Ellie Greenwich: Now she's gone . . .

Ellie Greenwich died of a heart attack yesterday at the age of 68.

I confess that I wasn't familiar with her by name before yesterday. But now I know that I've been enjoying her work since I was in elementary school, obsessively listening to "best of the '60s" tapes.

She's best known for her songwriting — or, rather, co-songwriting. She co-wrote most of her songs with Phil Spector and/or her husband (later ex-husband, though they continued writing together after the divorce), Jeff Barry. Here are some of her great songs:

- Be My Baby
- Leader of the Pack
- Then He Kissed Me
- Da Doo Ron Ron
- Chapel of Love
- Doo Wah Diddy
- I Can Hear Music

When Rolling Stone listed the "500 greatest songs of all time," it put "Be My Baby" at #22, just ahead of towering achievements like "Stairway to Heaven," "God Only Knows," and "A Day in the Life." (Incidentally, I believe it's the #1 song on the list written by a woman.) It was reportedly Brian Wilson's favorite song.

According to the obituary at the first link, Greenwich wore many other hats: singer, producer, arranger, actress, etc.

Some more links: Wikipedia is, of course, the place to go for her life story. Metafilter's commenters are reminiscing and taking moments of silence (represented by periods). Pitchfork, the indie-focused music site with a reputation for über-hipness, praises her "ridiculously great songs."

Here are two songs I love for her characteristic simplicity, sweetness, emotional directness.

The Ronettes - Be My Baby




The Beach Boys - I Can Hear Music (originally performed by the Ronettes)




ADDED: My mom also has a post on Ellie Greenwich, where a commenter called FortWorthGuy gives this anecdote:

Several years ago I wanted a copy of the cast recording of "Leader of the Pack" [a musical about Greenwich's life] on CD. I could not find it anywhere. The internet was a blank with regards to purchasing this item. I found Ellie's e-mail address on her web page, sent her an e-mail asking how/where I could purchase this. She wrote back asking for my home address and in a few days she sent me one....no charge. What a sweetie! And the music does bring back great memories!

(Photo of Ellie Greenwich from her website.)

Music Friday: 4 covers

For some reason, hearing two different versions of a song side by side usually makes me appreciate both performances more. Here are some particularly adventurous and fruitful covers, followed by the original artist.

1. Mercedes Landazuri (info) covers...



...the Beach Boys.




2. The Futureheads cover...



...Kate Bush.




3. Cake covers...



...Gloria Gaynor.




4. K.T. Tunstall covers...



...the Jackson 5.

More of the greatest moments from the 2008 presidential race (up to 99)

And now: the latest installment of my ongoing list of the greatest moments from the 2008 race for president.

In case you missed them the first time, here are the previous installments:
1 - 44 (on the path to becoming #44)
45 - 77

As always, I've mostly given just quotes without attributions so that the list can double as a fun trivia game to test your campaign knowledge, if you so desire.

The new ones are mostly from the general election, with a few stragglers from the primaries that were just too good not to include:

78. "Even if you never met him, you know this guy. He's the guy at the country club with the beautiful date, holding a martini and a cigarette that stands against the wall and makes snide comments about everyone who passes by."
[blog]

79. "Did I mention he's black?"
[video]

80. Obama kicks off the general election by reaching out to whites
[video]

81. "We should be able to deliver bottled hot water to dehydrated babies."
[video] + [commentary]

82. "How do we beat the bitch?" "... That's an excellent question."
[video]

83. "That's not change we can believe in!"
[video, starting at 1:20 and interspersed with commentary]

84.  "[She] came to us with news that, as parents, we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned."
[story]

85. "That old Beach Boys song, 'Bomb Iran'? Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb..."
[video]

86. "Do you agree with the Bush doctrine?" "In what respect, Charlie?"
[video + transcript]

87. "Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided."
[story]

88. "I told Congress, thanks but no thanks on that bridge to nowhere."
---> "I was for infrastructure being built in the state, and it's not inappropriate for a mayor or a governor to request and to work with ... their Congressmen, their Congresswomen, to plug into the federal budget ... a share of the federal budget for infrastructure. What I supported was a link between the airport and the community, and we have found that link now."
[video]

89. "I just gotta make clear: I got tested with Michelle."
[video]

90. "Learning about sex before learning to read?!"
[video]

91. "You've heard of mental depression; this is a mental recession."
[video]

92. "I wanna cut his nuts off."
[video]

93. awkwardest pause ever
[video]

94. "He's the biggest celebrity in the world."
[video]

95. "I think -- I'll have my staff get to you. It's condominiums where ... I'll have them get to you."
[audio] + [story]

96. "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American, who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man."
[story]

97. "I've been in love with the same woman for 30-plus years, as anybody who's been around us knows. ... So the story's just false."
[video]

98. "Suppose for example you're a voter. And you've got candidate X and candidate Y. Candidate X agrees with you on everything, but you don't think that person can deliver on anything. Candidate Y disagrees with you on half the issues, but you believe that on the other half, the candidate will be able to deliver. For whom would you vote? [pause] This has nothing to do with what's going on now."
[story]

99. "I want you to ask yourselves: were you just in this campaign for me?"
[video + transcript]


(Photo of the Obamas and Bidens from Obama. Photo of Palin with troops originally from a government site and preserved by A Second Hand Conjecture. Photo of McCain on TV by sloomis08.)