Friday, January 29, 2016

The Ronettes, "Be My Baby"

          I play "Scrabble" deep into most nights, a cut-throat, ongoing match against a computer that chews me up and spits me out with discouraging regularity.  But recently I stumbled on a way to be pleasantly distracted by YouTube classical music performances while I scratch my head over seven Scrabble tiles at a time.  I like the whole package--distraction, good music, and language.  It could hardly get any better.
          And then I discovered Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes singing a doo-wop classic, "Be My Baby."
          It's a 1963 song with the later-to-be-famous Cher singing backup, Cher's first recording.  Veronica Bennett, who had not yet become Ronnie Spector, was the lead singer, with her sister and cousin filling out the trio.  The girls and "Be My Baby" were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.  It's still sweet to see them on YouTube swivel-hipping their way into pop music history--and quite a few teenage hearts too.





The Ronettes, 1966.  Promotional
photo from Wikipedia.

Keep your cursor poised to click on the second version toward the end of the song, and try not to be mesmerized by Ronnie's syncopated hips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrVbawRPO7I


Visions and Revisions at 81

            I miss toiling away contentedly at my quiet, and lonely writing desk pursuing topics in American literature.  I would be hard at...