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Back to Mono (1958–1969)
Box set by
ReleasedNovember 12, 1991
Recorded1958–1969
Genre Orchestral pop, rhythm and blues
Length206:12
Label ABKCO
ProducerPhil Spector
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [1]

Back to Mono (1958–1969) is a box set that compiles tracks produced by American record producer Phil Spector between 1958 and 1969. It was released in 1991 by ABKCO. Initially a vinyl album-sized package, the box contained a booklet with photographs, complete song lyrics, discographical information, and a reproduction of the essay on Spector by Tom Wolfe, "The First Tycoon of Teen." The package also contained a small, round, red "Back to Mono" pin. In 2020, it was ranked number 489 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Content

Back to Mono surveys recordings leading up to and featuring the Wall of Sound, Spector's famed production trademark. Starting with " He's A Rebel" on disc one, through " I'll Never Need More Than This" and including disc four, all of the musical arrangements are by Jack Nitzsche. The list of musicians contributing to the tracks number in the hundreds, but prominent among them are Brian Wilson, Hal Blaine, Sonny Bono, Red Callender, Glen Campbell, Al DeLory, Steve Douglas, Jim Gordon, Jim Horn, Carol Kaye, Barney Kessel, Larry Knechtel, Jay Migliori, Ray Pohlman, Don Randi, Lyle Ritz, Billy Strange, Tommy Tedesco, Bill Pitman, and Nino Tempo.

The set collects every single produced by Spector and issued on the Philles label, with the exception of Philles 132, " White Cliffs of Dover" by The Righteous Brothers, which did not chart. Of the catalogue items Philles 100 through 136, the set omits: Philles 101, 103, and 104, produced by Spector's early business partner and label namesake, Lester Sill; Philles 133, produced by Jeff Barry, although its B-side produced by Spector, "When I Saw You," does appear; and Philles 134, produced by Bob Crewe. Philles 105, withdrawn initially in 1962 owing to its controversial subject matter, has also been included. Both " Walking in the Rain" by The Ronettes and "Stumble and Fall" by Darlene Love are listed in most discographies, including the box booklet, as Philles 123. The single " Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," initially released in 1963 as Philles 119, was re-released the following year as Philles 125 with a different B-side, and did not chart either year. Philles 134 through 136 were not released in the United States; however, there are DJ promo pressings of 136.

In addition to the Philles singles catalogue, the first three discs present Spector productions for other labels, various unreleased material, and two album tracks from Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes featuring Veronica, Philles 4006, and one from River Deep - Mountain High, London HAU 8298 (unreleased Philles 4011). Spector created additional imprints for specific projects, such as the Phil Spector label to promote the solo career of Veronica "Ronnie" Bennett of the Ronettes, the future Mrs. Spector. Some of those items also appear on these discs.

The fourth disc contains the entirety of the Christmas album released on the same day as the JFK assassination, A Christmas Gift for You, purportedly the only long-playing album from his Philles heyday that Spector worked on with the same intensity that he generally lavished on the singles. It peaked at No. 13 on the Christmas Albums chart in 1963, although a reissue in 1972 went to No. 6.

In 2003, the album was ranked No. 64 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time (No. 65 on the revised 2012 list and No. 489 on the revised 2023 list). [2] [3] [4] With the exception of an anthology of his productions for the girl group the Paris Sisters, Back to Mono represents the totality of Spector's singles from this period in print, as of Spring, 2007.

Track listing

All selections produced by Phil Spector, except "Spanish Harlem" produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller

Disc One

Track Song title Artist Time Writer(s) Release date Chart peak Catalogue
1. " To Know Him Is to Love Him" The Teddy Bears 2:23 Phil Spector December 1958 No. 1 Dore 503
2. " Corrine, Corrina" Ray Peterson 2:40 Mitchell Parish, Bo Chatman, J. Mayo Williams January 1961 No. 9 Dunes 2002
3. " Spanish Harlem" Ben E. King 2:51 Jerry Leiber and Phil Spector 1961 No. 10 Atco 6185
4. " Pretty Little Angel Eyes" Curtis Lee 2:45 Tommy Boyce and Curtis Lee August 1961 No. 7 Dunes 2007
5. " Every Breath I Take" Gene Pitney 2:43 Gerry Goffin and Carole King September 1961 No. 42 Musicor 1011
6. " I Love How You Love Me" The Paris Sisters 2:06 Barry Mann and Larry Kolber October 1961 No. 5 Gregmark 6
7. " Under the Moon of Love" Curtis Lee 2:50 Tommy Boyce and Curtis Lee November 1961 No. 46 Dunes 2008
8. " There's No Other (Like My Baby)" The Crystals 2:31 Phil Spector and Leroy Bates January 1962 No. 20 Philles 100
9. " Uptown" The Crystals 2:19 Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann May 1962 No. 13 Philles 102
10. " He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss)" The Crystals 2:32 Gerry Goffin and Carole King withdrawn Philles 105
11. " He's a Rebel" The Crystals 2:25 Gene Pitney August 1962 No. 1 Philles 106
12. " Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans 2:49 Ray Gilbert and Allie Wrubel January 1963 No. 8 Philles 107
13. " Puddin' n' Tain" The Alley Cats 2:48 Gary Pipkin, Alonzo Willis, Brice Coefield February 1963 No. 43 Philles 108
14. " He's Sure the Boy I Love" The Crystals 2:44 Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil February 1963 No. 11 Philles 109
15. " Why Do Lovers Break Each Others Hearts" Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans 2:48 Ellie Greenwich, Tony Powers, Phil Spector March 1963 No. 38 Philles 110
16. " (Today I Met) The Boy I'm Gonna Marry" Darlene Love 2:48 Greenwich, Powers, Spector May 1963 No. 39 Philles 111
17. " Da Doo Ron Ron" The Crystals 2:17 Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, Phil Spector June 1963 No. 3 Philles 112
18. " Heartbreaker" The Crystals 2:34 Greenwich, Barry, Spector unreleased
19. " Why Don't They Let Us Fall in Love" Veronica 2:39 Greenwich, Barry, Spector Phil Spector 2
20. " Chapel of Love" Darlene Love 2:24 Greenwich, Barry, Spector unreleased
21. " Not Too Young to Get Married" Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans 2:27 Greenwich, Barry, Spector July 1963 No. 63 Philles 113
22. " Wait ‘til My Bobby Gets Home" Darlene Love 2:23 Greenwich, Barry, Spector September 1963 No. 26 Philles 114
23. " All Grown Up" The Crystals 2:49 Greenwich, Barry, Spector August 1964 No. 98 Philles 122

Disc Two

Track Song title Artist Time Writer(s) Release date Chart peak Catalogue
1. " Be My Baby" The Ronettes 2:40 Greenwich, Barry, Spector October 1963 No. 2 Philles 116
2. " Then He Kissed Me" The Crystals 2:37 Greenwich, Barry, Spector September 1963 No. 6 Philles 115
3. " A Fine Fine Boy" Darlene Love 2:46 Greenwich, Barry, Spector November 1963 No. 53 Philles 117
4. " Baby, I Love You" The Ronettes 2:50 Greenwich, Barry, Spector February 1964 No. 24 Philles 118
5. " I Wonder" The Ronettes 2:51 Greenwich, Barry, Spector 1964 No. 96 Philles LP 4006
6. " Girls Can Tell" The Crystals 2:36 Greenwich, Barry, Spector unreleased
7. " Little Boy" The Crystals 2:59 Greenwich, Barry, Spector February 1964 No. 92 Philles 119x
8. " Hold Me Tight" The Treasures 2:53 John Lennon and Paul McCartney Shirley 500
9. " The Best Part of Breakin' Up" The Ronettes 3:02 Vini Poncia, Pete Andreoli, Phil Spector May 1964 No. 39 Philles 120
10. " Soldier Baby Of Mine" The Ronettes 2:52 Poncia, Andreoli, Spector unreleased
11. " Strange Love" Darlene Love 3:00 Poncia, Andreoli, Spector Philles 131
12. " Stumble And Fall" Darlene Love 2:22 Poncia, Andreoli, Spector 1964 Philles 123
13. " When I Saw You" The Ronettes 2:43 Spector 1966 Philles 133b
14. " So Young" Veronica 2:36 William Tyus Phil Spector 1
15. " Do I Love You?" The Ronettes 2:50 Poncia, Andreoli, Spector August 1964 No. 34 Philles 121
16. " Keep On Dancing" The Ronettes 2:32 Greenwich, Barry, Spector unreleased
17. " You, Baby" The Ronettes 2:56 Cynthia Weil, Barry Mann, Phil Spector 1964 No. 96 Philles LP 4006
18. " Woman in Love" The Ronettes 2:56 Weil, Mann, Spector unreleased
19. " Walking in the Rain" The Ronettes 3:16 Weil, Mann, Spector December 1964 No. 23 Philles 123

Disc Three

Track Song title Artist Time Writer(s) Release date Chart peak Catalogue
1. " You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" The Righteous Brothers 3:46 Weil, Mann, Spector December 1964 No. 1 Philles 124
2. " Born to Be Together" The Ronettes 2:57 Weil, Mann, Spector March 1965 No. 52 Philles 126
3. " Just Once in My Life" The Righteous Brothers 3:56 Goffin, King, Spector May 1965 No. 9 Philles 127
4. " Unchained Melody" The Righteous Brothers 3:37 Hy Zaret and Alex North July 1965 No. 4 Philles 129b
5. " Is This What I Get for Loving You?" The Ronettes 3:21 Goffin, King, Spector June 1965 No. 75 Philles 128
6. " Long Way to Be Happy" Darlene Love 2:48 Gerry Goffin and Carole King unreleased
7. " (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons" The Righteous Brothers 2:47 Deek Watson and William Best January 1966 Philles 130b
8. " Ebb Tide" The Righteous Brothers 2:48 Carl Sigman and Robert Maxwell January 1966 No. 5 Philles 130
9. " This Could Be the Night" The Modern Folk Quartet 2:39 Harry Nilsson and Phil Spector unreleased
10. " Paradise" The Ronettes 3:37 Perry Botkin Jr., Gil Garfield, Nilsson, Spector unreleased
11. " River Deep - Mountain High" Ike & Tina Turner 3:35 Greenwich, Barry, Spector June 1966 No. 88 Philles 131
12. " I'll Never Need More Than This" Ike & Tina Turner 3:27 Greenwich, Barry, Spector February 1967 No. 114 [5] Philles 135
13. " A Love Like Yours (Don't Come Knockin' Everyday)" Ike & Tina Turner 2:57 Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland June 1967 No. 16 (UK) [6] Philles 136
14. " Save the Last Dance for Me" Ike & Tina Turner 2:47 Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman September 1966 No. 27 (UK) [6] Philles LP 4011 (unreleased)

London HAU 8298

15. " I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine" The Ronettes 3:49 Greenwich, Barry, Spector unreleased
16. " You Came, You Saw, You Conquered" The Ronettes 2:49 Toni Wine, Irwin Levine, Spector A&M 1040
17. " Black Pearl" Sonny Charles and the Checkmates, Ltd. 3:19 Wine, Levine, Spector July 1969 No. 13 A&M 1053
18. " Love Is All I Have to Give" The Checkmates, Ltd. 4:09 Bobby Stephens and Phil Spector May 1969 No. 65 A&M 1039

Disc Four: A Christmas Gift for You

Initially released as Philles 4005, November 22, 1963

Track Song title Artist Writer(s) Time
1. " White Christmas" Darlene Love Irving Berlin 2:52
2. " Frosty the Snowman" The Ronettes Steve Nelson and Walter Rollins 2:16
3. " The Bells of St. Mary" Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans A. Emmett Adams and Douglas Furber 2:54
4. " Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" The Crystals J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie 3:24
5. " Sleigh Ride" The Ronettes Leroy Anderson and Mitchell Parish 3:00
6. " Marshmallow World" Darlene Love Carl Sigman and Peter DeRose 2:23
7. " I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" The Ronettes Tommie Connor 2:37
8. " Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" The Crystals Johnny Marks 2:30
9. " Winter Wonderland" Darlene Love Felix Bernard and Dick Smith 2:25
10. " Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" The Crystals Leon Jessel 2:55
11. " Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" Darlene Love Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry and Phil Spector 2:45
12. " Here Comes Santa Claus" Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans Gene Autry and Oakley Haldeman 2:03
13. " Silent Night" Phil Spector and Artists Josef Mohr and Franz X. Gruber 2:08

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States ( RIAA) [7] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Back to Mono at AllMusic
  2. ^ The 500 Greatest Albums of All Times. Levy, Joe. (1st ed.). New York: Wenner Books. 2005. ISBN  1932958010. OCLC  60596234.{{ cite book}}: CS1 maint: others ( link)
  3. ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. May 31, 2012.
  4. ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 2024-01-05. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  5. ^ "Bubbling Under The Hot 100" (PDF). Billboard. July 29, 1967.
  6. ^ a b "Ike & Tina Turner". Official Charts.
  7. ^ "American album certifications – Phil Spector – BACK TO MONO (1958 - 1969)". Recording Industry Association of America.