Of course, Spector was the king of pre- Beatles teens and their obsession with the 45. “A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records” – Various Artists (1963) After his earlier Gerry Goffin/Carole King-written song “He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)” was withdrawn as objections began to arise, a less risible variation on a similar theme, the revved-up “He’s a Rebel” (written by Gene Pitney), stepped in to represented Spector’s predilection for bad boy-driven lyricism, anthemic melodies and attitude-laden girl-group harmony.
Spector didn’t seem to mind courting controversy while courting the charts. Yet its melody and message are as heavy and memorable as any of Spector’s heartbroken hits. Released in 1962, but not successfully charted until ’63, this neo-doo wop cut, produced and co-written by Spector with lead vocals by the divine Darlene Love, showed off a lighter touch in terms of its theatricality and rhythm. “Why Do Lovers (Break Each Other’s Heart)” – Bob B. Though sung by what seemed like a tight choir of street angels, the Spector-produced co-write with Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich put the sensual, savvy voice of Ronnie Bennett (soon to be Ronnie Spector) up front, beyond the song’s complex layers of orchestration, thus creating Phil’s and his Philles Records label’s first true “star” beyond the man himself. Though Spector merely co-wrote this Latin-tinged track, putting music to the words of Jerry Leiber (who co-produced the song with his usual writing partner, Mike Stoller), the song introduced Phil’s epic, street-operatic ideal.
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