Innovative, unique and distinct are all adjectives that could describe Phil Spector as a music studio producer. His ability to create hits and produce some of the most recognized music of the 1960's has assured him a healthy career as a producer; Spector his known to have worked with the biggest names of the industry and is also known to have created unique production techniques revolutionizing the way many albums were recorded back in the day. Considered to be a pioneer in the industry and a respected figure all around, despite his legal troubles in the 2000's, Spector is perhaps one of the best producers in history.
Born in the Bronx in December 1940, Harvey Philip Spector came from a Russian immigrant family. While Spector was only 9 years old, his father committed suicide, prompting his mother to relocate the family in California. In sunny Los Angeles, Phil Spector became acquainted with music, learning the guitar and performing in his school's talent show. With three high school friends, he then formed a band called The Teddy Bears. The Teddy Bears became somehow successful, selling over a million copies of their first single 'To Know Him is to Love Him', which hit #1 on the billboard charts.
After many other singles by The Teddy Bears failed to make it into the Hot 100 of the billboard, the group parted ways. Spector started to focus on songwriting and production at this moment. He co-wrote many hits of the era, including 'Spanish Harlem' by Ben E. King and improvised himself studio musician for some sessions, including a recording of 'On Broadway' by the Drifters. The word spread around rather quickly and Phil Spector was now collaborating with a range of artists, including Connie Francis and the Ronettes. During that specific period, in the early 1960's, Phil Spector also developed a revolutionary producing technique called the Wall of Sound.
The Wall of Sound would soon change the way many records were recorded and produced; instead of using small groups of musicians to record a song, Spector would have many musicians playing in unison, doubling and tripling certain lines. The resulting effect would be a dense, layered sound of which jukeboxes and AM stations were very fond of. Spector defined this technique as being a 'Wagnerian' approach to the art of recording, creating what he would refer to as 'little symphonies'.
From the mid-sixties on, Phil Spector became the producer in the United States; artists such as Tina Turner, John Lennon, The Beatles, Cher, Leonard Cohen, The Ramones and many more have requested Spector to produce some of their work. While Spector is a respected figure of the music industry, his life also had its share of controversy which oftens put his musical career in the shadow; Paul McCartney had openly criticized Spector for his work on the Let It Be album, while more recently he had been convicted with the murder of Lana Clarkson. Nonetheless, Phil Spector is and will always be a brilliant American music studio producer.
For more music studio producers and their music, try popular karaoke songs, and recapture the essence of their songs today.
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