He's a Rebel: Phil Spector--Rock and Roll's Legendary Producer [Paperback]

Mark Ribowsky (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0815410441 | ISBN-13: 978-0815410447 | Publication Date: May 2, 2000 | Edition: 1st Cooper Square Press Ed

Phil Spector created the "wall of sound," produced the Beatles' last record, persuaded the Ramones to go "pop," made the Righteous Brothers sound respectable, and was a millionaire by age 21. His credits include some of the most important and memorable songs of the 1960s: The Ronettes' "Be My Baby," The Crystals' "And Then He Kissed Me," and Ike and Tina Turner's "River Deep, Mountain High." Culled from more than 100 interviews with Spector's closest associates, including staff producers, singers, musicians, and ex-wives, He's a Rebel discusses all stages of Spector's varied musical career, from his first hit, "To Know Him Is To Love Him" (written as a teenager) to his appointment to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In addition to chronicling his musical achievements and unpredictable genius, the author boldly explores Spector's legendary eccentricities, addictions, and violent, reclusive tendencies. He's a Rebel offers a definitive, unflinching portrait of Phil Spector, the producer who transformed the airwaves and forever impacted the sound of popular music.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Guitarist and songwriter Spector burst onto the California rock scene in 1958 with "To Know Him Is to Love Him," which rose to the top of the pop music charts. As he continued to compose, he also established a career as a record producer with such groups as the Paris Sisters, the Crystals, the Ronettes, the Righteous Brothers and the Beatles (as that group was breaking up). Known to be temperamental and egotistical, with a personality that alienated many, he demanded total artistic control and developed a style that was dubbed the "Wall of Sound." While he is undoubtedly a seminal figure in rock history, this biography is so slavishly adulatory as to be risible. Ribowsky, a Manhattan freelance writer, not only calls Spector a genius and a leviathan, but also asserts that he "invented modern rock" and labels him the successor to Wagner and an American Mozart. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

[A] rich, racy inside-show-biz story, with enough backstabbing to dye the Borgias' drapes and a madman cast ranging from John Lennon and Lenny Bruce to Sonny Bono.... [Ribowsky] springs terrific quotes from Spector's few friends and many foes. (James Wolcott Vanity Fair )

Ribowsky's biography contains more than a few good lines.... [The author] brings the story down to earth without sacrificing its drama. Relying on frank and extensive interviews... Ribowsky doesn't shrink from cruelty or even horror. (Greil Marcus )

This book is long overdue—pick it up and relish Ribowsky's keen insight on "the devil of rock 'n' roll." (Inside Books )

Everything you've ever heard about Specter comes to life in this book. (Mike Villano Billboard )

The most comprehensive account of a spectacularly troubled life comes in Mark Ribowsky's He's A Rebel. (John Clarke Times, (London) )

The most comprehensive account of a spectacularly troubled life comes in Mark Ribowsky's He's A Rebel. (John Clarke Times, (London) )

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Cooper Square Press; 1st Cooper Square Press Ed edition (May 2, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0815410441
• ISBN-13: 978-0815410447
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,888,453 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rock's dreaded Spector, April 8, 2007

By 

K. Best (Mansfield, Conn.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: He's a Rebel: Phil Spector: Rock 'n' Roll's Legendary Producer (Paperback)

The author updates his 1989 biography of one of rock music's legendary geniuses with additional chapters that lead up to Phil Spector's murder trial this year. Ribowsky provides an inside look at the early days of the rock 'n' roll record industry, when record producers like Spector called all the shots and matched singers with songs until the Beatles kicked down the established formula for stardom. Spector's life was shaped by the early death of his father, being raised and dominated by his mother and sister, and his relentless drive for perfection in the recording studio. He created the so-called "Wall of Sound" and produced some of the best records in rock history, but left a trail of wreckage in his wake. Ribowsky captures the flavor of the music business and takes music fans through the behind-the-scenes stories of records made by the Ronnettes, Crystals, Gene Pitney, Beatles and Tina Turner.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Waterfalls and Music, October 18, 2010

By 

Gerlean Terrell - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: He's a Rebel: Phil Spector: Rock 'n' Roll's Legendary Producer (Paperback)

This book is one of several I've read (ordered) about Phil Spector. I remember being intrigued by his music as a very young child, I am a 62 year young black female,(don't act like you're not surprised)! His musical arrangements really are amazing and unique. As I read the book I pulled up some of his music on "youtube" and it's still an amazing sound!! Never knew he "wrote" and produced so many popular songs and artists. His music is reminiscent of the sound of a waterfall, instead of hearing the roar of water you hear a roar of music (blended instruments). Some kind of genius for sure.

He must be really "different" but reading the book(s) he was many different things to many different people and I believe it all to be "their" truths. Who knows why any of us are the way we are. His life ended up in a sad fate. Perhaps we should all try to learn to differentiate between what is "weird" and what "insanity" really is. God bless Ms Lana Clark's soul. What a tragedy for her and what a wasteful shame for him.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He's a Rebel, September 23, 2010

By 

Internal Abbatoir (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: He's a Rebel: Phil Spector: Rock 'n' Roll's Legendary Producer (Paperback)

First, I read Tearing Down the Wall of Sound and that wasn't enough for me. Phil Spector is not only a musical "genius," but an intensely fascinating man. Like Orson Welles he peaked at such a young age and withered away to the extent where he found himself in a state much like Welles' own Kane character. A man surrounded by reminders of his own legacy, reliving the past in a self-imposed exile.

Out of the two books it's hard for me to decide which one is better - Tearing Down the Wall of Sound or this one.

I would recommend them both for Spector fans.