Ronettes: Be my baby, finally
By Steve Jones, USA TODAY
Ronnie Spector waited 19 years for a call from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The long delay hasn't dampened her enthusiasm about finally being honored on March 12, when she and other members of '60s girl group The Ronettes will be inducted with R.E.M., Van Halen, Patti Smith and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.
The Ronettes' inclusion is a victory both artistic and personal to Ronnie, who recently learned that her former husband and famed "wall of sound" producer Phil Spector had moved to oppose the group's admission into the hall.
Phil Spector, who goes on trial March 19 for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson, has minimized his ex-wife's contributions to the groundbreaking Ronettes, she says. She points to a letter obtained by her lawyers two years ago. Dated July 11, 1994, and addressed to the Rock Hall's nominating committee, he details why The Ronettes (which included Ronnie's sister Estelle Bennett and cousin Nedra Talley) are unworthy of induction.
"My first objection to the Ronettes, is that they did not record!" states Spector, who was inducted in 1989. "Of all the recordings they made, only the lead singer appeared. The group behind her, as you no doubt know, consisted of any number of hundreds of singers I used for that purpose.
"Secondly, I do not think they made the contribution required of some to be in the HALL OF FAME, nor do they have the body of work that would qualify them for induction."
He went on to name several other groups that deserved consideration ahead of The Ronettes.
Spector, the onetime "Tycoon of Teen," produced hits for such acts as Ike & Tina Turner, The Ramones, George Harrison, John Lennon and the Righteous Brothers.
Ronnie Spector, 63, says she was hurt but not surprised by what she considers vindictive assertions. She says Phil Spector has been bitter since they divorced in 1974.
"He's an angry and unhappy man, and he hasn't been successful since I left," Ronnie says.
She says her ex-husband used different backup singers on Ronettes records because he was too cheap to bring the other Ronettes to California for recording sessions.
Roger Rosen, a lawyer for Phil Spector, said that his client was preparing for trial and had no statement about the induction or any of Ronnie Spector's allegations.
Ronnie says, "I waited so long for all this to happen, but as they say, it's never too late."
The former lead singer of The Ronettes, best known for such hits as Be My Baby and Walking in the Rain, has never stopped playing to eager crowds and continues to be a favorite among peers. Smith, Keith Richards, The Smithereens' Dennis Diken and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Nick Zinner are guests on Last of the Rock Stars, due this spring.
Spector says that though the producer created the sound of The Ronettes, the trio broke the mold of demure girl groups with their raw sexuality, beehive hairdos, dark eyeliner, provocative outfits and exotic beauty. They were the first ones bold enough to directly tell boys they wanted them.
"We were not like any other girl group," Spector says. "We sweated. We had slits up the side. It was like nuts. We were knocking them dead because of our looks and my voice."
The Ronettes disbanded in 1966 after Bennett and Talley both got married.
She returned to performing and recording after the divorce, collaborating with Bruce Springsteen, John Lennon,
Brian Wilson, Alice Cooper, Jimi Hendrix, Joey Ramone and others. Her 1986 duet with Eddie Money, Take Me Home Tonight, was nominated for a Grammy Award. In 2001, The Ronettes were awarded nearly $3 million in royalties after a 15-year legal battle.
Spector lives in Connecticut with Jonathan Greenfield, her manager and husband of 25 years, and their two sons. She adopted three children with Phil Spector.
"If somebody told me that when I was 60, people would still be coming to hear me sing Be My Baby and Walking in the Rain, I wouldn't have believed it," she says. "But here I am, and I'm not slowing down. I'm moving ahead."
So what did Ronnie and Brian work on? I don't recall reading anything but I did find this which I think is great. Brian still able to throw out a cool backing vocal and Ronnie still has (in 2000 anyway) a strong lead.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHSldRCzGqI 
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