Ronettes – Be My Baby

Some people have said they cannot comment on this post…some can some cannot…I’ve emailed WP and am trying live chat but of course, it’s not open. So it might let you leave a comment…and it might not

The Ronettes were Veronica (Ronnie) Bennett, her sister Estelle Bennett, and their cousin Nedra Talley. One of the great songs of the sixties.

I’m a huge fan of this song and The Ronettes. I like many of the female groups of the early sixties like The Marvelettes, Martha and the Vandellas, The Shirelles, and the Supremes but no one sounded like Ronnie Spector. But… I’m not the fan that Brian Wilson has been since he heard the song.

Count Brian Wilson as a huge fan of this song. Well, being a fan is an understatement…he was totally obsessed with this song.  He was driving in the 60s when he heard it and had to pull the car over and analyze the chorus. He then bought the single and put it in his home jukebox and played it endlessly. In the seventies, as his fellow Beach Boys would be recording in his basement…he would be blasting Be My Baby at full volume with the curtains closed. One great thing came out of his obsession… it inspired him to write Don’t Worry Baby.

Mike Love remembered Wilson comparing Be My Baby to Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. Wilson told The New York Times in 2013 that he had listened to the song at least 1,000 times. Beach Boy Bruce Johnston gave a higher estimation: “Brian must have played ‘Be My Baby’ ten million times. He never seemed to get tired of it.” He also called it the best song ever recorded. Brian Wilson’s daughter Carnie has one distinct memory from her childhood, listening to, and more accurately being woken up with, Be My Baby.

Brian Wilson: “I felt like I wanted to try to do something as good as that song and I never did, I’ve stopped trying. It’s the greatest record ever produced. No one will ever top that one.”

To me, this song is brilliant and one of my favorites… although I wouldn’t go as far as Wilson did. It’s one of Phil Spector’s best-produced songs. The song peaked at #2 on the Billboard 100, #2 in Canada, #2 in New Zealand, and #4 in the UK.

This was the first Ronettes song produced by Phil Spector and released on his label, Philles Records. It also featured Spector’s “Wall Of Sound” production technique, where he layered lots of instruments and used echo effects.

Don’t expect to find B-side gold on many of Spector’s singles. Spector had Tommy Tedesco and Bill Pitman (session musicians) record a throwaway instrumental that he called “Tedesco And Pitman.” Spector made sure the B-sides of his singles were garbage so there was no doubt what song should be played. This also allowed him more studio time to craft the hit.

The future Ronnie Spector was the only Ronette to sing on this. Phil Spector rehearsed her for weeks and had her do 42 takes before he got the sound he wanted. Spector and Bennett got married in 1968, and they divorced in 1974. Ronnie Spector said the home they shared was pretty much a prison for her.

She woke up on her wedding night to workers erecting a barbed-wire fence around the estate. Bars were soon installed over windows, and intercoms in all the rooms. Ronnie was rarely allowed out alone, unless with a life-size dummy of Spector in the passenger seat of her car. But the worst was being unable to perform on stage.

I never heard about Ronnie Spector until the 80s when she appeared on the Eddie Money song Take Me Home Tonight. After that, I looked up all I could about her.

Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich wrote this song. As was his custom, Phil Spector also took a songwriting credit on the track. Producers did that in the 50s and 60s and it was wrong.

One thing I respected about George Martin…he blew the whistle on the hugely successful producer Norrie Paramor in the early sixties to a young David Frost who roasted Paramor on his show “That Was the Week That Was”. Paramor would force artists to record his songs for B sides and also take writers’ credit for others. Frost kept Martin’s name out of it. No one ever found out who dished out the goods to Frost about Paramor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhzZIXvspI4&list=RDAhzZIXvspI4&start_radio=1

Be My Baby

The night we met I knew I needed you so
And if I had the chance I’d never let you go.
So won’t you say you love me,
I’ll make you so proud of me.
We’ll make ’em turn their heads every place we go.

So won’t you, please, be my be my baby
Be my little. baby my one and only baby
Say you’ll be my darlin’, be my be my baby
Be my baby now, my one and only baby
Wha-oh-oh-oh.

I’ll make you happy, baby, just wait and see.
For every kiss you give me I’ll give you three.
Oh, since the day I saw you
I have been waiting for you.
You know I will adore you ’til eternity.

So won’t you, please, be my be my baby
Be my little. baby my one and only baby
Say you’ll be my darlin’, be my be my baby
Be my baby now, my one and only baby
Wha-oh-oh-oh.

So come on and, please, be my be my baby
Be my little baby my one and only baby
Say you’ll be my darlin’, be my be my baby
Be my baby now, my one and only baby
Wha-oh-oh-oh.

Be my be my baby be my little baby.
My one and only baby oh oh,
Be my be my baby oh,
My one and only baby wha-oh-oh-oh-oh.
Be my be my baby oh,
My one and only baby
Be my be my baby oh,
Be my baby now

Unknown's avatar

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

63 thoughts on “Ronettes – Be My Baby”

    1. It took me by surprise also… it was more but I didn’t want to make the post a novel lol. I knew he had a problem when I read about the Einstein comment.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  3. There seem to be 3 ways to lip-synch: 1) sincerely, as though you’re really singing; 2) satirically, making fun of the process; 3) looking totally bored and waiting to get out of there. Ronnie picks #1 and looks like she’s having fun doing it. “That Was the Week That Was” (AKA TW3) was ground-breaking television. The American version spawned some excellent songs by Tom Lehrer, MIT professor and show tune-style singer. His album That Was the Year That Was is a history lesson for the era.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. I dont’ think they kept that episode about Martin…of course the BBC had a habit of erasing things quickly.
      She does look like she is having fun.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  4. Boom, da boom, boom da boom! Don’t forget Hal Blaine, someone – I forget who but it might have been Wilson!- said Hal belonged in the R&R Hall of Fame for his work on this single alone. A fine little song but wow, Wilson really was obsessed! I didn’t think it was THAT good, but then again I wasn’t born when it came out so I am only hearing it in context of everything that’s come after it. But a doubly great single if it inspired ‘Don’t Worry Baby’ which ranks near the very top of Beach Boys material.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Cool…it let you comment!
      Yea it was a good song and I just loved her voice. I’m a fan but I won’t bring Einstein in the picture lol…
      The sound on that record fit Phil’s production well. He didn’t over do it either.

      Like

      Reply

  5. I could see someone like Brian Wilson getting obsessed over a song. It’s a good’n, no doubt about it. Cool video. How chilling: “She woke up on her wedding night to workers erecting a barbed-wire fence around the estate.” She is truly lucky to have survived him.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  6. “Be My Baby” is an absolute classic, no doubt. But the best song ever recorded by definition would have to be a Beatles song!😆

    I also guess Brian Wilson passed the songwriting audition. After all, none other than Paul McCartney called “God Only Knows” his favorite pop song of all time!

    God only knows how Macca would come to that conclusion!😆

    Like

    Reply

  9. Fantastic song. I never knew of the Brian Wilson connection. You could could do worse than Don’t worry Baby. In my top 3 by BB. I personally think against Brian Wilson’s opinion that the BB’s topped this song. You wrote a great article.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. Well he DID use that drum beat in Don’t Worry Baby so it’s no doubt what influenced it…but I’m with you Matt…I like Don’t Worry Baby more also. He wrote it for Ronnie Spector to do but Phil would not let her do it.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. I read an interview with her about Phil… she said of course she regretted it but it was the power he had that she fell for. She also went out with Keith Richards and John Lennon.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  12. Right up there with the Girl Group Greats- which was the name of a compilation album I bought back in the 00s. Packed with the Shangri-Las, Marveletes, Ronettes, Paris Sisters. My daughter took it and never let it go. She loved most anything on it.
    Norrie Paymemore- another one on the long grubby list of a-hole ‘Managers.’

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. That does sound like a great compilation…and I can’t blame your daughter!

      Obbverse this is one of those posts where my IT mind comes into play. Bouncing from one subject to another like a Pinball Machine. I thought of you when I wrote the last part…do you remember that Frost show? Martin hated the guy for doing that. He was also jealous and pissed…Martin was barely getting by but “Paymemore” lol had boats etc…

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. No, I don’t recall the Martin bit on the Frost show. I recall the Frost show but I tuned in more for the comedy bits that cropped up. But I HATE people who use their position to boost themselves and screw down the talent.
        And darling daughter has still not returned that CD. Somehow I think I can write that one off now.
        I’ll consider it a well appreciated gift!

        Liked by 2 people

      2. I liked Frost’s talk show he had…I’ll go and watch some on youtube. My all time favorite talk show host is not Carson but Dick Cavett. He doesn’t do interviews but has conversations.
        Yea that is a great gift to her and passing on great music.

        Liked by 2 people

  14. If there such a thing as a perfect pop song, then this is it…

    My WP problem at the moment is that after reading, liking and commenting on a post, the ‘Back’ button doesn’t work. I click it three times, and am taken back to the top of my feed… 1st world problems, but still…😄

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. I totally agree with your first sentence.
      You know what Stewart? I’m doing the same thing with the back button…I have to click it three times as well…Thanks for commenting…I’ve emailed…their “live chat” is not on right now of course…because this is happening to more people.

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

      1. I’m sure it will all be addressed when WP make their next raft of new and arbitrary ‘improvements’ for the bafflem- benefit of the ‘consumers.’
        Jeez WPGeekoids, you’ve got one simple job- Keep It Simple Stupids.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Oh jeez…NO more improvements. I’m still waiting for my email reply…the first one they sent told me “make sure you enabled your post for comments”
        I told them…like I said in the first email…some can some can’t…nothing on my side…. now cue the crickets.

        Liked by 2 people

    1. I bet it’s the one I have that was relased in the late 80s. Love him or hate him…the guy can come up with a pop melody. .
      First time I saw Ronnie Spector…I was in love.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      2. Yea I’ve emailed WP about that trying to get them to fix it. It’s odd it’s affect some and not others.
        Well…now you have sent me on a late run to Southside Johnny’s 2nd album.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. I found it CB…I love it..their music is so big sounding. I was listening to Fever the other day.., I can see why that would be a great introduction to them.

        Liked by 2 people

  17. Certainly one of my favorite songs of the 60s. Brian Wilson and Phil Spector were both musical geniuses, but also very eccentric, especially Spector, who was downright nuts. BTW, I’m always told I must log in to WordPress to comment on your posts, so I end up doing it in the Reader.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Thanks Jeff….I’ve been writing WP about this…some other people have said the same thing…it’s only affecting some…
      You are right…both were crazy but Spector…it’s a wonder he didn’t kill someone earlier. Lennon said he would shoot guns in the studio and scare everyone to death.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

    1. I can’t say enough about her…after I wrote that I started to listen to her 70s and 80s material…like Say Goodbye To Hollywood…I never knew she covered that.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  19. Utter classic. My dad bought it in the mid 60’s so I grew up with it, love every single second of the record, it’s perfect. I even played the B side a bit, Tedesco & Pitman, nothing to do with The Ronettes, it was 2 of the session men on most Wall Of Sound recordings. Ronnie was fabulous, too, great singer and icon.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. I liked Ronnie more than Ross…she had an aggressive tone to her voice that I loved… plus evertime I see her I fall in love all over again! Yea Spector never did give good B sides.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
  20. Pingback: Be My Baby (1963) – The Ronettes | Observation Blogger

Leave a comment