Best of The Ronettes

Ronettes | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 22, 1992)
• Original Release Date: September 22, 1992
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Abkco
• ASIN: B000003BDO
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #134,526 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Be My Baby

2. Why Don't They Let Us Fall in Love

3. I Wonder

4. Baby I Love You

5. (The Best Part of) Breakin' Up

6. So Young

7. When I Saw You

8. Do I Love You?

9. You Baby

10. How Does It Feel?

11. Walking in the Rain

12. Born to Be Together

13. Is This What I Get for Loving You?

14. Paradise

15. Here I Sit

16. I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine

17. Everything Under the Sun

18. You Came, You Saw, You Conquered

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ronnie Spector Masterpiece is the Ultimate!!!, February 25, 2004

By 

Bradly Briggs (TOLUCA LAKE, CALIFORNIA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Best of The Ronettes (Audio CD)

High school days in those wondrous musical sixties, standout memorable anthem is Ronnie Spector's incredible voice in the classic "Be My Baby", great song that blew everyone away with exotic hypnotic brilliance and helped defined a great musical era. Waiting then for each and every release after, Ronnie never disappointed being never less than brilliant. "Baby I Love You" is another winner as is "The Best Part Of Breaking Up", then along with the exotic hypnotic stunner "Do I Love You?", these classics stand as the best of the best from the great musical sixties. Ronnie with that mesmerizing passionate voice so brilliantly showcased in "Walking In The Rain", should have gone to #1 as it jumped out at you whenever on the radio unlike anything else, complete with that amazing arrangement, vividly simulating thunder & rain so realisticly that you can feel it. Ronnie & the Ronettes releases continued at this same high level of quality, hauntingly gorgeous "Born To Be Together" is the ultimate teen anthem while the other side of romance is the passionately stunning "Is This What I Get For Loving You?", sadly by this time many have reported those in control of playlists decided that Mr. Spector was too big for his britches, therefore his records would no longer receive airplay...many felt the same jealous nonsense killed Tina Turner's brilliant "River Deep-Mountain High", going to #1 in Europe but silently banned from American radio looked to be the result. As this time as a big fan of this classic music, personally called radio stations and pleaded for them to play "River Deep" and Ronnie & the Ronettes later great releases, but was told over & over these records were not on the playlist, then was each and every time coldly disconnected. Forward to late sixties the same fate happened to the great "You Came, You Saw, You Conquered", sounding like another huge hit...great music should never be mixed with this type of politics, sadly it is and music suffers, audiences are cheated then artists are the ultimate victims. Anyone interested in enjoying one of the best voices on the planet, do not miss this classic collection. Greatness like this is once in a lifetime so enjoy...Bravo Ronnie Spector, you are amazing!!! Update 2007; Ronnie and the Ronettes, finally where they belong, inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame! Bravo Ronnie, knock em' dead with that gorgeous voice!

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Is Five Star Music.....Transfer Is Debatable, May 18, 2002

By 

Rachel Lai (London, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Best of The Ronettes (Audio CD)

Many customers have complained in their reviews about the lack of STEREO transfers on this record. While it is true that Phil Spector never intended these songs to be presented in stereo, they lose some of their heart in MONO [they were first heard in stereo when released, especially on radio promos].
The MONO transfer on this album is respectable, but not of demonstration quality, which is surprising, considering Phil Spector remastered these tracks. But this is the only widely-available Ronettes compilation, and should therefore be cherished. The music sounds incredible, as it did then, as it always will. Timeless material. Highlights include:

01. Be My Baby -- With a classic drum beat opening the proceedings, this is what Brian Wilson called "the best pop record ever made." Hard to argue against that. Probably the most famous record never to hit #1 (#2 US, #4 UK)

03. I Wonder -- The lyrics are dated, the production is dazzling.

04. Baby, I Love You -- This is true Wall Of Sound, and it will never be surpassed. The orchestration is absolutely rapturous (#24 US, #11 UK)

08. Do I Love You? -- Again, a classic Wall Of Sound piece, with sexy vocals by Ronnie and memorable background mixing to create a dreamy piece of pop. (Sadly, this only reached #34 in the US, #35 in the UK)

11. Walking In The Rain -- Phil Spector got a Grammy for this cut's production. It shows. A true classic. (#23 US)

13. Is This What I Get For Loving You? -- Ronnie is all baby-doll sensuality and repressed longing in this masterpiece. The sweeping production is just sensual but not overwrought.

15. Here I Sit -- This track, sadly left out of the Phil Spector Back To Mono box set, makes its first appearance on CD here. It's a forgotten gem.

I must say that the tracks DO sound richer, more zesty, and more pure in stereo, because the individual elements of the production receive equal aural representation. The mono versions tend to crash together in a symphonic Wall Of Sound. If you are interested in the stereo versions, try to obtain a copy of Greatest Hits, an import from Italy, which, sadly, is extremely rare. ...

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unbelievably Gorgeous. 5 stars are not enough., May 7, 2006

By 

El Freak (Mooringsport, LA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Best of The Ronettes (Audio CD)

Of all the incredibly gorgeous and powerful work that Phil Spector did, his work with the Ronettes was his finest accomplishment.Phil's Wall of Sound production style is in full effect here. And for the people who have issues with the sound, I've had many of these songs on 45 in mint or near mint condition, and this is the way they were SUPPOSED to sound.The distortion is intentional and is a huge part of the "Wall of Sound" style that Spector is so renowned for. Also, these songs WERE issued in rechanneled stereo back in the 60's, but Spector mastered these songs in MONO, and that's how he wanted them to be heard. Stereo just breaks up the wall of sound into two mini-walls of sound, and the music loses its impact(to me, anyway).It's worth it just for Be My Baby, I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine, and Born to be Together, but ALL of these songs touch me like nothing else does.Ronnie Spector was the sexiest thing on record in her day, and her voice on all these tracks just takes them to the next level.Ronnie was/is not the most technical singer around, but there is a sultriness and soulfulness in her voice that just cannot be matched. There's a reason why so many male musicians like John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, and Joey Ramone were so moved by her voice.The Celine Dions of the world could learn a thing or two from Ronnie Spector. Why the Ronettes never saw higher chart positions in their day I will never know. I read a comment somewhere that these songs aren't just ABOUT falling in love for the first time, they FEEL like falling in love for the first time.So true. Get this cd.