She Talks to Rainbows

Last updated
She Talks to Rainbows
RonnieSpector Rainbows.jpg
EP by
ReleasedSeptember 14, 1999
Label Kill Rock Stars [1]
Producer Joey Ramone, Daniel Rey
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Robert Christgau Five Pointed Star Solid.svg [3]
Entertainment Weekly B− [4]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [5]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]

She Talks to Rainbows is an EP by Ronnie Spector, released in 1999. [7] [8] [9] It was originally released in the UK via Creation Records. [10]

Contents

Production

She Talks to Rainbows was produced by Joey Ramone and Daniel Rey. [11]

The EP contains two late-period Ramones songs ("She Talks to Rainbows", from ¡Adios Amigos! , and "Bye Bye Baby", from Halfway to Sanity ), and versions of songs by The Beach Boys, Johnny Thunders, and The Ronettes. Brian Wilson had originally written "Don't Worry Baby" for Spector. [12]

Critical reception

Entertainment Weekly wrote that Spector's "bruised, cracked vocals work wonders on the Beach Boys’ 'Don’t Worry Baby'." [4] The Village Voice wrote: "Tough and ruefully tender, a dialectic of vulnerability and guts runs through the four songs." [13] Goldmine wrote that the EP "has a warmth and a richness that pulls you in from the first note, with Ronnie’s voice as mesmerizing as ever." [14]

Track listing

  1. "She Talks to Rainbows" (Joey Ramone)
  2. "Don't Worry Baby" (Brian Wilson, Roger Christian)
  3. "You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory" (Johnny Thunders)
  4. "Bye Bye Baby" (duet with Joey Ramone) (Joey Ramone)
  5. "I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine" (live) (Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, Phil Spector)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joey Ramone</span> American punk rock singer (1951–2001)

Jeffrey Ross Hyman, known professionally as Joey Ramone, was an American singer, songwriter, and the lead vocalist and founding member of the punk rock band Ramones. Having co-founded the Ramones with Johnny Ramone and Dee Dee Ramone in 1974, his image, voice, and tenure with the Ramones made him a countercultural icon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dee Dee Ramone</span> American bassist (1951–2002)

Douglas Glenn Colvin, better known by his stage name Dee Dee Ramone, was an American musician. He was the bassist and a founding member of the punk rock band the Ramones. Throughout the band's existence, he was the most prolific lyricist and composer, writing many of their best-known songs, such as "53rd & 3rd", "Chinese Rock", "Commando", "Wart Hog", "Rockaway Beach", "Poison Heart" and "Bonzo Goes To Bitburg". The latter won the New York Music Award for best independent single of the year in 1986, while Animal Boy, which the song is from, won for best album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Ronettes</span> American girl group

The Ronettes were an American girl group from Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York City. The group consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett, her older sister Estelle Bennett, and their cousin Nedra Talley. They had sung together since they were teenagers, then known as "The Darling Sisters". Signed first by Colpix Records in 1961, they moved to Phil Spector's Philles Records in March 1963 and changed their name to "The Ronettes".

<i>Ramones</i> (album) 1976 studio album by the Ramones

Ramones is the debut studio album by the American punk rock band Ramones, released on April 23, 1976, by Sire Records. After Hit Parader editor Lisa Robinson saw the band at a gig in New York City, she wrote several articles about the group and asked Danny Fields to be their manager. Fields agreed and convinced Craig Leon to produce Ramones, and the band recorded a demo for prospective record labels. Leon persuaded Sire president Seymour Stein to listen to the band perform, and he later offered the band a recording contract. The Ramones began recording in January 1976, needing only seven days and $6,400 to record the album.

<i>End of the Century</i> 1980 studio album by the Ramones

End of the Century is the fifth studio album by the American punk rock band Ramones, released on February 4, 1980, through Sire Records. The album was the band's first to be produced by Phil Spector, though he had offered the band his assistance earlier in their career. With Spector fully producing the album, it was the first release that excluded original member Tommy Ramone, who had left the band in 1978 but had produced their previous album Road to Ruin. Spector used more advanced standards of engineering, such as high-quality overdubbing and echo chambers. These painstaking methods caused conflict between the band and Spector since the Ramones were accustomed to a quicker recording process. Spector emphasized the production value as well, working with a budget of around $200,000, far exceeding their earlier album sessions.

<i>Pleasant Dreams</i> 1981 studio album by the Ramones

Pleasant Dreams is the sixth studio album by the American punk rock band Ramones, released on July 20, 1981, through Sire Records. While the band members wanted Steve Lillywhite to produce, Sire chose Graham Gouldman in an attempt to gain popularity through a well-known producer. The recording process brought about many conflicts between band members, most notably the strife between Joey Ramone and Johnny Ramone, due to Johnny starting a relationship with Joey's girlfriend. There were also disputes about the overall direction of the album, with Johnny leaning towards hard rock and Joey towards pop punk. Ultimately, the album incorporated high production values and varying musical styles, straying from traditional punk rock on songs such as "We Want the Airwaves", "She's a Sensation" and "Come On Now". It is the first Ramones album not to feature any cover songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronnie Spector</span> American singer (1943–2022)

Veronica Yvette Greenfield was an American singer who co-founded and fronted the girl group the Ronettes. She is sometimes referred to as the original "bad girl of rock and roll".

<i>Halfway to Sanity</i> 1987 studio album by the Ramones

Halfway to Sanity is the 10th studio album by the American punk rock band Ramones, and their last album to feature drummer Richie Ramone. It was produced by Daniel Rey and released on September 15, 1987, by Sire Records. Recording sessions began that April at Intergalactic Studios in New York City, with the band recording instruments before vocals in order to learn songs more quickly. It fared well on charts outside the United States, but peaked at No. 172 on the Billboard 200.

<i>Subterranean Jungle</i> 1983 studio album by the Ramones

Subterranean Jungle is the seventh studio album by the American punk rock band Ramones, released by Sire Records on February 23, 1983. Overall, the album featured a return to a somewhat more hard punk rock style compared to the band's previous two albums End of the Century in 1980, and Pleasant Dreams in 1981, which were the most pop-focused of the band's career. This direction was encouraged by guitarist Johnny Ramone. The recording sessions saw disputes between band members, mainly due to struggles with alcohol addiction by Joey Ramone and Marky Ramone, and the drug addiction of Dee Dee Ramone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The KKK Took My Baby Away</span> 1981 single by Ramones

"The KKK Took My Baby Away" is a song by American punk rock band Ramones, released in 1981 through Sire Records. It was written by front man and lead vocalist Joey Ramone and appears on the band's sixth studio album Pleasant Dreams (1981).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Be My Baby</span> 1963 song by the Ronettes

"Be My Baby" is a song by American girl group the Ronettes that was released as a single on Philles Records in August 1963. Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector, the song was the Ronettes' biggest hit, reaching number 2 in the U.S. and number 4 in the UK. It is often ranked as among the best songs of the 1960s, and has been regarded by various publications as one of the greatest songs of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baby, I Love You</span> 1963 single by the Ronettes

"Baby, I Love You" is a song originally recorded by the Ronettes in 1963 and released on their debut album Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes (1964). The song was written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector, and produced by Spector.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory</span> 1978 single by Johnny Thunders

"You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory" is a song released in 1978 by Johnny Thunders, appearing on his debut solo album So Alone and as a single taken from the album. Both the song and album include the guitar work of Peter Perrett of the Only Ones. The title was taken from a line in the "Better Living Through TV" episode of the sitcom The Honeymooners. It is considered by many to be his signature song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Worry Baby</span> 1964 single by the Beach Boys

"Don't Worry Baby" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their March 1964 album Shut Down Volume 2. Written by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian, Wilson's lead vocal on the track is considered one of his defining performances, and he later referred to "Don't Worry Baby" as perhaps the Beach Boys' finest record. It was issued in May 1964 as the B-side of "I Get Around", and charted separately at number 24.

Gabba is a London-based British tribute band performing ABBA songs in the stripped down punk style of the Ramones, a style of pop punk they dubbed discopunk and claim to have invented. They formed in 1996 and took their name in 1999. They have released one album as of 2006.

<i>Dont Worry About Me</i> 2002 studio album by Joey Ramone

Don't Worry About Me is the debut album released by Joey Ramone as a solo artist. It was released posthumously on February 19, 2002, by Sanctuary Records, less than a year after his death. The album was produced by Daniel Rey, who also did most of the guitar work. Rey had previously produced three of the Ramones' albums, between 1987 and 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Shernoff</span> American rock musician

Andy Shernoff is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. He is a founding member of The Dictators, one of the original New York punk bands, in which he wrote nearly all of the songs, played bass guitar and keyboards, and sang backing vocals and occasional leads. He has been involved with a variety of other musical projects, most notably the heavily Dictators-populated Manitoba's Wild Kingdom and Joey Ramone's first studio album, Don't Worry About Me. He additionally co-wrote four Ramones songs with Joey.

Daniel Rey is an American musician, record producer and songwriter from New York City, best known for his work with the punk rock band Ramones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Spector</span> American record producer (1939–2021)

Harvey Phillip Spector was an American record producer and songwriter, and convicted murderer. He is best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s along with his two trials and conviction for the murder of Lana Clarkson in the 2000s. Spector developed the Wall of Sound, a production style that is characterized for its diffusion of tone colors and dense orchestral sound, which he described as a "Wagnerian" approach to rock and roll. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in pop music history and one of the most successful producers of the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramones</span> American punk rock band

The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often cited as the first true punk rock band. Although they never achieved significant commercial success, the band is seen today as highly influential in punk culture.

References

  1. "Ronnie Spector Live Track On EP". MTV News. Archived from the original on September 22, 2017.
  2. "She Talks to Rainbows [US] - Ronnie Spector | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" via www.allmusic.com.
  3. "Robert Christgau: Album: Ronnie Spector: She Talks to Rainbows". robertchristgau.com.
  4. 1 2 "Music Review: 'She Talks to Rainbows'". EW.com.
  5. Sheffield, Rob (October 28, 1999). "Ronnie Spector: She Talks to Rainbows [US] : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 2007-10-13.
  6. Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. ISBN   9780743201698.
  7. Hoffman, Jan (June 22, 2000). "PUBLIC LIVES; Ronnie Spector, Just Walking in a Rainbow (Published 2000)". The New York Times.
  8. "Arts: She Talks to Rainbows". The Independent. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  9. "Ronnie Spector | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  10. "RONNIE SPECTOR SIGNS TO CREATION RECORDS | NME". NME . April 28, 1998.
  11. "Ronnie Spector". The A.V. Club.
  12. "Reviews". CMJ New Music Report. CMJ Network, Inc. September 13, 1999 via Google Books.
  13. "Ronnie Spector". The Village Voice. March 9, 1999.
  14. Prince, Patrick. "For Ronnie Spector, loving what you do is the best revenge". Goldmine Magazine: Record Collector & Music Memorabilia.