Scholarly Journal Summary

There are many influential people in the Rock n’ Roll industry, one of the most influential, to many musicians, is Phil Spector. In his Scholarly Journal Article, All Music Guide, Richie Unterberger looks into the life and works of Phil Spector.

Richie Unterberger explores how Spector’s interest in music first cam into play, and how long he’d been interested in the music business stating that he became involved “at the age of 13 when his family moved to Los Angeles” (13). What Richie found was that not only was Spector interested in producing and writing music, he actually sang in a trio, The Teddy Bears, giving him a key insight to the industry on multiple levels of personal experience. 

Phil Spector was a real go-getter, “personally taking charge of all aspects of his records” (Unterberger, 13). As we discussed in class, Spector worked with groups like the Ronettes, The Righteous Brothers, as well as Ike and Tina Turner. Unterberger expressed great respect for Spector and his musical intelligence. The man was truly gifted in recognizing when a song would work or at figuring out how to make an adjustment to make it work.

Unterberger’s recap of the Spector’s life and his impact in music is both educational and interesting. It goes to show that if you have a true love for what you are doing and an open mind to changes in that particular field, you will go far.