Phil Spector

MacLeod explores Phil Spector’s rise and fall as a musician, songwriter, and producer whose musical ability and visionary foresight radically influenced popular music and culture of the 20th century. Spector’s legendary wall of sound became a hallmark of 1960’s pop music and contributed to the success of bands like the Beach Boys and the Beatles.

Sean MacLeod is a songwriter, music producer, and lecturer from Dublin, Ireland. He has been writing and producing music for more than twenty-five years and teaches courses in music and media at the Limerick College of Further Education. He wrote Leaders of the Pack: Girl Groups of the 1960s and Their Influence on Popular Culture in Britain and America (Rowman & Littlefield, 2015).

Introduction: Between Elvis and the Beatles Chapter 1: To Know Him Is to Love Him: Early Life and Formative Years Chapter 2: There's No Other: Entrepreneur and Business Man Chapter 3: Tomorrow's Sound Today: Technical Wizard and Musical Visionary Chapter 4: Pocket Symphonies for the Kids: Teenagers Chapter 5: He's A Rebel: Feminism and Civil Rights Chapter 6: He Hit Me: Control and Power Chapter 7: You've Lost That Loving Feeling: Collective Consciousness Versus Ego Consciousness Chapter 8: He's Sure the Boy I Love: Mentor and Protégés Chapter 9: Get Back: Master and Servant Chapter 10: End of a Century: Decline and Fall Conclusion: The Genius that the Geniuses Go To