Disc of the day
Heaven 17 - Penthouse And Pavement
From Sheffield, synth pop and funk to stick it to Thatcher. Currently being played live!
Features Disc of the day
The Ronettes
Presenting The Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica
(London, 1964)
We pay homage to Estelle Bennett, who died earlier this month.
Although Darlene Love was arguably his best and most versatile singer, no group better epitomised Phil Spector’s grasp of the pop record than The Ronettes. With lead singer Veronica Bennett (who became Ronnie Spector) the focus at both ends of the teenage emotional spectrum – in fact her interpretations of boundless optimism and hopeless despair were not so very far apart – and supported by the straightahead harmonies of her elder sister Estelle and cousin Nedra Talley, they sat atop producer Spector’s enormous productions. Actually, the lack of emotional weight in the vocals add to the effect of The Ronettes’ pop records. The Number 4 UK hit Be My Baby, Baby, I Love You, (The Best Part Of) Breakin’ Up, Do I Love You and the outstanding Walking In The Rain, are all on this one hard-to-find album (or you can hear them on the third recommendation below). On the original album, a version of Ray Charles’ What’d I Say does not sit well with the group, and their Chapel Of Love is a better cover. But with four Ellie Greenwich/Jeff Barry/Spector songs, two Cynthia Weil/Barry Mann/Spector tracks and three from Vini Poncia/Pete Andreoli/Spector, the album is a masterclass in Brill Building pop songwriting and Spector production. Also, the image. Clearly, these girls were not exposed to the classes in deportment or lessons in presentation favoured by other well-known hit factories of the day. But over 40 years later, chez Ronettes is plainly where Amy Winehouse found her best-known look (this one, not this one). Musically, we’d be intrigued to hear her reinvent any one of the above-named hits.
Geoff Brown
Posted by Ross_Bennett at 6:00 AM GMT 20/02/2009
Further Listening
Darlene Love - The Best Of… (EMI)
Various – A Christmas Gift For You (Universal)
Various – Wall Of Sound Retrospective (Abkco)
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Heaven 17 - Penthouse And Pavement
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Haven't we had this before??
Posted by king tubbs at 9:03 AM GMT 25/02/2009 Report Abuse
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