Disgraceland

by Jake Brennan

  Phil Spector

  Phil Spector has inspired countless think pieces, documentaries, and biographies. These, along with his many interviews over the years, provided a treasure trove of information to piece together this chapter with. The quote attributed from Phil to John Lennon’s ghost about Elvis Presley was taken from the Rolling Stone interview Phil did with Jann Wenner from the November 1, 1969, issue. The interview is one of the wildest things I’ve ever read, and I highly recommend you dig it up. True Crime with Aphrodite Jones: Phil Spector (2010); Tearing Down the Wall of Sound: The Rise and Fall of Phil Spector by Mick Brown (Knopf, 2007); the HBO film Phil Spector, written and directed by David Mamet (2013); Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts and Madness… by Ronnie Spector (Harmony, 1990); The Lives of John Lennon by Albert Goldman (William Morrow, 1988); “Phil Spector’s Cheap Shots” by Dominick Dunne, published in Vanity Fair in October 2007; and the MentalFloss article “5 Artists Reportedly Held at Gunpoint by Phil Spector” by Bill Demain, published August 1, 2001, were all sourced for this chapter.

  About the Author

  Jake Brennan is the writer, host, and producer of Disgraceland, a rock ’n’ roll true crime podcast, which exploded onto the scene in 2018. Jake saw his dad’s band open for the Ramones when he was ten years old. Before the show he asked his dad what the Ramones sounded like. He was told, “They sound like The Beach Boys but louder and faster.” Later that night, Jake learned that his dad was right. He also learned the importance of history in understanding music. Since then, Jake has been obsessed with music. And history. And for whatever reason, the darker sides of both. Disgraceland combines these obsessions. Jake lives north of Boston with his wife and two sons. He is surrounded by history and surrounds himself with music. Sometimes it’s louder and sometimes it’s faster, but it’s never as cool as the Ramones.