MORE INTERESTING THAN MOST PEOPLE’S FANTASIES — THE SWINGING EIGHTIES 1978-1984
They didn’t call themselves New Romantics, or the Blitz Kids – but other people did.
“I’d find people at the Blitz who were possible only in my imagination. But they were real” — Stephen Jones, hatmaker, 1983. (Illustration courtesy Iain R Webb, 1983)
“The truth about those Blitz club people was more interesting than most people’s fantasies” — Steve Dagger, pop group manager, 1983VINCENT ON AIR 2024
✱ Deejay legend Robbie Vincent has returned to JazzFM on Sundays 1-3pm… Catch Robbie’s JazzFM August Bank Holiday 2020 session thanks to AhhhhhSoul with four hours of “nothing but essential rhythms of soul, jazz and funk”.TOLD FOR THE FIRST TIME
◆ Who was who in Spandau’s break-out year of 1980? The Invisible Hand of Shapersofthe80s draws a selective timeline for The unprecedented rise and rise of Spandau Ballet –– Turn to our inside page
UNTOLD BLITZ STORIES
✱ If you thought there was no more to know about the birth of Blitz culture in 1980 then get your hands on a sensational book by an obsessive music fan called David Barrat. It is gripping, original and epic – a spooky tale of coincidence and parallel lives as mind-tingling as a Sherlock Holmes yarn. Titled both New Romantics Who Never Were and The Untold Story of Spandau Ballet! Sample this initial taster here at Shapers of the 80sCHEWING THE FAT
✱ Jawing at Soho Radio on the 80s clubland revolution (from 32 mins) and on art (@55 mins) is probably the most influential shaper of the 80s, former Wag-club director Chris Sullivan (pictured) with editor of this website David JohnsonLANDMARK FAREWELLS. . . HIT THE INDEX TAB UP TOP FOR EVERYTHING ELSE
➢ Search for all on Bowie here
at Shapers of the 80s✱ “I’m not a rock star” Bowie often said – No, David, you were a messiah – Obituaries and key videos on the godlike one
✱ Prince Rogers Nelson RIP: ‘A funny cat’ and ‘sole authentic genius’ of the 1980s
RANDOM!
Tag Archives: Ronettes
➤ It may be winter outside but here’s a feast of girl groups who put spring in our hearts
Posted in North America, Pop music, Youth culture
Tagged 1960s, Chiffons, Crystals, girl groups, Little Eva, Love Unlimited, Ronettes, Shirelles, soul music, Video
➤ Index of posts for January
Two-way exchange: Bishop Porfyrios reclaims his church’s 300-year-old icon of Christ in London, while as a thankyou, Boy George receives a modern version of Christ Pantokrator (right) from composer John Themis. Photo © AP
➢ George Michael celebrates his golden years of Faith
➢ Reliving the Blitz: two pocket fanzines and a request from Rusty Egan
➢ “Too posh for pop” — Grandpa Waterman condemns two decades of musicmakers
➢ 1981, Why naked heroes from antiquity stood in for Spandau on their first record sleeves
➢ Ferry backed by three bass players, Roxy back on the road — how cool is that?
Karn onstage at Hammersmith Odeon, November 17, 1982: Japan’s final UK tour. Photographed for Sounds © by Chris Dorley-Brown
➢ 1981, The day they sold The Times, both Timeses
➢ George makes saintly gesture over stolen icon
➢ 1981, How Adam stomped his way across the charts to thwart the nascent New Romantics
➢ The unknown Mr Big behind London’s landmark nightspot makes his return to the Blitz
➢ Va-va-vooom! goes the world’s smallest portable record player
➢ F-A-B! Thunderbirds stamps are go!
➢ Julia and Gaz share their secrets for ageing disgracefully
Motormouths back in action: Strange and Egan interviewed on BBC London news in the club where they once reigned. Such were members’ powers of self-promotion at the Blitz, Egan said, that it was the 80s equivalent of Facebook Live!
➢ 2011, Strange and Egan return to the Blitz to kick off the 20-tweens
➢ 200 new acts tipped for the new year in music
➢ Most popular bits of Shapersofthe80s during 2010
➢ Farewell Mick Karn, master of the bass and harbinger for the New Romantics
➢ Prescott says Postlethwaite’s Brassed Off speech inspired New Labour in 1997
➢ Discover Ubu while Christopher Walken takes flight to Fatboy Slim
➢ List of posts for December 2010
The Ronettes in 1963: beehive hair-dos and producer Phil Spector
Posted in Chronology, Clubbing, Europe, London, North America, Pop music, Social trends, TV, Youth culture
Tagged 2011, Adam Ant, Blitz Kids, Boy George, Bryan Ferry, Christopher Walken, forecasts, Gaz Mayall, George Michael, Gerry Anderson, Graham Smith, Mick Karn, New Romantics, Pete Postlethwaite, Pete Waterman, Phil Spector, Princess Julia, Return to the Blitz, Ronettes, Rusty Egan, site stats, Spandau Ballet, Steve Strange, theblitzclub, Thunderbirds, Ubu, Video, Wall of sound
➤ Happy New Year from Frosty The Snowman — and The Ronettes
TURN UP YOUR VOLUME BEFORE YOU
CLICK HERE TO VIEW A VIDEO MONTAGE OF
♫ ♫ FROSTY THE SNOWMAN . . .
The Ronettes in 1963: beehive hair-dos and producer Phil Spector
➢ WHILE WE’RE WITH THE RONETTES, WHAT’S THE SMASH THAT CHANGED THE SOUND OF 60s POP?
♫ ♫ CLICK TO VIEW VIDEO …
❚ BRIAN WILSON OF THE BEACH BOYS has declared Be My Baby by the Ronettes his own all-time favourite, and the greatest pop record ever: “The choruses blew me away.” Whoa-oh-oh-oh-ohhh! In August 1963 it changed the game entirely. Be My Baby swept into the charts with a lush new approach to orchestration called the “Wall of Sound” that was to bring down a cleaver between rock and pop. Both however were infected by the sheer musicality introduced by its creator, the record producer Phil Spector. He layered pianos, guitars, reeds, brass and most daringly strings, adding studio overdubs and echo, plus any number of people on percussion — famously, castanets. His own description was “little symphonies for the kids”.
Be My Baby took 42 takes to complete, and its spine-tingling intro is unbeatable. The Ronettes’ original has been immortalised in the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Library of Congress for being the quintessence of the dense Spector sound that influenced all who followed, including The Beatles on Let It Be, and the output of Trevor Horn in the 1980s.
The song was co-written by one of the many writing partnerships based in New York’s Brill Building — Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry — with a few finishing flourishes added by Spector. The Ronettes themselves were three hot girls from Spanish Harlem, the sisters Estelle and Ronnie Bennett (who later married Spector), and their cousin, Nedra Talley. Their trademarks were beehive hair-dos, eye makeup in the Cleopatra style and tight skirts. Spector signed the Ronettes to his Philles record label and subsequently managed them. Other smash hits included Baby I Love You, The Best Part of Breaking Up, and Walking In the Rain with Spector’s classic storm effects (covered memorably by the Walker Brothers in 1967).
♫ ♫ View video of Brian Wilson playing Be My Baby live — In Q Magazine’s 1001 Best Songs Ever Wilson said: “This is a special one for me. What a great sound, the Wall of Sound. Boy! First heard this on the car radio and I had to pull off the road, I couldn’t believe it. The choruses blew me away; the strings are the melody of love. It has the promise to make the world better.”
Posted in Pop music
Tagged 2011, Phil Spector, Philles, Ronettes, Tipping points, Video, Wall of sound
➢➢ Shapers of the 80s ➣➣ 