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11.03am
24 August 2012
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I’ll give props to Spector for salvaging Let It Be – it was definitely better than Glyn Johns’ 2 Get Back attempts – despite somewhat going against the project’s intentions of going back to basics with virtually no overdubs. While he gave us the best version of “Let It Be ,” the strings on “I Me Mine ” were utterly unnecessary (though I appreciate him extending the song’s length), and he really schmaltzed up “The Long And Winding Road ” (picking perhaps arguably Paul’s most maudlin vocal performance of the song didn’t help). “Across The Universe ” also would’ve been the definitive version of the song had it not included the orchestral and choral overdubs, and played at the original pitch. But when it comes to producing material as it’s being recorded, he wasn’t a good fit for the band members’ sound. His echo fixation slightly mars ATMP as well as some of John’s early solo works. One can only wonder how they would’ve sounded if George Martin or someone in that vein had produced those works instead.
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vonbontee, Mr. Moonlight1.20pm
10 June 2015
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There was a show on XM that was about songs that end with a hard stop as opposed to a fade-out. They mentioned most Beatlemania songs had a hard stop because that works best in a live performance. They also said that a lot of the fade-out songs are being re-released with the entire fade-out included. One such song is the Phil Spector co-written and produced You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling sung by The Righteous Brothers, which now includes an extra 45 seconds. The host mentioned that over a 22 year period this was the most broadcast song in the world. Taking all it’s plays into consideration, it was constantly playing at least 5 times every second for all 22 years!!
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Dingle Lad, Expert TextpertYou and I have memories
Longer than the road that stretches out ahead
8.57am
9 October 2021
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I think he works on some of the tracks and not others. The Long And Winding Road and Let It Be sound great, while stuff like Across The Universe should’ve been left as it is.
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Mr. MoonlightGET BACK IS HERE!
cool Beatles sites: good ‘ol Alan nice song-by-song and of course this place
1.17pm
28 March 2014
Offline I always liked the Let It Be LP, even before I learned about Spector. So I don’t love nor loathe him.
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Mr. Moonlight
BEATLES Music gives me Eargasms! 
8.40pm
29 August 2021
Offline Bongo said
I always liked the Let It Be LP, even before I learned about Spector. So I don’t love nor loathe him.
Agreed. I’d say I’m indifferent to him. His version was the only version for years and I never had any complaints about it. Having heard other versions more recently, I’d say his is the best compromise between the competing objectives.
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Bongo"Nothing is Beatle-proof."
9.33am
24 August 2021
Offline It’s hard to say. It’s undeniable that Spector produced a lot of amazing works over his career, and the Wall of Sound, at its best, definitely did everything it was meant to.
Besides how Beatles fans feel about his work on Let It Be , a lot of feelings about Spector are undeniably colored by his lifestyle, his actions during the Lost Weekend, and the death of Lana Clarkson. Basically, for the longest time, people wondered whether the words “renowned record producer” or “convicted murderer” would appear first in his obituary.
Simply put, I like Spector’s production, with certain reservations. I also think that a lot of his acolytes, in particular Jim Steinman, the producer and lyricist behind Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell albums and various hit singles like Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now” did Phil better than Phil did himself.
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Mr. Moonlight, sir walter raleigh4.55am
26 January 2017
Offline Agreed
As a Beach Boys fan a harbor a certain amount of hatred for Spector because of the accounts of his treatment of Brian (He unfortunately joins a long list of people) His criminal history also adds to my retrospective view of him. His music production will last forever with The Beatles, George, The Ronettes, etc. but I usually don’t give him the benefit of the doubt when it comes to certain tracks.
"The pump don't work cause the vandals took the handles!"
-Bob Dylan, Subterranean Homesick Blues
"We could ride and surf together while our love would grow"
-Brian Wilson, Surfer Girl
7.08pm
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1 May 2011
Offline Music production-wise, I think most of his work sounds horribly dated even if it is of high historical significance. About 95% at least could do with remixes, ‘ATMP ‘ was crying out to be allowed to breathe for years before it happened.
His legendary Christmas album is god-awful crap by the way.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
9.00pm
24 August 2021
Offline Well, again, with Steinman, his production work definitely seems to better fit the phrase “Wagnerian rock” and “little symphonies for the kids.” Because there is not only clearer separation of the instruments, but there is an actual muscularity to work, it rocks harder. The proof comes in Meat Loaf’s album Bat Out of Hell II, which I personally think is better than the original. Hearing “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That),” “Life Is A Lemon And I Want My Money Back” and “Objects In The Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are”, these are not only superb lyrics, but the battalion of musicians makes a larger and better sonic canvas than anything Phil could ever do. Jim’s work absolutely towers and takes flight quite easily, whereas Phil’s work often feels lumbering.
No clearer example is on the version of “River Deep Mountain High” by Celine Dion on her album Falling Into You, which Jim produced. Every touch feels perfect, the sound isn’t just mush, and it has a visceral sonic punch. Makes you wish that Tina Turner had been singing along to Jim’s production instead.
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Mr. Moonlight
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