Ronnie Spector

Ronnie Spector (center) with The Ronettes, 1966.

The Ronettes were a popular live attraction around the greater New York area in the early 1960s. Looking for a recording contract, they initially were signed to Colpix Records and produced by Stu Phillips.

After releasing a few singles on Colpix without success, they were signed by Phil Spector to Philles Records. Their relationship with Spector brought chart success with "Be My Baby", "Baby, I Love You", "The Best Part of Breakin' Up", "Do I Love You?", and "Walking in the Rain". The group had two top 100 hits in 1965: "Born to Be Together" and "Is This What I Get for Loving You?"

The group broke up in early 1967, following a European concert tour that included their appearance at the Moonlight Lounge, in Gelnhausen, Germany, where they entertained American military personnel. They did not reunite until their 2007 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The group's last single, "I Can Hear Music", on the Philles Records label (# 133), was released in the fall of 1966. Instead of recording on the West coast, Ronnie and her group returned to New York City with producer Jeff Barry. Phil Spector kept many of the group's unreleased songs in the vault for years.

Ronnie's last recording of the 1960s "You Came, You Saw, You Conquered," was credited as "The Ronettes Featuring the Voice of Veronica," appeared in 1969 on Herb Alpert's A&M Records label, with "Oh I Love You", an old Ronettes B-side, as the flip. Only Ronnie's voice was used for the lead and backing vocals. Ronnie's recording and performing career had begun its long hiatus.

Ronnie Spector, 1971.

In February 1971, during Phil Spector's tenure as head of A&R at Apple Records, Spector recorded the single "Try Some, Buy Some/Tandoori Chicken" at Abbey Road Studios, released as Apple 33 in the UK and Apple 1832 in the US.[5][6] The A-side was written by George Harrison, and produced by both him and Spector. Although the single was not a big hit, its backing track was used two years later for Harrison's own version of the song, on his chart-topping Living in the Material World album.[7] "Try Some, Buy Some" had another lasting influence when John Lennon recorded "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" later the same year and asked Spector (co-producing again) to reproduce the mandolin-laden Wall of Sound he had created for Spector's single. Lennon liked the rockabilly B-side too; he sang it at his birthday party in New York in October 1971 (a recording of which has appeared on bootlegs).[8] Spector recorded other Harrison songs during those London sessions − including "You" and "When Every Song Is Sung" − but her versions were never released, even though a full album had been planned.[9]

In 1973, Spector reformed the Ronettes (as Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes) with two new members (Chip Fields Hurd, the mother of actress Kim Fields, and Diane Linton). They released a few singles on Buddah Records.[10] The records failed to chart and by 1975, Spector was recording as a solo act. She released the single "You'd Be Good For Me" on Tom Cat Records in 1975.[11]

In 1976, Spector sang a duet with Southside Johnny on the recording "You Mean So Much To Me", penned by Southside's longtime friend Bruce Springsteen and produced by Steven Van Zandt of the E Street Band. This was the final track on the Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes' debut album I Don't Want to Go Home. She also made appearances with the band the following year, including a cover version of Billy Joel's 1976 track Say Goodbye to Hollywood .

In her book, Spector recounted several abortive attempts to recapture mainstream success throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, during which time she was widely perceived as an oldies act. She recorded her first solo album in 1980, produced by Genya Ravan, which was a prelude to her work with Joey Ramone in the late 1990s.

In 1986, Spector enjoyed a resurgence to popular radio airplay as the featured vocalist on Eddie Money's Top 5 hit, "Take Me Home Tonight", in which she answers Money's chorus lyric, "just like Ronnie sang", with, "be my little baby". The song's music video was one of the top videos of the year and in heavy rotation on MTV. During this period, she also recorded the song "Tonight You're Mine, Baby" (from the film Just One of the Guys).[12]

In 1988, Spector began performing at the Ronnie Spector's Christmas Party, a seasonal staple at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in New York City.[13][14][15] In 1999, she released the album, She Talks to Rainbows, which featured a few covers of older songs. Joey Ramone acted as producer and appeared on stage with her to promote the record.

In 1988, Spector and the other members of the Ronettes sued Phil Spector for nonpayment of royalties and for unpaid income he made from licensing of Ronettes’ music. In 2001, a New York court announced a verdict in favor of the Ronettes, ordering Spector to pay $2.6 million in back royalties.[16] The judgment was overturned by the Court of Appeals in 2002 and remanded back to the Supreme Court. The judges found that their contract gave Spector unconditional rights to the recordings. Though the judges ruled that Ronnie is entitled to her share of the royalties which she had forfeited in her divorce settlement, they reversed a lower court's ruling that the group were entitled to the music industry's standard 50 percent royalty rate.[17] The final outcome had Spector paying a judgment in excess of 1.5 million dollars to the Ronettes.

In 2003, Spector provided backing vocals for The Misfits' album, Project 1950, on the songs "This Magic Moment" and "You Belong to Me."

In 2004, Spector was recognized for her contribution to American popular music when she was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

Ronnie Spector Live in London 2015 - Photo Credit Chris Hall

Spector provided guest vocals on the track "Ode to LA", on The Raveonettes' album Pretty in Black (2005). Spector's album, Last of the Rock Stars (2006), was released by Bad Girl Sounds and featured contributions from members of The Raconteurs, Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Raveonettes, Patti Smith, and Keith Richards. Spector herself co-produced two of the songs.

Despite objections from Phil Spector, the Ronettes were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.[18]

A Christmas EP, Ronnie Spector's Best Christmas Ever, was released on Bad Girl Sounds in November 2010, featuring five new Christmas songs.

In 2011, after the death of Amy Winehouse, Ronnie Spector released her version of Winehouse's single "Back to Black" (2006) as a tribute and for the benefit of the Daytop Village addiction treatment centers.[19] She has also performed this song as part of her live act, including during her UK tour in 2015.

In 2016, she released, through 429 Records, English Heart, her first album of new material in a decade.[20] The album features her versions of songs of the British Invasion by the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Yardbirds, Bee Gees, and others produced by Scott Jacoby.[21] English Heart peaked at #6 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart.[22]

On August 9, 2017, People Magazine premiered a new single Love Power produced by Narada Michael Walden by Ronnie Spector and The Ronettes, making it the first Ronettes single in decades.[23] The song was released August 18, 2017.

In 2018, Spector appeared in the music documentary; Amy Winehouse: Back to Black (2018), based on the singer Amy Winehouse, who died in 2011, and her final 2006 studio album Back to Black. The album was inspired by 1960s girl groups Winehouse gathered inspiration from listening to, such as The Ronettes.[24] It contains new interviews[25] as well as archival footage.[26]

In September 2020, it was announced that actress Zendaya will portray Spector in a biopic adapted from her memoir Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts And Madness.[27][28]

• Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica, 1964
• The Ronettes Greatest Hits – Volume 1, 1981
• The Ronettes Greatest Hits – Volume 2, 1981
• The Best of The Ronettes, 1992

• She Talks to Rainbows EP, 1999
• Something's Gonna Happen EP, 2003
• Best Christmas Ever EP, 2010

• 1964: "So Young" (Phil Spector 1)
• 1964: "Why Don't They Let Us Fall In Love" (Phil Spector 1)
• 1971: Try Some, Buy Some (Apple 1832)
• 1975: "You'd Be Good For Me" (Tom Cat YB-10380)
• 1976: "Paradise" (Warner Spector SPS 0409)
• 1977: "Say Goodbye To Hollywood" (Epic 8-50374)
• 1978: "It's A Heartache" (Alston 3738)
• 1980: "Darlin'" (Polish PR-202)
• 1987: "Who Can Sleep" (Columbia 38-07082)
• 1987: "Love On A Rooftop" (Columbia 38-07300)