John Lennon Wanted to Be The Ronettes’ Ronnie Spector on 1 Album
John Lennon said he wanted to be like The Ronettes’ Ronnie Spector or The Chiffons when he recorded one of his albums. He worked on the record with a musical genius who was arguably the most famous producer of all time. The record gave us one of John’s most famous and lovely covers.
John Lennon wanted to be like The Ronettes’ Ronnie Spector when he made ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’
During a 1975 interview with Spin, John said he started transitioning from a political activist to a regular musician with the release of his album Mind Games. He decided he wanted to have some fun with his next release by singing a collection of rock ‘n’ roll songs.
“I don’t even wanna be the producer,” he said. “I’ll do it with Phil Spector. ‘Cause I’ve worked with him before. It took me three weeks to talk him into the fact that he could produce it … and it wasn’t gonna be co-production like ‘Imagine’ and other things, where I never let go of the control. I just said, ‘You’re gonna do it. I just wanna be [Spector-produced artist] Ronnie Spector, or The Chiffons, or whoever it is.'” Ronnie was also Phil’s wife.
John Lennon discussed what it was like collaborating with Phil Spector
John discussed what else he told Phil. “‘And I’ll just sit there and sing,'” he said. “‘I’m not even gonna come in until you got it on the tape. I’m not gonna check anything — the bass drum, or the drums like I want it. It’s gonna be like you want it. And I’ll just do singing.'”
John was happy to work with the legendary producer. “And it was great at first that there he was, being the Phil Spector that I never allowed him to be,” he said. “In complete control of 28 guys playing live.” John compared the recording to the sessions Phil did in the 1960s.
How John Lennon’s ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’ performed in the United States and the United Kingdom
Rock ‘n’ Roll reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 15 weeks. It wasn’t a massive hit for John like Imagine or Double Fantasy, but it wasn’t a flop either. The one hit single from Rock ‘n’ Roll was John’s version of Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me.” Ironically, King’s “Stand by Me” isn’t a rock ‘n’ roll tune and neither is John’s remake. The cover hit No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and lasted on the chart for nine weeks.
According to The Official Charts Company, Rock ‘n’ Roll climbed to No. 6 in the United Kingdom and remained on the chart for 28 weeks. Meanwhile, “Stand by Me” reached No. 30 and stayed on the chart for seven weeks. While “Stand by Me” inspired countless covers over the past few decades, John’s remains one of the most famous and beautiful.
Ronnie was very different than John but he had her in mind when he created one of his classic albums.
