Spector And Ronettes Face Off

06/11/1998 3:00 AM, Yahoo! Music
Bruce Haring

(6/11/98) - Arguments began Tuesday in an $11 million lawsuit filed by the Ronettes ("Be My Baby") against their former producer, the legendary Phil Spector.

Phil Spector was among the most influential and successful producers of the 1960s. His creative trademark of overdubbing dozens of musicians on a single record became known as the "Wall Of Sound" technique. Members of the classic "girl group," who include the producer's ex-wife Ronnie Spector, claim that he cheated them out of their royalties and that they have not received any money from him since 1964. They are suing for breach of contract, lost and future earnings and ownership of original recordings.

The Ronettes' attorney, Alexander Peltz, opened his case by playing a number of their hits--"Be My Baby," "Walking In The Rain" and "Baby I Love You"--for Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Paula Omansky, who is hearing the case without a jury. Ronnie Spector, the trio's lead singer who now performs as a solo act, sat in the back row of the courtroom, singing to herself as the music played. (Her marriage to Spector ended in divorce in 1974.)

Peltz said the group had a contract with Spector dating from 1963, but that all efforts to recoup their earnings had proved fruitless. He said Spector's response was that the group owed him money for production costs.

"Phil Spector was a boy genius in music, producing, assembling, marketing girl groups--but he was also a genius in greed, vengeance and spite," Peltz said.

Phil Spector's attorney, Andrew Bart, said in his opening statement that Ronnie Spector signed away her portion of the group's earnings in her divorce settlement. Bart also said the Ronettes were trying to rewrite their contract to add items that may be common in contemporary contracts but did not exist three decades ago. He said Spector would concede to owing, at most, $350,000 in unpaid royalties to the trio.

Ronnie Spector is slated to testify later in the week.