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Phil Spector Mugshot: Wigless and Terrifying

Published June 12th, 2009 by Karen
Long Live Rock & Roll, not quite as mad as Phil Spector
Creative Commons License photo credit: dullhunk

Left: Phil Spector wearing his usual weirdo wig. His wigless mugshot photo is even scarier.

Phil Spector has always been an interesting, and terrifying character.

Initially known for his innovative work producing music by ’60s girl-groups like the Ronettes, and later remembered for his infamous incident pulling a gun on punk rockers the Ramones, Spector’s most recent turn in the spotlight has come courtesy of a murder trial.

In April, Spector was found guilty of shooting and killing actress Lana Clarkson in 2003, and was later sentenced to 19 years-to-life in prison. Clearly, this is no laughing matter, and we have nothing but sympathy for the victim and her family.

However, prison time means mugshots and, unfortunately for this eccentric, wig-loving beast, hairpieces are not allowed in the big house.

See 69-year-old Spector in his un-wigged horror in his mug shot photo, but don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Actually, we think he kinda looks the like butler from the Rocky Horror Picture Show…What do you think?

"Richie!! Wish I was there, been looking for you for a long time. Plz. contact me. I miss you. Check out my 14 yr. old son as a guest performer playing..."
  Bobski
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Happy Birthday, Joey Ramone! Tribute Concert, NYC Tonight

Published May 19th, 2009 by Karen

Above: Punk hero Joey Ramone meets superhero Spiderman. It was bound to happen eventually.
Below: The catchiest song ever written about baseball bats.
Ramones–”Beat on the Brat” mp3

May 19, 1951 was an important day in rock’n'roll history: It was the birthday of Jeff Hyman.

Hyman is of course better known as punk-rock icon, Joey Ramone. (Yeah, we should’ve mentioned this sooner, but we were too busy trying to bake a cake in the shape of the Ramones’  logo.)

Joey, who would’ve turned 58 today, passed away in 2001 after a battle with lymphoma. He may be gone, but his impact on the music world will never be forgotten. Pretty much any rock band that has picked up a guitar in the past 20 years owes a debt to the Ramones, who made writing perfect pop/rock songs seem deceptively simple. Earlier this week, Ramone was officially inducted into the Rock’n'Roll Hall of Fame, after an earlier technical error left  him out in the cold.

Tonight in NYC, Joey’s brother, Mickey Leigh, has organized a Joey Ramone Birthday Bash at the Fillmore/Irving Plaza, with proceeds from tickets set to support the Joey Ramone Foundation for Lymphoma Research.

Hosted by former MTV VJ Matt Pinfield, the show will feature Continue reading »

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Top 10 Phil Spector Hits: Beatles, Ramones and More!

Published April 17th, 2009 by Karen

Ok, so by now everyone has probably read that record producer Phil Spector has been found guilty of killing Lana Clarkson by shooting her in the face.

Obviously, we can’t defend that action.

But, we can take a look back at Spector’s pre-murder career-and an impressive career it was. Spector hit the big time producing everyone from the Ronettes and Righteous Brothers to the Beatles and the Ramones.

Do you know what the last song Phil produced was? Or which song was covered by a ’90s indie rock icon? Keep reading for the answers!

The following songs and videos are just a few highlights from Spector’s back pages, mostly songs he produced, but some he actually played on-maybe you have some Spector in your record collection right now :)

Check out our Top Phil Spector tunes and tell us which is your favorite.

Kicking things off is a video from Spector’s own band, the Teddy Bears.

1950s:
Teddy Bears-To Know Him is to Love Him

 

Continue reading »

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Phil Spector Convicted, Faces 18 to Life in Prison

Published April 14th, 2009 by Wendy
Long Live Rock & Roll, not quite as mad as Phil Spector
Creative Commons License photo credit: dullhunk

In his second trial for the shooting death of B-actress Lana Clarkson legendary record producer Phil Spector yesterday was found guilty of second degree murder, according to an Associated Press report.

The prosecution’s most valuable witness during the trial was Spector’s own chauffer who testified that he heard a gunshot, then saw Spector emerge holding a gun and heard him say: “I think I killed somebody.” Continue reading »

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Phil Spector Found Guilty of Murder in Lana Clarkson Case

Published April 13th, 2009 by Karen

Known for his flamboyant wigs and sometimes volatile personality, record producer Phil Spector became a music icon in the ’60s and beyond thanks to his wall of sound recording techniques and his work with groups like the Ronettes, the Crystals and the Righteous Brothers. He later went on to work with artists as diversere as Leonard Cohen and the Ramones.

However, for a new generation of music fans Spector may simply be known as a killer.

In 2007, Spector’s first murder trial ended in a hung jury, but on Monday a jury returned with a verdict after 15 days of deliberating. In a California courtroom 69-year-old Spector was found guilty of second degree murder in the 2003 shooting death of 40-year-old actress Lana Clarkson.

A particularly brutal crime, Clarkson was reportedly killed by a gunshot fired into her mouth.

Spector’s prison term will be determined at his May sentencing. Spector is currently married to his fourth wife, Rachelle, 41 years his junior. Continue reading »

"Good! That waste of skin has been jamming guns in people's faces for years. Let him rot in prison."
  Robin R.
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Defense Rests In Phil Spector Murder Trial

Published March 13th, 2009 by Wendy

Phil Spector’s defense attorney rested his case yesterday in the music producer’s murder retrial involving the shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson, according to a report on Billboard.com

Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler offered Spector the opportunity to testify, but he declined to take the stand in his own defense. Attorney Doron Weinberg ended his case with testimony from forensic psychologist Elizabeth Loftus, an expert in memory and witness testimony. Her opinions were used to raise doubts about the testimony of the prosecution’s star witness, a chauffeur who said he heard Spector say he thought he had killed somebody.

Spector, a legendary music producer known for his eccentricity, is accused of murdering B-movie star Lana Clarkson in his Hollywood mansion in 2003. Clarkson died of a gunshot fired into her mouth. The defense has contended Clarkson was suicidal and killed herself. The prosecution maintains that Spector killed her.

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Ronettes Singer Dead at 67. RIP Awesome Beehive Hairdos.

Published February 13th, 2009 by Karen

Flickr photo by dotpolkaIn the 1960s, Ronnie Spector and her singing group, the Ronettes, became the most famous example of controversial producer Phil Spector’s groundbreaking wall-of-sound recording techniques.

The group rose to fame thanks to unforgettable songs such as “The Best Part of Breakin’ Up,” “I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine” and “Be My Baby.”

Many groups imitated the band’s sound, and Spector’s recording techniques, but none could match the magic of that group.

Spector’s famous wall of sound got a little quieter on February 11, 2009 with the passing of Ronnie’s sister, 67-year-old Ronettes singer Estelle Bennett. Estelle was Continue reading »