Phil Spector is working again!

August 13, 2002 8:52 AM

Phil Spector is working again! British quartet Starsailor have recorded two tracks with legendary producer Phil Spector, becoming the first act to work with him in almost twenty years.
posted by soundofsuburbia (22 comments total)

Cool. I wonder if he'll pull a gun on them like he did on the Ramones. BACK TO MONO!
posted by Fabulon7 at 9:24 AM on August 13, 2002

So the big question is, will he:

a) Force the band to stay in the studio at gunpoint, as he did the Ramones, or:

b) Simply disappear with the recordings for a few months (or years, can't remember), as he did with John Lennon?

Or does he have a cool new method? Should be interesting.

PS, I know the first article linked has Lennon at gunpoint, which may well be, but I know I read articles with the Ramones, Johnny actually, claiming Phil exercised his 2nd amendment rights on them. Can anyone clear this up?
posted by hackly_fracture at 9:25 AM on August 13, 2002

Fabulon7: d'oh.
posted by hackly_fracture at 9:25 AM on August 13, 2002

I thought the story about the gun had to do with Leonard Cohen, during the recording of the Spector-produced, discoish Cohen album "Death of a Ladies' Man". Does anyone have any documentation for either the Ramones story, or the Cohen story?
posted by interrobang at 9:34 AM on August 13, 2002

Just don't let him get back together with Ronnie Spector. She's mine...MINE I TELL YOU!
posted by MrBaliHai at 9:38 AM on August 13, 2002

Ramones, Phil Spector and a gun.

But legend has it that Spector was obsessive in the studio, making them play the opening chord of "Rock 'n' Roll High School" for eight hours straight. "That's true, it was insane," Joey confirms. "He locked us in his house for hours, and he pulled a gun on Dee Dee. But it was a positive learning experience. And that chord does sound really good."

posted by soundofsuburbia at 9:39 AM on August 13, 2002

"During the recording of Leonard Cohen's Death of a Ladies' Man LP in 1978, producer Phil Spector supposedly kept a loaded gun on the console and picked it up when Cohen demanded that he be allowed to re-record his vocals. It may or may not have been the same gun he supposedly brandished in order to persuade the Ramones to add strings to their Christmas song. "

"But legend has it that Spector was obsessive in the studio, making them play the opening chord of "Rock 'n' Roll High School" for eight hours straight. "That's true, it was insane," Joey confirms. 'He locked us in his house for hours, and he pulled a gun on Dee Dee. But it was a positive learning experience. And that chord does sound really good.' "

*Shrug*
posted by Skot at 9:40 AM on August 13, 2002

It's not much, and boy is it hard to read, but it's mentioned here, about halfway down the page.

Also mentioned at the bottom of this article.
posted by Fabulon7 at 9:40 AM on August 13, 2002

be my little ba-ay-ay-ay-by.
posted by quonsar at 9:44 AM on August 13, 2002

This link (largely a rehash of the fpp, otherwise) leads one to believe that the gun was a motivator for "some of his acts." Snopes2, by the way, appears to be silent on the issue.
posted by hackly_fracture at 9:44 AM on August 13, 2002

If I remember correctly from a Spector bio I read, at one time he was working on remixes for Depeche Mode, but he kept missing deadlines and nothing ever came of it.

According to the same bio, Janet Jackson's management considered Spector when they were shopping for a producer for what eventually became Control. Spector tried to lock Jackson up in his house, and offered to "check into the Bates Motel" with her, so Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were wisely chosen to helm the new album instead.
posted by hilker at 9:53 AM on August 13, 2002

Cool! Starsailor (who suck) gets to work with the producer of Let It Be (which sucks). Sounds like a match made in heaven!

They can call the album, um, SUCK!
posted by Marquis at 9:57 AM on August 13, 2002

Marquis: Can't we remember Phil Spector for tracks like these, instead?
posted by soundofsuburbia at 10:22 AM on August 13, 2002

Well, some people like their producers abusive and controlling.
posted by phantroll at 10:38 AM on August 13, 2002

Behind the Music: Duck! Ike Turner and Phil Spector in the Studio.
posted by timeistight at 2:18 PM on August 13, 2002

Don't forget Lee Perry! Oooh, I'd watch that.
posted by soundofsuburbia at 2:29 PM on August 13, 2002

Actually, Ike Turner was barred from Spector's studio during recording, despite the resultant records' nominally being by "Ike & Tina Turner."
posted by hilker at 2:30 PM on August 13, 2002

Noooooooo, not starsailor. Of all the limp, dad rock, two bit nobodies he had to choose them. Still, could have been worse I suppose, he could have been working with Ocean Colour Scene. Then we'd really know the end of the world was nigh.
posted by ciderwoman at 4:06 PM on August 13, 2002

Please temper your ageism, ciderwoman.
posted by timeistight at 4:24 PM on August 13, 2002

Maybe he could re-record River deep mountain high with Mariah Carey in the Tina Turner spot.
posted by blucevalo at 6:05 PM on August 13, 2002

with Mariah Carey in the Tina Turner spot.

Blasphemer!
posted by gummi at 2:03 AM on August 14, 2002

Lost me there timeistight, how exactly are my comments ageist? Dad rock is just a term to refer to those bands who try to re-create the music of their fathers (weller, OCS, Oasis et al), and Starsailor are mere whippersnappers, so I'm afraid you've lost me on this one.

Point me in the right direction and I will temper whatever I can.

After I light my pipe and get them pesky kids to stop playing football in the street that is.
posted by ciderwoman at 5:06 PM on August 14, 2002