "ours," and find it normal to construct faux-complete information about them beyond their commodity. The access to those data points are near-instant these days. The prevailing metric is time: if the offenses occur in our current age, we have a harder time separating it from the person's product. If the person dies or decades/generations/centuries pass, we tend to revert to the commodity only. Most of the groups I play(ed) with decided against doing Michael Jackson songs, particularly while "Leaving Neverland" was hot, not because of some newfound stance against Jackson's offenses, but because they feared it would bring some people out of the moment in a way that wasn't worth playing those badass tunes for a while. My daughter, though, loves Michael Jackson and didn't know a thing about him, until she sang "Man in the Mirror" one day and I finished the line by describing what he might have seen in that mirror, thinking I was oh-so-hilarious, and neither kid had ever heard a thing about it. I think the point is that no one signs up for a background check when they undertake the artistic path. They don't get vetted in advance. They're obsessive and self-indulgent as a personality trait, and the full range of consequences are in play as a result, some of which are gross and rightly should result in you not getting invited to anyone's kids' Confirmation any time soon. But that doesn't mean Ignition (Remix) isn't a cool-ass song that swings hard. Quote Now out! "Mind the Gap," a 24-song album of new material. www.joshweinstein.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyRude Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Seems there are plenty of examples where success causes people to think they can do anything, and get away with it. And some of the people around them enable that mindset. Brandishing guns, mistreating women, mistreating anyone, no one stopping them, no one saying anything, no consequences, getting away with it. Quote Some music I've recorded and played over the years with a few different bands Tommy Rude Soundcloud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Muscara Posted January 19, 2021 Share Posted January 19, 2021 At least if you listen to his music now, he's not getting any of the royalties. Quote "I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck "The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxcvbnm098 Posted January 19, 2021 Share Posted January 19, 2021 Interesting articles by the LA Times... Very detailed summation/obituary https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-01-17/phil-spector-dead More on the topics above.. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-01-18/phil-spector-producer-abusive-male-genius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxcvbnm098 Posted January 19, 2021 Share Posted January 19, 2021 And one more... https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-01-18/phil-spector-producer-dead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderton Posted January 19, 2021 Share Posted January 19, 2021 It's an interesting discussion about whether you can separate madness from the artistic results of that madness. Remember Kjaeurhus plug-ins? Sonarhad some he designed, and he put a bunch of well-regarded, free plug-ins on the web. One day it just kind of...went away. It turned out he was busted for running a pedophile ring in Denmark, and sentenced to 7 years in prison. Although I tend to be a "separate the art from the person" kind of guy, I simply could not use his plug-ins any more, even though one of them was in most of my projects, because I couldn't get the association out of my mind. Before Phil Spector murdered someone (assuming he did), I had no problems listening to music from a guy who was a more or less nuts, but artistically brilliant and talented. Now when I hear his music, the association is someone who went around the bend, never came back, and very well might have killed someone. I never met him or knew him but my understanding is that he pretty much gave up when "River Deep, Mountain High" was a dud. He really didn't do much after that. The whole thing is very, very sad. Quote Craig Anderton Educational site: http://www.craiganderton.org Music: http://www.youtube.com/thecraiganderton Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/craig_anderton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.