{"title":"Phil Spector","description":"\u003cp\u003eStrictly speaking, Phil Spector wasn't even a performer -- he was a musician, but he very rarely released records under his name. As a producer, however -- and, to a significant extent, songwriter, label owner, and session player -- he influenced the course of rock \u0026amp; roll more than all but a handful of performers. The Wall of Sound that he perfected in the early '60s led to unlimited possibilities for arrangements and sound construction in rock and pop, and his brilliant talents imprinted the discs that he produced with an artistic vision that was much more attributable to him than to the talented performers with whom he worked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpector entered the record business in 1958 as songwriter, guitarist, and backup singer for the L.A. group the Teddy Bears, who landed a left-field number one with their first release, \"To Know Him Is to Love Him.\" The Teddy Bears didn't succeed with another hit and soon disbanded, but Spector almost immediately moved to New York and became a songwriter and producer. After producing a few hits, he founded his own label, Philles, and produced a series of brilliant smashes, primarily with girl groups the Crystals and the Ronettes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo an extent that had never been imagined in rock \u0026amp; roll, Spector pumped his records full of orchestration -- strings, horns, rattling percussion -- that coalesced into teenage symphonies, never overwhelming the material or the passionate vocals. Often called a mad genius because of his eccentric and temperamental behavior, Spector's idiosyncrasies were almost always overlooked because of the artistic and commercial results of his sessions, which combined dozens of instruments and innovative production techniques into end products which only he could combine into works of art. His influence was immense, not only in the dozens of imitation Wall of Sound productions (some very accurate and worthy, it must be added) that flooded the market between 1962 and 1965, but as an inspiration to Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, Rolling Stones producer Andrew Loog Oldham, and others.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpector was hip to the British Invasion before it had even reached the U.S., befriending the Beatles and Rolling Stones, but had nearly as much trouble as the rest of the industry in maintaining his success. Self-contained bands were writing more adventurous material and finding more adventurous sounds, and Spector's teen operas were soon out of fashion, although he enjoyed a lot of success with blue-eyed soul duo the Righteous Brothers in the mid-'60s. After the failure of Ike \u0026amp; Tina Turner's 1966 single \"River Deep, Mountain High\" -- which he considered among his greatest achievements, blaming a vengeful U.S. music industry for its poor sales (although it was a big hit in Britain) -- he retired to his L.A. mansion, marrying Ronnie Bennett, lead singer of the Ronettes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpector re-emerged in the late '60s and was hired by the Beatles to do post-production on their controversial Let It Be album; critics and Paul McCartney himself found Spector's work faulty, although it must be pointed out that the material he was given to work with didn't rank among the Beatles' best. He then produced George Harrison's and John Lennon's first solo albums; though these were artistic triumphs, they were hardly Spector productions in the classic sense, owing much more of their success to the talents of the performers than the producer. After that, he was active only sporadically, producing isolated albums by Dion, Leonard Cohen, and the Ramones while he mostly lived in seclusion. This changed in 2003 with the death of Lana Clarkson, who was shot and killed in Spector’s home. It took four years for the case to go to trial, the first of which resulted in a mistrial, and the second of which found Spector guilty of murder in the second degree. He was sentenced on May 29, 2009 to 19 years to life in the California state prison system. Spector was still behind bars when he died on January 16, 2021 at the age of 81. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"phil-spector-phil-spector-a-christmas-gift-for-you-colour-vinyl","title":"| A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector (Green Vinyl LP)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size:12px;\"\u003eA Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector (originally released as A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records) is an album of Christmas songs, produced by Phil Spector, and originally released in 1963. Spector treated a series of mostly secular Christmas standards to his trademark \"Wall of Sound\" treatment, and the selections feature the vocal performances of Spector's regular artists during this period.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size:12px;\"\u003eIn 2003, the album was voted 142 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. In 2017, it was ranked the 130th greatest album of the 1960s by Pitchfork. Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys has cited this album as his favorite of all time, and the album was included in Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size:12px;\"\u003eThis rockin' Christmas classic is now available on limited edition 180g Green Vinyl with a die cut sleeve.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size:12px;\"\u003e\"Not just the greatest Christmas record ever, but a bona fide pop classic in its own right. Spector's wall of sound production adds grandeur and drama, while the Philles Records crew lights up the holiday hit parade with rock \u0026amp; roll fire. The Crystals party under the chimney on 'Santa Claus Is Coming to Town'; Ronnie Spector turns 'Frosty the Snowman' into a puddle in the front yard; and on the classic Brill Building original 'Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home),' Darlene Love throws herself into an epic ballad of romantic affliction, turning winter wonderland into teenage wasteland. No wonder Brian Wilson has called it his favorite album of all time.\" - Rolling Stone, The 25 Greatest Christmas Albums Of All Time\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size:12px;\"\u003e\"Featuring Phil Spector's 'Wall of Sound' in its prime and his early stable of artists, the Ronettes, Crystals, Darlene Love, and Bob B. Soxx \u0026amp; the Blue Jeans, A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector stands as inarguably the greatest Christmas record of all time. Spector believed he could produce a record for the holidays that would capture not only the essence of the Christmas spirit, but also be a pop masterpiece that would stand against any work these artists had already done. He succeeded on every level, with all four groups\/singers recording some of their most memorable performances. This is the Christmas album by which all later holiday releases had to be judged, and it has inspired a host of imitators.\" - AllMusic\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cspan style=\"font-size:12px;\"\u003eTracklist\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size:12px;\"\u003eA1    White Christmas\u003cbr\u003e\r\nA2    Frosty The Snowman\u003cbr\u003e\r\nA3    The Bells Of St. Mary\u003cbr\u003e\r\nA4    Santa Claus Is Coming To Town\u003cbr\u003e\r\nA5    Sleigh Ride\u003cbr\u003e\r\nA6    Marshmallow World\u003cbr\u003e\r\nB1    I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus\u003cbr\u003e\r\nB2    Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer\u003cbr\u003e\r\nB3    Winter Wonderland\u003cbr\u003e\r\nB4    Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers\u003cbr\u003e\r\nB5    Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)\u003cbr\u003e\r\nB6    Here Comes Santa Claus\u003cbr\u003e\r\nB7    Silent Night\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cspan style=\"font-size:12px;\"\u003e*Audio and\/or tracklist may vary slightly from the vinyl version.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size:12px;\"\u003eLabel: DOL\u003cbr\u003e\r\nRel. Date: 01\/01\/2013\u003cbr\u003e\r\nUPC: 889397107109\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe allow=\"autoplay *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *; clipboard-write\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"450\" sandbox=\"allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation\" src=\"https:\/\/embed.music.apple.com\/us\/album\/a-christmas-gift-for-you-from-phil-spector\/336036941\" style=\"width:100%;max-width:660px;overflow:hidden;border-radius:10px;\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat Detail: LP\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Holiday\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 01\/01\/2013\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Various Artists","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43719846068457,"sku":"PRO39A-X49L-00","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/Phil-Spector-PHIL-SPECTOR-A-Christmas-Gift-for-You-Colour-Vinyl-_AocHD.jpg?v=1758932817"},{"product_id":"phil-spector-a-christmas-gift-for-you-from-phil-spector-import","title":"A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector [Import]","description":"\u003cp\u003eA Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector [Import] is a Records \u0026amp; LPs from Phil Spector\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Holiday\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 10\/09\/2015\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Phil Spector","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44581388484841,"sku":"NT6008-NIGX-00","price":43.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/phil-spector-a-christmas-gift-for-you-from-phil-spector-import_IZ5jW.jpg?v=1758990527"},{"product_id":"phil-spector-a-christmas-gift-for-you-picture-disc","title":"A Christmas Gift For You (Picture Disc)","description":"This was remastered by Phil Spector.This album has grown in stature over the years and has been reissued countless times. If you have to own a record to play half a dozen times during the festive season, then this is the one and only. Featuring the amazing Spector production together with Darlene Love, The Crystals, The Ronettes, Bob B. Soxx And The Blue Jeans, even Leon Russell on piano and Sonny Bono on percussion, this is another timeless record that is unlikely ever to be surpassed as the greatest Christmas compilation of all time.\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Rock\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 11\/03\/2017\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Phil Spector","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44581491507433,"sku":"B5C7Z9-YD0B-00","price":28.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/phil-spector-a-christmas-gift-for-you-picture-disc_WrLoK.jpg?v=1758964898"},{"product_id":"phil-spector-the-anthology-1959-1962-180-gram-vinyl-2-lps-import","title":"The Anthology 1959-1962 (180 Gram Vinyl) (2 Lp's) [Import]","description":"DESCRIPTION\r\nLimited double vinyl LP pressing. EU collection of key early tracks taken from producer Phil Spector's influential back catalog. With Spector releases, it wasn't just about the songs... it was also about the production. Phil's 'Wall of Sound' style of production was (and is) often copied, but has never been duplicated. This set includes classic hits from the Crystals, Gene Pitney, Ben E King, Curtis Lee, and many others.\r\n\r\n \r\nTracksCredits\r\n- Disc 1 -\r\n1 He's a Rebel\r\n2 Every Breath I Take\r\n3 Under the Moon of Love\r\n4 Zip a Dee Doo Dah\r\n5 Puddin' N' Tain\r\n6 Second Hand Love\r\n7 To Know Him Is to Love Him\r\n8 Bumbershoot\r\n9 Anyone But You\r\n10 Pretty Little Angel Eyes\r\n11 First Taste of Love\r\n12 Gonna Git That Man\r\n13 Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby\r\n14 Mr. Moon, Mr. Cupid and I\r\n15 Twist and Shout\r\n16 Love, Love, Love\r\n17 Willy Boy\r\n- Disc 2 -\r\n1 He Hit Me\r\n2 A World of Tears\r\n3 Dream for Sale\r\n4 Til You'll Be Mine\r\n5 Beverley Jean\r\n6 Always Late\r\n7 Young Boy Blues\r\n8 A Kiss from Your Lips\r\n9 I Really Do\r\n10 Spanish Harlem\r\n11 When You Dance\r\n12 I Love How You Love Me\r\n13 I\r\n14 You Can Get Him\r\n15 Shang Shang\r\n16 I'm So Happy\r\n17 Mr. Robin\r\n18 Uptown\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Pop\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 03\/22\/2013\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Phil Spector","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44586997874921,"sku":"WA76JD-JEM7-00","price":36.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/phil-spector-the-anthology-1959-1962-180-gram-vinyl-2-lps-import_DA2aB.jpg?v=1759060153"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/collections\/image_553184d0-167a-4454-b4a6-89829c4b7997.jpg?v=1730605705","url":"https:\/\/www.vibinvinyl.com\/collections\/phil-spector.oembed","provider":"Vibin' Vinyl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}