"Phil Spector"

Al Pacino, playing a famous nut case with a gun and lots of money/power? Yep, I'll take that. Written and directed by David Mamet, for HBO? Yes, yes, yes.

Phil Spector was part of the background sound to my life from when I was four years old, up till the early 1970s. He was hard to miss.

Some of the singles he produced included: 

To Know Him Is to Love Him – The Teddy Bears
I Love How You Love Me – The Paris Sisters
He's A Rebel – The Crystals
(Today I Met) The Boy I’m Gonna Marry – Darlene Love
Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home) – The Crystals
Then He Kissed Me – The Crystals
Be My Baby – The Ronettes
You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' – The Righteous Brothers
Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers
River Deep - Mountain High – Ike and Tina Turner
Instant Karma (We All Shine On) – John Lennon

Some of the albums he produced included:

Let It Be – The Beatles
All Things Must Pass – George Harrison
Imagine – John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band
The Concert for Bangladesh – George Harrison and friends
Born To Be With You – Dion
Death of a Ladies' Man – Leonard Cohen

For those who can remember, here's some quick sound bites of the songs.



In 2003, actress Lana Clarkson was found shot dead in Spector's mansion in California. Spector stated that Clarkson's death was an "accidental suicide" and that she "kissed the gun." The emergency call from Spector's home, made by Spector's driver, quotes Spector as saying, "I think I've killed someone." After two trials, the jury returned a verdict of guilty for murder in the second degree. Spector was sentenced to nineteen years to life in prison.

The TV show, Phil Spector, is about Spector's relationship with his defense attorney, Linda Kenney Baden, who was originally to be played by Bette Midler. Midler pulled out because of illness, and Helen Mirren stepped in.