Entry #3: Be My Baby by The Ronettes

Track: “Be My Baby”
Artist: The Ronettes [Prod. Phil Spector]
Year: 1963
Album: “Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes” (November 1964)
First Release: A-Side August 1963

It’s quite telling when 2 of my top 3 albums feature production heavily owing to that of Wall of Sound overlord Phil Spector – Springsteen’s “Born to Run” (1975) certainly has a decent stab at utilising the sound to suit his needs, while The Beach Boys, specifically Brian Wilson, used a very similar production style on their 1966 production “Pet Sounds”, an LP whose style arguably elevates that of Spector’s to something more wholesome.  Regardless, his work has evidently had a large influence on some of my most beloved music, and as such it is only right more me to cover arguably his greatest pop 45 ever released – “Be My Baby”.

Released under the artist label of The Ronettes in 1963, “Be My Baby” is the pinnacle of Phil Spector’s production catalogue. While later works, such as the incredible “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” and the awesome sound of “River Deep, Mountain High”, are certainly strong records in their own right, neither perfect the pop 45 sound contained within “Be My Baby”. As Brian Wilson said, hearing the record isn’t “like having your mind blown – it’s like having it revamped” – taken within or without the context, the sound is incredible. Brian’s reply, “Don’t Worry, Baby”, will likely feature eventually here.

The song itself is pretty much the solid embodiment lyrically of what it stands for too, which is always a bonus. “The night we met I knew I, I needed you so…” sings Ronnie, with a voice that could melt your soul. Playing on the torn to death ‘Love-at-First-Sight’ idea, we instead see what is a far more likely, and genuinely possible, situation where one can fall hopelessly in love with another after spending an evening with them, be it chatting with them about common interests, or even just through getting to know one another [or both!]. The reliability of the lyric takes the song even further. Sure, it may fit a generic framework – “Won’t you say you love me? I’ll make you so proud of me!” – but I’ll be damned if it doesn't bring the emotions to your soul every time you hear it. Even the 2^nd verse manages to add to the situation, taking it from admission to desperate justification – “I’ll make you happy baby, just wait and see…” – leaving the listener eager to see where this may go, and thus willing to dive in. This is a relationship of hope and potential, not another one night stand. And like that relationship, you won’t be leaving this record anytime soon.

That feeling of love and desperation continues on into the chorus – “Be my baby, my one and only baby” – the sentiments of true love are there, and this is not a relationship to be shared, issuing the idea that, if rejection is had, no-one else will do. “Be my baby now!” yells Ronnie, so eager and excited she could burst. The anticipation of the relationship is killing her, making the desperate justification of the 2^nd verse all the more powerful. As I mentioned, this potentially ‘generic’ lyrical fit has been so finely crafted it’s impossible not to relate to your own experiences and needs – right to the core.

And then the backing track. As I said earlier, while this is not Spector’s most grandiose or powerful sounding record, it packs what I would see as the perfect punch. Hal Blaine’s thunderous drumming throughout, from the highly influential drum intro, to his simple, yet driving beat until the end, fuels the entire track, and with the right touch brings it to a climactic finish without overplaying his way over the music. There is a reason he was the session drummer, and arguably the heart of The Wrecking Crew. Meanwhile the percussion fills out what is missed by the lack of cymbals, the strings [Spector’s first use of] add a largely lush texture through the track, and the ‘mess’ of Piano’s, guitars, basses and other assorted instruments creates a sound so thick a steak knife couldn’t cut it. To pick it apart would be a distortion of its intent – this unintelligible mess is what makes the record sound so perfect.

And when that’s all done, you’re left with arguably one of the greatest records of all time. A perfectly produced and arranged record musically, and a lyrical sentiment perfectly close to the heart of anyone that truly has one. All this is creamed off with a vocal of luscious you question if what you are hearing could possibly be made any better.

The answer is simple. It couldn’t.

- Freddie