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Limited Edition Mono 200 Gram Vinyl!2nd Album for Phil Spector's Girl's Group!
Features Songs Written by Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann & More!
Includes the Controversial "He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss)"!!
In the early 1960s, Phil Spector and his Wall of Sound changed the face of popular music, elevating teenage rock 'n' roll into epic, widescreen drama whose emotional directness and expansive, densely layered sound instantly broadened the potential of the recording medium. In the process, the "Tycoon of Teen," barely out of his teens himself, became the first record producer to be as famous as the performers that he produced. Spector's assault on the charts began in earnest in 1962, when he launched his soon-to-be-legendary Philles label. Applying his visionary studio techniques to redefine the girl-group genre, he created a string of iconic smashes ("little symphonies for the kids," as Spector once called them) that dominated the period's AM airwaves, and which continue to resonate through popular culture half a century later. Spector's pioneering work with the Crystals, the Ronettes and Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans remains the cornerstone of his incredible body of work. Perhaps because he's so widely renowned for his masterful singles, the handful of vintage Spector-produced LPs remain underrated, and original vinyl copies have become rare collectors items. Now, Sundazed Music honors the Spector legacy with these four groundbreaking vinyl landmarks from the vaults of Philles Records-all in glorious mono: Twist Uptown, He's A Rebel, Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, and Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Feat. Veronica!!!
Although it was assembled quickly in 1963 to take advantage of the chart success of its eponymous title anthem, the Crystals' second album is a near-perfect summation of this seminal girl group's effortless appeal and the surging majesty of Spector's production genius. Between the group's winsome vocals, the massed muscle of Spector's legendary studio band the Wrecking Crew, and the stellar songwriting of such Brill Building pros as Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil and Doc Pomus, He's A Rebel is one of the most beloved items in the Philles Records catalogue.
While most listeners didn't know it at the time, the Gene Pitney-penned "He's A Rebel" was actually recorded by Darlene Love and her studio group the Blossoms, and released under the Crystals' name. Love also takes the lead on the effervescent hit "He's Sure the Boy I Love." Under any name, however, these are among the most thrilling items in the Spector canon.
Along with such memorable early Crystals classics as "Uptown," "There's No Other (Like My Baby)" and "Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby," He's A Rebel also features the controversial Goffin/King composition "He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss)." Originally released as a single in 1962, the song's emotionally raw subject matter scared off radio programmers, and Spector quickly had it withdrawn from release. In the years since, the song has gained near-mythical status, and its inclusion here is a handy reminder of the power of Spector's singular artistry.
"The Crystals were from Brooklyn, but Spector was in Los Angeles to record 'Hes a Rebel.' So he recorded this celebration of teenage bad boys with Darlene Love and the Blossoms under the Crystals name. A sobering footnote: Spector was just 21 years old." - Rolling Stone
Features:
200 Gram Vinyl
Limited Edition
Mono Edition
Spector's Signature Sound Quality
Musicians:
Barbara Alston, vocals
Mary Thomas, backing vocals
Patricia "Patsy" Wright, vocals
Dolores "Dee Dee" Kenniebrew, backing vocals
Dolores "La La" Brooks, backing vocals
Steve Douglas, saxophone
Mike Spencer, piano
Hal Blaine, drums
Selections:
1. He's A Rebel
2. Uptown
3. Another Country-Another World
4. Frankenstein Twist
5. Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby
6. He's Sure The Boy I Love
7. There's No Other Like My Baby
8. On Broadway
9. What A Nice Way To Turn Seventeen
10. No One Ever Tells You
11. He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss)
12. I Love You Eddie