[Vision2020] Composer of Many ’60s Hits Dies

[Tom Hansen]

Courtesy of today's (August 27, 2009) Spokesman Review.

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Composer of many ’60s hits dies
Ellie Greenwich’s songs include ‘Chapel of Love’

Ellie Greenwich, the New York songwriter behind a string of 1960s hits
that gave effervescent voice to unbridled teen romance including “Da Doo
Ron Ron,” “Chapel of Love” and “Be My Baby,” many of them in collaboration
with producer Phil Spector, died Wednesday in New York of a heart attack,
according to her niece, Jessica Weiner. She was 68.

“She was the greatest melody writer of all time,” Brian Wilson told the
Los Angeles Times on Wednesday. The chief creative force of the Beach
Boys, whose music was strongly influenced by many of the hits Greenwich
and her then-husband Jeff Barry wrote with Spector, has often cited “Be My
Baby” as his favorite record of all time.

Greenwich and Barry were part of the fabled Brill Building stable of
professional songwriters that also included the teams of Hal David and
Burt Bacharach, Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil
as well as Paul Simon, Neil Sedaka and Neil Diamond.

Greenwich’s collaborations with Wall of Sound creator Spector are regarded
among the greatest singles ever created. The music publishing rights
organization Broadcast Music Inc. lists more than 200 songs she wrote or
co-wrote, including “Then He Kissed Me” (the Crystals), “I Can Hear Music”
(the Ronettes, Beach Boys), “Hanky Panky” (a hit for Tommy James & the
Shondells), “Maybe I Know” (Lesley Gore) and the song Spector considered
his greatest recording, “River Deep, Mountain High” (Ike and Tina Turner).

“Those songs are part of the fabric of forever,” said songwriter Diane
Warren. “Her songs were written in the ’60s, and it’s 2010 almost, but
they are as relevant and meaningful today as the day when they were born.”

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Ellie Greenwich

http://tinyurl.com/l3aesv

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"Leader of the Pack"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJa51ztGa9Q

"Chapel of Love"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMfrLFirGWc

"Da Doo Ron Ron"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqgtsai2aKY

"Be My Baby"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu8tdXBkQhY

"Then He Kissed Me"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE_jOD2Fxvs

"Hanky Panky"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zieOAi9LaQI

"River Deep Mountain High"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULw1RHHPv5g

Rest well, Ellie.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change
and the Realist adjusts his sails."

- Unknown