Starsailor "Ruined Phil Spector's Reputation"
...says Phil Spector, who was convicted of second-degree murder this week.
Following the second-degree murder conviction of Phil Spector earlier this week, the last band to have used his legendary production services have revealed that the man himself blamed them for "ruining his reputation". James Walsh of Starsailor, who enlisted Spector for the recording of their second album 'Silence Is Easy', back in 2002, claims that it “was such an honour. Sadly, it didn't go as planned.”
Walsh told The Mirror that during recording sessions, Spector “returned to LA and we were to reconvene at Abbey Road. But he came back a different man. Withdrawn and very difficult to speak to. His vision for our music had gone and he didn't know where to lead us.”
The band later fired Spector stating it “wasn't a decision we took lightly.” However, the producer of such legendary records as 'River Deep, Mountain High' and 'You've Lost That Loving Feeling' arranged to meet with the band at London's Landmark Hotel. "They ushered us in through the back, trying to demean us,” said Walsh, “His manager was very emotional saying, "Look what you are doing to his reputation."
"It's a shame we have become the last band Phil worked with."
Starsailor were the last in a long line of acts who came into creative conflict with Spector - John Lennon's original 'Rock And Roll' album sessions were aborted after Spector ran off with the master tapes, while Paul McCartney has been publically scathing of the producer's work on the lacklustre Beatles album 'Let It Be'. In 1980, The Ramones claimed that Spector had held them in the studio at gunpoint during the making of their 'End Of A Century' album.
10 Phil Spector facts:
1) His first name is actually Harvey.
2) The title of his first hit, 'To Know Him Is To Love Him' was taken from the epitaph on his father's grave.
3) Spector appears in the opening scene of the 1969 movie 'Easy Rider' as a drug dealer.
4) Phil Spector hates stereo, believing it ruins music. Mono is better.
5) The legendary festive album 'A Christmas Gift For You' was released on the day President Kennedy was assassinated, November 22 1963. Despite this, it is one of the best loved Chrimbo albums ever.
6) His first production for a Beatle was John Lennon's 'Instant Karma', which was written and recorded in a single day. He subsequently got the job producing the next two Lennon albums, plus George Harrison's mega 'All Things Must Pass' triple.
7) He almost died in a 1974 car crash and the resulting scars have been hidden over the years by a succession of silly wigs.
8) He slagged off Tina Turner during her late husband Ike's funeral, claiming, "Ike made Tina the jewel she was." And this was during a eulogy!
9) When Spector was presented with a Q Award in 1997, Paul McCartney left the room, still smarting over the treatment the producer gave to the Beatles 'Let It Be' album.
10) According to legend, Spector forced Johnny Ramone to play the opening chord to 'Rock And Roll High School' hundreds of times, thus making an already tense situation a hundred times worse.
Tagged as Starsailor, Gossip
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