Phil Spector
Biography
Phil Spector was an American record producer and songwriter whose orchestral pop productions, called the Wall of Sound, helped shape pop music history. Born in the Bronx, he moved to Los Angeles as a teen and in 1958 helped form the Teddy Bears, for whom he wrote the hit To Know Him Is to Love Him. Teaming with Lester Sill, he founded Philles Records in 1961, becoming the youngest label owner in the United States at that time. He made hits with the Crystals and the Ronettes, plus Darlene Love and the Righteous Brothers, using a session group later called the Wrecking Crew. During the 1970s he worked on the Beatles' Let It Be and on solo records by John Lennon and George Harrison. He produced nineteen US top-ten singles, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted him in 1989. He also appeared as a drug dealer in Easy Rider (1969).
81years old at death
- Born The Bronx
- Died Stockton
- Star sign: CapricornThe sign runs December 22 to January 19
- Harvey Phillip Spector (birth name)Also credited as Phillip Harvey Spector
Movie Career
- Films
- 4
- Career span
- 49 years1969 to 2018
Every film, newest first
- 2018John & Yoko: Above Us Only SkyIMDb rating 7.5
- 2000Gimme Some Truth: The Making of John Lennon's Imagine AlbumIMDb rating 7.6
- 1988Imagine: John LennonIMDb rating 7.8
- 1969Easy RiderIMDb rating 7.2
Genres
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A change of course
In late 1961, Spector started a record company with Sill, whose partnership with Hazlewood had already ended. Their label, Philles Records, was named by combining the first names of its two founders.
Early training
Spector was tutored in record production by Stan Ross, co-owner of Gold Star Studios, who had a major influence on his production style.
Big break
Spector rushed into Gold Star Studios to record a cover of "He's a Rebel" with Darlene Love and the Blossoms after learning Vikki Carr was set to release it on Liberty, and his version hit number one.
A change of course
Spector paired his singles with deliberately inconsequential B-sides, often instrumentals improvised at the end of a session, to push radio programmers toward his preferred A-side.
A change of course
Spector was appointed to lead A&R at Apple Records, a role he kept for just a year. In that time he co-produced Lennon's 1971 single "Power to the People" and the chart-topping album Imagine.
A first
In 1979 Spector produced End of the Century, a Ramones album that drew criticism from their fans for its radio-friendly sound, yet it reached number 44 on the Billboard Hot 200, their highest chart position.
Phil Spector movies on Netflix
Most often with
Andrew Solt directed two of these films. Three actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
John Lennon's page
George Harrison's page
Yoko Ono's page
Julian Lennon's page
Klaus Voormann's page
Elliot Mintz's page
Andrew SoltDirector, 2 films, 1988 to 2000
All films by Andrew Solt
Also two films together1 more actor
- May PangJohn & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky (2018) and Imagine: John Lennon (1988)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Awards
Four awards and honors from 1989 to 2011, two of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grammy Awards | |||
| 2000 | Grammy Trustees Award | Won | |
| 1998 | Grammy Hall of Fame | A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector | Won |
| Other honors | |||
| 2011 | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame | Won | |
| 1989 | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame | Won | |
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.