#494 The Ronettes, 'Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes' (1964)

Previously #422

This, the only studio album the Ronettes ever released, is as much Phil Spector’s record as it is theirs. It’s a production triumph. Instruments upon instruments upon instruments creating the massive Wall Of Sound, the production technique that Spector pioneered. The famous Wrecking Crew are the musicians responsible for that and Hal Blaine, on the drums, gives us one of the most iconic, and often imitated, drum performances of all time on ‘Be My Baby’ (from Billy Joel’s ‘Say Goodbye To Hollywood’ to Taylor Swift ‘Hey Stephen’). That song is as close to perfect a song will ever be. The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson has called it the “greatest pop record ever made.” That song singlehandedly inspired Wilson’s production on the future Beach Boys recordings, even going so far as to use The Wrecking Crew on the recordings himself.

The album featured backing vocals by newcomers, Sonny Bono and Cher (before they burst onto the scene with ‘I Got You Babe’ in 1965), as well as Darlene Love. In 1973, Martin Scorsese used ‘Be My Baby’ in the opening scene of ‘Mean Streets,’ without permission, allowing Spector to get a chunk of his earnings for years.

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