Why Ronnie Spector Sang a George Harrison Song Even Though It Was ‘Awful’
Sometimes, it’s shocking how little classic rock artists enjoy their best work. The Ronettes’ Ronnie Spector didn’t want to record a George Harrison song but she did anyway. She discussed how fans reacted to her recording. Whether she liked the song or not, her version became a bigger chart hit than George’s.
Ronnie Spector told George Harrison she didn’t like 1 of his songs to his face
Ronnie Spector was the lead singer in The Ronettes, a girl group most known for their classic pop single “Be My Baby.” During a 2016 interview with Entertainment Weekly, she discussed working with George. “I was friends with The Beatles, real friends — we’d sit on the floor at home and have finger sandwiches and play 45s,” she recalled. “When I came to the U.K. to join [the band’s] Apple Records, I didn’t recognize George Harrison. It was during the Maharishi [Mahesh Yogi] days, and George had the longest hair.”
Spector revealed how she reacted when George played her his tune “Try Some, Buy Some.” “He immediately started playing me this song, and I said, ‘George, I can’t sing this kind of song!'” Spector recalled. “He says, ‘I know, Ronnie. I wrote it, and I don’t like it!'”
The song was produced by Ronnie Spector’s husband, Phil Spector
“Try Some, Buy Some” was produced by Spector’s husband, Phil Spector. He was known for his work with The Ronettes and other girl groups during the 1960s. The following decade, he produced The Beatles’ final album, Let It Be, which includes timeless tunes such as the title track, “Get Back,” and “The Long and Winding Road.” He later produced solo albums for some of the former Beatles, such as George’s All Things Must Pass and John Lennon’s Rock ‘n’ Roll.
The singer explained why she wasn’t a fan of “Try Some, Buy Some.” “It had all these strings and the arrangement was awful, [but] we were friends, so it wasn’t like we could just shake hands and walk away,” she said. “Later on, George recorded it, and he had my voice on it and his voice on it, answering each other. And after that came out, it became a fan favorite.”
How Ronnie Spector’s and George Harrison’s versions of the tune performed
Spector’s “Try Some, Buy Some” became a very minor hit. It climbed to No. 77 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for four weeks. The tune was Spector’s only solo single to chart in the United States.
George’s version of “Try Some, Buy Some” was never a single, so it did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100. It appeared on his album Living in the Material World. That record reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for five weeks, lasting on the chart for 26 weeks in total. Aside from All Things Must Pass, Living in the Material World was George’s longest-lasting No. 1 album.
George and Spector were not huge fans of “Try Some, Buy Some” — but the tune eventually became a fan favorite.
