Rest in peace, Ellie Greenwich
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Aug 28, 2009 
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Ellie Greenwich was not a celebrity on the level of Michael Jackson, but her death on Wednesday caused some reflection.
Greenwich was one of the great songwriters of the 1960s. Working with Jeff Barry, Phil Spector and others, she helped come up with such memorable songs as Do Wah Diddy, Be My Baby, Chapel of Love, Leader of the Pack and the fantastic holiday song Christmas Baby Please Come Home that Darlene Love recorded.
She was one of the many influential people in the music business who worked at the Brill Building in Manhattan. As Bruce Weber of the Times wrote today, it was the center of pop music in the early 1960s. She also discovered Neil Diamond, which may or may not be a good thing depending on your taste in music.
For more, check out her Wikipedia page or the obit in the Times.
The music of those times, even if it was bubblegum, influenced a lot of artists that followed. When the Jackson Five did ABC, for instance, you can hear a lot of the same techniques. Springsteen did a song called Sherry Darling that was a throwback to the fraternity rock days. The early 60s stuff got overwhelmed by the British Invasion and the metal of the 1970s. But you can’t deny the listenability.
Bet you anything that if you grew up in the 70s, you listened to those songs when you dug through the records that your parents had.
(By the way, if you aren’t reading the obits in the Times, you really should. You can learn a lot every day.)
Unfortunately, I never knew Ellie’s name before she passed away this week. But when I saw a list of songs she had written I knew almost all of them by heart- and I am 28 years old.
I hope her music continues to live on and reach more generations
I’m obviously biased, because I’m from that generation, but I find it telling how good that music was when you see it’s lasting effect.
Brings back memories of hanging out and listening to this music on the juke box before school.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FxSM88H-G4
“yes we see”
thanks to Saving Silverman, the discovery of Neil Diamond can only be a good thing!
I agree, the obituaries in the times are almost always quite fascinating.
Shoot me, but I kinda liked Neil Diamond.
At least two of those songs are used in Goodfellas.
The Brill Buiding is a true slice of NYC history although many aren’t aware of its significance. I wonder how many people have walked or drove by it humming or listening to a song that was written just a few yards away.
Paul Simon was another musician that got his start writing songs there.
Let’s not forget Burt Bacharach and Hal David, as well.
Ellie is a part of my family and it was very cool to see this post — I’ve read so many great tributes to her in the past few days — even Paul mentioned Ellie on Letterman last night. She was a neat lady.
Letterman had Ronnie Spector sitting in with the band last night doing a tribute to Ellie Greenwich.
“you listened to those songs when you dug through the records that your parents had.”
Our daughter found the boxes of albums that we have stashed away (we don’t have a turntable so why are we still saving them?) and started listening to some of the songs on the computer to see what this stuff is all about. Steely Dan now has an 8 year old fan.
She also sang back up on Van Morrison’ “Brown Eyed Girl”…
Sha la la la la di da…
The music of those times, even if it was bubblegum, influenced a lot of artists that followed……The early 60s stuff got overwhelmed by the British Invasion and the metal of the 1970s. But you can’t deny the listenability.
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I don’t know if I can agree with you there Pete. There are a handful of good songs from that period and some of the music did influence some of the bands from the later part of the sixties and seventies (such as Brian Wilson who parlayed “Be My Baby” into his own “Don’t Worry Baby”) but a lot of the music from that time if you ever listen to a lot of musicians like Paul McCartney or Tom Petty speak is not well spoken of.
This was the period of time after for example Buddy Holly had died in the plane crash or Jerry Lee Lewis had disgraced himself by revealing he had married his cousin and the music industry made its first of many attempts to try to reign in rock and roll and make it more safe…more packaged.
They began to manufacturer these acts that would be seen as non-threatening by the general public. The artist Fabian is usually used as a prime example of this type of music but there were quite a number of these kind of artists around during this time. Not surprisingly the British music industry which always took its cues from America tried to follow suit with acts such as Cliff Richard who had that single “Living Doll” that was #1 on the UK charts in the late fifties/early sixties.
The interesting thing is that although most of Britain was following suit as far as what was being marketed in America…the northern part of the country (including Liverpool) was a bit behind on the times as far as music went as a lot of the records that they would get would be brought directly off the ships where they we being brought in from America. So the Liverpudlians were still stuck on rock and roll and still dressing like Teddy Boys long after the teenagers from the south had moved on from rock and roll which was being marketed as having “gone out” by that time.
In fact George Harrison cited much of The Beatles success early on to the fact that they would come back from Germany where they were performing and they’d be booked in these little Liverpool dance halls after these bands that were trying to ape The Shadows. The Beatles would then come on in their leather suits looking like Gene Vincent and play this straight rock and roll music and just blew everyone away.
>>I’m obviously biased, because I’m from that generation, but I find it telling how good that music was when you see it’s lasting effect.<<
I'm 26 and I think you're right. Young people in the '60s wouldn't have been caught dead listening to their parents' music (or so I gather), but young people today still think the music of your generation is the real deal.
“I’m obviously biased, because I’m from that generation, but I find it telling how good that music was when you see it’s lasting effect.”
I’m 26 and I think you’re right. Young people in the ’60s wouldn’t have been caught dead listening to their parents’ music (or so I gather), but young people today still think the music of your generation is the real deal.
Thank you Pete.
I saw a snippet that she died in the Washington Post but didn’t know what she had done or who she was. Of course I know those songs all by heart…..and damn it, it’s not because I listened to my parent’s music.
I love the bubblegum pop!
Hi Pete
When are we going to get your thoughts about Bruce Springsteen being on the cover of A.A.R.P. magazine?!!
Anyone interested in Ellie Greenwich and all the other great songwriters of that era should definitely check out the book “Always Magic in the Air”. Great Book.
http://www.amazon.com/Always-M.....038;sr=8-1
A previous interview with her was replayed today on Fresh Air:
http://www.npr.org/templates/s.....=112331204
“…, if you aren’t reading the obits in the Times, you really should. You can learn a lot every day.”
I agree 100%.
Thanks for All the info Pete. Younger folks should always hear about the influences and history of rock n roll. I always cringe when a 20 sumthin calls 80s/90s artists “old school”. I was 20 in 82. “old school” to me is pre- rock n roll!
Thanks Peter for mentioning the passing of Ellie. That’s what makes your blog special. I’ve always liked your taste in music as it often parallels mine.
While it was fashionable to say the early sixties were a musical wasteland, that’s clearly not the case. Besides the Brill Building, Ray Charles and Roy Orbison were at the peak of their careers and both forged unmistakable identities that influenced generations to come.
Rest in peace, Ellie.
Thanks, Pete. Great of you to acknowledge Ms. Greenwich. Musicians, like me, who are also music fans, have always recognized her talents and contributions. But she was an unknown to many.
As for music like hers having been a big influence…absolutely. Great songs like “Be My Baby” are influential in the way greatness is always influential. She and those other “Brill Building” craftsmen (and women) did a lot of really good work. There was no “genius” in it, but it was really good work (Heck, there are only 2 “musical geniuses” to come out of the 60s, Don Van Vliet and Bob Dylan. Maybe 3…Hendrix, but he was more a “genius musician.”)