Britmusicsoulfan Posted August 26, 2009 Posted August 26, 2009 I just saw this online. https://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/archives/2009/08/rip_ellie_green.php Loss on top of loss: Ellie Greenwich, the pioneering femalesongwriter who wrote some of the most flat out brilliant songs of the1960s, including "Be My Baby," "And Then He Kissed Me," "Da Doo RonRon," "River Deep, Mountain High," and "Leader of the Pack," died thismorning at the age of 69. Brooklyn born, Long Island raised, Greenwichreleased her first record at the age of 17, and got her start as asongwriter in the Brill Building, where Jerry Leiber initially mistookher for Carole King. Afterwriting "(Today I Met) The Boy I'm Gonna Marry" and "Why Do LoversBreak Each Others' Hearts?" with Tony Powers and Phil Spector,Greenwich married Jeff Barry in 1962. The Greenwich-Barry team had,within a year, written "Be My Baby" and "Baby, I Love You," asperformed by the Ronettes and "Then He Kissed Me" and "Da Doo Ron Ron,"as performed by the Crystals. Phil Spector co-wrote and produced allfour songs. The next year, Greenwich and Barry teamed with theShangri-Las mastermind George 'Shadow' Morton to pen "Leader of thePack," still one of the most stunning, bizarre, and creative songs inthe history of pop music. Barry and Greenwich would go on to divorce, but they continued towork together. Before the decade was out they'd discovered Neil Diamondand written "I Can Hear Music" for the Ronettes and "River Deep,Mountain High," for Ike and Tina Turner. In late '60s and early '70s,Greenwich released two solo albums and sang background on countlessothers, working with Sinatra, Dusty Springfield, and Bobby Darin. In aneat bit of trivia, she wrote "Right Track Wrong Train with CyndiLauper in 1983, a record that became the B-side to "Girls Just WannaHave Fun." A Broadway show, 1984's Leader of the Pack,memorialized her life and music, and in 1991, she was inducted into theSongwriters Hall of Fame. Her total body of work is at once one of themost appealing and also, at times, avant garde in all of pop music. Shedeserves a bit of your time today.
Dean Posted August 26, 2009 Posted August 26, 2009 just heard on radio news and came on here to check, her website had no mention. seems to be the time of our lives that we are in the middle of losing those artists that we hold in such etseem. Going to go and play a few and try to smile for her memory. x
Guest Chris53 Posted August 27, 2009 Posted August 27, 2009 Ah that's sad news. Really sad news, always is though, bought Ellies record Baby a couple of years ago on ebay, paid over a $100.00 for it, never came.Nice man in America swears he sent it, course he did. I spoke to Ellie at the time and told her about my great loss, she said she had a warehouse where she kept a lot of her stuff that had gathered over the years and that she would have a look for a copy. She didn't find one. Was impressed though by her interest,we spoke about the northern scene for a few minutes. RIP
timthemod Posted August 27, 2009 Posted August 27, 2009 A tragic loss of one of the 60's top songwriters, phenominal output.
Goldsoul Posted August 27, 2009 Posted August 27, 2009 A tragic loss of one of the 60's top songwriters, phenominal output. A fabulous person! Met her at the 'Leader of the pack' opening night at the Bottom Line in New York before it made Broadway. She spent around 40 minutes talking to me about her career while Joey Dee and I looked on in amazement. And what a night that was...Ronnie Spector,Shirley Alston, Paul Schaeffer(David Letterman's Band leader)and just about everybody from the Brill Building. Ellie.....I Want You To Be My Baby.....RIP Kev
Geoff Posted August 27, 2009 Posted August 27, 2009 I heard about this on the Radio 4 news this morning. Very sad news, both for us on the soul scene, but also for anyone who enjoyed the pop songs of the 60s. The Brill Building songwriters produced a phenomenal number of well crafted songs, many of which I still like to hear nowadays. As well as her solo records like Baby I think she was the lead singer of the Raindrops. Perhaps someone like Tony Rounce could confirm or deny that. When I hear That Boy John or He's The Kind Of Guy You Can't Forget I'm taken right back to the Tottenham Royal, oh happy days! RIP Ellie, your songs will live on.
Guest Posted August 27, 2009 Posted August 27, 2009 I just saw this online. https://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/archives/2009/08/rip_ellie_green.php Loss on top of loss: Ellie Greenwich, the pioneering femalesongwriter who wrote some of the most flat out brilliant songs of the1960s, including "Be My Baby," "And Then He Kissed Me," "Da Doo RonRon," "River Deep, Mountain High," and "Leader of the Pack," died thismorning at the age of 69. Brooklyn born, Long Island raised, Greenwichreleased her first record at the age of 17, and got her start as asongwriter in the Brill Building, where Jerry Leiber initially mistookher for Carole King. Afterwriting "(Today I Met) The Boy I'm Gonna Marry" and "Why Do LoversBreak Each Others' Hearts?" with Tony Powers and Phil Spector,Greenwich married Jeff Barry in 1962. The Greenwich-Barry team had,within a year, written "Be My Baby" and "Baby, I Love You," asperformed by the Ronettes and "Then He Kissed Me" and "Da Doo Ron Ron,"as performed by the Crystals. Phil Spector co-wrote and produced allfour songs. The next year, Greenwich and Barry teamed with theShangri-Las mastermind George 'Shadow' Morton to pen "Leader of thePack," still one of the most stunning, bizarre, and creative songs inthe history of pop music. Barry and Greenwich would go on to divorce, but they continued towork together. Before the decade was out they'd discovered Neil Diamondand written "I Can Hear Music" for the Ronettes and "River Deep,Mountain High," for Ike and Tina Turner. In late '60s and early '70s,Greenwich released two solo albums and sang background on countlessothers, working with Sinatra, Dusty Springfield, and Bobby Darin. In aneat bit of trivia, she wrote "Right Track Wrong Train with CyndiLauper in 1983, a record that became the B-side to "Girls Just WannaHave Fun." A Broadway show, 1984's Leader of the Pack,memorialized her life and music, and in 1991, she was inducted into theSongwriters Hall of Fame. Her total body of work is at once one of themost appealing and also, at times, avant garde in all of pop music. Shedeserves a bit of your time today. An absoulte tremendous and creditable songwriter . A sad loss , but a memorable legacy . Malc Burton
Guest TONY ROUNCE Posted August 27, 2009 Posted August 27, 2009 I'd already started a thread about this - where it should be, in People With Soul - just before 4 yesterday afternoon. Got four responses, thanks for looking everyone... Almost 24 hours later it's hard to imagine a world without Ellie. Ironic that a news media that has just spent a month or so glorifying the minimal achievements of a so-called 'King Of Pop', whose songs will never be worth a zillionth of those that Ellie has contributed to our lives, will mostly ignore her passing (as all news channels seem to have done thsi morning)...
Guest TONY ROUNCE Posted August 27, 2009 Posted August 27, 2009 I think she was the lead singer of the Raindrops. Perhaps someone like Tony Rounce could confirm or deny that. RIP Ellie, your songs will live on. Yes, she was - the other studio Raindrop was Ellie's husband Jeff Barry. (He never went on tour with the act, Ellie's sister was in the touring version). She was also Ellie Gaye and Kelli Douglas on RCA and she can be heard on so many of the best records ever to come out of New York, as a background vocalist.
macca Posted August 27, 2009 Posted August 27, 2009 Sad news indeed. When I met Dean Parrish in Madrid three years ago he told me that Ellie had sung backing vocals on 'I'm On My Way'. When you think of the Brill Building and fellow wordsmiths like Doc Pomus, you realise just how vitally important they were in the making and breaking of the stars of the day, especially in the days before artists wrote their own stuff... M
Stubbsy Posted August 27, 2009 Posted August 27, 2009 (edited) "Baby" on Red Bird - absolute top notch tune (imo) and one I've always wondered why doesn't get more spins. RIP Ellie Edited August 27, 2009 by Stubbsy
Guest trickbag Posted August 27, 2009 Posted August 27, 2009 Almost 24 hours later it's hard to imagine a world without Ellie. Ironic that a news media that has just spent a month or so glorifying the minimal achievements of a so-called 'King Of Pop', whose songs will never be worth a zillionth of those that Ellie has contributed to our lives, will mostly ignore her passing (as all news channels seem to have done this morning)... tony she got a mention on the lunch time news with tina turner and the ikettes rip ricky
Guest Perception Posted August 27, 2009 Posted August 27, 2009 (edited) Sad news indeed. When I met Dean Parrish in Madrid three years ago he told me that Ellie had sung backing vocals on 'I'm On My Way'. Strange as one of the writers of "I'M ON MY WAY" is someone called ELIOT GREENBERG!! Edited August 27, 2009 by Perception
Guest TONY ROUNCE Posted August 27, 2009 Posted August 27, 2009 Strange as one of the writers of "I'M ON MY WAY" is someone called ELIOT GREENBERG!! That's just a coincidence, Elliot Greenberg is a real person (and a man). He was fairly high up the chain of command at Laurie Records along with the Schwartz brothers...
Munchkin Posted August 27, 2009 Posted August 27, 2009 Ellie Greenwich - Baby.mp3So sad, was in emails contact with her a few years ago, sent her an mp3 of baby. so was so shocked that people still remembered the track, she said she was very young when she sang it, think she also sang with the butterflys.
chrissie Posted August 27, 2009 Posted August 27, 2009 Very sad news, her music along with motown was probably one of my biggest influences when I was growing up in the 60s. A sad loss. QoFxx
Guest WPaulVanDyk Posted August 28, 2009 Posted August 28, 2009 This is sad since she wrote some of the best 60's songs RIP Ellie
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