Take Five: Ronnie Spector Duets and Collaborations
Ronnie Spector would have celebrated her 79th birthday in August; the beloved singer passed away in January after a brief illness. Born Veronica Bennett, Ronnie Spector would become a legend as the lead voice of the Ronettes, the crown jewel of Phil Spector’s girl-group projects. The Ronettes scored an impressive run of hit singles in the early 1960s, and were an exemplar of the girl group style, giving the songs a tougher, streetwise edge. Enduring a tumultuous marriage to (and later divorce from) producer Spector, in her post-Ronettes career Ronnie would go on to release a number of notable albums. Collaborations and duets are peppered throughout her discography; here are five of the most noteworthy tracks.
“Try Some, Buy Some” (1971) Written and co-produced by George Harrison, this track was created by the ex-Beatle expressly for Spector. When the recording wasn’t a major hit, Harrison reused the instrumental track, adding his own vocal in place of Ronnie’s and including it on his 1973 album Living in the Material World.
“You Mean So Much to Me” (1976) A spirited and soulful duet with Southside Johnny, this cut was written by Bruce Springsteen for I Don’t Want to Go Home, the debut album by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.
“Take Me Home Tonight” (1986) Ronnie’s contributions to this Eddie Money recording may be brief, but her nostalgic reprise of lyrics from one of the Ronettes’ biggest hits (1963’s “Be My Baby”) helped propel the song to the Top 5 on the singles charts.
“This Magic Moment” (2003) Punk band The Misfits recorded a roaring album of rock’n’roll standards and classics, Project 1950. For the band’s reading of the Doc Pomus/Mort Shuman classic (originally recorded by The Drifters in 1959), Ronnie Spector provided backing vocals.
“Ode to L.A.” (2005) For their second album, Danish indie rock duo The Raveonettes paid tribute to some of their influences by inviting them to play on the record. Maureen Tucker (The Velvet Underground) and Martin Rev (Suicide) guested on selected Pretty in Black tracks. Ronnie contributed her distinctive vocals to this original song, very much in the classic girl-group style pioneered by The Ronettes.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4000-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.